Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Labour surfs Tory website to discover threat of massive cuts

Proposals by David Cameron’s Tax Commission for a massive £21 billion in cuts to public services were discovered today by Treasury Minister Ed Balls when he was surfing the internet!

According to the Financial Times, someone at Central Office put the plans on the Tory website by mistake.

The able Ed Balls went straight on to Channel Four News to expose the huge hole the figures would leave in public finances.

And who was the Tory spokesman on C4...?

The hapless Howard Flight, who had to be sacked by Michael Howard in the run-up to the last General Election over Tory plans for massive cuts to public services.

No comment.

...Except to note that this latest Tory threat to economic stability and record low inflation and interest rates, comes on the very day a United Nations report is published showing that £85 billion of inward investment came into Britain last year, making the UK the most popular destination for investment in the world.

Our nation's economic revival and stability hasn't happened by accident.

And now we have it, we can't afford to risk losing it.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Tories are using a recent report from the OECD to try and tell us all that we have the highest growing tax rate. They are also courting the city with their promise to reduce corporation tax. It appears that revenues have soared in the UK associated with strong economic growth resulting in higher revenues from income and corporation tax. I have looked at personal tax rates throughout the EU and we are not the highest taxing country. Rates as a proportion of GDP are Sweden 51%, France 44.3%, UK 37.2% and Germany 34.7%. As far as I know we have the lowest rate of business tax in Europe - hence we enjoy the highest rate of inward investment. There is no doubt that if the Tax proposals are accepted then there will have to be cuts in public expenditure. I do not see how the pledges by Mr Cameron to save the NHS and other public expenditure programmes (latest Post Offices) fit in with this report on taxation which he commissioned. However, it is very easy for an opposition party to target areas of government policy which are unpopular. We the public are not fooled and feel it is about time to have concrete policies from a party who will do anything to gain power.

Anonymous said...

Liz, you rather said it yourself -"As far as I know we have the lowest rate of business tax in Europe - hence we enjoy the highest rate of inward investment". We don't have the lowest rates actually - Ireland does. By chance their growth rates have soared in the last ten years - quelle surprise" But your general point is right - lower taxes = more growth...so what are you moaning about?

As for the public - have a look at the opinion polls, and then think about Cameron and Brown going head to head in an election - Cameron would stuff him. Whether they are being "fooled" is a subjective point - but they are believing again, which perhaps explains your hysteria.

fairdealphil said...

Liz: You are right. Cameron wants to appease the hard right Thatcherite wing with talk of massive tax cuts - and at the same time claims to care about the N H S...

The Tories hate the NHS. Always did. Always will.

You only have to look at the Conservative manifesto. It was the most right wing manifesto ever put before the British people - and would have created a two-tier NHS - quick if you could afford it, endless queues for the poor.

Who wrote it?

Cameron.

Don't be fooled. He only comes in one colour. True Thatcherite Blue.

fairdealphil said...

Michael:

The only poll that counts is the next General Election.

May i remind you that for years, Labour was 20 points ahead in the opinion polls - but couldn't win a General Election.

Anonymous said...

It may be comforting for Phil to paint Dave Cameron as a "true Thatcherite", but the evidence suggests he's going for the centre ground.

The Conservative Party certainly retains its right wing instincts and are waiting for their chance to mug him.

Michael Oakeshott has been careless or overconfident enough to share this little plan with us on the Fairdealphil website.

So the secret isn't a secret anymore.

Thank you Michael. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

No problem Brynley. I am not a Cameron supporter anyway, so I suspect your scoop is less valuable than you thought. But yes I believe in lower taxes. I believe hard working know how better to spend their money than a distant and often uncaring government. And yes I do hate the NHS, for it useless. People die at its hands every day. The filth of MRSA, an entirely preventable disease, thrives under the negligence of the NHS. It is a disgusting failure and I dream of the day when we consign to the history books.

Anonymous said...

I loved the newsnight with Howard Flight. Labour should book him a taxi to the studios more often!

He was woeful. He didn't look at the camera. His hands were waving around like a retired A level history teacher. Most importantly, he forget the Cameron line and ranted about the huge waste in public services.

Although he is one example, there are many other MPs who are incapable of learning the Cameron script on the 'new' Tory party - that's because the party hasn't changed and what they are spinning through the media goes against everything they've ever argued.

Well done Ed Balls. You destroyed him. Now take on Osbourne.

Anonymous said...

henry g, very good, have you thought of doing stand up?

Balls was hopeless. I loved his explanation of how a moderate rise was a cut...Orwell eat your heart out! Even OSbourne is a match for that.

Even an idiot can see there is huge waste in public services. Even some of the leftie blogs have noted the huge rise in spending and comparatively small rise in standards.

I love your comment about not knowing the script. did the loony left read the Blairite script?! It is called independent thought, and I suspect most intelligent people appreciate the concept.

Anonymous said...

"I do hate the NHS" says Michael Oakeshott.

Well, we all have our pet hates.

No need to ask Michael how all his longed for tax cuts will be paid for. Now we know.

It's good that we have Michael Oakeshott to frighten the public.

It warns us against complacency and helps get things in perspective.

We cannot take universal health care for granted. Michael would have the Salvation Army (presumably) running healthcare for low income families and pensioners.

He "dreams of the day".

Or daydreams, you might say.

Anonymous said...

Is this guy Oakeshott for real?