Labour failing economic tests

THE challenge facing Ed Miliband and Ed Balls this week is not to win over the party faithful; this should be taken as red (or cerise judging by the vivid backdrop to the conference stage) in the year before a general election. It is to convince the country at large that Britain’s economy will be safe in the hands of these two Yorkshire MPs if they are returned to power next May.

THE challenge facing Ed Miliband and Ed Balls this week is not to win over the party faithful; this should be taken as red (or cerise judging by the vivid backdrop to the conference stage) in the year before a general election. It is to convince the country at large that Britain’s economy will be safe in the hands of these two Yorkshire MPs if they are returned to power next May.

Yet, judging by the Shadow Chancellor’s lacklustre speech when Mr Balls devoted more time to the Conservative Party’s record rather than his own vision and plans for the future, Mr Miliband faces an uphill task today convincing his own party – never mind the rest of the country – that Labour will not bankrupt the country with another spending free-for-all.

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Mr Balls, whose flat delivery did not appear to inspire delegates, sought to achieve this with a low-key promise of “iron discipline” when it comes to borrowing. This is not new – it has been Labour policy since June 2013 – but the problem is that the Opposition is still no nearer to taking the tough decisions which will be expected of the next government.

Put simply, Mr Miliband cannot afford to ignore this oversight when he addresses the nation this afternoon. As Centre for Policy Studies economist Adam Memon sets out on the opposite page, the “Labour Party at the moment need to be honest with the public that tax rises cost jobs”.

Both Mr Miliband and his right-hand man will dispute this and point to plans to increase the minimum wage – a noble aspiration if it can be afforded by business – and policies such as the abolition of crime commissioners and a very modest reduction in the Ministerial pay bill. They will also point to their decision to maintain the Tory welfare cap as evidence that Labour is a reformed beast that has learned from past mistakes.

Yet the reality could not be more different. These measures amount to a tiny fraction of the savings that the next government will have to accrue. And the deficit will only be reduced if a sustained period of economic growth, one that is reliant on the private sector thriving rather than being penalised by punitive taxes, coincides with unprecedented efficiencies to the public sector. Mr Balls failed this test; today it is the turn of Ed Miliband when he outlines his 10-year plan.

Gesture politics

‘Grey vote’ must be respected

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A recurring theme of this year’s pre-election party conferences will be policies to woo the so-called “grey vote”. With retired people more likely to vote than any other demographic, the policy inducements are likely to be tantalising – even though many contend that Britain’s finances are simply not in a position to sustain free TV licences, for example, for every senior citizen.

Yet it is also important that the main parties recognise the extent to which the health and wellbeing of elderly people is being compromised by loneliness, an important issue that has been highlighted by The Yorkshire Post in recent months, and which will culminate with Silver Sunday on October 5 when a series of events

will take place to celebrate the valuable contribution that the over-65s make to society.

Now in its third year, the dividend from such events is two-fold – it helps bring people together to forge friendships in a stimulating environment while also gently reminding policy-makers that tackling social isolation is as important, if not more so, than the gestures which will be made at the party conferences. The problem is that the solutions are more complicated than snappy soundbites.

A train of thought

Railways are a public service

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DO the privatised rail operators realise that it is their duty to provide a public service? Obviously not judging by the latest Passenger Focus survey which reveals the inability of staff to provide travellers with up-to-date information on late or cancelled trains.

From the perspective of Yorkshire commuters whose loyalty continues to be taken for a ride, the only thing more exasperating than a late train is a lack

of clarity from station staff – or electronic screens – on when they might expect to reach their destination.

Today’s results will not surprise those who have had experience of Northern Rail’s “phantom” trains in Leeds – those instances when services were described as being “on time” before being cancelled 15 minutes after their scheduled arrival.

While lessons were learned back then, it is clear that the railway industry needs to do far more to get its communication back on track.