Government in Waiting

So is the Labour Party a true government-in-waiting? Does the Labour Party have the answers to revive public services and restore the economy?  A couple of weeks ago I watched Rachel Reeves (the Shadow Chancellor) give the latest party political broadcast for the Labour Party. I don’t usually watch party political broadcasts but I was hoping to hear a radical new approach to public finances that would establish a sustainable framework for restoring and improving public services and provide a basis for a growing economy; so, I watched hers.

Over the years, Keir Starmer, the leader, has not given any great indication of a fresh approach to the economy. But, perhaps, that’s because he’s more concerned with the politics and hasn’t wanted to give too much of the game plan away. But, surely, Rachel Reeves, as the Shadow Chancellor, in a general election year, would want to set down some very clear markers indicating how she would be transforming the economy. But as I listened, my rather low expectations became even lower.

What did she talk about? She essentially talked about two things: She talked about Tory tax rises – clearly implying that tax rises were bad;  and she talked a lot about “growing the economy”. Oh, and she also talked about an “iron discipline” in regard to public finances – which is probably code for cuts in government spending! It all sounds depressingly familiar. It appears that Rachel Reeves’ and the Labour Party’s approach to the economy is no different from the Conservative Party’s approach. Rather than a government-in-waiting it seems that we should more accurately speak of the Labour Party as the Conservative Party-in-waiting!