Monday 21 June 2010

The Unassuming Chancellor



There has been plenty talk about David Cameron and other members of his cabinet since we've had a new government. One person who hasn't hit the headlines much is George Osborne.

I've noted the unassuming attitude of our new chancellor. He appears slightly shy and not entirely comfortable in the media spotlight, but any formal media performance has been professional.

This is the man who we have to trust, for the moment, to sort out the financial future of Britain. In the five weeks since he's been in office he's been taking advice from many, not least a group of ex-chancellors. He was left in little doubt from the four men that chancellors rarely regret not going far enough; rather they regret that they were not sufficiently radical.

Also he was told that if his budget gets good headlines, it's a bad budget and vice versa.

George Osborne's actions have, so far, been reasonably impressive. When the younger generation is happy to take advice from an older one it shows a deep desire for understanding and knowledge. So many ministers in the last government relied upon 'consultants' for advice - at enormous cost to the taxpayer.

Tomorrow is Mr Osborne's day. My interest will be in what he says and not how he says it. He admits it will be a 'tough' budget. Now is his chance to show he has a firm grip of his remit and surely it's not just me who hopes he doesn't blow it.

11 comments:

Witterings from Witney said...

The unassuming Chancellor?

And what, SR, has this nonentity got that is worth 'assuming'?

If you peel away the outer covering on him and his Boss you will find a Euro-loving version of one Gordon Brown!

A Pox (and with a bit of luck they both might catch it) on both their houses.

Joe Public said...

It'll be a bit like going to the dentist.

You know it's going to be uncomfortable, painful even.

But long term, it's for the best.

A very un-apt wv:- 'sings'; whinces would be more accurate.

Alex Porter said...

Britain is a shambles and it doesn´t matter which monkey and which rosette you get. Infact, it ain´t a shambles it´s dead. I mean, you can keep the same name but that doesn´t mean it´s the same person.

Do you remember when Britain had cabinet government? Heseltine had power in the cabinet. That's all gone. Maybe Ken Clarke would have got Britain out of the imperial clutches but the morons Tories went for US empire. Blair, Brown, Cameron are puppets. There ain´t gonnie be an end to war, war on terror, cctv cameras etc. The government ain´t gonnie take on The City - they´re gonnnie sell us all out.

It´s corporate fascism. Britain is dead. We are simply units in an economy now. You know about the wars - are those kids fighting against a dangerous enemy or are they colonising the weak?

It never ceases to dawn on me that we are becoming what our grandparents successfully protected us against. God forbid we need to be the next dictators who need to be stopped!

subrosa said...

True he's all for the EU, but which senior politician isn't WFW? The Euro will have to fall, which some say is bound to happen, before we see the true colours of any of them.

subrosa said...

Whether it will be for the best Joe time will tell won't it?

subrosa said...

The government plays second fiddle to the US and EU Alex and yes I do remember when Britain had a cabinet government.

Our grandparents would be birling in their graves if they saw the state of this country today and the way we'd sold out.

Alex Porter said...

Hi Rosie,
Sorry about my rant last night. I broke the golden rule about commenting under the affluence of incohal ;)

Have a nice day!

subrosa said...

Alex, I rather enjoyed your opinion. No need to ever apologise for stating your case.

Hope the headache's gone by now. :)

Idle Pen Pusher said...

I think he did alright, SR.
I gave him a B grade

I enjoyed reading your character assessment. I like his discomfort in the spotlight, too.

gildas said...

I understand what, but I have to say I was not that impressed by the advocacy. I think it should have been more abrupt, more acerbic, more brutal.
Still, he's only a young lad,
Gildas the Old

subrosa said...

Aye, you're thinking along my lines gildas. He's young. Whether he grows into a chancellor worth the title or, like Brown and Darling, fades into the indexes of history, time will tell.

Related Posts with Thumbnails