Throughout the ‘spending row’ the PM has tried to sell the idea that the Tories will cut, while Labour will invest.
Today George Osborne framed the row differently while giving a speech at the think tank Demos.
"We face a choice between progressive reform with the Conservatives and front line cuts under Labour.
"Without fundamentally improving the productivity of public services, the quality of those services will deteriorate as budgets are squeezed.
"Since the current Labour Prime Minister has made himself a roadblock to reform, and refuses even to acknowledge the budget constraints, the only path he offers is one
that will lead to deep cuts in front line services."
It’s the same line the Tories have been getting out all along, but put a little more clearly and with a little more emphasis on the idea that Labour will be the ones making cuts.
Of course the line “progressive reform with the Conservatives” will still spell c-u-t-s for leftish voters.
But it’s the idea that the Tories have a plan based on a brutally honest appraisal of the facts and are aware that cuts are necessary which will win those all important middle-way votes.
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Cutting a way forward
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5 comments:
The stuff about spending is all semantics - the basic thing is that Labour values public services more and will do more to protect them. The Tories might talk about reform but when they get the chance they will make cuts for the sake of doing it, not because it's in the service's best interest.
Jive5,
Tell us this, on a personal level Do you think that seeking value for money is a bad thing? Do you spend significantly more than you earn and seek to borrow the shortfall?
If not why not? could it be that you recognise that therin lies the primrose path to financial ruin?
Yet you denounce any attempt at moving towards a balanced budget as "making cuts for the sake of it".
If by "it" you mean the long term financial security of the country, then the sooner someone in government recognises the deep s**t we are in and does something about it the better.
I'm sad the Jive5 juvenile post is rebutted by an anonymous reply. Jive5 is the language of delusion and utter stupidity. Osborne came of age with this brilliant analysis. Live with it or get very poor.
Sorry Oldrightie, just have not sorted out how to post with a proper name rather than anon...but I thought Jive5's puerile post deserved a response.
Why does no-one talk about the other side of the public services debate... that is, tax rises to pay for them? It's a sad fact about modern society that everyone wants better and better public services but any mention of tax rises in order to provide them is seen by the main parties as political suicide.
I'm don't believe that the Tories would cut services for the sake of it as Jive5 seems to, but 'efficiency savings' often amount to the same thing and many oppostion parties have promised such reorganisations without ever managing to follow through once in government.
So let's be grown up about this and discuss ways of raising more money for public services from those who have it, as well as making savings wherever we can.
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