Labour firing blanks

Labour’s press conference this morning was a classic example of a party struggling to both have its cake and eat it.  Not only did we get Gordon Brown, as expected – but he was introduced, and joined, by Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson.  Three heavy hitters to bash out one message: that the Tories’ national insurance plans are a “threat to the recovery”.  Or make that one-and-a-half messages, if you include the claim that the Tories couldn’t realistically expect to make the efficiency savings to fund their NI cut this year.  There is, claimed the Labour triumverate, a “black hole” where the Tories’ tax and spending proposals should be.  
 
And this was where the cake-eating came into play – with a vengeance.  Many of the assembled journos asked: well, if there are efficiencies to be made, why not make them this year?  Why wait until next?  To which, Darling replied that Labour are making a batch of efficiency savings this year, and that they’ve got £15 billion’s worth in line for next.