The Wardman Wire

A hard act to follow
George Osborne had a hard act to follow after he stole the show with his inheritance tax announcement last year. As if to make things even harder, the government today announced the nationalisation of the Bradford and Bingley which is also vying for the news headlines. It does say a lot however that this speech is getting every bit as much coverage if not more so than his opposite number, Alastair Darling, got last week. But how did the Boy George actually do?

Music to Tory ears
Unlike Gordon Brown or Alastair Darling you can watch Osborne without your brain wondering to other matters. But he didn’t need his engaging tone today to grab attention. If there is one thing the Tories want to hear it is cuts in tax and spend, and Osborne did not let them down… well not really.

“I can tell you today that the next Conservative government will freeze your council tax for at least two years. Every council tax bill of every family in every council that takes part will be frozen.” You can hear households sighing with relief at the sound of that throughout the country. It was a master stroke. But hang on, say that last bit again: “every family in every council that takes part will be frozen.” Every council that takes part? Well yes, the government cannot force councils to do anything of the sort, but it doesn’t matter. This is headline grabbing stuff and, as Osborne says, a council is very unlikely not to take part.

There could well be more devil in the detail of this one, but in terms of grabbing headlines, seizing the initiative back from Labour after the relative success of last week and to overcome the other big headlines today, this was another piece of magic by George Osborne.

Humour and Brown bashing
On top of this announcement, Osborne pushed the “we are listening” card well, and he put some good humour in there too. “Well, Mr Brown, when it comes to leading and listening and understanding: you know I believe in apprenticeships. But this is no time for a novice.” Taking Brown’s most memorable line of last week head on and pushing it straight back at him. He went on “He says he’s the candidate of experience. Well I think we’ve all had enough of the Gordon Brown experience.” And inevitably he made sure Gordon Brown regretted using the “age of irresponsibility” phrase, firmly reminding everyone that the so called age of irresponsibility was presided over by a Labour Government and Chancellor Brown.

Osborne said he hoped that Cameron would leave office with taxation lower than it was if he was elected. Again, a line that will appeal to the masses, but is also just a hope and an aspiration. He also didn’t really offer an alternative to the government to get Britain out the credit crisis, but he spoke in a language that we could understand, that was sympathetic and inspirational.

Easy to criticise, but grabs the headlines
There will be opponents of the Tories who will not struggle too hard to pick holes in his speech and make the claim the Tories are still not offering much in the way of alternative, and to some extent they are right. But once again Osborne did what he had to do, grab headlines and answer those who said the Tories are not interested in getting the tax burden down.

The making of a good chancellor
Osborne is, for me, one of those characters who the more I see of them the more I respect and have faith in. A few years ago, when he got in on the Cameron ticket, he was the Bullingdon Club hell raiser who was another old school Tory at heart – no match for the clunking fist of Gordon Brown. Yet he has grown in stature and rightly won The Spectator’s politician of the year award last year.

I have moved from a position of mild distain for the man to upmost respect. He is a magnificent performer- though not in the Cameron or Blair mould; he is more businesslike and calculated, knows his facts and figures but can also make them human – he is showing the perfect blend of a very good chancellor.