Deceit

The Tories and the media have been making a lot about Labour's comments that business leaders have been deceived by he Tories over the proposed cut in National Insurance. The business leaders have been quick to say they have not been. Of oourse, its tempting to just say who cares whether they have or haven't. Business leaders at that level circulate from one multi-million pound job to the next, including to those in those very Banks and Financial Institutions that created the last financial crisis. And, why should it be any surprise that such people back the Tories? That such people backed Blair both says more about Blair, and the extent to which such people know when its time to back a certain winner even if they are not their first choice.

In reality, there are just three possibilities. Either these business leaders were deived and don't realise it - and isn't it always the case that in order to be deceived you have to be unaware that you have been??? - or they have not been deceived and are will participants in the Tories attempt to decieve the Public, or else there is no deception by the Tories to begin with. If its the second then the Public should respond accordingly, if not being surprised at the fact. If, however, its the third, then these business leaders have a responsibility to explain to the Public why the Tories policies do not amounbt to a deception. Yet, despite repeated invitations from the media, these business leaders have failed to come on TV or radio to explain how the Tories figures add up, and the Tories have reportedly told them not to!

But, its quite clear that the Tories policies on N.I. do constitute a deception. The Tories propose cutting £6 billion THIS YEAR from public Spending ON TOP Of the cuts that Labour has already announced. Where Labour proposed to put those savings back into the economy so that aggregate demand is not reduced, the Tories do not. They do not propose putting that £6 billion back in this year, because they need it to pay for their limited National Insurance cut NEXT YEAR. £6 billion is the equivalent of 240,000 workers wages at the average wage. That gives some idea of the extent of job losses that would result from cutting this £6 billion. As it will not be until next year, when economists beleive the economy will have returned to growth - today OECD forecast growth of more than 3% at an annualised rate - the Tories and thesew business leaders should tell us how they intend to make up for this loss THIS YEAR resulting from their policy. But, in telling us that these cuts will be made from "efficiencies" they should tell us what these efficiencies are exactly. So far, despite the combined business brains lined up to sign letters in support of the Tories, no one can actually spell out in detail what these "efficiencies" are!

In reality these efficiencies never materialise. Anyone who has worked for Local Government is more than familiar with the way that the Chief Officers regularly propose reorganisation in order to bring about similar efficiencies. The result is that some of them who have been waiting to take early retirement get to go - often to return as recent reports showed very soon afterwards as a highly paid Consultant, or else simply moved to another lucrative post with another Authority - whilst those left behind get to claim increased responsibility, a higher salary and status, together with all the costs of refitting and refurbishing their offices and so on, whilst the ordinary Council workers, tenant, and Council Tax Payer gets screwed.

There has been a lot of talk about all parties saying cuts bigger than those imposed by Thatcher will be needed. That would not be hard. Under Thatcher, despite all the rhetoric, the size of the State continued to increase. The only budget actually to fall under Thatcher was that for Overseas Aid! It is not about that it is about class war. The bossews are trying to scare workers into submission. These top bosses supporting the Tories are no surprise any more thaan it is a surprise that the Tories are supported financially by such people, or that the Tories showed their willingness to throw over democratic principles by calling on workers to ignore a decisive majority vote for strike action at BA, showed their clear class war approach of the 1980's of acting as the bosses strong arm, to break workers action to defend themselves against rapaciouis bosses, the same bosses who now give their names to the Tories propaganda.