Conservative Conference: Economy & House Building

At the Conservative party conference this week Mr David Cameron held a 50 minute address teaching us how to look at the economy. He did not fail to proclaim that that the reason we are in such a debt deficit is excessive borrowing, nor did he miss this opportunity to once again latently blame the Labour government for all the issues he has had to deal with. As Labour accused the Conservatives of squeezing the living standards, which are expected to fall for very first time in over 50 years, Cameron once again showed what he is best at – misunderstanding that exact ‘bigger picture’ he is always reiterating. Like a toddler with his hands over his ears the Conservative leader led his conference with a series of clichés about the “spirit of Britain” and the need to “show some fight”, while earlier this week Labour outlined the predicted freeze in economic growth for the next 3-4 years.

The economy is being built “slowly but surely” and any time we doubt this merely because we cannot see the economy growing, Cameron assures us that this is because the first and most important stage of building, as with a house, that of the foundations is one you cannot see. The only problem with that metaphor is, well, that it’s wrong. I don’t think anyone has ever experienced house building while walking down the street but missed the bit where they build the foundations because it’s invisible. And if they were not observant enough to see the large building site right by their house, as I may guess Cameron is, they would have surely noticed the builders, carpenters, architects, engineers and tons of materials being taken to the site to help set the foundations of a house. George Osbourne’s work on nurturing British economy out of the recession, on the other hand, seems to resemble a dangerous game of architectural kerplunk far more than an actual economic policy.

It’s impossible to argue with the Conservatives, due to the infallibility of their belief in economic growth. Initially they had some figures to work with, but since then they’ve turned to blaming the snow. Now that it’s sunny, all that is left is to suggest that the economy is being built invisibly. Yes Cameron, together with the New Berlin Wall and the Newcastle Ninja Training Academy for Unemployed Professionals.

There is something, however, that the Conservatives have not failed to observe. The Tory’s women voters have been continually falling recently, yet the only thing Cameron and Co. (or is it Clegg?) have thought to do is to publically apologize for the “calm down, dear” remark the Prime Minister addressed at Labour MP Angela Eagle. The real reason women votes are falling is that the spending cuts are hitting women twice as hard as men, and that is the true issue that the Tories need to address.

As with any political party conference, Cameron managed to speak for just under an hour, but nonetheless say very little, though out of the two Clegg is usually the master of that. It’s a political art, I take it, to talk positively without saying much. Yet he concluded his address with a series of extremely passionate and articulate “optimistic” messages about “pulling together” and leading Britain to “its better days”. David, please, calm down, dear.

Mirela Ivanova

(Photo: The Telegraph)