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Gordon Brown: Robin Hood in reverse?
Gordon Brown is more of a Sheriff of Nottingham figure. But only one opposition party spotted it.
This is how the BBC report it:
where [Brown]... cut with one hand he snatched back with the other and many people may find they are no better off as a result - the key will be just how many, and who are worse off.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell got to it immediately and pointed out that even a casual glance at the famous Treasury red book - the detailed breakdown of the Budget measures - showed Mr Brown was paying for his apparent generosity by abolishing the ten pence rate.
"He is asking the poor to subsidise the rich," he declared. And that had some Labour MPs furrowing their brows - perhaps wondering if they had fallen for it.
It was, as ever, said Sir Menzies, a magician's sleight of hand. And that is a danger for the chancellor - once a magician's tricks are exposed they lose their impact, and may even disappoint.
Tory leader David Cameron was clearly taken by surprise but spotted that Mr Brown had, in effect, adopted his own policy of "sharing the proceeds of growth between tax cuts and spending".
Cameron really does seem to think he is in coalition with Labour. Perhaps one day he will be...
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A purple coalition. If only!
Absolutely, Peter. Cameron's response was absolutely cr*p. He plainly had no idea of the implications of what he had heard and had absolutely no idea whether to welcome the changes to income tax (which he unthinkingly called a "tax cut") or not. He just ploughed on with his prepared speech complete with his spin-doctors' Stalin-based "jokes". Lightweight - utterly, irredeemably lightweight.
Compare and contrast Ming. He got the point right away and made the point - this is a tax cut for those of us who earn above the higher rate threshold and get the full benefit of the 2p and a tax increase for those earning well below the top rate threshold who see gains from the 2p more than offset by the end of the 10p band. The poor subsidising the rich as Ming immediately pointed out.
I can see in my minds' eye now David Willetts patiently trying to explain the point to a bored and confused Cameron deep in the bowels of Conservative HQ. They could be there all night!