Circus Comes To Town
This week the Circus is in town and the new Ringmaster opened proceedings today with a predictable speech, going down like meat in a butcher’s shop. Familiar promises on issues from education to the economy were trotted out, to an audiance of virtually unanimous favour. In a familiar mixture of magic, illusion and religion, Gordon set out a safe-bet plan which demonstrated that very little is likely to change under his leadership, and that the mistakes of the past have not been learned from and are highly liable to be repeated, let alone corrected. Fiddled figures on unemployment, recently pulled apart in the press, were bare facedly reiterated for the umpteenth time.
It has not been the best of times recently for Gordon, since the happy events of a few weeks ago that saw his predecessor virtually decapitated by his own party. Today’s speech may have gone some way to repairing the damage of press comments of the past few days, but how permanent the patching-up exercise will prove is yet to be seen. The press swipes continued this weekend with particularly savage poll ratings reported in the Scotsman:
A Populus poll for the BBC yesterday showed that 60 per cent of people think Mr Brown has failed to make himself appear more “likeable, charismatic and in touch with ordinary people” over the course of the last year, compared to 33 per cent who said his image had improved.
Even more interestingly, the Observer carried the results of a poll in which voters have demonstrated that they are apparently so unhappy with the succession of Gordon Brown over Tony Blair, that they wish for an instant general election to be conducted to allow them to demonstrate their mistrust and dislike of Brown and his party:
A new opinion poll reveals 56 per cent of the public want the chance to have their say on the new leader of the Labour party, whoever it is, within the first six months. Voters are not content to leave the question of the next Prime Minister to the party and want him or her to earn the right to govern. The GFK/NOP poll found huge support for a genuine leadership battle rather than a coronation, with 81 per cent supporting a contest.
In an article that spans no less than seven pages in its online form, the Telegraph rips Gordon’s past record to shreds and reveals what switched-on observers will already no doubt be aware of, the fact that Gordon’s management of Britain’s finances has made the situations of most people worse overall:
In 1997, this “tax burden” stood at 37.3 per cent of national income (GDP). It has now reached 39.7 per cent and, on the Treasury’s own figures, will top 41 per cent in 2010.
In 2002, Brown unveiled a £8bn increase in National Insurance – a tax rise in all but name. He has also made an art form of “fiscal drag” – raising thresholds only in line with prices, which go up slower than earnings, so dragging more and more people into higher tax brackets.
This “stealth tax” technique has, in particular, hit the middle classes. There are now more than 4m top-rate taxpayers in the UK – up from 2.1m in 1997. So, increasing numbers of not-all-that-rich people are paying tax at 40 per cent.
Lastly, in a welcome diversion to the collapsing credibility surrounding Brown, the Independant runs a brief glimpse into the mind of Ed Balls, Gordon’s economic advisor and potential candidate to succeed him as Chancellor. Sadly though, as is often the case with these interviews, the questions posed by the general public are far more telling than the non-answers offered by the interviewee.
