Feb 2008 01

Tories are wrong to match government spending plans1

ConservativeHome’s ongoing campaign to persuade the Conservative Party to abandon promises to match the Government’s spending plans should be applauded. The Sun today has it absolutely right on the Tory position:

"TORIES blame Gordon Brown for digging a £9bn “black hole” in public finances.

Every family in Britain will have to stump up £360 a year to plug the gap, they say.

But hang on, aren’t these the same Tories who rashly vowed to match Labour spending for six more years?

Presumably that means raising taxes too, just as they say Labour must. Where else can they find £9bn?

If the Tories intend to fight the next election on a tax and spend agenda, they really have lost the plot."

With the three main politicial parties promising to tax and spend the same amount overall, taxpayers are currently being asked to choose between different revenue-neutral packages. This is not good enough.

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  • Acorn

    Have a look at the IFS Budget 2008 at
    http://www.ifs.org.uk/budgets/gb2008/index.php
    Chapter 8 might upset you a bit, so follow it up with Appendix A.
    Then try and work out how many taxpayer funded jobs you will have to get rid of to balance the books in the coming recession. Remember you will have to pay them dole money.
    I get 1.5 million.