Labour on the back foot

Today’s Budget made clear that we are in for a protracted period of political trench warfare. Darling’s speech was cautious in the extreme while the Tory response was hardly bold. However, the Tories have to be cheered by the contrast with last year’s Budget when Brown felt confident enough to try and kill off the Tories with his pretend tax cut and Cameron’s aim was simply survival. Now, it is Labour that is desperate just to get through the day.