Our answer to the recession: stop spending

In order to stimulate the economy during a recession, it is always best to encourage people to stop spending money and save it instead. [Are you sure about this George?] And so we propose tax cuts for savers. Hooray.

Now the naysayers among you might think that it would be a better stimulus if people went out and spent their money, that saving for a rainy day means spending those savings when you need them. And that tax cuts on income or sales might be more effective.

But let me ask you this. Do you really think we could get it that badly wrong? People of the depth and calibre of George Osborne and myself? Do I really need to say any more?

George Osborne writes...

My good friend, colleague, and all-round mini-me Gideon Osborne has this to say about the financial crisis:

I didn't get where I am today without knowing that the house will burn down if you don't repair the roof while the sun is shining. I will not beat around the mulberry bush. Gordon Brown is responsible for this. He is the ugly duckling that prevented the goose from laying the golden egg. There's no smoke without a fait accompli worse than death. But every silver lining has a cloud. We Conservatives are a different kettle of fish out of water. Unlike Gordon, I am not an ostrich who buries his head under a bushel. I will leave no worm unturned. I will strike while the bird in the hand is hot. So let's run it up the flagpole and see if the rats desert the sinking ship. The proof of the pudding is a horse of a different colour.

Ladies, and gentlemen, it is never too late for a leopard to change horses in midstream.

(tip, apols)

It's all Gordon's fault

Today I launch my fiercest criticism yet of Gordon Brown's role in causing the current financial crisis.

Mr Brown's strategy has fundementally failed to fix the US sub-prime mortgage market. His regulation of the UK banking sector has been inadequate, and unchanged, despite our repeated calls to make it even more inadequate. [Is this right, George?]

We need change to mend our broken economy. Labour cannot do it because they will not own up to their mistakes. We, on the other hand, never make any mistakes. Thatcher's deregulation in the 80s was completely different, honest.

Mr Brown is a complete and utter failure. New Labour has embraced free market economics without question, without understanding how it works. That's our job.