Dear Claire,
A relatively short letter today, but something no less important than any of the letters to date.
Two interviews given by George Osborne have attracted much media coverage, principally due to Osborne's determination not to answer a very key question in advance of the election:
"The extra £8billion which you have indicated you will find in the next parliamentary term to help fund the NHS, where is it coming from?"
There was the interview with Andrew Marr on the Andrew Marr show last weekend, on which Osborne was asked a staggering 15 times where the money was coming from. He kept talking about 'fully-costed policies', but declined to give any clue as to where this money had been found.
In another interview on Channel 4 with Cathy Newman, Osborne again refused to give a straight answer to the same question, despite Newman repeatedly asking where this money had been found.
Osborne is so repetitive on these interviews, lapsing into the same tired old clichés "The mess we inherited" etc. It really is pathetic to witness. Then there's the standard lapse into yet more political weasel words "If you want to go back to the policies of Labour.....", "We have to finish the job....", the only humorous note was when Andrew Marr said "Please don't say hardworking families" just as Osborne was about to trot that one out again!
It's abundantly clear that this money will be found by making cuts to those most vulnerable in our society: those on benefits through no fault of their own, particularly those with mental illness, those who have been misled by the incompetence of IBS's "reforms", those who are sanctioned unfairly.
With reference to this, there's an interesting report that came out at the end of March, reporting on the DWP Select Committee Inquiry’s findings and recommendations: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmworpen/814/814.pdf.
In the light of this report, this really isn't where Gideon should be looking to wield the axe still further!
Kind regards
Polly
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