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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Why so frank now, Mr Darling? | Why so frank now, Mr Darling? |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| By Gary O'Donoghue Political correspondent, BBC News | By Gary O'Donoghue Political correspondent, BBC News |
| The chancellor gave a particularly candid interview to the Guardian | The chancellor gave a particularly candid interview to the Guardian |
| Politicians are always slated for not being straight with us and telling it how it really is. | Politicians are always slated for not being straight with us and telling it how it really is. |
| But that's not an accusation you could level at Alistair Darling. | But that's not an accusation you could level at Alistair Darling. |
| Not only has he kicked sand in the face of the Labour Party by telling his colleagues that the past ten months have seen them lose the confidence of the voters, but he's also hurled a brick through the country's living room window by telling people that their economic problems are more profound and long-term than they thought. | Not only has he kicked sand in the face of the Labour Party by telling his colleagues that the past ten months have seen them lose the confidence of the voters, but he's also hurled a brick through the country's living room window by telling people that their economic problems are more profound and long-term than they thought. |
| Full marks for frankness Mr Darling, but why now? | Full marks for frankness Mr Darling, but why now? |
| Certainly the accumulation of economic bad news is depressing. | Certainly the accumulation of economic bad news is depressing. |
| Britain's economy failed to grow in the second quarter of the year; inflation is up at 4.4% - more than 2% above the government's target; fuel and food prices have risen dramatically, the housing market is in serious trouble and government tax revenues are not as strong as predicted. This coming 12 months will be the most difficult 12 months the Labour party has had in a generation, quite frankly Alistair Darling Key quotes about UK economyDarling speaks of Wendy 'respect' | Britain's economy failed to grow in the second quarter of the year; inflation is up at 4.4% - more than 2% above the government's target; fuel and food prices have risen dramatically, the housing market is in serious trouble and government tax revenues are not as strong as predicted. This coming 12 months will be the most difficult 12 months the Labour party has had in a generation, quite frankly Alistair Darling Key quotes about UK economyDarling speaks of Wendy 'respect' |
| But we knew most of that at the beginning of the summer, and ministers have continued to preach a "steady as she goes" message for the past few weeks. | But we knew most of that at the beginning of the summer, and ministers have continued to preach a "steady as she goes" message for the past few weeks. |
| The problem is that that message clearly hasn't washed. | The problem is that that message clearly hasn't washed. |
| 'Policy meat' | 'Policy meat' |
| The polls remain stubbornly depressing for the government. The Labour Party is in a febrile state following the Glasgow East by-election defeat and the prospect of another in Glenrothes, whenever the government gets round to setting a date. | The polls remain stubbornly depressing for the government. The Labour Party is in a febrile state following the Glasgow East by-election defeat and the prospect of another in Glenrothes, whenever the government gets round to setting a date. |
| The tone had to change and this was Alistair Darling changing it. | The tone had to change and this was Alistair Darling changing it. |
| Next week ministers will attempt to put some policy meat on the bones of this change in tone. | Next week ministers will attempt to put some policy meat on the bones of this change in tone. |
| At the centre of their proposals will be help for those struggling to pay their mortgages and those first time buyers who can't get on the housing ladder at all. | At the centre of their proposals will be help for those struggling to pay their mortgages and those first time buyers who can't get on the housing ladder at all. |
| Later will come measures on fuel costs, in the wake of two more energy companies announcing price rises. | Later will come measures on fuel costs, in the wake of two more energy companies announcing price rises. |
| Even the public realises that governments can do little about major economic fundamentals in this globalised world. | Even the public realises that governments can do little about major economic fundamentals in this globalised world. |
| But they do expect their governments to take whatever steps they can to alleviate the consequences of those fundamentals. | But they do expect their governments to take whatever steps they can to alleviate the consequences of those fundamentals. |
| The problem for Mr Darling is that there's so little money to do the alleviating with, that his options for making a real difference to people's pockets in these straitened times is severely limited. |