Darling stumbles

Darling is losing his grip. He got his figures wrong twice on the World This Weekend and his exasperated stuttering hardly inspired confidence at a time when it is so badly needed. His job is to exude calm and savoir faire, for the benefit of anxious savers listening at home. Instead, he went on about how David Cameron was once a special adviser to Norman Lamont. Yes, the credit crunch started in America but why is the UK so exposed? This is the question ministers must answer. For years, the Tories have taken a defeatist attitude thinking Brown’s reputation with the economy was untouchable. Now is their chance.

PS Cameron is now making a speech on all this at 12.30pm tomorrow. Let’s see if he lands some punches.