Government Spin

I find the Government's lies rather distasteful, especially when senior ministers peddle unjustifiable speculation as fact. If they practise transparent self-deception, claiming, for example, to have ended the "boom-bust economy", and fail both to keep their promises and to prepare for the inevitable down-turn, they must expect to be punished by history and the polls.

Here is part of Gordon Brown's 2004 conference speech:

"And I come to this conference after seven years of this New Labour government more idealistic than ever, more determined and more certain than ever about what it is our duty to achieve for Britain.

No longer the most inflation prone economy, with New Labour, Britain today has the lowest inflation for thirty years.

No longer the boom-bust economy, Britain has had the lowest interest rates for forty years.

And no longer the stop-go economy, Britain is now enjoying the longest period of sustained economic growth for 200 years.

And no longer the country of mass unemployment, Britain is now advancing further and faster towards full employment than at any time in our lives."

When he made this speech Britain had low interest rates, low inflation and low unemployment; everything looked rosy. We knew, though, that it could not last. There is always a bust after a boom and, even if we did not know exactly when it would happen, or how bad it would be, or what form it would take, we knew the bust must come. Gordon Brown, his head buried in the sand of "No longer the boom-bust economy", believed his own spin and failed to prepare for the downturn.

Would things have been any better if Gordon had been more prudent during the boom years? Possibly not, but all three parties could learn from his mistakes; the next Chancellor or Prime Minister to act imprudently or to spout fanciful speculation as fact might not be so lucky - maybe next time we will penetrate armour of attractive lies and expose the ugly truth.