Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Conned by the Tories | |
Posted by: | David Giles | |
Date/Time: | 25/01/05 19:37:00 |
The British economy is doing well now precisely because the policies pursued by Margaret Thatcher, Nigel Lawson, Geoffrey, John Major and Kenneth Clarke from 1979 to 1997 in turning around the British economy over a period of 17 or 18 years were fundamentally sound. I remember what a mess we were in under Labour in the seventies. There were serious problems along the way - many of them caused by our meddling neighbours in Europe and the dinasours of Labour's friends in some of the more unintelligent trade unions - but Britain in 1997 was a much better, more modern, prosperous, fairer and competitive country than it was in 1979. Gordon Brown inherited a very strong and dynamic economy when he took over from Kenneth Clarke in 1997. Indeed, during the 1997 Election Campaign Labour made a big virtue out of stressing that they would continue with the Conservatives' taxation and spending policies. Gordon Brown was enough sensible to do that for most of his first term of office and built on the strong foundations laid by the Conservatives. Gordon Brown was sensible enough to make the Bank of England independent and that was certainly a good move which had already been proposed by various Conservative Chancellors over the years.However, he had no option but to do so because the City amd the international financial community was so distrustful of the Labour Party in 1997 that he had to make the Bank of England independent in order to maintain confidence in the financial markets. The success of the British economy since 1997 in any case cannot all be attributed to Gordon Brown.Millions of workers, managers, scientists and engineers and people in all walks of life have contributed to this success. Many British companies have been successful. There are many foreign owned companies such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Ford and Vauxhall (to just mention the motor industry) who have contributed to this success. In all fairness to Gordon Brown however - apart from his 66 tax rises - for the first 4 or 5 years he did not interfere too much with the running of the British economy by those who really make it work but it looks as if he may be doing so now. Chancellor Brown's has now deviated from his initial conservative and prudent policies and embarked on a reckless policy of hugely increasing public expenditure and taxation, micro-managing all the other Government departments, overcomplicating the tax and benefit system, increasing burdens on businesses, employers and employees and spending Our Money without reference either to the Cabinet or to Parliament. Current economic indicators such as the trade defecit, the national debt, the shortfall in public finances, the slow down in investment, lower business profits, the housing crisis,the deterioration in public services, the value of the stock market and pension funds and the huge escalating costs of state benefits are not so healthy. Britain only looks good because the Eurozone - with the exception of free enterprise and capitalist Ireland - is doing so badly. Gordon Brown has been Chancellor of the Exchequer since May 1997 - by May 2004 he will have been in the position for 8 years. It is time for him to go. Gordon Brown is out of control and if Tony Blair had any sense he would sack him now. That is of course, provided that Gordon Brown, the real prime minister,does not manage to get the Labour Party to sack Tony Blair first. |