Not just Macavity, not just a scaredy cat but a copy cat, too

This afternoon Alistair Darling has stolen more Tory ideas - on the taxation of flights rather than passengers and on cutting inheritance tax.  The graphic above summarises just a few of the policy ideas that Labour has stolen from the Conservatives since Mr Brown walked into Number Ten.

If Labour actually took our policies and implemented them properly we would be wrong to complain too much.  It might be politically annoying for us but at least the country would benefit.

Unfortunately Labour steal our ideas but don't implement them properly.  Just like cheats at school - they copy from another kid's exercise book but they do so without understanding or insight.  They miss important details.  The uniformed border police force is a key case in point.  Labour's imitation of David Davis' idea gave existing staff new uniforms but didn't deliver the integration of border policing that was at the heart of the Conservative idea.

Labour's copy catting therefore brings good ideas into disrepute.  Voters can be forgiven for thinking that our ideas have already been implemented and therefore discount the importance of the things we are still proposing.  The end result - as we've seen throughout the Brown-Blair years - is more cynicism towards everything said by politicians.

6.45pm: Ben Brogan is calling him Burglar Brown.

Comments

[Labour Voter]

Is that the best you've got?

[Teck]

Even though intellectual property rights do not apply, strong identification with policy proposals is the next best thing.

So, I am going to make something that is at the heart of Conservative ideology work in advance of its endorsement as policy. Is that OK?

[Teck]

Hey Labour Voter [Oct 09, 2007 at 17:39], is that the best you can do?

[MrB]

This policy stealing makes me so angry. The press should be making a bigger deal out of this, people must be made aware of how weak and completely bankrupt of ideas this poor excuse for a government is.

[David]

Gordon Brown has a vision. A vision he wants to share. That vision is....the Tory party manifesto, if Osbourne could just move to the side a bit, please, thank you very much.....

[Steve MacFarlane]

The Times lead: "Darling steals Tory thunder with tax plans".
Times Comment: "Tory tax cuts neutralised in Budget update...some Labour MPs might now wish Gordon Brown had called an election..."

You can't help but laugh with incredulous admiration at the sheer, titanic ruthlessness of this: the Tories launch a one-hit-wonder policy and within the week it's on the statue book as Government policy!! Is this unprecedented in the Western world?
But Brown's policy is BETTER, politically and ethically, that's the clincher: instead of letting the uber-rich, the top 3% off the hook, as the uber-toff Cameron would, Darling subjects them to inheritance tax and invests the £2bn in schools and hospitals for all!!! You think the 97% majority are going to quibble?!?! GENIUS! The combination of titanically fiendish ruthlessness and moral compass!

[Clucking Fist]

Some Labour creep was on The World At One today decaring that it "was the Government's duty to steal good ideas from the Tories" for the good of the country

[Anne Murphy]

The Tories should characterise the Darling/Brown apparent theft of their ideas as duplicitous rather than a compliment. Look at the inheritance tax proposal. Portrayed as a "reform" "increasing" the threshold; in fact it makes no difference at all. It was always possible even after the death of the first spouse to make maxium use of the existing threshold (which remains unchanged) by using a deed of variation to change the will ex post facto. Try asking the Treasury for the number of estates which would have benefited from this change last year. Bet it's in the low zeros. Same goes for non-doms. It isn't a policy change. It's another review. Despite the fact that the review they've been having since 2002 is still continuing.

[Sarah Matthews]

Did anyone else notice Nick Robinson's 'joke' about shooting Liam Fox - in response to Andrew Neil's comment about Labour 'shooting the tories fox'? Good old impartial BBC at its worst again hey!

[Alistair Burt MP]

The point of the theft is this. Talking to journalists last week one of the things they had noticed was that the intellectual energy was now firmly shifting to the Conservative Party. The longer a Government goes on, not only does it become more arrogant and complacent, for which there is much current evidence, but the more defensive it becomes, preferring to defend its world view rather than offer something new. The theft of key ideas today is a further example of this.
You see, Gordon Brown is not new nor is he change. That is what Blair realised, which is why he did not want him to succeed. This intellectual snatch is not evidence even of smart, rather cynical politics. It is actually a cry for help!

[Graeme Archer]

The border police is an extremely good example. I think I wrote about it one Sunday. I pass by these people nearly every week. They were actually becoming a shaming disgrace, clerks in jeans and teeshirts casually flicking through your passport in the disgraceful urinal that is Gatwick airport (whoever owns BAA should be ashamed of themselves). Now they've got a really duff uniform to wear and a big poster behind them - and absolutely no more powers than they had before. Thus the logical conclusion of an ideologically vacuous party who have mainlined on style for so long that they've forgotten there is such a thing as substance.

I don't think we should get in a flap about this sort of thing. Pace the hysterics at the Times or the BBC, people know authenticity when they see it - imitation is the sincerest form of etc etc - and they know when someone's trying to have them over for a bunch of fools (see Iraq trip non-announcement of non-troop reductions for details). Let Labour announce this, that or the other - it won't work. Remember: they think Ed Balls comes across as calm, sincere and persuasive on telly. More! Please!

[Henry]

Ho, ho, so Gordon's taken a few Tory ideas and improved them. I'd have thought you'd welcome that...

[John Leonard]

Editor:

I think the additional point here is in many of the cases (such as IHT and Border Police) the Labour alternative is a fake policy with the substance ripped out of it.

His empty facile government of no talent really thinks we are all fools.

[m wood]

More smoke and mirrors I'm afraid. By organising their affairs properly a married couple can already have a £600,000 threshold anyway.

The Capital Gains proposal seems doubtful too. Altho he appears to have lowered the rate to 18%, cancelling the taper relief may cancel this if the property has been held for some time?

[James Burdett]

Let's just get the message across that these are not politicians they are power junkies, and like any junky they are feeding their habit by stealing. Labour are the Pete Doherty of politics, caught out before but let off. This time they must be banged to rights!!

[Steve Green]

Following Alistair Darling's speech, the police reported that the crime figures for theft went up drastically today.

Darling should have been wearing a mask, he batantly stole policies put forward at the Conservative conference. The NONDOMs tax, air travel tax and inheritance tax. He's jiggled the figures a bit but they are Tory policies, what a bloody cheek after the p*ss poor week they've just had. You'd think they would try and show a little honesty for a change.

[Pam Reynolds]

Labour Voter: It is a pity the the Labour Government do not have the intellect to think of their own ideas.

[carol42]

The only people who benefit from this IHT 'increase' are widows/widowers and those who have not made arrangements either because they did not have time like accidents or who never thought it would apply to them. Of course any help is welcome but compared to the simple. clear Conservative plans it is certainly not what it pretends to be. No one else benefits at all. I suspect Mr.Brown and Darling will have a hard time in the press tomorrow once they realise what has happened

[Malcolm Dunn]

It'll be interesting to see the newspapers tomorrow.My guess is that they'll be full of good headlines for Brown and Darling. Remember most journalists will not have much time between Darling's statement and their papers going to press to digest the finer points. On Thursday we'll see what they really think. I suspect the IHT proposals will be torn apart for the con they really are. It all reminds me of Brown's budgets. Good for a day until the small print is examined....

[Malcolm Dunn]

Steve [email protected] ,I realise you're deluded but to use the words ethical and moral compass when describing Gordon Brown is surely taking fantasy too far.

[Tony Makara]

Its wierd how there is a Newcastle theme running through this and absolutely no offence meant to those fine Geordies while live in that fine town. We've had those Brown Ale bottles, the Nothern Rock fiasco and now a Magpie stealing policies!

[Steve MacFarlane]

If Brown's inheritance tax plan is a con, so is Cameron's: the only distinction being that the latter's plan would free the top 3% from taxation - the Tory policy did not impress the electorate because it freed the uber-rich, but because it apparently raised the rate from £300,000 to £1m.
If there is a media backlash, Cameron is just as implicated. He did not launch HIS inheritance tax policy by proclaiming: "I vow to free the uber-rich 3%!"

[Steve MacFarlane]

Actually, I know zero about the intricacies of taxation policy and my interest in Tory vs Labour policy on IHT is that of the delighted gloater, no more. So I qualify that post: it seems to me...

[Patsy Sergeant]

NOW we know why Labour MP's spent so much time berating David Cameron for 'not having any policies', one really has to feel sorry for them, THEY COULD NOT COME UP WITH ANY NEW POLICIES OF THEIR OWN, so they were waiting with their tongues out, for a policy to adopt.

SPIN ON.......

[Matt Wright]

Nope Gordo has done it again, its all spin. Read the small print. If we still have a free press they will be tearing this apart by the weekend. Of course Labour want people to think they've stolen some Conservative ideas in order to put people of the scent. The real story is that the economy is slowing, we are in deep debt and the cuts are starting. And this from the bloke who said he had stopped boom and bust,

Matt

[Curly]

Like most school cheats they only managed to copy half of the word, and so it ends up as - CON!

[Comstock]

This is an interesting thread. Should Brown copy/adapt Conservative ideas?

Arguably, yes, if they are good ideas.The alternative is arrogantly sticking to his guns and refusing to budge- and then losing an election.

As far as I can see the British people didn't want a change of government, they wanted inheritance tax reform, and now they have got it, they won't care if it came from Tory or Labour.

It'll be interesting to look at the next opinion polls (although I'll be taking em with a pinch of salt from now on!)