Economic credibility in tatters

Alastair Darling's announcement yesterday about the new tax measures have only been able to do one thing, and that is destroy Labour's one and only argument against the Tories. The cost of the new tax measures are around £2.7 billion, and the government is covering that cost by borrowing it.

Yes, that's right at a time of a global credit crunch our government is taking on another £2.7 billion of credit. Also, the fact that they are borrowing the money means that this tax cut cannot be bu funded by the treasury. Or in layman's terms it is an "unfunded tax cut".

Never again will they be able to throw that line against the Tories with out showing pure hypocrisy.

Promises, promises

Gordon Brown has spent the last four days promising this and promising that. But, in an almost carbon copy of his allegations about David Cameron, these promises have no substance. In all of his TV interviews Gordon promised to listen and learn, even though Andrew Marr himself accused him of offering nothing new.

Now, that is the problem. Gordon and his cronies have promised to listen to the electorate, but these promises are hollow. Nobody wants an extension of the 28 day limit on terror detention, but Gordon is going to continue with that policy; the tax credit system is flawed, but he will continue with that; and finally your average family is struggling with car and fuel taxes, but we will still have to swallow these increases.

So much for listening. These are just three of many issues that the electorate have real problems with, and the government is offering nothing new.

That brings me nicely on to the 10p tax row. Here we have again a promise by the government to compensate everyone affected by the tax change, through tax credits. Yes that flawed system that wants you to beg the government for some money back. But, like I said this is another promise that so far appears to have no substance, no details, just an undertaking by the government to do it. It was only a couple of days ago that lead rebel Frank Field MP called Alastair Darling's plans as "clear as mud". Have the plans become clearer? Of course not, in fact we just got another promise from number 11 that it will happen. Personally, I'm not sure that this will buy Frank off, not that it should unless the Labour whip manages to pin him down.

So when Gordon Brown next accuses David Cameron of having no substance during PMQ's, not only does the saying about a pot and a kettle spring to mind, but you can hardly blame Cameron for holding his cards to his chest. After all, if the policy is good this tired and useless government will only pinch it, like they did with inheritance tax.

Weakness, back downs and rolling over.

The announcement earlier this morning, by the government about their compensation package for the scrapping of the 10% tax break, is one of the most humilating episodes in recent times. Gordon Brown's leadership credentials are in tatters, he has no credibility left.

This whole row of the budget was his making, and his alone. It was gordon that scrapped the 10p rate in his last budget as Chancellor. It was Gordon that stood firm and said that there would be no change in policy. It was Gordon who had to plead with the PLP not to vote against the Finance Bill. It was Gordon that was forced to announce a compensation package to help the people that HIS budget would have left worse off.

The last week has shown that he is truely weak. When faced with a vote that he would have lost he backed down, he capitulated, and now looks vulnerable. Tony Blair never faced anything of this nature, because he wasn't a stubborn old "clunking fist" that didn't listen.

But it does stop there his leadership example of capitulation to try and avoid losing vote is followed by his subordinates. Gordon promised compensation to prevent a vote going against him, and Ken Livingstone this week handed a compensation package with little compensation to Metronet employees to prevent a tube strike costing him votes. The trend is there, and that is how Labour is governing under Brown's leadership.

What does worry me is that this show of weakness could be repeated yet again, this time in Europe. Remember those red lines in the Lisbon Treaty? Well, he said he would not back down over those, but then he also said he would not back down on the scrapping of the 10% tax rate.

However, it was Brown's PMQ's performance that was really telling. He tried to come out on the attack and make a back track sound like leadership. But David Cameron tore him to shreads, with Brown only being able to respond with claims of successes, all of which where in Blair's era. Gordon accused of not sticking to the central issues, but this is a major issue. Whether you support the government, or not, the one thing you want from a PM is strong leadership. I didn't like Blair, but even I will admit that he controlled a tight ship, Gordon's ship leak more than the Titanic.

So for now, the rebels have been bought off, but does anybody make out of that? Well, no. Yet again the only way the people affected by the tax increases will be able to see any money will be to beg for the money back through tax credits! What is it with this government and tax credits. they make the system so bueraucratic that the people affected don't apply, or by some technicality, get less than they deserve. How demeaning, instead of lower paid people instantly getting the money in their pay packets they will now have to go cap in hand, and beg for the money back.

Party of the people, my arse.

Another day, and yet another u-turn

I'm sure I've used this post's title before, and somehow think that it won't be the last either. Anyway, today's governmental u-turn has been the shelving of plans to tax us for putting out the rubbish.

The plan, for starters, was just another stealth tax by this government, dressed up into something that look slightly green in another attempt to try and out-do the opposition parties. But, yet again, we are now faced with another climb down.

In a nutshell, the plan simply showed that this government is a one trip pony, with its answer to everything being, tax it. So for an initiative to improve recycling rates, they decided that rubbish should be taxed. Now, as i've found out all too clearly over the last few days whilst out doing some campaigning, if you charge for rubbish collection the rubbish is simply fly-tipped.

What is worrying from this government is this new trend of come up with a new policy, watch the furore develop over it, and then drop it in a vain attempt to look like it is listening to the people. The problem being that it just makes it look weak.

Another day, another u-turn

For a goverment currently reeling from a series of embarassing u-turns on inheritance tax, super casinos, and their views on 24 hour licencing, you would think that the last thing they would want to set themselves up for was yet more allegations. However, it appears that is exactly what the government is doing after it shelved plans for a national road pricing scheme.

As predicted though the Department for Transport have made a vain attempt a spinning their way out of the situation by claiming that it was "rubbish to suggest the Government had ever planned a national road pricing scheme, insisting it had only put in place plans for local tolls".

The government really must have short memories at the moment, so let me help a bit. On 22nd February 2007, in a live webchat, the then Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman stated: "We can guarantee that we will respect privacy in a road pricing system. We are looking at ways to do this and one way is to have the money collected by a trusted third party."

So it is rubbish is it. The government have always planned a national pricing scheme, even Tony Blair admitted it, allbeit that we wouldn't see it for ten years though, so why lie.

The problem is that they government is so tired and without direction that it cannot get it's own spin right. After all, instead of distancing itself from the whole suggestion, it should have quoted another Ladyman statement he made on the same subject, in which he said "I promise this is a real debate. If we don't convince the public then road pricing simply won't happen." Now the easiest get out for the DoT would have been to say "we shelved it because we listened to you", but they couldn't even get that right.

Labour announce drinking u-turn

I was just go through some of the details of Gordon's speech and spotted quite a major u-turn in Labour policy. The PM has announced a review of licencing laws, with a possible reversal of the 24 hour licences to try and curb binge drinking.

Now this is quite a big u-turn, and strangely enough it's not been reported that widely. The BBC picked up on it on their website, but there is no mention on the TV news channel. Strange that.

So instead of admitting that their policy has made the problem of binge drinking worse, they announce how their NEW policy will solve the problem. Obviously neglecting the fact that it caused it.

Update: I've just noticed that I did actually blog about this eight months ago. Still nice to know Gordon is going to carry on where Blair left off.

When is a u-turn not a u-turn?

When it delivered by Ruth Kelly. In her "emergency statement" to the commons yesterday, she pretty much conceded defeat over the implementation of the government's proposed Home Improvement Packs (HIPs). The 1997 manfesto pledge that has still to be implemented. Yet again the proposals are being watered down, and tested in a small part of the country. Thus penalising people that live in that particular chosen area, with a certain size house.

Who will take bets on it being a predominantly tory area?

But the lack of planning and strategy when it comes to housing doesn't stop there, after it was revealed that the National Audit Office blames Ruth Kelly’s Communities Department for failing to produce a "coherent, fully costed plan for the Thames Gateway programme". Now, I have a vested interest in this as it directly affects the area that I live in. But the audit office also claims that the Government will miss its target of 160,000 new homes by 2016 unless it doubles the building rate. Only about 24,000 were built between 2001 and 2005.

So, who will take bets in this target being watered down aswell?

Labour u-turn on 24hr drinking

The Government is preparing to make a substantial U-turn over 24-hour drinking by making it harder for pubs to open later in future, amid the first signs they realise that the policy went too far too fast.

The announcement by Tessa Jowell will be a controversial change to Labour's social policy so she will try and bury this latest u-turn by Labour announce the location of Britain’s first super-casino, at the same time.

However, Pub operators are somewhat surprised by Ms Jowell’s move because 90% of pubs and clubs have already secured later hours. The change will not apply retrospectively and the new guidence is unlikely to affect existing opening times.

So, basically, the point of Tessa's annoucement it to simply say we got it wrong, but as usual she intends to hide it behind a bigger announcement.

Reid adds another U-turn to the list.

The last thing I expected from John Reid was yet another U-turn, but that is what we were treated to yesterday when he gave his update on the id card scheme.

In a screeching U-turn, the Home Secretary said the personal and biometric details of every UK adult will instead be stored on three separate, existing databases. By ditching the multi-billion pound system, the flagship of the whole project, it showed that the ID cards scheme is in complete disarray.

But Mr Reid desperate to save cash, with the cost of the project already estimated at a staggering £5.4 billion, but he denied money had been wasted. He added: "Doing something sensible is not necessarily a U-turn".

No, Mr Reid, doing something sensible would be to scrap the whole idea. Besides, what exactly do you have to do to make it count as a U-turn? Cancelling a major part of a project would qualify, wouldn't it?

However, if you didn't think that was bad enough, in a second major development, it also emerged that millions of pensioners will be ordered to hand over their fingerprints and pay out for an ID card, even if they do not want one, or face a fine of up to £2,500.

Another Day, Another Climbdown

Policy climbdown's seem to be a regular occurence at the moment from the government, and today is no different.

The Government has today performed another policy u-turn, this time on it's plans to put details of patients' records on a national computer system, and agreed to proceed "with caution" with a limited list of medical information.

Or, to put it in laymans terms, anyone who doesn't want their records on a national database has got the right of veto.

Doctors and patients have expressed fears that a compulsory electronic record system could damage the GP/patient relationship, and compromise confidentiality. Following local publicity and possibly individual letters, patients will have eight to 10 weeks to opt out. Later they can view the information on paper or on a secure online site, HealthSpace, and correct it if necessary. They can also choose to opt out now by completing an "Opt Out" letter available from TheBigOptOut.org.

The U-turn by the government was prompted by a report led by patient's tsar Harry Cayton, which argued the system must be introduced with "public support and clinical confidence".

So the fact that the opt out clause is even there, pretty much shows that the public have no faith in it at all.

Johnson wants to be Brown's number two.

Big Al Johnson has finally declared his intention to only stand for the Deputy Leadership of the party, instead of going for the top job.

So why the change of heart, after all he was practically given a blessing to do so by Blair. It looks as though Gordon Brown has been busy in buying off possible contenders, with Big Al almost certain for a top job in the cabinet, if he doesn't succeed in the Deputy contest.

Either that or the fact that he is he is still reeling from his horrendous attempts to look powerful, with the faith schools admissions u-turn, and the whole "johnson4leader" internet domain business uncovered by Dizzy back in September.

So does this mean Gordon will get his coronation? It will all depend on whether he can fend of the master of "policy off the cuff", John Reid.

Government U-turn on House sale packs.

The Government have yet again shown that they cannot even make their own policy's work. Yesterday, Housing Minsiter Yvette Cooper announced that the introduction of the Home Information Pack (HIPs) would not be introduced in June 2007, as had previously been planned.

The Housing Minister stated that the survey element required "more testing" before being included in the HIPs. There are also concerns there will not be enough inspectors to cope with demands for Home Condition Reports.

To add further insult to injury the Council of Mortgage Lenders say some lenders may not be "fully geared up" to use Home Condition Reports until 2008-9, meaning they would continue to seek separate mortgage valuation surveys.

This just goes to prove that the Government plans, to quote Shawdow Housing Minister Michael Gove, "are a complete shambles".

So basically, to save face, the Government are going to go ahead with the introduction of these packs next year, even though they will be incomplete.

Why is it that the Government cannot take the hint from their testing, that these packs don't work, and are grossly over-priced. The Government should take the opportunity to take a step back, and completely re-think this policy, so the we dont' end up with another half-baked measure.