21/09/2013 00:00
TW
0

by RAY FLEMING
HERE'S an interesting scenario. A Populus poll for the Times, published yesterday, asked this question: “If the economy were to face problems, whom would you trust most to deal with it; Gordon Brown/Alistair Darling or David Cameron/George Osborne?” The overall result was a vote of confidence in the incumbent Brown/Darling team by a whopping 61% to 27%; remarkably, 23% of Conservative supporters felt they would be safer with the Labour team.

The conventional wisdom is that one of the reasons holding Mr Brown back from calling an early election is the fear that the economic outlook is worsening with international instability and unrest among the UK unions. But if the poll is right, the prime minister need not fear such developments; the more prices rise, the pound loses value, unemployment increases, the unions go on strike and the spectre of 1929 is seen, the better will be his chance of winning a “Save Britain's economy” election and being returned with a healthy majority. The Conservatives would point out that Mr Brown has been in charge of the economy for the past decade, so surely he should take the blame for the crisis. There's something in that but if the Populus poll is to be believed people see Brown/Darling as a formidably experienced team whereas David Cameron has never shown any mastery of economic issues and George Osborne is erratic, to say the least. It might not be fair, but it's politics.