George gets it right
Very neat. That was the conference verdict on George Osborne’s pledge to freeze - in effect at least - Council Tax for two years in his speech today. Tax cuts were always looking impossible given the dire state of the nation’s finances. But no-one ever sees any benefit from the way in which Council Tax has been pushed up above the rate of inflation under Labour’s watch - unless bin compliance inspectors and anti-smoking officers are counted as positive developments.
Salieri has never seen any reason why Council Tax should rise above the rate of inflation, ever. Until local government raises its own taxes and pays its own way then the system is broken and the only way to manage it is by tough capping.
Judging by the mood in Birmingham George got it right. And more to the point he managed to divert attention from the fact that unlike the estimable Vince Cable (who sometimes seems the only MP who ever understands the economy) GO was no better than Brown and Darling in spotting the credit crunch ahead.
Speaking of which, if there was ever any entity that should be brought into public ownership it would surely be clever old Vince himself. Can’t we buy him for the nation and make him a permanent feature as special adviser in the Treasury?