Friday Diary: Whose Deficit Is It Anyway?
Shelagh Fogarty is confused by the deficit and doesn't mind who knows.
13 Jan 2012, 08:09
Radio 5 Live's Shelagh Fogarty
* Calling all economists! No, really, I mean it. Have I lost the plot? Was there ever a plot? I thought we were all agreed on at least one thing. When the outgoing Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liam Byrne, was clearing his desk for the new coalition government back in May 2010, the note he left ("there's no money left") was at the very least a wry admission that Labour had indeed gone on a spending spree. You can of course make a case that the spending was an overdue investment in public services but you can't argue that it didn't happen. The deficit inherited by the new government was larger because of it - for good or ill. George Osborne refers to it repeatedly and Ed Balls tells people like me, when I ask about it on air, that we are peddling Tory lies. I take my impartiality as seriously as I take anything so I've been taking soundings about both men's assessments. Then this week, the Labour Leader Ed Miliband, in his big speech, spoke of "the deficit we will be handed" in the event of his party retaking power in 2015. Someone please step forward and tell me whose deficit this is, was, or ever shall be - apart from ours, that is. All in this together, right?
* I've been spending more time in my home town, Liverpool, of late since the BBC move to Salford. The sounds, smells, faces, and events of where we live for any length of time become part of who we are, so it's been something of a sensory onslaught. I was down by the waterfront early on Thursday morning and the shrill seagull symphony was Nature's reminder of my roots. The air smells clean near the sea and the sky dominates in a way London or Manchester's never could. On Monday night, it was off to Hope Street, the road linking Lverpool's two great cathedrals at either end. Home to The Everyman Theatre (mid refurb) and the Philharmonic Hall, it's not to be missed if you visit the place. I met a childhood friend for dinner there - another memory jolt, and once we'd agreed that the thirty years since we last met hadn't wiped our essential selves, off we went like old pals. Back in London now for a few days of birthday fun. Different sounds, smells, faces, events. Both home. Both great.
* I was moved by a particular detail in the BBC interview with Neville Lawrence after the two convictions for his son Stephen's murder. He revealed to Rita Chakrabati that he hadn't danced since Stephen's death, vowing not to until someone was serving time for it. Joy is hard to muster after a bereavement but most of us can only imagine the deadening effects on the spirit of this kind of loss. I hope he keeps dancing.
Comments (6)
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All socialist governments end up bankrupt. So why the faux impartiality? And who’s paying for your travel from London to Salford to present your show? The taxpayer?
13/01/2012 12:01Hugh, presenters on 5 Live pay for their own travel to Salford. I made the same mistake as you on Twitter.
13/01/2012 12:04Thanks Ian. Good to hear that.
13/01/2012 12:16Sorry, Iain.
13/01/2012 12:17I think that the BBC should pay presenters to go to Salford. I wouldn't begrudge a single penny. Bloody daft to move up there in the first place
13/01/2012 18:24Those of us working in the real world have to make our own way to and from work - and get heavily taxed on it into the bargain. The BBC blow quite enough of our money shuttling their people around already, I'm very glad to see Iain indicating that at least this particular case isn't exacerbating that problem!
On the original question, of course Labour went on an unsustainable spending binge - and of course Ed Balls took longer than anyone else to admit it, given his part in spending it in the first place. Being a politician, Miliband did try to tap the votes of the fiscal ostrich faction for a while, but the lie involved was just too far-fetched to plug for long.
18/01/2012 16:34