Timing is everything

Well done George Osborne. Just before Labour launch their economic recovery plan he has demanded corporation tax cuts from Darling. This is a great political move that puts the Chancellor in a difficult position. By proposing these tax cuts Osborne has heightened expectations before Darling’s unveiling. If he fails to promise them then the much fêted plan will seem to have fallen short.

Also this move will be music to the ears of business leaders who are suffering in the economic climate. They will want to feel that the government is doing all they can to support them through increasingly competitive times. A Darling rejection will be seen as a snub to struggling business interests. Osborne’s proposition – and Cameron’s jaunt to Georgia- shows how cleverly the Tories are playing the political PR game.