Most people by know what the report to be published by John redwood on Friday will say. The bottom line will be that cutting so-called red tape is good for business and is effectively a tax cut without actually cutting taxes. We also know that the report has been painted by the Labour Party as putting the Conservative Party "to the right of William hague and Michael Howard".
Now presumably, if one were to probe that accusation by the Labour Party it would come down to this idea that the proposals - which are contained within a docunent whose breif was to look at business and competetiveness - are pro-business. Therefore, so the marxian world view goes, right wing.
The reason I'm mentioning this again is because I've just found a press release on the Communties and Local Government site which was put out on Monday titled "Red tape slashed to help businesses go green". Presumably this pro-business slashing of red tape is not at all right wing, and the title, given the timing of the release, had nothing to do with the potential popularity of Redwood's proposals?
This isn't the first time of course that the Government has reacted to calls for X by announcing that it would do X. We saw this when the Tories commissioned the James Report and Labour produced the much weaker Gershon Review. This is classic triangulation and I imagine, after the Redwood report has been published, Labour will produce their own version whch will be watered down but keep the soundbites about "slashing red tape" to be "good for business".
6 comments:
It amazes me how the journalists let Labour get away with it.
How did they get away with it not being their fault that house price inflation has been out of control for 10 years and then get credit for restating an aim to build millions of affordable houses because young people cannot get on the housing ladder.
Dizzy, well spotted.
As you pointed out we have been here before and remember Brown making a big play of slashing the civil service.
It is now for the Tories to play hard ball. Its pretty simple and could be effective with a simple message "We do the work, Labour nicks the best sound bites and the whole thing gets kicked into the long grass."
It will work for Labour in the short term, but how long can they carry on failing being so incompetent at implementation?
New Labour will always get away with anything until the Tories stop trying to play catch-up or second guess them.
That won't happen until they get their confidence back. There was a brief moment when it seemed it would happen when Cameron became leader.
Now, it's been squandered, and all we see is angst.
Saving money on wasted regulation is of benefit to society. business is a subdivision of society - an essential part which provides benefits like jobs, wages, pensions, raising taxes and supplying goods and services. it is not right wing or left wing.
it is the lack of middle sized businesses and an excess of large corporations in Britain which is one reason why we have such high prices. regulation has a big part to play in reducing the number of successful businesses, and society is losing all that potential benefit.
Redwood should say that cutting regulation benefits society.
I just lurrrrve the advice these people give to the Tories. Sort of, 'why don't they wake up and do something' and then they think people will actually vote for these same drongos who need advice from some amateur blogger.
Brilliant... it is just brilliant. Reading the comment boxes on Tory blogs these days is the best fun you can have without taking your clothes off.
So people should shut up basically?
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