Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Iain Dale: Who's Running Economic Policy?


Iain Dale is frsustrated to the point of distraction! Hurrah. Last night's BBC Newsnight reported that the Government will publish a new economic strategy paper in seven days time (in fact on Thursday 4 September, nine or ten days). "Isn't it strange therefore" muses the politically loyal-est man in political blogging (Witmangot Awards) "that the Treasury has been briefing that they know absolutely nothing about it?" Poor old Iain.

Hilarious. Looks like :

(a) someone has worked out who the anonymous briefers in the Treasury are and is keeping them out of the loop; or

(b) ditto, but persuaded them somehow to stay schtum this time

(c) ditto, but it's all of them and so the loop is even tighter

If Iain's leaky vessels in low places knew the content and weren't fully in line they'd be briefing that content in half-arsed and partial ways - reducing the impact of announcements - instead of providing this potential clarity.

From the point of view of a Labour loyalist (second to Iain in the all-party listing) this is very good news, whichever way the leaks have been stymied.

"NOT the fibber George GOOey Osborne" is the answer to this question that we must hope for over the next ten years.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

or

d) the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing

e) somebody is lying through their teeth

f) Darling hasn't been told about it becuase it is nothing to do with him and he will have no input

Chris Paul said...

I don't think Mr Darling would be one of Mr Dale's anonymous briefers at the Treasury, do you anonymous?

Look at the timing of Mr Dale's post. Within a few short minutes of Mr Esler mentioning the date - 4/9 - Iain had been on the 'phone trying to get some leaks and couldn't find any.

"I have a leak" is a story.

"I don't have a leak" is not. Particularly two minutes after the news is out. Or at least it shouldn't be.

Leaks of economic and political plans are often corrosive. Whoever is in government. Particularly at draft stage.

Leaks of sleaze etc are another matter.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the Treasury aren't lying. And yet maybe there will be an announcement nest week. The two are not nesessarily contradictory.

Is it not just possible that the policy is being written by No. 10 and not No. 11? I suspect that the first Darling will see of it is when it is thrust into his grubby little mitt for him to dutifully read out - just like past announcements have been!

Letters From A Tory said...

Glad to see that you're worried Osborne will still be in power ten years from now. It's looking more likely by the day.

Chris Paul said...

LFAT: Doh! The point is that Labour will still be in power for the next ten years ... GOO will have GOOed off to his wallpaper paste by then, threat to "help the poor" over.

Anonymous said...

I strongly suggest, Chris, that you buy every single copy of tomorrow's Guardian (Saturday) that you can lay your hands on and shred them.

I'm afraid it is going to show exactly what horse manure you have been spouting on this and many other posts.

So the PM and the Chancellor speak as one, do they?

Chris Paul said...

Did you read the actual interview before posting this fatuous comment anon? World Economy - worst down turn for 60 years. Not UK. People pissed off at failure to explain measures taken clearly. Not at measures. Which after all many don't understand.

Decca Aitkenhead is a generalist hippy who taped Darling for hours for a colour supplement interview, including some minor swearing. Big deal.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I read the interview and the accompanying article. I don't want to give you too much of a clue because of the remote possibility that you might catch on slightly and go about things in a more professional way. But that's how you should go about things - read them first and then you can properly comment on them.

Here is Piss Crawl's version of the Guardian version:
"World Economy - worst down turn for 60 years. Not UK."

And The Gusrdain's version of The Guardian's version:
"Britain is facing "arguably the worst" economic downturn in 60 years which will be "more profound and long-lasting" than people had expected".

The Guradian again - quoting Darling
"2 million people could be out of work by Christmas"

Piss Crawl:
"Big deal"

The Guardian yet again:
"Darling admits he had no idea how serious the credit crunch would become."

After all, he is only the Chancellor.

And Piss Crawl's explanation for this:
(the interviewer) is a hippy.

But it isn't her that's putting forward all the "Hello sunshine, hello sky," garbage that you constantly resort to.