Letts Not Accept Reality

A terrible realisation has dawned on the denizens of Northcliffe House: not only has the Labour Party laid claim to a policy that is genuinely popular, but it has also been launched by “Auguste” Balls, a hate figure without parallel for the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre. Moreover, it is a policy that, if enacted, will hamper Dacre’s mission to garner More And Bigger Paycheques For Himself Personally Now.

Harry Potter and the Gobshite of Arslikhan

Yes, Labour has hit on the straightforward idea of getting the highest-paid to stump up a bit more in Income Tax. In previous times, this could have been shooed away by reminding those all-important Daily Mail Readers that, in the aspirational world painted by Dacre and his obedient gofers, they too could soon be on the receiving end of those higher taxes, so they should oppose such a move.

But all too many of those readers now realise that, not only are they highly unlikely to ever get anywhere near the £150k a year level, they are often still worse off than before the recession hit. Small wonder that Balls’ announcement has enjoyed a popular majority of more than three to one in favour, with even those who voted Tory in 2010 leaning towards accepting it.

From Mike Smithson at Political Betting

What to do? A coordinated onslaught on Labour has been ordered, and in the vanguard today is Quentin Letts (let’s not), bringing us “The truth about Balls? He isn't economically illiterate. He's just a ruthlessly calculating cynic”. That’s right Quent, don’t bother playing the ball when you can play the man. And the Beeb: “[Balls is] still trotting out gloom on the BBC’s airwaves”.

So what’s Quent’s conclusion? “He must see that his tax-and-spend plans no longer add up — and yet he is still pig-headedly pressing on with them. Clearly, he’s in it simply for the politics”. Yeah, right, next he’ll be saying that Young Dave is only in it out of a love for his country. And quit quoting Lord Myners as “one of Britain’s proudest pinkoes” – he doesn’t even take the Labour whip.

How desperate is Letts to smear Labour? This desperate: “The sad truth is that in our bent electoral system this lamentably limited approach may win them power”. Bent? Coming from the paper that topped the Operation Motorman roll of shame? You betcha, says Sarah: “One can but hope that sufficient numbers of British voters — sufficient, that is, to balance out the unfair election system — will see through bully Balls’s bluster”. Aw diddums!

First Past The Post was OK when it brought us Margaret Thatcher, wasn’t it, Quent? It was fine when “Shagger” Major won. It was acceptable when it kept Pa Broon out. But now that a genuinely popular policy has given Labour a sight of the finish line, it’s “bent” and “unfair”. So that’s another has-been who will be out when Dacre goes.

There won’t half be some deadwood thrown out when the Mail changes editors.