For a party that doesn't believe in government statistics (they were masters at scrapping masses of them and distorting the rest when in office), the Tories seem to be quoting an awful lot of them. Every negative statistic they can find about Britain has been well thumbed by Tories and announced with glee. I would estimate that this makes up 95% of their conference. What little policy solutions they do profer, either completely miss the point, skirt over in such vacuity that it is too vague to decipher or worse than that would make things much worse. You do not fix a 'broken society' with tax cuts for...
the wealthy at the expense of everyone else. If they are serious about so called 'green taxes' (and I doubt it), they will be replacing progressive taxation (inheritance tax, stamp duty) with regressive taxation that hits the poorest. Whether they pay for these wealth tax cuts with cuts in basic services that hit the poorest the most, or expenditure taxes (green taxes) that hit those on lower earnings the most, they will be making inequality worse not better. Of course the Tories believe the poor are to blame for their poverty so from this ideology, it is easy to have this "sod 'em" attitude.
Worse than all this slagging off of Britain is the Tories' earnest 'debates' with their young fresh handpicked 'concerned' faces straight out of acting lessons. The worst spin of the Labour party seems to be all that the Tories have to offer. Meaningless phrases, stage managed debates, highlighting problems but skirting over any indepth analysis or solutions.
The Tories have halved the size of their conference and placed their younger fresher faces to the fore to try and hide the embarrasing number of blue rinsed elderly that attend but they can't hide their failure to have changed their policies from the divisive Thatcherism that damaged a whole generation.
Worse than all this slagging off of Britain is the Tories' earnest 'debates' with their young fresh handpicked 'concerned' faces straight out of acting lessons. The worst spin of the Labour party seems to be all that the Tories have to offer. Meaningless phrases, stage managed debates, highlighting problems but skirting over any indepth analysis or solutions.
The Tories have halved the size of their conference and placed their younger fresher faces to the fore to try and hide the embarrasing number of blue rinsed elderly that attend but they can't hide their failure to have changed their policies from the divisive Thatcherism that damaged a whole generation.
Most telling statistic Neil
ReplyDeleteNumber of times Gordon Brown mentioned David Cameron in his speech: 0 Number of times i've heard GB in George Osbournes speech today: I lost count about two thirds of the way through. Watching this conference is like watching your Dad trying to 'Get down' to Kanye West!
Most dangerous thing is to write the Tories off and think they are a push over.
ReplyDeleteThey have 50,000 plus activists at their disposal for all the marginal seats they need to take, courtesy of the Countryside Alliance.
Chris: I am very worried. I never underestimate the Tories resources. Lord Ashcroft is pouring millions into the marginals for them, just like he did at the last election.
ReplyDeleteAll the political parties' members are overwhelmingly middle class which gives the Tories an advantage and the Tories obviously have a lead amongst the most wealthy members.
Our electoral system means wealthy activists who can spend time and money travelling to the marginals are priceless. It is a travesty that Labour allows this electoral system to continue but I was hoping Labour can win this one more election with a promise of electoral change in their manifesto (and unlike 1997 this time honour the pledge).
Neil your comments about regressive taxation are well observed. What a shame Gordon doesn't take any notice.
ReplyDelete