This Phrase Is Driving Me Nuts

There’s one thing in particular during this General Election campaign that’s driving me up the wall. It’s not Dave’s inability to grab victory from the jaws of, err….victory. It’s not the new fascination with Nick Clegg, grating and highly dangerous though that is. It’s not even the lack of a candidate in my constituency who appears to understand that our freedoms and liberties are being driven away at breakneck speed and that need to be defended for all they are worth. No, what’s really boiling my urine, as our Humble Devil used to say, is one, simple phrase….

“Taking £ 6 billion out of the economy”.

Every time Dave mentions the Tory policy not to increase National Insurance (and that’s what we’re talking about, don’t forget…no one’s arguing about a tax cut) the Scottish Stalinist or one of his obnoxious henchmen come up with this utterly preposterous argument that Dave is advacating….

“Taking £ 6 billion out of the economy”.

Pardon ? The first time I head it I nearly crashed the car (no change there, then).

My God. Does it not say everything about the arrogance of a socialist government that they seriously believe, and have the brass neck to argue, that if you prevent a tax increase, that is it to say, if you prevent money moving from individuals and companies to the State, you are thereby “taking money out of the economy”.

How does that work, exactly ? How, in God’s name, can you be taking money out of the economy if you leave it in people’s pockets and companies’ bank accounts ? It’s there, ready to be spent, indeed being spent, by people on everyday necessities or the occasional luxury, or by companies taking on staff or investing in the future. How more in the economy could it possibly be ?

Labour think that money is only in the economy if the government spends it. Only government spending counts. And only government spending can get us out of the mess we’re in.

Wrong. On every count. The private sector creates jobs and wealth far more efficiently and cheaply than the government could ever dream of. More government spending just means more government debt. And it’s government spending and debt that got us into this almighty hole in the first place. This Labour government has done what every previous Labour government has done: they have run out of our money.

The Scottish Stalinist used this infernal, ridiculous phrase again in this week’s TV debate, and will doubtless use it again next week. Will someone please tell Dave to point out that he is talking total, absolute, 100 per cent twaddle.