politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » For first time since Osbo’s March 2012 budget more people s

Morris_Dancer

Mr. Senior, if they are still toxic might it not be due to the very deliberate media approach of their political opponents? It's only through good fortune that the McBride lies didn't actually end up being used as propaganda.

MikeSmithson

New thread - the Boris vs Ed poll

AveryLP

More Tory anecdotes

Public Sector Net Borrowing
(excl. financial interventions)
All figures end March except
2012/13 which is end Feb

|========================|
|PM:  Blair              |
|CoE: Brown              |
|2001-2005  £bn          |
|------------------------|
|2001/2     0.8          |
|2002/3    26.0  3,150%  |
|2003/4    33.3     28%  |
|2004/5    41.1     23%  |
|                        |
|Net Borrowing           |
|increased 5,038% |
|                        |
|========================|
|PM:  Blair/Brown        |
|CoE: Brown/Darling      |
|2005-2010  £bn          |
|------------------------|
|2005/6    37.9     (8%) |    
|2006/7    33.1    (13%) |
|2007/8    36.7     15%  |
|2008/9    97.5    166%  |
|2009/10  158.9     63%  |
|                        |
|Net Borrowing           |
|increased  319%  |
|                        |
|========================|
|PM:  Cameron            |
|CoE: Osborne            |
|2010-      £bn          |
|------------------------|
|2010/11  140.9          |
|2011/12  120.9          |
|2012/13   66.9          |
|                        |
|Net Borrowing           |
|reduced    (53%) |
|========================|

JosiasJessop

Morris_Dancer said:

Mr. Senior, if they are still toxic might it not be due to the very deliberate media approach of their political opponents? It's only through good fortune that the McBride lies didn't actually end up being used as propaganda.

And we should not forget what happened to McAlpine and Mitchell, either. Whilst you would have to wear a tinfoil-hat to claim there was an organised conspiracy, it does seem that the media are (ahem) rather too keen to believe the worst of Conservative politicians, and to treat them more harshly.

Rennard is an interesting example of a Lib Dem who similarly suffered under the media's harsh spotlight. But at least that story was well-researched, with multiple reliable sources willing to speak out.

Compare these to two stories in the news today: Lord Ahmed and Joyce. It would be interesting to see how long those stories would have run - and how vocally - if they had been Tories. It is also interesting to compare them with the media frenzy around the utter non-story of Osborne sitting in first class...

Labour politicians also suffer from this - witness Prescott playing croquet on the lawns of Dorneywood. But the MacAlpine and Mitchell affairs raises it to a whole new level. Innocent men libelled by the media and their rivals.