Labour's Balls and Miliband united in attack on George Osborne's economic policies
The Labour party began its pre-Budget offensive yesterday. The idea is to compare the evil, vicious George Osborne, who actually wants to "crush" our economy, with the paradisiacal days just before the last election.
You may remember those days. Unemployment was falling, the economy was growing and the deficit was declining.
That's what Ed Balls told us on Monday at a press conference. He might have added that libraries were still open, dustbins were emptied every week, and all pensioners retired with a bag of gold. There were no problems, or if there were, they had been grossly exaggerated by the government to stamp on the poor with their jackboots.
Now, said Balls, unemployment was mounting, inflation was rising, and the economy was shrinking. At that very moment, a mobile phone someone had failed to switch off broke in with a Frank Sinatra ringtone: "Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away ? ". It seemed apt, though it would have been fun if the owner hadn't hit the off button before the next lines: "If you could use some exotic booze, there's a bar in far Bombay."
Messrs Balls and Miliband stood side by side. It was not an enticing sight. TV producers scornfully talk about "talking heads" ? this was Talking Eds.
The leader did his strange thing of gazing towards the cameras at the back of the room.
As he speaks, the right side of his mouth opens more than the left, so he looks like a sloppy schoolboy trying to talk while he eats. Or else a tout with a tip for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The other Ed gazed at him with encouraging approval. I was reminded of Lionel Logue watching the King speak to the Empire, which is ironic as it's Ed Balls who used to have a stammer.
Tory claims, said Balls, were "utter garbage and claptrap" and he could put that more forcefully if we wished. The word "balls" hung unspoken in the air.
It also became clear that they had an enemy far more horrible even than George Osborne. They feel obliged to detest the chancellor, ex officio, so to speak. But the man they loathe is Nick Clegg.
As it happens, Miliband, Balls and Clegg are all in favour of the AV electoral system, on which we are to vote in May. Miliband was asked if he would share a platform with Clegg. A look of distaste crossed his face, rather as if he had just been told he had dog dirt on his shoes.
"The best thing Nick Clegg can do is to lie low," he said. "No, I'm not going to share a platform with Nick Clegg, because it would not help the campaign."
They want to depict Clegg as a sort of leper.
"What is the problem with Nick Clegg? Where do you start? He is the person who supported the new politics, but is the examplar of the old politics of breaking your promises!"
Clearly, we felt, the kind of person who would be friendly with the Duke of York.
The fact that AV might well help to keep Nick Clegg in government for years went, for some reason, unmentioned.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/15/ed-miliband-ed-balls-economy
Tom DeLay Elizabeth Dole John Edwards Dianne Feinstein Bill Frist
No comments:
Post a Comment