Tag Archives: balancing the books

Caron Lindsay

Tories seem to be shredding their claim to economic competence with each new spending commitment

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 11th April 2015 - 1:41 pm

The Tories have gone on about economic responsibility and controlling spending for long enough. It’s bizarre, then, that their list of dubiously funded post-election spending commitments is getting longer by the day.

It’s not enough to say that the NHS will get the £8 billion it needs out of the proceeds of a stronger economy alone as Jeremy Hunt did this morning. That’s like making a commitment on a foundation of fresh air and marshmallow.

Asked how the Conservatives would fund the pledge, he said the economy had been turned around and pointed to investment in the service during the last Parliament, when the government guaranteed an above-inflation increase in funding.

He said: “If you want to be sceptical about the commitment, look at the track record.”

It’s not as if the global economy is in a particularly robust position to be able to rely on that.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 17 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Jason Connor
    Please clarify specifically how they miss the mark? Christine is a very popular and highly capable Lib Dem MP, if not one of the most popular. If she is ous...
  • David Blake
    If Alex Cole-Hamilton has anything to do with this he should resign....
  • Steve Trevethan
    Thank you for an interesting and relevant article. Might the rise of extreme right, populist parties be a/an (unsurprising) consequence of Neoliberalism, aka...
  • Alison Smith
    Christine Jardine is a highly respected MP of national stature so this concerns Lib Dems far outside the boundaries of Edinburgh West. Furthermore, if other Sco...
  • Chris Moore
    I was another member who wanted Christine to stand for leader in 2015 and 2018/9. Indeed, wrote to her to that effect. Her qualities are undeniable. The man...