No one realises just how clever the Conservative strategy to destroy Labour is
Nov 26, 2015, 23:30 IST
- Prime Minister David Cameron is like a cartoon Conservative: The son of a stockbroker and a judge. Went to Eton and then Oxford. Personal friend of Jeremy Clarkson. Related to the Queen. His ancestry is a Monty Pythonesque: His great-great-great-grandfather was William Feilding, 7th Earl of Denbigh, GCH, PC, Gentleman of the Bedchamber.
- The favourite to succeed him as Tory leader for the 2020 vote is Boris Johnson, who is a continuation of that cartoon: His mother was the illegitimate granddaughter of Prince Paul of Württemberg and he is also a descendant of King George II. He is an eighth cousin to Cameron.
- Minimum wage increased to £7.20, and a "living wage" of up to £9.15 in London.
- Maintained the working tax credit (a key Labour demand).
- 2% rise in council tax.
- A new 0.5% employment tax to fund apprentice training.
- No cuts to the police budget (a key Corbyn demand prior to the Autumn budget statement).
- Increased funding for the NHS.
- War on Islamic State condoned by a vote in the UN security council (at the time of writing, Corbyn doesn't currently have a policy on opposing IS, only questions and criticisms).
- Childcare provision increased to 30 hours per week (more than Labour promised at the last election).