He/they want it both ways

Labour MPs, until recently at least, tended to suggest that Gordon Brown was the greatest chancellor since.. (insert your own date or name).

One reason was the long years of steady growth, all due to Gordon. Wrong! He was left a very sound economy by the Tories - there had already been twenty odd quarters of unbroken growth and inflation was under control. He then pursued Tory spending plans for a further two years, and actually succeeded in reducing Government debt.

What followed next was the splurge and rapidly rising taxes to finance it. It was a risk, and what saved him was a very benign outside world. For several years our inflation was held in check by the ever lower prices 0f Chinese and other goods which reached our shores and a general boom in the world economy. It was also boosted by the large influx of middle European labour. He used these factors to promote a high level or demand and employment by encouraging people to buy on credit and eventually by Government expenditure financed increasingly by debt also.

Then, when the good times worldwide came to an end, when interest rates began to rise and energy prices also, his pack of cards began to collapse. All countries were affected but the UK more than most because of the level of debt which commentators had been pointing to for several years.

"I produced steady growth, and the present troubles are all world problems and nothing to do with me". He is trying to have it both ways. His apparent success was solely due to him, with no external causes, but the present difficulties have nothing to do with him, rather they are all externally caused. McCavity was present when things were good, but nowhere to be seen when things turned less pleasant.

For him to offer to see us through the choppy water, or worse, in which we are, has a certain justice, in that he did not prepare for the problems and made us less able to withstand them. However, when Prudence changed her name to Prodigality she rather disqualified herself from the great expertise and judgement she claimed to have.