The Tory Manifesto - Part 3

So having dealt with the big two issues, let's switch to tactics.
In essence, Gordon Brown in 2009 is doing once again what he did in the 2005 Budget. He has put off the necessary action he needs to take until after the forthcoming election. After the Budget in March 2005, the Economist front page said it all.

The same front cover could have been run after this year's Budget. Gordon Brown is being totally dishonest with the electorate. He knows that taxes need to go up and that public spending must be reigned in but he is ignoring these two facts and hoping to distract voters until after the election.

So Dave has an opportunity here. Bearing in mind my previous three Tory Manifesto posts and that there is inevitably going to be some short term bad news, his strategy should be as follows:

First, he should state the obvious - "Gordon Brown has presided over the worst UK financial collapse since the Great Depression. Economies are always cyclical. A recession was always going to happen at some stage. Gordon Brown did not plan for it. He had no plan B. Worse, he spent everything and saved nothing, exposing us to economic meltdown more than most other advanced economies."

Second, he should be honest - "The terrible state we are in will need taxes to rise and public spending cuts, whoever wins the election. Gordon Brown is being dishonest by not telling you this. He is hoping to spin himself back into Downing Street. And then....he will raise taxes and cut spending. That is dishonest and I am not prepared to do that. I am going to tell you the truth, however unpleasant it is."

Third, he should run my long term aspiration/short term pain argument as explained in Tory Manifesto - Part 1.

In short, his strategy should be to show Brown is incompetent and culpable, and then treat the electorate as adults. I believe that the stay-at-home Labs and Lib Dems and the genuine floaters will respond to this, thus giving him a decent majority.