It’s Budget Day, possibly George Osborne’s last Budget and certainly the last big event in the House of Commons that anyone outside it will notice. The Chancellor will, within the limits set by the Coalition, try to give voters a vision of what life after the cuts will be like, with glimpses of sunlit uplands in the form of further rises to the personal tax allowance, freedom for pensioners who already have annuities to sell them for a lump sum, whizzy online tax returns, as well as the sort of spending that helps voters feel more secure, with the Sun predicting more cash for the intelligence services. He will describe today’s announcements as forming a Budget ‘that works for you’.
The Chancellor will be offering the technical details of the Tory offer, but the party’s task after today is to enthuse voters sufficiently to back the Conservatives over Labour. The only thing anyone can reasonably conclude from e opinion polls at the moment is that voters aren’t particularly bothered by either of the main parties. They need a reason to turn up to the polling station.
Tory MPs and candidates are being told that their election literature must link the ‘long-term economic plan’ to their constituency, suggesting that this bridge or that school wouldn’t exist without the long-term economic plan. The Tories now think think they can bank the ‘long-term economic plan’, and you will see more of a focus over the next few weeks on the party saying it has ‘a plan for your family’, which does sound rather like a pensions leaflet, but is at least an attempt to personalise the party’s offer.
Politicians should leave the wealthy alone – they already contribute more than their fair share
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oin us on 22 April for a Spectator debate on wealth and politics. Are wealth taxes the answer? Or is it wrong to squeeze the rich? Chaired by Andrew Neil.For the motion: Toby Young and William Cash.Against the motion: Owen Jones.Remaining speakers to be announced. For tickets and further information click here.
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