The Tories have rightly accused Labour of copying their policies on issues such as inheritance tax and foreign residents with non-domicile tax status. But David Cameron is not above a bit of jackdaw politics himself.
Today the Tory leader is making another raid into Labour's traditional territory by making a speech on poverty as he tries to exploit the Government's turmoil over the 10p tax rate. But his big policy announcement, a free financial advice service, is hardly new - because the Government is already setting one up.
A report about it was published last month and a pilot scheme will
start next month before the service goes national in 2010. The only
difference is that the Tory scheme would be funded by a levy on the
financial services sector while under Labour's plan the cost would be
split between the industry and taxpayers.
"This is the most flagrant example yet of the Tories trying to claim credit for something we are already doing," sniffs a Downing Street aide.
I only wish Tom Lehrer were still writing songs - the to-ing and fro-ing between Labour and the Tories is beyond absurd. What does each party stand for? Who knows? It changes day by day. I never thought I would vote Tory and I still can't imagine it really, but the trouble is that once you ditch any core values like Clause 4, voters don't really know what they're voting for. The same goes for the Tories - if I were in my 70s and a Tory voter all my life, I'd be horrified at what Cameron is doing.
Posted by: Hobgoblin | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 11:59 AM
Luckily the Lib Dems have principles, policies and ever more experience of taking serious decisions across the country as far afield as Cardiff, Newcastle, Sutton, Stockport and Liverpool.
Posted by: wit and wisdom | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 01:08 PM
The Tories are quite happy to admit that their day-to-day activities are nothing to do with the next Tory Manifesto but are there to con the electors into believing that they are no longer the Nasty Party but are a party for the poor and under-privileged. Once elected the Thatcherites will re-emerge as arrogant as ever and point out that though warm words were used no commitments to helping the poor were ever made.
Posted by: bill edmunds | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 01:35 PM
At first when David Cameron came to lead the Tories he was reluctant to come out with any policy, and since he has been coming out with 'Tory' policy it seems as if it is the same old same old we get with Labour. Electorates find it very hard to establish what each of these parties stand for and this is going to be detrimental in the British political system.
Posted by: Muhammad Ali | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 02:13 PM