Playing Under the Covers Not Hiding their Blushes

Nick Robinson of the BBC is reporting that Labour's message of the week will be that Ed Balls believes the current conservative government is using the eurozone crisis as a figleaf to cover for the failure of their economic policies.

Cork Monkey says that is nearly right guys, but no banana (well perhaps a small one). Look at the number of sacred cow policies that just happen to be the most appropriate thing to do at the moment. It may be the conservatives are using the various crises as the cover under which they can implement their ideological approaches to government and to running a country. 

We note the movement towards a smaller administration with more functions and outsourced to the market which is to be used more and more as an organising principle for life's resources and benefits.We are looking to reduce the need for businesses to adhere to tiresome legislation and to pull back from ‘interference from Europe’.

If a party simply abandoned a much loved but expensive program that did not fit in with their political philosphy they could be accused of being ideological zealots putting policy before people. However when they can abandon the same on the grounds that there is not enough money to do this and 'heal sick infants' then they stand more chance of getting away with it.

So Mr Balls it is too simplistic to say it is that the mess we are in is being used to hide non performance. The Tory policies have do their own objectives.

That is a long way from saying they are working however it is hard to what other approach would work for Labour. Things being what they are,  increasing government spending, moving towards a more regulated mixed economy and increasing the legislative overheads are unlikely to help either. We cannot spend our way out of the crisis if we have nothing to spend.

So if conservatives are not using eurozone concerns and the global crisis as a cover for ineptitude but to re engineer society and not as a scapegoat where does that Leave Mr Balls. Our Eddy may simply be jealous that he cannot implement his own sacred cow approaches and wait for things to get better around and so declare 'I am right'.

That may be the prize the Conservatives have won and all others want. They get to re-engineer society as they see fit and when the world around them gets better use the numbers from an improving world economy as evidence that their way works.

So if any way will appear to work as the world heals what should we do for the best.

Unfortunately things are not that easy - at least not for a Cork Monkey. We need to tread water until the changes the world is going through have stabilised a little more. Then we can work out the impact of the things we want to do to meet those changes.

Then we may have to account for a new world order. Nothing too drastic but the west will have lost ground. Asia and in particular China and India will have gained. Germany may well be the economic focus of Europe and the US may need to become more hard nosed to improve its position (putting it more in the role of despot in the eyes of others).

I paint a colourful picture but am speculating of course. Whatever the changes are to be we need to wait for them to happen. Then we will be in a better position to say what will and will not work within the context we find ourselves in. Until then all parties and pundits are simply flogging us their dead political horses.

CM