The question the Tories must answer

Before George Osborne gave his speech at LSE today, I just coudn’t get a handle on what his message would be.  In his interview on the Today programme, he was making positive noises about reducing the tax burden.  “The best way to help people is through targeted, funded tax-help … certainly not increasing taxes like the government are planning to do,” he told listeners.  But the FT seemed to have a different take.  Their preview of the Shadow Chancellor’s speech began: “George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, will pave the way for tax rises under a Conservative government while warning against a ‘tax con’ short-term cut by Gordon Brown.”

Thing is – as Fraser noted earlier – Osborne’s speech didn’t clear up the confusion.  Sure, half of it was – like Cameron’s PMQs performance – an effective and punchy attack on the government’s borrowing plans.