Tony Blair, Superstud ??
In an intelligent letter, Tony Brown (Your View 5.2.05)attacks my assessment of this government. Unable to challenge my facts, he seeks to demolish my argument with distortions and inaccuracies.
He admits that we have more doctors, nurses, teachers and police than ever before, but complains that those increases have not kept pace with an average population increase of 4%. In fact, the population has risen from 48 million to 60 million in 60 years, more like 0.4 on average, not 4%. Even then, increases in staff should be compared to generations of actual cuts under previous governments of both colours.
He cites 1 trillion in personal debt, but omits to mention that personal cash and fixed assets are now 6 times that figure, the best asset/debt ratio ever.
I think it a little unfair of him to blame Tony Blair for record teenage pregnancies, and while crime is down overall, yes violent crime and drug use are on the increase. Of course that would never have happened under any other govt, would it? The increase in violent robbery is largely a totally new crime of mobile phone theft, which is surely a sign of affluence that so many are now in use..
As regards 28 million jobs in total, you can add another estimated 2 million in the black economy, putting working age people in employment at over 80%, the highest percentage in the world, bar Iceland.
Since the growth in terrorism, drastic new security laws are being enacted in all countries, not just here, and all shades of government would have come up with something similar.
I maintain that this government is very far from perfect, but should be judged against those that have gone before, not some unattainable scale of perfection. Politics is the art of the possible.
Dave Cathy
