There is a certain poetry to the leaking of Vince Cable’s ‘vision thing’ memo and the departure from Downing Street of Steve Hilton, the very man who is supposed to have been providing the government’s vision all this time.
Cable’s message to David Cameron and Nick Clegg was nothing if not forthright: ‘There is still something important missing — a compelling vision of where the country is heading beyond sorting out the fiscal mess, and a clear and confident message about how we will earn our living in the future.’ It is also difficult to argue with. Where is the industrial policy? Where is the distinct message that we are pursuing a high-tech future, or re-booting manufacturing, or encouraging the creative industries? At times, this government seems so set against anything that might look like a centralised five-year plan that it has decided not to have a plan at all.
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