I’m confused, so terribly confused…
Regardless of whether you agree with the coalition’s budget cuts or not, at least you know what they are going to do and when. In other words, the coalition make a decision and stick to it.
Not so with Labour. In only one week the Labour party have come out with eight different positions on spending cuts, see what they are in the slide deck below.
- Position 1
Position 1 - Accept the cuts
'My starting point is, I am afraid, we are going to have keep all these cuts' (Ed Balls, Guardian, 14 January 2012,).
- Position 2
Position 2 - Not accepting the cuts
'we're not accepting the Government's austerity cuts' (Harriet Harman, Today, BBC Radio 4, 17 January 2012).
- Position 3
Position 3 - To 'totally' oppose the cuts
'we are totally opposing them [the cuts] and we're fighting them' (Harriet Harman, Today, BBC Radio 4, 17 January 2012).
- Position 4
Position 4 - Don't oppose all the cuts
'It's easy to oppose every cut from the comfort of the opposition benches, but the public will not find that position credible, particularly as we've been clear about the need to tackle the deficit' (Alan Johnson, Guardian, 18 January 2012).
- Position 5
Position 5 - No commitments yet on reversing specific cuts
'however difficult this is for me, for some of my colleagues and for our wider supporters, we cannot make any commitments now that the next Labour government will reverse tax rises or spending cuts. And we will not' (Ed Balls, Speech to the Fabian Society Annual Conference, 14 January 2012).
- Position 6
Position 6 - Firm commitment that Labour will adopt the Coalition's overall fiscal stance for at least one year - i.e. Labour's first budget will be fiscally neutral
'I tell you this Nick, I am only going to make promises about what cuts I can change, if at the election I can specifically show where the money would come from. That's the right approach, that's the responsible approach and I think it's the approach the British people would expect from the Labour Party' (Ed Miliband, BBC News, 17 January 2012).
- Position 7
Position 7 - More borrowing is irresponsible
'Ed Balls was saying we're not just gonna come in and borrow more money to fulfil all of these promises we've made. We can't do that. That would be irresponsible to do that' (Andy Burnham, Daily Politics, 18 January 2012).
'If we are seen as the people that are short-term, soft touch, give into vested interests, throw money at every problem of course we are never going to succeed' (Ed Balls, Guardian, 14 January 2012).
- Position 8
Position 8 - More borrowing and spending
'I think George Osborne should change course now. His cuts are too far and too fast' (Ed Balls, Newsnight, 17 January 2012).
'What we are saying if we came into government now we would be taking a different course, a different choice. We would be cutting less far and less fast' (Ed Miliband, Sky News, 17 January 2012).
Are you confused, too? I know I am. We have heard a lot recently on the need of Labour to increase their credibility, well maybe they should talk to each other and find out just what it is they think. Constant contradiction will never get them any trust.
Maybe Labour is only a party for the good times.
What do you think? Does this affect your view on the Labour party?
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Labour on cuts – how more confusing can it get?
January 18th, 2012 | Published in Comment, Features
I’m confused, so terribly confused…
Regardless of whether you agree with the coalition’s budget cuts or not, at least you know what they are going to do and when. In other words, the coalition make a decision and stick to it.
Not so with Labour. In only one week the Labour party have come out with eight different positions on spending cuts, see what they are in the slide deck below.
Position 1 - Accept the cuts
'My starting point is, I am afraid, we are going to have keep all these cuts' (Ed Balls, Guardian, 14 January 2012,).
Position 2 - Not accepting the cuts
'we're not accepting the Government's austerity cuts' (Harriet Harman, Today, BBC Radio 4, 17 January 2012).
Position 3 - To 'totally' oppose the cuts
'we are totally opposing them [the cuts] and we're fighting them' (Harriet Harman, Today, BBC Radio 4, 17 January 2012).
Position 4 - Don't oppose all the cuts
'It's easy to oppose every cut from the comfort of the opposition benches, but the public will not find that position credible, particularly as we've been clear about the need to tackle the deficit' (Alan Johnson, Guardian, 18 January 2012).
Position 5 - No commitments yet on reversing specific cuts
'however difficult this is for me, for some of my colleagues and for our wider supporters, we cannot make any commitments now that the next Labour government will reverse tax rises or spending cuts. And we will not' (Ed Balls, Speech to the Fabian Society Annual Conference, 14 January 2012).
Position 6 - Firm commitment that Labour will adopt the Coalition's overall fiscal stance for at least one year - i.e. Labour's first budget will be fiscally neutral
'I tell you this Nick, I am only going to make promises about what cuts I can change, if at the election I can specifically show where the money would come from. That's the right approach, that's the responsible approach and I think it's the approach the British people would expect from the Labour Party' (Ed Miliband, BBC News, 17 January 2012).
Position 7 - More borrowing is irresponsible
'Ed Balls was saying we're not just gonna come in and borrow more money to fulfil all of these promises we've made. We can't do that. That would be irresponsible to do that' (Andy Burnham, Daily Politics, 18 January 2012).
'If we are seen as the people that are short-term, soft touch, give into vested interests, throw money at every problem of course we are never going to succeed' (Ed Balls, Guardian, 14 January 2012).
Position 8 - More borrowing and spending
'I think George Osborne should change course now. His cuts are too far and too fast' (Ed Balls, Newsnight, 17 January 2012).
'What we are saying if we came into government now we would be taking a different course, a different choice. We would be cutting less far and less fast' (Ed Miliband, Sky News, 17 January 2012).
Are you confused, too? I know I am. We have heard a lot recently on the need of Labour to increase their credibility, well maybe they should talk to each other and find out just what it is they think. Constant contradiction will never get them any trust.
Maybe Labour is only a party for the good times.
What do you think? Does this affect your view on the Labour party?