The Tory 2015 message: times are tough, but they’d be worse under Labour

Today’s PMQs was not, as James says, a tricky one for David Cameron. He had some good jokes and embarrassing gossip to poke Ed Miliband with, even though the Labour leader chose to attack on the thorny issue of living standards.

The key to the next election will be whether voters feel their lives have improved under the Coalition far more than it is about the latest ONS release on GDP. And the key challenge for the Coalition is to be clear that though things won’t be rosy – as Miliband pointed out, the squeeze on living standards will still be taking place when polling day arrives – they would be worse under Labour. Cameron made this point today:

‘The answer is people will be a lot better off than they were under Labour, with a record deficit, with unreformed welfare, with a busted banking system, they will have seen a government that’s got the deficit down, that’s cut their income taxes, that’s dealt with the banks and as the governor of the Bank of England said today, is on the road to recovery.