A matter of timing

The tax wars have entered a rather unedifying stage.  Cameron was set to announce the Tory proposal in a press conference at 1000 tomorrow morning.  But then Downing Street announced earlier that Brown’s monthly press conference would be at 0930 tomorrow, instead of the usual 1200.  Surely that wouldn’t have anything to do with sucking reporters, cameras and TV coverage away from the Tories, would it?  Whatever Brown’s intentions, Team Cameron have trumped him by moving their man’s press conference to 0830.  Westminster choreography at its finest.

One thing’s for sure: you can expect much “we got there first” jostling over the next few days.  But, in the end, I suspect the public may pay more attention to the “our tax cut’s bigger than yours” posturing.  Given that they have no qualms about borrowing, borrowing, borrowing, Labour will surely win out on that front.  It’s the task of the opposition parties to set out why Brown’s debt-heavy approach is problematic, and then hope that narrative sinks into the public consciousness.