I am not looking forward to tomorrow's Pre-Budget Report (PBR). I've read several Labour types describe it as a "political" event. They are quite open about it, even excited at the prospect, as can be seen from these tweets from @BevaniteEllie (Labour activist and henchperson of the party's Twitter Tsar Kerry McCarthy)
- BevaniteEllie: RT @Jon2aylor: @BevaniteEllie I'm certainly excited, could be a massive week...PBR could reinvigorate the core.GB be bold I say #gameOn
- BevaniteEllie: "Labour MPs are expecting the PBR to me the most political for years"...is anyone else excited for the PBR? Is it worrying that I am?
2 days ago
This sums Labour up for me. They are motivated by the political fight, the petty point scoring but mostly, what's best for their party rather than the country.
So, we can look forward to a large dollop of bank bashing and promises to address the soaring budget deficit while not reducing the numbers of nurses, doctors, police, firemen, teachers... you know... people that people like. While on the other hand they will crush greedy bankers, pen pushing bureaucrats, managers and consultants - but not the medical kind of course.
Sounds great. But we all know these are politically motivated and dangerous lies. Bankers will find their way around the new bonus tax that will, no doubt, be announced tomorrow and the ones that don't will leave the country and we'll lose their (very considerable) tax contributions altogether, not to mention their talents to foreign, competitor companies. As for finding savings by getting rid of the other less popular types, Labour was responsible for the build up of their numbers to start off with and will do nothing significant to reduce them now. Well, not those employed in the public sector anyway. Gordon Brown didn't build up their numbers and that of millions of other public sector workers for nothing - he expects them to vote for him. I'm sure they have more sense, but they may well, rightfully, fear an incoming, reforming Tory government and that is what Gordon wants.
We can also look forward to the "thick red lines" being drawn that will be designed to trap the Conservatives into unpopular counter policy positions. But people will see through these silly political games and be reminded of how much they hate this government and how much they need change.
UPDATE: Of course, this being spin city Labour, the PBR is being heavily leaked. The FT reports possible cuts of 14% in all departments but Health, Education and Police (surprise, surprise!) Oh, how I remember Labour ripping into the Tories for suggesting 10% cuts just a few months ago. You'll remember that both Labour and the Tories had the same plans for cuts (based on the previous budget predictions) but Gordon Brown insisted on lying about Labour's plans in order to differentiate Labour from their opponents, much to Alastair Darling's frustration at the time.
I tried to get a straight answer out of a few Labour MPs (including Kerry McCarthy) on Twitter at the time but the question was always avoided in favour of attacking the "evil Tories". Not surprising considering they knew what dodgy ground they were on. Now their cuts are deeper than planned (but still not nearly enough to placate the markets) I wonder if those MPs wished they'd embraced the Tory position at the time? At least they would seem more consistent now. In fact, we'll be told the Tories will "threaten the recovery" by cutting deeper and quicker. Well, at least that's a real policy argument we can have (and one Labour will lose). It's taken the best part of a year for Labour to get around to engaging in the budget deficit debate... and they say the Tories are policy light!
Another point to note is that their doesn't seem to be a commitment to protect defence spending. Yet another blow to the military covenant.
