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Chancellor? Chancellor? Chancellor?

The Prime Minster

Vague Election Pledges

A series of sentences that could have been written by anyone vaguely promising the world- just one of the criticisms levelled at Gordon Brown today, after he stated his FIVE key general election pledges:

• Secure economic recovery
• Raise family living standards
• Build a hi-tech economy
• Protect frontline investment
• Strengthen fairness

Meanwhile the Conservatives have announced SIX themes:

• Act now on debt to get the economy moving
• Get Britain working by boosting enterprise
• Make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe
• Back the NHS
• Raise standards in schools
• Change politics

Are they really one better than labour or just more of the same?

No real headlines...

I thought I’d better take this opportunity to say a bit about this blog and myself when there is nothing major in the headlines for UK politics. Every day I will be commenting on at least one news story, for the build up for the election. Unfortunately I cannot vote, being under 18 years of ages, but unlike most 16 year olds I have a keen interest in Politics and am taking an A Level in the subject and hope to further my studies at university. Yesterday I attended a conference at another school in the area with guest speaker Professor Peter Hennessy who at the Queen Mary, University of London and to say he was excellent would be understating it. Also today I attended a trip to the House of Parliament for a tour of the building with my school which I also found very informative. On Sunday and every Sunday following, I will be writing on a particular topic that will effect people’s decision to vote. This week will be focused on the question of the Prime Minster and I will be evaluated the position as a whole, not just on a candidate to candidate base.

Budget Backlash

Although the budget was yesterday, it seems more truth has emerged today. Alistair Darling was interviewed by BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson and admitted that after looking at the actions Margaret Thatcher’s government took in the 1980s and comparing it to the Treasury's own resent figures- the cuts made by Labour will be ‘deeper and tougher’ and this was all said in a comfortable chair, away from the clamour of parliament. He also left it to Liam Byrne, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to also admit on Question Time ‘Yes, they will be.’

This is not the only issue, as these spending cuts will not be announced before the election. Of course the dreaded word ‘cuts’ are a number one voter turn off. A YouGov poll on 16^th March 2010 shows that 42% of people believe ‘The government should not cut spending too soon: it would risk putting the country back into recession’. Of course if the government want another turn in office, they are obviously going to keep trying to keep the bad news at bay for as long as possible- so voters do not panic at the polling stations and vote the other way. But is fair that Labour’s ambitions are getting in the way of public honesty? To tell the truth about the state of our economy and what they really do plan is vial if businesses are going to reinvest in Britain. Not to mention for our own personal preparation; we, the British people, need to know what will be done with our public services- how they will be cut and when. When the average family or person or couple are struggling as it is, they will need to know what direction the next government pinch is going to be coming from, so we can plan what else will need to be set aside for future years to cover the increasing cost of living.

While the Robin Hood taxing approach may appeal to many voters as a way to raise funds to help the poor while targeting the rich, who of course have so many pots of money they do not mind every other one been taken by the government. Many voters are unable to see past their own benefits of this idea, to the greater effects that could be shake our struggling economy. If the rich are continually penalised by a government taking more and more of money- no matter how hard earned it maybe for some- then the simple answer is migration and not the kind that the EU is keen to encourage. The bankers will leave to do business elsewhere and we will all lose out on any taxes they might have raised.

This socialist vote winner of the rich being used to hold up the poor, and the use of these safe words such as ‘efficiency savings’ is that of a government too scared to say the words they will have to be saying in a few months time which is- job cuts, pay cuts, resource cuts and public spending cuts to repay the billions still owed by the UK.

Darling, the truth hurts... but you’ve got to say it.

I thought it was a Budget...

After sitting through an hour and an half of listening to The Chancellor Alistair Darling speak, you must forgive the feeling disappointment I have. The first 10 to 20 minutes was merely a self pat on the back for the government’s actions such as the car scrappage scheme, the word family was used so many times to draw attention to how much they were being helped.... It sounded more like an election campaign speech than a budget.

But my two favourite moments:

Policies are leading from the other of the bench from Conservative to Labour-

‘I can announce I will double the stamp duty limit for first time buyers from midnight tonight – from £125,000 to £250,000, for this year and next. This means 9 in 10 first time buyers will pay no stamp duty at all.’ The reaction from David Cameron and others was worth watching.

And a not so sly dig at the Conservative...

‘I am determined to continue our successful drive to prevent avoidance and evasion....Measures in this Budget will bring in additional tax worth half a billion pounds each year, while protecting £4bn worth of revenues by 2012-13. These steps include tax agreements like that already signed with Liechtenstein, which is expected to bring in around £1bn of extra revenue. I can also now tell the House that we are ready to sign tax information exchange agreements with three additional countries – Dominica, Grenada and Belize.’

Belize being of course where Lord Ashcroft keeps his millions.

Oh I'm sure they will be laughing all the way to the public owned bank with that one.

Triple suspension for Hewitt, Hoon, Byers

When I first heard this piece of news I thought- as if Labour needed another scandalising wound to mark its already shaky reputation. But then I heard the names: Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon and Stephen Byers (particularly the first two) and I thought back to January earlier this year... On 6th January 2010, they jointly called for a secret ballot on the future of the leadership of Gordon Brown and although it did not amount to much it, this marked them as a blatant threat to Labour within the party. With both MP’s having already agreed to step down as MP’s in the next election (Hewitt particularly concerning expenses claims), I am left wondering what kind of political suicide attempt this was on their behalf? But for Labour this has become hidden benefit- killing two unruly MP’s with one throw of a stone by the Party’s Chief Whip so to speak- and they have cleaned the slate for the election so the new Labour candidates for the Leicester West and Ashfield can step into their election campaigns without the previous MP’s hanging around to cause any more damage.

On the bright side- at least they were not involved in the other scandal that a BBC investigation brought to light today- revealing that more than 20 MPs had breached rules in relation to registering and declaring overseas trips paid for by foreign governments. That’s something to consider as they trail back to their second home’s tonight...

Darling’s Budget Box

It’s made out yellow pine, has a brass handle and lock, and it is covered in scarlet leather which is embossed with the Royal initials, crest and the Chancellor's title. But as much as the press love the photo shoot outside Number 11, all we really care about is what is contained inside. The long awaited Budget 2010 will be unveiled tomorrow at 12:30pm when the Chancellor of the Exchequer will explain how he is planning to halve the UK’s borrowing over a four year period and how the government is going to ‘unlock private sector investment so that we can get new investment that will bring the jobs we need in the future’. Translation- where they are going to find the money to plug up this gaping black hole in the country’s finances and stop any rise in unemployment figures that would 1981 look like a boom year.

The focus will be on tactics for growth, and I suspect a reluctant yet large cut in public spending to try and save public money. Ed Balls’ had already said he has found a mere £2 million that he can cut from his department and only today I found advice on the DCSF website that ‘Local authorities should pool funding to secure high-quality, cost-effective services for young people’. So clearly the dreaded spending cuts Labour have been so keen to avoid are inevitable, and no matter how many fancy words they will spin it around the point, it is still happening. So they will try and maintain this ‘high-quality’- but surely if the same thing could be done more ‘cost-effective’ why were they not doing it before? Admittedly the Economists tell us that the gap is not as bad as had been expected, but still public spending will take a big cut and Labour’s popularity is unlike to rise because of it.

May be Alistair Darling will take advantage of that wonderfully quirky rule that Chancellor’s are permitted an alcoholic drink as they deliver the Budget speech, tap water might not do the trick for this year...