Labour Investment vs Tory cu.. uhh.. wait…

There’s something quite alarming here… do you see it? Let me help you.

Gordon Brown has made a last-minute demand for bigger cuts from Whitehall departments amid fears that Alistair Darling will fail to convince the markets that Britain can pay off its record debt.

Mr Darling is to admit next week that plunging tax receipts and a deeper than expected recession have increased borrowing this year beyond the forecast £175 billion.

But the Chancellor is to defy critics pushing for a speedier return to balancing the Government’s books, arguing that raising taxes or cutting spending any quicker than planned could endanger the recovery and damage the fabric of the country.

He plans to sprinkle Wednesday’s Pre-Budget Report with what officials call “signals of intent” to placate the financial markets. These are thought to include tax hikes aimed at richer voters, including a freeze in the threshold of inheritance tax.

Standby for weasel sentence of the year:

He will say that no area is immune from cuts but will identify key “outcomes”, particularly in health and education, that will be protected as Labour tries to set out its battle lines for the next election.

So what’ll it be? Tory cuts will cause 100,000 doctors and nurses to lose their jobs, and all teachers will need to give handjobs for crack, where as Labour’s cuts will do … what exactly? Save kittens?

Interesting.

AJ

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