Oct 10 2007
I am worried about Mr Darling, the Chancellor
According to Mr Darling, the two big issues yesterday were:
1. The alleged "black hole" in Tory tax and spending plans
2. Whether the Tories would match his spending plans on health and education.
It’s pathetic. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The "Tory spending plans" relate to years when he is likely to be in office as they do not want an early election. The size of the alleged "black hole" is considerably smaller than the actual black hole he revealed in government spending and tax plans - he put in an extra ??3.6 billion of "revisions and forecasting changes" to his adjusted 2007-8 budget and announced an increase in borrowing of ??4.4 billion.
His spending increase of ??2 billion represents just 0.3% of total spending, well below the usual error in the figures.
The "debate" in the UK under this government is just a series of silly postures by the Chancellor, trying to do damage to his political opponents. The debate we ought to be having would ask:
1. Why do taxes need to go up by 27.7billion next year?
2. How is the ??28 billion of extra spending going to be spent? How will it improve public services?
3. Why can’t the government squeeze the ??30 billion a year of waste out more quickly?
This would be more interesting than spending time arguing over the odd billion at the margin, which is mere poltical posturing.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
On the question of squeezing out government waste the government could start by getting rid of NewDeal gravy-train providors who are creaming taxpayers money. These providors are clearly not finding work for the unemployed, they should be dispensed with. Why does the Labour government persist with the NewDeal, its such an expensive failiure. I couldn’t believe the madness when Gordon Brown said the NewDeal was being extended at the Labour conference! The NewDeal has been one of the biggest waste of money in history. 3.4 Billion pounds down the drain.