Cameron the Clueless, Merkel the Merciless

Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s banquet in London, Mr Cameron’s fiery rhetoric on Europe appeared to be in contrast to the concrete policies being hammered out at Ms Merkel’s party conference in Germany.

Mr Cameron complained: “How out of touch the EU has become, when its institutions are demanding budget increases, while Europe’s citizens tighten their belts.” Mr Cameron was complaining about the cost of the capital transfers that pay for roads and bridges in Eastern Europe, building their productivity and sustaining their economies during these difficult times. If he thinks that the political trend in the EU is to have less government and less intervention, then he should listen to the Germans and think again.

On the same day, Ms Merkel told her party, “The task of our generation now, is to complete the economic and currency union in Europe and, step by step, create a political union. It’s time for a breakthrough to a new Europe”.

Plan B unveiled, Time to back Miliband!

At last the Tory-led coalition have accepted the merits of Keynesian economics, and have begun to draw up plans for a £50 billion stimulus, concentrating on roads, housing and national grid improvements.

Unfortunately, they want someone else to pay. According to The Times, “government hopes private investors… will be tempted to pour cash into the infrastructure schemes. In return they will get the proceeds from tolls, rents and energy bills.” I’m not sure if this sounds like The Big Society or PFI, but the gushing copy of The Times would suggest that the Tory-led government has remarkable foresight in economics.