George Osborne fails to give the full picture about the Iron Lady's tough approach to public spending

In response to ConservativeHome's campaign for tighter public spending growth (in order to pay for reduced borrowing and/ or relief for under-pressure taxpayers and businesses) George Osborne and Philip Hammond have been saying that their proposed spending plans are tighter than those pursued by Margaret Thatcher.  The TaxPayers' Alliance has been doing some number crunching and questions the Treasury team's maths:

"Public spending growth was lower than 2.1 per cent in every year of Thatcher's second parliament. In the first two years of her first parliament, spending growth was lower than 2.1 per cent, although the average in her first parliament was 2.3 per cent. Over the 18 years of Tory government, the average was 1.5 per cent. Note also that in the first three years of Brown as Chancellor, spending growth was lower than 2.1 per cent.  Now, is it really correct to say that 2.1 per cent per annum spending growth is tighter than under Thatcher?"

It's not the first time that Mr Osborne hasn't 100% faithfully represented the Thatcher years. Dominic Lawson previously criticised the Shadow Chancellor for giving the false impression that lower taxation did not feature prominently in her 1979 manifesto.

Comments

[TFA Tory]

Mr Osborne shows a worrying tendency to be "economic with the truth". His office regularly briefs against TPA (and its reports) which CCHQ views as a troublesome pest.

[David Sergeant]

So what is proposed. That Osborne, now, takes the Labour party plans and knocks point something off them? Sorry editor this getting at Osborne over tax is getting nearly as twisted as some Labour spin. Also for anyone, even Lawson, to claim Osborne is using Goebbel's techniques to missrepresent Margaret Thatcher who, in 1979 said more or less the same thing as Cameron has said all along, is the sort of sickness that gives this party a nasty image.

[TFA Tory]

Godwin's law is invoked by David Sergeant.