05 April 2010

Lord Mandelson, it’s time to move on from George Osborne.

Dear Peter,

Sorry to disturb your Easter Monday, but there a few matters that need to be put to bed.

One, you must stop these personal attacks.  They are getting nowhere and are counter-productive.

Let’s be frank, your interview with Adam Boulton was dreadful.  You lost the argument by focusing on Bob Diamond, the president of Barclays.  Everybody has got the message about bankers’ salaries.

Second, in your campaign memo George Osborne is referred to as the “‘Shallow’ Chancellor”.  This is plain silly and does nothing to assist Labour in getting its message across.

Then, on the Tory party:

They [are] putting politics before economics, putting their short-term political interests before the longer-term economic interests of the country.

Well, of course they are.  What do you expect with an election that is just four weeks away?

Your antipathy towards Osborne belongs to the beaches of Corfu.  As discussed, take the the odd pot-shot at him, but don't bore us all with yesterday’s game.

What the punters want to know is why the Tory policies don't add up.  For example, the last time National Insurance went up, employment grew.  Also, how are the Tories going to pay for this non-tax cut in future years?

You need to start spelling this out without getting sidetracked.

Your team captain needs his principal striker to keep hitting the target during the campaign.  To date, all we have had is own goals.

Best wishes

Events Dear Boy, Events

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5 comments:

  1. "Fire up the Quattro. It's time for change."

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  2. "What the punters want to know is why the Tory policies don't add up. For example, the last time National Insurance went up, employment grew. "

    Err, might that be correlation rather than causation? Or Browns massive expansion of non jobs in the public sector? The idea that increasing costs on jobs will increase their number is a lie.

    Are Brown, Byrne and Darling so desperate and contemptuous of the public that they'll spew these and other economic falsehoods (not taxing is "taking money out of the economy"). Or are they just ignorant?

    Either way they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

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  3. "What the punters want to know is why the Tory policies don't add up."

    Are you serious? Even if that's really true, what on earth makes you think they're going to take any notice of Peter Mandelson's answer? A 12% budget deficit, £167bn of borrowing, and he's lecturing us about other people's figures not adding up?

    Let's think about this. 30-odd business leaders, including the guys who run Sainsbury's, M&S, Easygroup, say putting up NI is a bad idea. Peter Mandelson & Co. say it's a great one, and that letting people keep a little bit of their own money instead of letting government waste it is "takes money out of the economy". Who are people going to take notice of?

    Coffee. Smell.

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  4. Is the dark lord losing it or is the policy argument the problem

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  5. Anons and others,

    I suspect that our host is not actually agreeing with the Dark Lord.

    what is rather more likely is that he would like the Dark Lord to explain why he thinks this is so.

    Then we can laugh at him properly.

    ReplyDelete