Ironically, the most wealthy in the country benefitted more from the 10p rate than everyone earning below the threshold.

Overspending is never necessary, I meant “spending more than had been spent”. That’s why I put it in inverted commas.

I hope that helps your struggles!

New Labour policies might have encouraged fervent bonus/greed-driven capitalism, and a brisk dose of stringent Redwood-ism might have prevented it, but I struggle to get my head round that!

A change in persona isn’t going to bring anyone back apart from some of the the Blair loyalists. A set of new policies based on a social fairness/justice set of principles might. Going along with or ignoring Tory tax breaks for the wealthy clearly doesn’t work.

Yes, Labour have done some good things in the last ten years – Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and LSPs have been the best approach to urban regneration since the 1960s and the focus on the poorest (up till recent stupidity) has been admirable if not overwhelmingly successful. Facing down the leftie nutters and protecting the City was also right although the regulatory arrangements were weak – hence Northern Rock.

But the good stuff came from the Blairites and was mostly forced through using the Party’s massive majorities. All Brown has done is try to stop reform, raise taxes, raise taxes, raise taxes, raise taxes, and raise taxes.

You’ve said it all! Labour’s current troubles are a mixture of global economic conditions, some mistakes and Brown’s media unfriendly persona. At the moment the Tories are rising high on the back of ‘not being Labour’ but for how long can they keep up the momentum in a policy vacuum. As a Labour supporter I still feel that things would be better if Brown went because, whether one likes it or not, media image is important and serious mistakes aren’t forgotten. With a run up to an election any new PM would soon get established in the public’s mind and the right person might be able to put some hefty dents in the Tory ratings as Cameron trickles out policies and those policies are rigorously dissected.

The “over-spending” was necessary because the Tories underspent for decades, lowered interest rates and taxes just before elections, and had to raise them again later.

The sale of gold is such a red herring, made no difference whatsoever to the current economic crisis, and is used as just another brick for the opposition to throw at Brown.

If anything is going to prevent me from changing sides, it’s ignorance/denial of Labour’s achievements since 1997 (minimum wage, low inflation, low interest rates, high (private sector) employment, promotion of the City as a Europe’s financial capital, low employment, lower taxation than in the 80′s etc etc etc.