Written by Peter Bingle, Chairman, Bell Pottinger Public Affairs
Life is very tranquil in the Westminster Village. Most people seem content with their lot. The sun is shining and long awaited summer holidays will soon become a reality. All in all there isn’t much to complain about …
In recent weeks there has been a Royal Wedding that won the hearts of the public and a State visit over the last few days by President Obama at his most charming and relaxed. The Prime Minister continues to ooze self-confidence and authority and the Leader of the Labour Party continues to frustrate, disappoint and underwhelm. Boris makes us all smile and feel good about ourselves and about being Londoners.
Surely this isn’t how it is meant to be. At the time of the Budget last year the Labour Party warned us that spending cuts of £83 billion would end civilisation as we know it. Poverty, hunger and famine would return. Our cities would become barren and desolate wastelands. There would be rioting and civil unrest. I could go on …
What I learned in a much smaller context (Wandsworth Council) was that it is always much easier to cut spending and be radical than you think. It is also the case that most people cannot comprehend a sum the size of £83 billion. That is why it is so important that the coalition gets its communication strategy right. The reason why the coalition remains relatively popular is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has persuaded the public that there simply is no choice. Labour left the country in a mess and therefore he has to cut spending and reduce the role of the state. By refusing to talk about the deficit the Labour Party has allowed the Chancellor to dominate the terms of the debate. Why hasn’t the Labour Party suggested that the spending cuts are really happening because the Chancellor wants to cut spending and reduce the size of the state for ideological reasons? It is all quite bizarre. Neither Mr Balls nor Mrs Balls are doing very well at the moment…
Perhaps London is different to the rest of the country but I would have no idea that spending cuts are planned or are starting to happen if I didn’t follow political argument and debate. Nothing has really changed. My favourite restaurants are full. The Royal Opera House is packed. Life is still pretty good. The aches and pains are there but they have nothing to do with the coalition. I accept it may be different in parts of the country where there is almost total reliance on the public sector for jobs but that was always going to be unsustainable in the longer term. At the end of the day these areas need a huge injection of private sector funds as the state thankfully starts to retreat from people’s lives.
Over the next few months I will be able to test my theory (that life is pretty much as it was) when I visit Glyndebourne and The Grange. There is nothing more pleasurable in life than travelling down to the English countryside to see great opera being performed in magnificent settings. I am due to see Donizetti at Glyndebourne and my beloved Wagner at The Grange. At the same time I will be popping along to The Royal Albert Hall to enjoy some superb Prom concerts. As I said earlier, life is pretty good.
Perhaps the storm clouds will gather in the months ahead. If they do surely the solution is to buy a very robust umbrella …
Why has Labour refused to engage in the debate about the deficit? Should the Chancellor have been bolder on his spending cuts? Is London different to the rest of the country? Does it get any better than Glyndebourne or The Grange?
Life is very tranquil in the Westminster Village. Most people seem content with their lot. The sun is shining and long awaited summer holidays will soon become a reality. All in all there isn’t much to complain about …
In recent weeks there has been a Royal Wedding that won the hearts of the public and a State visit over the last few days by President Obama at his most charming and relaxed. The Prime Minister continues to ooze self-confidence and authority and the Leader of the Labour Party continues to frustrate, disappoint and underwhelm. Boris makes us all smile and feel good about ourselves and about being Londoners.
Surely this isn’t how it is meant to be. At the time of the Budget last year the Labour Party warned us that spending cuts of £83 billion would end civilisation as we know it. Poverty, hunger and famine would return. Our cities would become barren and desolate wastelands. There would be rioting and civil unrest. I could go on …
What I learned in a much smaller context (Wandsworth Council) was that it is always much easier to cut spending and be radical than you think. It is also the case that most people cannot comprehend a sum the size of £83 billion. That is why it is so important that the coalition gets its communication strategy right. The reason why the coalition remains relatively popular is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has persuaded the public that there simply is no choice. Labour left the country in a mess and therefore he has to cut spending and reduce the role of the state. By refusing to talk about the deficit the Labour Party has allowed the Chancellor to dominate the terms of the debate. Why hasn’t the Labour Party suggested that the spending cuts are really happening because the Chancellor wants to cut spending and reduce the size of the state for ideological reasons? It is all quite bizarre. Neither Mr Balls nor Mrs Balls are doing very well at the moment…
Perhaps London is different to the rest of the country but I would have no idea that spending cuts are planned or are starting to happen if I didn’t follow political argument and debate. Nothing has really changed. My favourite restaurants are full. The Royal Opera House is packed. Life is still pretty good. The aches and pains are there but they have nothing to do with the coalition. I accept it may be different in parts of the country where there is almost total reliance on the public sector for jobs but that was always going to be unsustainable in the longer term. At the end of the day these areas need a huge injection of private sector funds as the state thankfully starts to retreat from people’s lives.
Over the next few months I will be able to test my theory (that life is pretty much as it was) when I visit Glyndebourne and The Grange. There is nothing more pleasurable in life than travelling down to the English countryside to see great opera being performed in magnificent settings. I am due to see Donizetti at Glyndebourne and my beloved Wagner at The Grange. At the same time I will be popping along to The Royal Albert Hall to enjoy some superb Prom concerts. As I said earlier, life is pretty good.
Perhaps the storm clouds will gather in the months ahead. If they do surely the solution is to buy a very robust umbrella …
Why has Labour refused to engage in the debate about the deficit? Should the Chancellor have been bolder on his spending cuts? Is London different to the rest of the country? Does it get any better than Glyndebourne or The Grange?
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