Election Pledges

The Gorse Fox notices that the BBC have reported “Gordon Brown reveals five key general election pledges”. The highlights seem to be:

1. Secure the recovery
2. Raise family living standards
3. Build a high tech economy
4. Protect frontline services
5. Strengthen fairness in the community

Well, well, well.

After 13 years of Labour we find pledges that imply that these items have not mattered before. The Gorse Fox would have thought that these were the very least that any government should do as a matter of course – not as promise for the future.

So what do these really boil down to?

1. Secure the recovery
   Boom and Bust comes to mind! Having presided over the catastrophic financial demise of the UK Economy – they would like the Gorse Fox to believe they are doing something clever to recover. This being the same group of individuals who sold the UK Gold Reserve at the bottom of the market, who dithered as the banks toppled, and who are incurring a £1.3Trillion national deficit.
   (Question: How stupid do you thing we are?)
2. Raise Family Living Standards
   This is apparently being done by raiding families’ private pensions (again), by raising fuel duty, by taxing holidays, by giving Council workers the rights to enter homes, by allowing HMRC to open your mail, by taxing houses based on the view or proximity to services, by taxing telephone lines… the list goes on and on
   (Question:  How stupid do you think we are?)
3. Build a High Tech Economy
   The Gorse Fox should hope so.
4. Protect Frontline Services
   The Gorse Fox wonders who they are being protected from. Then he remembers that whilst it makes sense to invest in such services as the Police, the Armed Forces, the Fire Brigade, the NHS and a few others – it is ridiculous that we invest in many of the stupid services foist upon us. He also remembers that the way the Government Departments are run means that there is no reward for saving money, only for spending all of your Budget. The only risk to frontline services is the Government machine itself.
   (Question: How stupid do you think we are?)
5. Strengthen Fairness in the Community
   Sounds good. This means that the Gorse Fox won’t have to pay for the indolent? This means that all communities will be equal under the law? This means that if a group build in open fields without planning permission they will be moved on and the fields reclaimed? This means that all traditional religious groups will be treated in a similar fashion? After 13 years of Labour none of that is happening now.
   (Question: How stupid do you think we are?)

The problem is that there are members of the electorate that will be suckered… as they were 5 years ago. As long as people vote GF shouldn’t care – but he does begin to wonder if there should be some form of eligibility test before you get a voting form.