The real disingenuity

"If you have a government that is committed to spending money it hasn't got, you either have to cut frontline public services or you increase borrowing," says Alistair Darling, Transport Minister.

Problem is that he's not talking about the Labour Government is he - he's talking about Tory proposals. How disingenuous do you have to get, when it is Gordon Brown who has abandoned prudence for votes in extending the black hole in the public finances. It seems to me that, strategically, the big indicator of Tory failure electorally has been the problem of shifting the burden that Labour are the Tories in disguise - because, make no mistake, they may do Tory things, but this is no Tory Government - instead, assisted by the LibDems the accepted rhetoric now is that 'there's no difference between the two main parties'. Maybe just maybe in this five month election campaign the Tories can shift that back a bit...

Then again, it's not like the pseudo-opposition is any better. Party chairman Mr Taylor meanwhile said: "I don't think we, in our wildest dreams, thought that the Conservatives would drop the ball to the extent that they have done; on the war on Iraq, identity cards, student fees and the council tax, there was nothing to chose between the two big parties whereas the Liberal Democrats offered costed, sensible alternatives".

Oh - so the Tories are in favour of top-up fees are they? And they don't believe in low council tax rather than the high council tax of the LibDems? R-r-r-ight.