There were times, Listening to David Cameron's response to the budget when it felt like the famous scene in Monty python's life of brian. Although perhaps I should have subtitled this post "what have Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling and this Labour government ever done for us?"
If you take only Cameron's view then the answer is nothing positive. This is I think a rather large overstatment. What was in the budget is in several cases good. The guarenteed job offer for long term unemployed under 25s is a policy I personally feel is good, although I note no mention was made of what this job would entail.
However, writing this after a day to reflect on it frankly this budget in real terms is part hopeless optimisim and part rearguard action. Once you consider the numbers the tax increase for people earning 150K+ will acheive nothing. In his blog on the bbc Nick Robinson had pointed out to him that some bits of small print in the red book do show that the tax raise will eventually raise money. In about 4 years. The only reason to bring this proposal in now is to act as an anti-conservative minefield before next years election. Not really the sort of action you want when the country is tottering in the direction of bankruptcy.
It is instructive to look at the reactions of participants when they sit down after speaking. Both Brown after PMQs and Darling after his budget sat down with a grin that said "thats over, I survived, now I can get on with things knowing that I've got plenty of people I can blame if it all goes wrong." By contrast, Cameron's expression was one of "oh help this country's totally in the effluent now" or possibly "oh help the mess I'm going to inherit next year is worse than I thought".
Darling is now off the hook until the pre-budget report in november. But if his recovery forecast is not showing up by then I feel that he may not keep his job.
Then again, that would represent a politician admiting culpability.
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