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Tony Blair's memoirs have caused a stir in the Labour camp, and one of his most controversial revelations will surely be that Blair appears to give support to the coalition government's plans to reduce the deficit. He states that raising VAT was the right thing to do, and implies that Gordon Brown did not do enough to ensure a speedy recovery from the financial crisis.
"We should have taken a New Labour way out of the economic crisis: kept direct taxes competitive, had a gradual rise in VAT and other indirect taxes to close the deficit, and used the crisis to push further and faster on reform."
George Osborne, the Chancellor, and David Cameron have made cutting public spending the centre piece of their first months in power, amid fierce opposition from senior Labour figures including leadership candidate Ed Balls." – The Daily Telegraph
This seems to show two things, firstly it reveals that Gordon Brown represented the Labour party of old, who will always lead this country into economic ruin. Secondly it suggests that Tony Blair and his brand of New Labour aren't so different to David Cameron and this coalition government. The Conservative parties policies should not be supported by a recent leader of the Labour party, and this appears to justify peoples concerns that there is not much to separates the two main parties anymore.
The centre-right in this country need to take a firmer approach on issues such as crime, the economy and the European Union. The public have become weary of centrist populism without any real ideological drive, which may explain why the Conservative party failed to gain a majority under David Cameron. Conservatives in this country shouldn't be fooled into thinking that only the Labour party are struggling to find their true identity, the Tories also need to work out where they stand, and then shout it proudly from the rooftops. If Labour resolve their problems in the near future, Mr Cameron may find that soundbites no longer win votes.
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