Cameron seizes the “long-term” rhetoric

One of the opportunities that the resurgent Labour infighting presents the Tories is to portray the Government as too caught up in dirty politics to deal properly with the economic crisis.  It’s a message that keys directly into the “headless chicken” charge, and it’s boosted by stories like this, via today’s Indpendent:

“The Government’s £200m mortgage rescue scheme has helped just one household stave off repossession in its first three months of operation, official figures have revealed.

The slow progress in rolling out the measure, which was launched in January amid claims it would help 6,000 families, comes amid criticisms that the Government has failed to follow through on other plans to help people in financial trouble.”

Cameron already seems to be developing the attack.  Speaking in Birkenhead earlier, he said that “We have a Government focused on the hopelessly short term rather than taking long term decisions for the country.”  I wonder whether Downing St will appreciate the irony of one of Brown’s favourite