In a speech to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mr Cameron said politicians
needed to admit past mistakes if they were to build public trust and lead the
economic recovery. "I am sorry we have got some things wrong," he said. "We
were right to call time on government debt but should we have said more about
banking debt, corporate debt? Yes we should have done. Saying sorry was the
"easy bit", Mr Cameron said, adding that it was more "difficult" for politicians
to say where they had gone wrong. "It's that that needs to take place in order
to build trust with the public so that we can get this economy out of recession
and into recovery," he said.
I must admit when I first saw this earlier in the evening I did a double take. But I can see the logic of it. The media in general are interpreting this as a move designed to put more pressure on Gordon Brown to apologise for his own part in the mistakes of the last decade. But I think it goes further than that. Cameron knows that there will be some very difficult decisions to be taken by him and his Chancellor, should they be elected. And he knows that they will be far more palatable with the British people if they trust him to tell the truth about the necessity of those decisions. So I don't interpret this as a decision designed to put Brown in a fix, I think it is more complicated than that. In my interview with Cameron for Total Politics this month, he said he would need to be totally honest with the British people about the future. The speech tonight is designed to be honest about the party's mistakes in the past.
28 comments:
It's easier with hindsight but he is right to apologise.
Whatever the motive, wouldn't it be nice to think he actually meant it? But there might be the very smallest possibility that it's just another entry in the How Do I Fool Some Of The People/Media Some Of The Time competition...
Actually, I think it's showed both. The pressure's on Brown and Cameron has indicated that as far as the economy is concerned, he and Osbourne would play it straight with the public. It's the sign of an extremely skilled political mind. A statement that could have been seen as a sign of weakness has in fact put his opponent under pressure and will allow his party a bit more economic leeway to make tough decisions. Even a Corleone would be proud of this one.
He must be kidding himself if he thinks this gets him off the hook. Perhaps if the apology went back a couple of decades for when his beloved Thatcher was deregulating the financial system and demutualising the banks it might be a bit more meaningful.
The system that has just collapsed around us was created by Thatcher and Reagan and has continued under successive administrations.
This is what both Labour and the Tories should be apologising for. Will they admit that? Will they bugger.
Oh yes, and Cameron was at the Treasury for a while when this disastrous system was being created. Something I'm sure he'd rather us forget.
Nick that comment is so pitifully wrong it dosen't even merit a response.
Nick Thornsby
You appear to have forgotten that the Tories were also responsible for the Great Fire of London and the eruption of Krakatoa as well as the fact that England can't win any international football trophies.
By the way "demutualising the banks" - whatever do you mean?
Prescott is barmy - he is on about the Tories 20 years ago! What about people like myself who are victims of Labour's incomptence now! Rather than talking about Tories who were shown the door after 1992 in 1997. I think Labour need to look at what they have done to the nation.
Prescott would be better advised saying sorry for the economic mess Labour preside over now - Prescott is on record as saying that Labour created the conditions for rising house prices etc but will not apoligise for the slump we now find ourselves in. Prescott should get Brown to say Sorry and call an election.
Victor
Apologies. I clearly meant Building Society demutualisation.
Nick Thornsby: "Cameron was at the Treasury for a while when this disastrous system was being created."
What, from 1997 on?
Am I mis-remembering or wasn’t Vince Cable predicting this mess some considerable time ago? (In contrast to Brown/Cameron.) And isn’t that why he is now on TV all the time?
Maybe I just dreamt it.
Simon Gardner @ 12:27 AM
"Am I mis-remembering or wasn’t Vince Cable predicting this mess some considerable time ago? (In contrast to Brown/Cameron.) And isn’t that why he is now on TV all the time?
Maybe I just dreamt it."
You're right Simon, you dreamt it. He predicted no such thing. What he did do and has done is play a very clever game of bending with the wind - some might call it flip flopping.
Hmm.
From http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/ 28 December 2008
‘He was right about 2008, so what does Vince Cable think will happen next year?’
investisseurautonome.info/
‘Here are ten people who saw the financial meltdown coming...
1. Vince Cable - deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Here is a question Mr Cable’s posed to Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, during Treasury Questions back in November 2003: “The growth of the British economy is sustained by consumer spending pinned against record levels of personal debt, which is secured, if at all, against house prices that the Bank of England describes as well above equilibrium level. What action will the Chancellor take on the problem of consumer debt?” Mr Brown did not answer how he would solve the problem, merely replying that: “We have been right about the prospects for growth in the British economy, and the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Cable) has been wrong...’
I think he was wrong to call this banking and corporate debt. Government failure was to allow risky buisness models where the Government had the liability of bailing out the business. The Governentnow need to look at every business they have a liability to and publish that list. If they have missed anybody off that list then they can ask to be added. The Government need to state clearly what the liabilities are and consult with the business About what obligations they have. This then needs to be published and agreed with shareholders.
As well as banks this will also cover defence, farming and other critical industiries. Does this mean the end of capitalism. Not at all. Farmers already have these agreements in place, for examle in disease control. There will need to be an agreement in Europe that the government help for these busonesses does not get caught up by their rules. In fact you could say the European rules have discouraged governments from having these 'crisis agreements'.
Does this mean the end ca
Nick Thornsby..yes and it was the Conservative Party defence cuts that allowed the French in 1066 to take our crown.
Frankly Cameron has made a deft political move and, in effect, created, for the Conservative Party, a clean sheet ready for the budget when they can fire from all cylinders at Brown and his government.
Brown is always ready with a quote or two of what Cameron or any shadow minister made have said. The easy answer, and one which will impress people, will be 'Yes that is right we did say that, but we have apologised, we were wrong etc etc etc'
Let the fight begin.
I do hope the Conservative Party will look, beyond the joke, at Clarkson's article in The Sun this morning, when he calls for a Minister for COMMON SENSE.
Common Sense rather than Common Purpose should be the battle cry!
@ Nick Thornsby - whose a loyal little socialist sock puppet then ...
The money lost carrying out the ERM policy ( as supported by Labour and the Lib Dems ) wouldn't even make it onto the news running board compared to the historical financial disaster perpetrated by Labour destroying the future of our children and condemning us all to live in debt slavery just so Gordon can try and win a few more votes.
Gordon Brown has done the most economic damage to this country of any man ever. That's just a fact. You can spin and deny the truth all you want - it just makes you out to be as deluded as he is.
Its time we started to discuss criminal charges against ministers and long prison sentences for them and their advisor's.
Are you the same Nick who wrote this in July 2007?
Viewer Nick Thornsby sent this:
God Help our Great Leader
It's all going wrong for him
Poor Gordon Brown
He waited patiently
For Tony to end his spree
Now it is Gordon's turn, God help us all!
If so you seem to have taken the view that God has indeed helped us by bringing about the present shambles.
Perhaps there is another Nick Thornsby from Barnsley who is or was a student at Manchester.
It certainly seems that somebody owes an apology to Vince Cable who was nicknamed “Dr Doom” for (as it turns out correctly) predicting this financial meltdown.
I am reminded of an interview with Robert Mugabe in which he was invited to apologise for the way the Zimbabwe economy had been flushed down the toilet.
His reply was "No-one could have managed the economy better than me."
Annoyingly, I can't find the interview itself, but I do remember it and it is referenced here.
At the time of the interview, Zim inflation was running at a mere 75% pa instead of the several million percent it was later to become. It just goes to show that you are better off getting rid of these hoons at the earliest possible date. I'm sure there is a lesson for us here.
So will he have a place in his government for the likes of Redwood who got it right in adcance, rather than those who didn't?
The point about an apology is that you are supposed to be saying you will do better next time.
He's attempting to insert himself into the narrative as a person of consequence. He clearly believes that it is better to be seen as culpable than as irrelevant.
So he's apologising for having been a capitalist? Bugger him and his quisling tory party, I've had enough statism from Labour, I dont want it from "my" party too. It seems increasingly impossible that this country can now change. It will take another 30-40 years, and I dont think I want to wait that long.
If Cameron wants to sort things out he not only needs to deal with government debt, but also re-establish sound money - something the Libertarian Party is alone in demanding.
However, the admission that there has been a cosy consensus is a welcome one. The consensus is not just restricted to economic matters, though.
Victor, what are you talking about?
Simon, you are right. Evan Davies said that when he was economics editor at the Beeb, Vince Cable was emailing him frequently to make clear his views about the dangers of the high level of personal debt, among other things.
I believe Brown did arrogantly say something along the lines that he was being a prophet of doom.
I didn't expect any Tories on here to take any responsibility for this mess- but they should.
As I said in my first comment, Labour AND the Tories got us in to this mess. They should both apologise. And I can't see them being the ones to get us out of it or the ones to stop it happening again.
"...he would need to be totally honest with the British people about the future. "
All this 'being honest and open now' guff shows they have been lying their arses off for years.
Trust them now? Forget it.
wv: inche (I won't be giving them one)
Such 'apology' may have the wider implications that Iain refers to, but it still looks very much like a stunt.
It is always easy to apologise when you've not got a great deal to apologise for. As DC has had absolutely no input to any government policy for the last 12 years, his 'sorry' sounds just what it is, an accusation not an apology.
I would rather have seen something more substantial.
On the subject of presentation, I do wish the George Osborne would not smirk every time he gets a slam dunk over some economic catastrophe. Of course one is pleased to be able to expose Brown for the failure that he is but many watching him who have lost jobs or savings will say 'a plague on both your houses'. It's a good job for George that no TV station has yet created an interactive slapometer or my thumbs would by now have fallen prey to an RSI.
A truly cynical but canny political move...
DC's apology is not really helpful ... it won't change much...
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