Claiming the future

I wrote yesterday that the race is on between Brown and Cameron to appear the best to lead us through the post-recessionary landscape.  That race became even more competitive today, with both Brown and Cameron serving up their “optimistic” visions for the future.  Our Dear Leader’s came in a speech to the Regional Economic Council, which was packed with nods to a “prosperous future” and to “investment in the future”.  Whilst Cameron’s came in the press conference that Fraser blogged about earlier, during which there was much ado about “increased productivity,” “more efficiency,” and “greener technology”.

On the whole, I’d say Cameron’s got out of the starting blocks quicker; but mainly because he can – and did – brand Brown’s Brave New World as one of “1970s-style big stateism”, tax rises and further debt crises.  These warnings have considerable rhetorical force.  But there’s still a sense that Cameron needs to more clearly qualify what a Tory Future would look like if he’s to capitalise fully on the situation.