I've already posted the facts underlying this message.
What she is essentially saying is that if the Tories make a great
effort to spell out the inevitable they will be honourable and may
save Britain, but that the price could be losing the election. Can
you trust the public?
Frankly I wouldn't !
of on whom. There are still more than 500 MPs who are quite
blameless and the public, raucous and not themselves always paragons
of virtue, don't care. (They'll need the decent ones). But all the
shameless press can write about are ducks and moats and manure. They
prefer those (even when inaccurate) rather than the outright crooks
claiming on non-existent mortgages and 'flipping' designated second
homes to make capital gain profits. With the public in this mood
would you risk telling the public the real truth, when McBride's
friends are setting the agenda each day
Now in some states in America there are facilities for State
referendums in some states. Recently California (which gave Obama
61% share) ran one.
Voters are becoming resistant to the fear-mongering of those who
oppose cuts in government spending.
As Californians showed this week, when the public can vote directly
on budget measures, tax rises are being strongly rejected. Even when
significant cuts in government activities may subsequently be required.
Even additional spending for education was voted down.
And this was a State where Obama got 61% of the vote.
It will take months of detailed explanations to make the public face
reality and if the Tories are to be honest at the election they must
start the process NOW.
xxxxxxxxxxxx cs
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CONSERVATIVEHOME - Centre Right 21.5.09
The first cut is the deepest
Helen Thomas is a research fellow with Policy Exchange's Economics Unit.
Standard & Poor today placed the UK on a "negative" outlook due to
the potential deterioration in the debt burden. The IMF agreed,
advising yesterday that the Government must "put public debt on a
firmly downward path faster than envisaged in the 2009 Budget", as well as warning that further capital may need to be put into UK banks.
This isn't just more bad news for the Government in a bad news week.
This highlights the potential for a very real downturn in the
fortunes of the UK in the longer term. Of the 18 sovereigns rated AAA
by S&P, the UK is the only one now on a negative outlook. It is also
the first time the UK has been in such a position since S&P started
rating it in 1978.
The last country to lose its triple-A rating was Ireland, in March.
An emergency budget was introduced in April.
Economically, therefore, it is no longer advisable for "spending
cuts" to be considered dirty words. But politically, there is still a
heavy price to pay (as Ireland's ruling party have found out). If the
Conservatives put forward a plan for credible fiscal consolidation,
they might just save the country from the long-term costs associated
with a downgrade - but at the expense of their lead in the polls.
Alternatively, the public might be ready to see that continued Labour
spending and borrowing is not only unsustainable, but downright
damaging for any long-term UK recovery.
Getting the spending cut debate out into the open is now vital to
maintain international confidence in the UK. The UK economy cannot
recover on a wing and a prayer. It is not enough for Labour to hope
that their overly-optimistic growth forecasts pan out, and to pray
that the bank recapitalisations are enough. As time goes on, and the
recession persists, the costs required to clear up the eventual mess
will rise. All eyes are now on whether the UK can deliver a credible
fiscal plan: but with an election year ahead, will either party be
able to rise to the challenge? If not, the economic battle, as well
as the political game, will be lost.
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