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Brown losing battle for voters' trust on public spending cuts
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent30.06.09
GORDON Brown's election strategy was thrown into doubt today by a poll showing voters trust the Tories more to decide where to cut spending.
The Prime Minister has branded David Cameron "Mr 10 per cent" after shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the Conservatives would slash spending by this amount in most Whitehall departments apart from health, overseas aid and schools.
Urged on by Children's Secretary EdBalls, Mr Brown has sought to open up dividing lines between the Tories as a party of cuts and Labour as a party of investment, as he successfully did in past elections.
But other Labour MPs fear the strategy will not work as voters expect all parties to have to reduce spending or increase taxes to get a grip on Britain's spiralling debts.
Today's ComRes survey for the Independent shows 31 per cent of people trust the Conservatives most to decide where public spending cuts should be made, 21 per cent Labour and 14 per cent the Liberal Democrats.
The finding comes as senior ministers insist that investment in key public services can increase. But the Government is so far refusing to pencil in a spending review before the next election which would force it to lay out budgets for each department.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson reportedly said he had "mis-spoken" when he announced yesterday that Chancellor Alistair Darling had decided against a pre-election spending review. The Treasury denied any decision had been reached and No10 said it was a matter for the Chancellor. However, the Conservatives have accused Mr Brown of dishonesty over lowering public expenditure, increasing taxes or both, which experts say is inevitable in coming years. On the need for cutbacks, Mr Cameron said yesterday that the "pain" had to be spread evenly.
Mr Brown, though, may seize on the poll's finding of the overall standing of the parties since the spending row erupted as an early sign that his strategy is working. It shows the gap closing from 16 points to 11 over a month, with the Tories down two points on 36per cent, Labour up three on 25 per cent and the Lib Dems down one on 19per cent. But some ministers remain dismayed at Mr Brown's leadership. "Iknew Gordon's weaknesses but I thought they would be lessened by becoming Prime Minister, and that his strengths would increase," said one Cabinet loyalist. "I was wrong."
After the Prime Minister yesterday published his Building Britain's Future masterplan, one minister told The Times: "There is nothing there. We're going to be out of power for years."
One Cabinet minister said the Government was no longer connecting with voters: "It's a bit like when a husband has an affair. It's not enough for him to buy his wife a bunch of flowers; he has to really prove that he's changed." The poll found only two out of three Labour supporters trust their party most on where to make cuts, compared with 81 per cent among Tory backers. Aquarter of respondents either don't know or don't trust any of the parties on reducing public expenditure.
Mr Balls today hit back at Mr Cameron's joke that there could be "riots on the streets" if the public were lied to about spending cuts. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "there would be public unrest" if the Conservatives slashed public services while delivering tax cuts for the rich.
Reader views (50)
Why any one bothers to contiue listening to the liars from Westminister anymore leaves me thinking the country is mad.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
The public deficit is at an all time record, we are in a recession and tax revenues will fall, the world's desire/ability to continue buying gilts to fund this government is no longer there. Public spending is around 50% of GDP and higher is some regions, with a public sector workforce of a similar size. The private sector is hampered from expanding (or even stop shrinking) by a lack of credit and a huge amount of red tape – particularly when it comes to employment law (so no increase tax revenues there)
OF COURSE THERE WILL BE SPENDING CUTS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY!!!!!
- Jeremy E, Home Counties
THE STANDARD OF POLITICAL DEBATE IS QUITE APPALING. IT NOT ABOUT THATCHER OR BROWN BUT THE FACT NO POLITICAL PARTY IS WILLING TO HAVE A POLICY FOR THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, SO THEY LIKE MANY OF YOUR CORRESPONDENTS ARE REDUCED TO YA .. BOO.
NO MATTER WHETHER WE DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE, HEALTH CARE, BANKS, HOUSING THE REAL PROBLEM IS THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE. WE SEEM TO THINK ALL WE NEED EVERY YEAR IS ECONOMIC GROWTH ALTHOUGH ULTIMATELY WE WILL NEED AT LEAST ECONOMIC STAGNATION AND A REDUCTION IN OUR POPULATION TO HALF, SAY FORTY MILLION.
WHAT POLITICAN IS WILLING TO FACE THAT FACT, NONE.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green
Can't wait to vote this baffoon out. Roll on May 2010
- Electra M, London
As a fellow Scot I am ashamed to be associated with Brown, Darling, Martin, Reid and the other self-seeking
pretend-politicians who call themselves New Labour.
Brown's desire to remain in Downing Street at all costs is nauseating. It is obvious that the state of the country is secondary to his personal ambitions.
I will never forget Reid's guarantee when he sent the first of our troops to Afghanistan that they would be home within 6 months without a shot being fired. No wonder he scuttled off back to Glasgow.
Brown's reliance upon Mandelson is unbelievable and shows what a weak person he really is, incapable of making the smallest decision on his own.
Well Mr Brown, when I started work many years ago I was told the 'The essence of management is the ability to make decisions', and that's something you just haven't got, so please go to the Palace and ask for Parliament to be dissolved. At least by doing that you'll be able to walk out with your head held high. Just go anyway!!!
- Scotty, Cambridge UK
"Brown losing battle for voters' trust on public spending cuts"
You can not lose what you do not have!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
labour talk about not cutting back on services, they cut hemels accident and emergency dept so yes he does lie when it comes to not cutting basic services
- Simon, HEMEL
Yesterday Gormless Brown spouted that he intended to give local peeps priority over council housing.
Today it is declared that it would be AGAINST the EQUALITY BILL provisions to allocate housing to local peeps.
MAKE YOUR MIND UP GORMLESS.
YOUR RIGHT HAND CERTAINLY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
LIARS! That's the best way to describe the current cabal of thieves, lowlife's and chancers who are now in power in this country. The 'unelected' Brown and his 'unelected' and despised deputy Mandelson no better than a third world junta whose only interest is in maintaining power at all costs. I heard Balls on Radio 4 this morning and he was pathetic! He knows the lies they are peddling and he just came across as a loudmouth bully shouting what he wants to say without actually answering any of the questions and certainly not willing to listen to anybody. The Labour party are finished and it still amazes me to hear people voicing support for them when they must see what has become of it. Brown has been an absolute disaster for this country, bringing back the twice disgraced mortgage fiddler Mandelson was just such a desperate and truly pathetic act that it sums up what kind of man Brown really is and he is scraping the bottom of the barrel by bringing the Kinnock woman back again unelected and unwanted by the majority of people in the UK, if ever there was a definition of champagne socialists it's the Kinnocks and family. Brown is so desperate to keep power that he will allow the UK to sink before he is finally ousted. Where's the army when you need them, we need a military coup to rid ourselves of these unelected dictators who have somehow taken over our democracy!
- Ed, Hants
Its all falling apart. Mandleson mis-spoken when he said the Chancellor had decided against a spending review this side of the election. My foot! For that read that Brown has had to back down against a Chancellor who probably pinned him up against the wall and told him he was Chancellor and he would decide, not Mandy or him on what happens in the Treasury. Just goes to show that the cabinet is falling apart at the seams. Nice though to see Brown getting some of his own medicine. Brown used to act exactly the same way towards Tony Blair. Whats round comes round. Good on Mr Darling, at least we still have one cabinet minister with some decency left in them.
- B Gare, Norfolk Gorleston
#Alex Pomeroy
You are so right. But unfortunately Mrs Thatcher thought it would be a good idea to sell Britain's public housing stock to the sitting tenants. She claimed it would create a homeowning democracy. What she really meant was that if people bought their council house and painted their front door a different colour, they might continue to vote Conservative. The result of the council house sales has meant that we have the most depleted stock of public housing since Harold McMillan built houses to replace those destroyed in the second world war. Now homeless people are placed in b&bs and houses rented from private landlords at profligate rents. At least this Labour government is doing something about replacing the housing stock; I only hope there will be a moratorium on selling them in the future. In addition to providing homes for people, the new builds will also create thousands of jobs in the hard-pressed construction industry and associated businesses.
#William
Do I detect that green-eyed monster again? Work hard, don't drink or smoke, save your money and you, too, will be able to buy a retirement home in Spain when you are 69.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
The Labour Party need to be excluded and the Tories back in again
This will make a complete difference to the English residents and why do we have people from Scotland running England
This will highlight a big difference for the English Residents and move us all along
- Brian Challis, Southend-on-Sea, UK
Yet more lies,spin,deceit and incompetence from Gormless Clown and his ZaNu-Labour dummies.
I am sickened by the way Labour has destroyed our public services and wasted BILLIONS of pounds of our taxes in the process.
£12bn - Wasted on a useless and broken NHS IT system
£6bn - The amount fraudulently claimed by benefit cheats (Nu-Labour's core voters who have been 'bribed' by their communist paternalistic leaders)
£850m - Wasted on the empty white elephant that was the Millenium Dome
£500m - Wasted on just 2, yes 2 state-of-the-art RAF helicopters that have been sitting idle in a hangar for 5 years because the MoD wouldn't buy a key equipment part.
All this while the real heroes who run our country i.e Doctors & Nurses,Teachers,Police Officers,Fire Brigade,Soldiers are forced to struggle by on peanut salaries and are denied the basic equipment they need to do their job!! It makes my blood boil!
And Prime Mentalist Brown wonders why we despise him and don't trust him one inch?!
- Daniel Howard, London,UK
Stop Labour's lying now. No more lies, no more waste, no more new human rights, no more taxes, no more rubbish.
- Jamal Akhbar, Edinburgh
Gordon believes he should be team leader on Scrap Heap Challenge as he built the scrap heap!
- Wills, Soton
Mandy mis-speaks a lot. Blatant lying is what we call it in the reaL world, and not the world of New Labour spin.
- Paul Freeman, London, England
-William, London, RE Val Daniels: "If you think Labour are so great why have you run off to Spain - Hypocrite !"
Dear dear, Bill. Val has explained a number of times that she only spends six months of the year in Spain. She gets rather irked when you don't pay attention so, be warned!
Of course, we all know that the reason for Val spending six months of the year in Sapin is that NuLiebour Britain is a dump.
Like many socialist mouthpieces, the Polly Toynbees of this world, she obviously has enough cash to buy herself out of the misery that socialism imposes upon the many.
Socialism/communism, they're much the same, has never elevated anyone out of poverty, but has dragged countless millions into it.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
People on here shouldn't get too excited about 1 comres poll showing only a Tory lead of 11 points. Last month Comres said Labour would get 27% in the Euros and they actually got 15%. Have a look at UK Polling The latest Yougov report on Sunday had a Tory lead of 16% with Labour on 24% and Con on 40%. Now we have seen more Lies and Spin and spending plans from Labour expect Labour to be more and more doomed. Only 11months left to kick them out !!
- William, London
How anyone can even copntemplate trusting this self-serving control freak, after 12 years of proven duplicity and mendacity, is completely beyond me.
David S; "Does anyone else agree that Gordon Brown is the worst and most dishonest prime minister of all time?"- To quote a modern day "Churchill", "oh, yes yes yes!".
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Val in exile in Spain, I can explain why David Cameron cannot pole in the high 40 percents. It's because all of the millions employed in the public sector in non jobs are looking at the idea of having to get a real job, paying market rate salaries, without a gold plated pension, and recoiling in horror. Turkeys do not vote for Christmas!
It's going to take a concerted effort by those of us working in productive jobs to unseat the most corrupt government in English history.
Incidentlly, those looking forward to an election victory next year, might want to worry about what is happening in the mean time. If the Irish are bribed to vote yes in the referendum in October, Mandelson will get Brown to sign the Euro treaty in contradiction of the Labour Manifesto. Alister Darling will have even more time to borrow more money in order to leave the Conservatives a bigger headache to inherit. They think a scorched earth policy is clever for themselves politically. I personally think running up debts in the trillions, purely for party gain, should actually bring people out onto the streets Iranian style. Gordon and friends should think themselves lucky that they live in the 21st century, as I personally believe a trip under traitors gate is appropriate!
- Stephen, London
Brown has lost trust because he lacks credibility. Ten years as Chancellor and now we are seriously skint. Even if it was a global recession, he was the one who sold our gold reserves for nothing when times were good. What is the highest earning commodity now? - gold. Don't get me started on Quinetiq - our defence and security organisation that he sold off for peanuts.
Why does he think he can borrow his way out of a recession when businesses are folding every day through lack of funding? He has shown himself to be a charlatan and total disaster, both as Chancellor and Prime Minister and that's why Labour will get a serious pasting at the next election.
- Sonia M., St Albans, Herts
Brown's biggest problem, apart from his rapidly approaching General Election wipe-out, is trusting the distorted, class-warrior and spurious advice from his number one henchman Balls (surely the most aptly-named of all New Labour halfwits).
- Ted, London
To: John Castle. I do recall the days of Thatcher and Major and none of them was as dire as the financial position in which we now find ourselves, or do you disagree with tha? So, if you're making pro-Brown points, allow me to make reply.
Brown takes the credit for the economy when it was booming but refuses to take any blame when it goes to pot. I actually believe that under the stewardship of Ken Clarke, we were already sailing towards a much brighter financial horizon but the election of 1997 put paid to that and Blair and Brown have reaped the benefits.
Since 1997 New Labour has been feasting on that financial boom.Using the gains to fund pet projects and approving burgeoning its governmental departments. Clearly, the son of the Mance doesn't know his Bible as well as he ought; see Joseph and the 7 years of fat and 7 of lean, and how hE coped with that.
New Labour has been AS guilty of spending when it ought not and taxing ruthlessly as Old Labour. Indeed, since Brown's arrival as PM does anyone notice any difference between the two?
We, the elctorate, get one "shot" every 4 or 5 years [5 when a bad government is hanging on by its fingertips]. I invite my fellow Britons to make sure they aim well when the time comes.Your country needs you to do so.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
John Castle - I disagree with you. Comparing to Gordon Brown those were the good old days.
- Max, Isleworth
To John Castle - No, and neither are we forgetting the bad old days of Labour under Wilson and Callaghan.
- David, Fleet UK
Governing is not a popularity contest, difficult decisions that are taken for the common good by definition are difficult. So just get on & Govern.
- William, Hay~Heath UK
When the cabinet office wish to 'clarify' or, state that they have 'mis-spoken'it is government talk for oops 'we have been caught lying to you yet again' or, a Minster has told a truth that the government feel, that we, the idiots they represent, do not wish to hear! I am aghast at the ineptitude, and, blatant lying of this government to cover up their total incompetence, in a wasted effort to save their skin! Goverment minsters, who are supposed to represent us, refuse to answer questions they do not wish to answer in public, they think they are clever in not answering questions we the public want, and, are entitled to! It is insulting, and, totally disrespecting of the electorate, can you call what we have got a democracy? What is the difference between a 'tin pot' government in the developing world, and, us? We are no different we are both being fed lies, and,untruths. What appears to make our situation more desperate is not enhanced by the fact that in our 'democracy' we can ship out the corrupt, and, incompetent MP's of both major parties at the next election, but, what do you replace them with to give us a system of government we deserve? All that is on offer is more of the same quality of rubbish churned out by both major parties! I think there is a very good case for getting rid of career politicians as a class! With the possible exception of Vince Gable, is there any politician, in any party that is worthy of, or who has earned our respect,rather than utter contempt
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
Are you all forgetting the bad old days of Thatcher and Major?????????
- John Castle, London England
I do hope that everyone will consign the labour party thickos to the rubish tip where they have always belonged, not only this lot have cocked up everything they have touched all the labourites before them have done exactly the same. When will the British learn?
Also all the work done by the civil service could be done a hundred times better and more cheaply if it was privatised,the more that is done by state owned services the more cock ups there are.
- Derek, Oliva,Valencia Spain (In England for a while)
Does anyone else agree that Gordon Brown is the worst and most dishonest prime minister of all time?
- David S., Ealing
Labour politicians and supporters are delusional and suffering from heat exhaustion if they believe that we can borrow yet more money to invest in public services.
Someone has to repay the loans and that someone is us taxpayers, in the form of increased taxes and duties. Just look at Darling's last budget to see what is coming if Labour get in again.
It is time for government to be "rightsized" so that it delivers services more efficiently and cheaply: that does not have to mean less is available. Goverment employees also need to start funding their own pensions: apart from frontline employees such as teachers, nurses and the armed forces, the rest of the hangers-on such as managers, support and admin staff must contribute a reasonable amount from their salary into their pension.
A 10% saving in the cost of government should be a minimum. And so what if some of it is returned to the taxpayer? It's not as if we haven't been fleeced by Labour over the past 12 years and could do with some respite.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
If there is enough money to allow millionaires to get inheritence tax cuts then there bis enough money for anything our great leader wants!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Of course Brown has lost voters trust - completely. In the normal course of events one might not agree with the party in power but you might still trust them to do, or be able to do what they say. Now even if you are one of the fast diminishing fans of New Labour you can't believe a word they say. Nothing they say actually makes sense to anyone of a sound mind. For instance; Peter Mandleson is starting to remind me of that Iraqi general who said there was no invasion taking place as the bombs exploded around him. If it wasn't so worrying and so shameful i'd say carry on until next year. I can see a Labour opposition of no more than around 75-100 MP's if they wait until June 2010. This could actually sink the party for a generation. Lets hope!!
- David S., Ealing
Brown lost our trust a long time ago. All he is doing now is condemning the Labour party to a generation of opposition. For the sake of the country, Crash Gordon, please go, now. Please beg your boss, "Lord" Mandelson to admit that the game is up. It's time to step aside for someone with real leadership, integrity and willingness to listen.
- St, London
Gordon Browns plans for more housing are laughable.There have been 9 Housing ministers since labour came into power-all of them failures
Someone should remind Brown that the Conservative Party under premier Harold MacMillan built over 300.000 houses in 1959.That it was harder to do then than now but they achieved it because they had Cabinet ministers
who knewwhat they were doing and who were led by a Mench and not a booby
- Alex Pomeroy, london
I live for the day I can vote this rump of a party out forever. They can talk to the wall because our faces are no longer listening.
- Thomas, London
Todat the ONS has announced that the UK was in recession in Q2 last year, a full 6 months prior to the banking bailout (other than Northern Rock). It will be interesting to see whether the politicians (on all sides) and the peston blog machine embrace any revisionist view of what precipitated the recession rather than heaping all the blame on the Financial Sector.
- Nj, London, UK
How much longer will this Labour Government pour our money into yet more changes creating more civil service jobs with protected pensions. Eventually there will be no private companies to fund their delusional spending plans!
- Tony Johnson, Hythe UK
Only another 11 months to go before these enemies of Britain are consigned to history.
- David, Fleet UK
I feel that careful spending cuts are much better than Mr Brown taking more money out of my pay packet each month to fund this "delusional" approach to getting the country back on it's feet.....the money has to come from somewhere
- Mark, Hampshire, Hook, UK
It is incredible to see that Labour's standing increases in the Polls.
This bankrupt Government have bankrupt the country and Balls now tries to play the race card.
The sooner they are booted out the better for us all.
Champagne socialists the lot of them.
It was Cecil King who famously published " Enough is Enough " the last time Labour wrecked this nation, it is time that Mervyn King put a stop to this lunacy.
- Claude Esposito, Chester
Val from Spain
The suns getting to you again. In the 90's the polls were nowhere near as accurate as they are now. Anyway have a look at UK Polling Report the Tories have lead labour by 15 plus points for months and the tories never fell to 18% like Labour have recently. If you think Labour are so great why have you run off to Spain - Hypocrite !
- William, London
I wonder if Gordon brown even understands what the word investment actually means.
Temporary VAT cut - great investment, I'm sure we'll be far more productive after a final splurge on imported rubbish we don't even need with money we don't even have.
ID Cards - Another brilliant labour investment. Always keep you ID card nearby - remember all the problems they will solve! Paid for again on the national CC. We cant actually afford this.
Road Pricing - Another mind numbing sum on something that does nothing to solve the actual problem - just creating another massive system of oppression. All that money spent and not one extra train or bus to actually get anyone anywhere. Again - we don't actually have the money for this anyhow.
NHS Computer System - Another Labour investment. Another example of how by trying to centralise control and hand out juicy contracts to big business leads to allot of money being spent and very little being delivered. Labour are right about one thing - they are a friend of (big)business.
Banking Bailouts - Of course now we're so smart we know not to let spectacular failures in banking to go into receivership. Now we must pay whatever price to bail them out for their mistakes and ensure they survive to make them again and continue with the fraudulent business models. Our schools are riddled with asbestos we don't have money to clear - but should a bank show a sign of trouble - our purse is always open.
This is barely the tip of the iceberg.
- Ryan, London, UK
I am getting really tired of the Brown, Balls, and Mandleson trio and their ever deluded messages to the voting public, which consist of blatant lies, innuendo, and constantly rehashed spending plans dressed up in different and every confusing ways, designed to dupe the unwary and to fool their core voters in to believing, as ever, that they will receive everything for nothing, by returning yet another Labour government. They have wasted the family silver,( and our gold reserves, sold for a pittance by Gordon Brown, as chancellor), got us all in hock, especially those amongst us who have been truly 'prudent' ( Brown seems to have finally dropped the usage of that word, which he clearly never really understood), and now seek a mandate from the voters to do even worse to us, and this country. Out with the lot of them - Please!
- Trevor Edwards, London England
Gormless Brown has now had 12 years to do something RIGHT for Joe Public. Alas, the apology for a human being is a total failure on all counts.
Every time Gormless Brown spouts more spin and waffle I feel positively sick. As has been previously recorded, Brown is a megalomaniac and paranoid.
The time is right for the appropriate authorities to thoroughly investigate Gormless Brown - and Meddlesum - and Balls - and Blunkett - and Prescott - and all the other parasites loitering with intent in the House of Conmen.
Brown said that he is "listening".
He does know how to spell the word listen.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
That may very well be the case. Voters expect the Conservatives to cut services, that's what they do. However, the same poll said the Conservative lead in the polls had been cut to 36%, and Labour's had increased to 25%. The LibDems were now on 19%. Other parties 1%. This would give the Conservatives an overall majority of 10. The Tory vote is slipping, and there is still a year to go. Tony Blair had consistent poll ratings in the mid to high 40s in 1996/7. David Cameron will have to do a lot better than this.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
If Brown was running a company he would have been removed by the shareholders. Britain being a democracy means that the public don't have that power. The only way to get rid of Brown is for honest Labour MP's to do the decent thing but that's not going to happen either.
There may be one other possibility and that is to have him sectioned under the Mental Health act as a danger to himself and others. One thing is for sure if Brown is allowed to stay until the bitter end of this parliament he is going to inflict more harm on the economy.
- Peter B, Hants
Labour--A party of investment-how much of our money have they got left to invest---
The labour party are living on lies and spin---the quicker they are out the better
- Rob Baker, Chichester, West Sussex. U.K.
Correction to prior should read as follows.
Brown as Treasurer has had and misused more money than any other Treasurer in British History. Hence after excessive Taxes we get Cuts, cuts, cuts.
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
Brown as Treasurer has had and abused more money than any other Treasurer in British History. Hence after excessive Taxes we get Cuts, cuts, cuts.
He has had monies from such new sources as:
1 Revenue streams from the use of the Internet.
2 Revenue streams from the sale of PCs.
3 Revenue streams from the sale Ink Cartridges
4 Revenue streams from the sale IT software.
5 Revenue streams from the sale Mobile phones.
6 Revenue streams from the sale Licences for Mobile Phones.
7 Revenue streams from the sale Oil.
8 Revenue streams from the sale Gas.
Brown so-called Prudence was nothing more than ‘Rob Peter to Pay Paul’. In fact this man Brown has proved to be the worst Chancellor this country has ever had.
Now Brown continues to pour into the Banks billions more of everlasting ‘Taxpayers Credit’ This must be stopped before its too late.
Brown has gained nothing from the Bankers to help recover the UK recession. It would have made more sense to let the banks use their insures capital, not the Taxpayers.
Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
