Monday, November 24, 2008
For Those Expecting a Great Parliamentary Occasion...
Those expecting a great Parliamentary debate this afternoon are likely to be disappointed. The Pre Budget Report is treated as a normal government statement. This means that The Speaker will limit discussion to one and a half hours. By the time Alistair Darling sits down, there are only likely to be just over sixty Vince Cable and assorted backbenchers to ask questions - and that's important. No speeches are allowed - just questions. Which makes George Osborne's task all the harder. Bearing in mind the changes Alistair Darling will announce are going to be pretty momentous whatever your viewpoint, you'd have thought this ought to be a proper debate, lasting longer than 3.30pm to 5pm.
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15 comments:
This sums it up nicely ,a great article by Bruce Andersen but really its so obvious.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/bruce-anderson/bruce-anderson-brown-is-not-after-economic-recovery-hes-after-votes-1032217.html
Question number 1 for Mr Osborne: At what rate of interest should tax payers invest their VAT savings 9in order to meet their future tax liabilities? Could the Chancellor give some guidance?
I do not know why Darling is bothering to go to the House of Commons this afternoon when his statement has already been leaked over the weekend, doubtless in the interests of the Labour spin machine
So much for Brown's promise a year ago that all major announcements would be made to the House of Commons in the first instance!
Another anti-climax from a useless primeminister...
Apparently the treasury are quite angry about the leaks which must mean they came from elsewhere - one wonders where that could possibly be?
Micro managing the news cycle against all convention - I'm at a baffled loss....
I am sorry but this just seems wrong to me. The govt itself has hyped up what its doing as a matter of vital national interest. And yet its not worthy of a proper debate?
A good article by Fraser Nelson on how the press and other media deal with the budget report.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3034571/join-us-incatching-the-prebudget-weasels.thtml
Brown and Darling are attempting to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Suggest Osbourne goes and has a drink in the bar, and let Vince Cable ask the questions
Nice bit of expectation management on behalf of Gideon, there!
I don't agree that Osborne's task is made harder by the rule that he can only ask questions and not make a speech. Quite the contrary, I would have thought.
This would be the same Vince Cable who suggested it would be a neat idea to nationalise Northern Rock, where we have already had to inject another £3 billion of capital and likely to have to add another £3 billion and where we see we are last in line to get our £3 billion out of NRs failed 'Granite' vehicle.
Thats £9 billion we are not likely to get back any time soon. But £9 billion whats that these days in the era of 'Gordonomics'?
Well done Vince.
I guess, in the days when most people think its a good idea to pay your licence fee to see a fat slob trip his way round a dance floor, that Gordon thinks you can indeed fool all of the people all of the time.
I think a key question to brown/darling is:
How does the government propose to help individuals reduce their personal indebtedness? Which, after all is one of the fundamental problems our economy faces.
The UK has one of, if not THE highest proportion of personal debt in the developed world. It seems from listening to brown and darling and their spokesmen at the bbc and other media outlets that the purpose of the tax giveaway is to encourage people to spend. All things being equal, the people in debt should be encouraged to re-build their "personal balance sheets" at this time.
ps
Word verification: COMY CONS - majestic!
Colin said...
I think a key question to brown/darling is:
How does the government propose to help individuals reduce their personal indebtedness? Which, after all is one of the fundamental problems our economy faces.
Easy answer there.....Tell 'em not to spend what they haven't got.!
On balance; I think we got a Great Parliamentary Occasion...
When it all goes wrong (as it will), today's piece of theatre will be replayed again and again.
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