Cameron calls off truce

As expected, David Cameron ended his truce with Gordon Brown yesterday and launched an outspoken attack, claiming Gordon Brown's strategy had 'fundamentally failed'.



The attack came a few hours before an opinion poll for the BBC's Daily Politics show, which showed Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling extending their lead over who the public most trusted to tackle the economic problems.

Brown and Darling were on 42%, up two points in two weeks, and Cameron and Osborne were on 31% down 3 points. Clegg and Cable were on 7% - up, although given the ubiquity of Vince Cable on all forms of media over the past several weeks, one might have expected more traction.

While highly critical of Brown's record - notably the failure to ensure effective regulation of the banking sector (one charge to which I believe he is particularly vulnerable) - Cameron's speech offered little in solutions to the current crisis.

Taking what has been announced so far the Conservative's plan includes the following:

a: Support the recapitalisation of the banks,
b: They propose freezing council tax for two years (paid for by reducing spending on advertising and consultancy at central government level).
c: Reformation of insolvency law to give companies breathing space when facing credit problems.
d: Suspension of the annuities rule (stopping the mandatory purchasing of annuities at retirement or at age 75).


I would hope that the next phase of the fight-back will include some more detailed announcements over the next few weeks.


One thing is certain - we can expect to see frequent repeats of Gordon's "No more boom and bust" being used in party political broadcasts up to the next general election.