Just read through the speech that David Cameron delivered at Birmingham earlier today. Not often I blog in sycophantic praise of my leader, but I'm going to do it now. This speech was a defining watershed, and a very good read for anyone who believes that the 'State' is becoming over dominant in the UK. The speech was constructed on the basic premise that "We need to start living within our means." And it followed this up with observations such as "We have reached the limits of acceptable taxation and borrowing", and "Taxpayers can't take any more pain", and "Our economy can't take any more pain without losing jobs to lower tax competitors".
The Conservative Party Leader outlined three areas where a future Conservative Government would attack our bloated ' State'. Firstly, family breakdown, unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction. Secondly, 'unreformed' public services - by introducing more choice, competition and non-state collective provision. And thirdly, uncontrolled bureaucracy. Of course, all of this is just 'good housekeeping', but we have not enjoyed the service of a good housekeeper for a very long time. But over and above these issues, David Cameron has been talking about a cultural change in Government's attitude to public money. I know political opponents are going to start asking for detailed tax and spend changes - even though they saw our current Primer Minister spirit up £2.7 billion from nowhere a few days ago.
Now why is this speech so important. Its because of the desperate mess that Gordon Brown has steered our country into. The current budgetary figures are horrific. In March, the Chancellor revealed that he would have to borrow £43 billion this financial year, up 40% on his estimate one year before. Last week, he announced that he intended to borrow another £2.7 billion to extricate Gordon Brown out of his 10p tax rate hole. The UK has the biggest budget deficit of any advanced economy. And the state accounts for 45% of Gross Domestic Product, up from the 37% it was when Labour took office in 1997. The UK is in desperate need of a Government committed to ensuring that we live within our means. David Cameron is the man to lead it.
6 comments:
I agree with much of this and suggest that Mr Cameron should send Big Brother back to Moscow or Bucharest or wherever he came from, after he is elected in England and Plaid wins in Wales.
Alan - I'm finding that Mr Cameron is exceedingly popular in Montgomeryshire. I believe his election will be welcomed in Wales as much as England.
They say that society gets the government it deserves, but it is the duty of government to set the standards and the tone and to lead society in the best way possible, maintaining values of decency, dignity and respect and establishing a social structure and constitutional framework based on just principles and right conduct. This government has done none of these things. It has stood by while society crumbles and decays, and allows the worst elements to gain the upper hand.
Witness the decline in standards, in government, in the media, in education and on the streets. Witness the rise of bureaucracy, control, regulation, taxation, and the lack of privacy and individual freedom.
Living with this state of affairs it appears to be the norm, but when one distances oneself from it and views it from afar its true nature is revealed in all its abject and sordid profligacy.
We trust the next government to adhere to these guidelines.
Glyn,
The speech was a gift to those of us on the Welsh left. He really didn't need to do this and I have no idea why he did. The mask is off and the same old Tories slashing taxes and services are back. We will hound him day and night on making the figures and the promises add up. In a world recession he is going to 'share the proceeds of growth' expanding and improving public services whilst boosting consumption of imported luxury goods through tax cuts. I am genuinely perplexed why he gifted us this. But I guess evetually all leopards spots show through, even those pretending to be a pussy cat.
alan - I really would be desperately disappointed if a Conservative Government did not deliver an improvement.
patriot - interesting response from you. I don't believe there is any point in being in politics, without some sort of fundamental belief. I found David Cameron's speech hugely reassuring, while you saw it entirely differently. I'm rather pleased with this. It means we can debate political issues, rather than something crass like an arguement about who is he biggest 'toff'.
Thanks Glyn it's nice to be back. We on the left have been discussing how we get the debate back onto the values and ideology which separate left and right and the job has now been done for us. I very much look forward as you do to a discourse based on the fundamental differences in our beliefs rather than 'triangulation', glitz, spin and marketing. Nice we have found something to agree on!
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