Today's media are flush with headlines about (old)Labour's win in the Oldham and Saddleworth by-election. They have missed the real headline that in fact, taken together the coalition partners actually won. Labour scored 14,718, the Lib Dems 11,100 and the Conservatives who clearly didn't try too hard, 4,481. That means a coalition majority of 1,423. Eight months on from the eviction from Downing Street of Gordon Brown and his running mates including Miliband Minor,and eight months into a new regime who have no alternative but to arrest the spiralling monthly and annual state overspend ,it is no surprise that those addicted to or dependent for their jobs or income on the state cash machine continuing to deliver have walked back to cling desparately to the Labour totem pole. What is a surprise, though one not so far picked up by the media, is that despite "the cuts", the coalition partners have done so well.
David Cameron, Nick Clegg and their parties should be celebrating rather than shaking their heads. Labour on the other hand should be considering firstly admitting their part in creating today's UK (not global, please) situation and beginning to come up with how they would deal with it. From everything we have seen published, their overall spending plans were not very different from those of the coalition so all the "Yah boo" stuff is pointless.Their urging that the cuts should be phased differently is understandable. The Government want to get the worst over in the first two or three years of this Parliament so that the benefits will be beginning to show before the 2015 General Election.Labour naturally recommend ("Too much too soon"they shout) that the next two years should be relatively soft, thus requiring even greater pain in 2014 and 2015 just before the polls. Who would gain most from that we wonder? No self interest in this advice by any chance Ed?
