Wednesday, April 23, 2008

A faltering government

A Chancellor fails to defend his budget;
A Prime Minister fails to defend his Chancellor;
A Prime Minister fails to defend a budget that he himself proposed while Chancellor;
A Prime Minister and a Chancellor succumb weakly to threats and alarums issued by their back-bench ranks.
What is the appropriate and honourable course following the unwonted, unnecessary creation of a what is a major constitutional crisis, a shameful undermining of the foundations of executive government?

A Chancellor and a Prime Minister working in consort seek to unravel the budgets they themselves proposed.
They do so without art, without guile, without policy, without principle.
They do not take advice; they appear to consult no one with experience.
A Prime Minister admits he proposes to take too much in tax from the poor and promises to return these sums later in the year; but not all will be compensated and it appears none will be compensated by the Inland Revenue.
This is a hotch-potch of a policy, a stew brewed in haste, concocted with ingredients plucked from a garden decaying and browning in the autumn of its life.

This has become a shambles of a government. I am amazed that HerMajesty should tolerate such weakness and lack of competence amongst her ministers. It should go.

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