The party of the majority

The battle of ideas in British politics is now back on in earnest – and this week sees the argument strech beyond the politics of the downturn to the politics of the future. And what’s clear is that after what’s sometimes been a difficult year, its Labour – not the Tories – who are determined to stand up for the majority in Britain and not a narrow section of society.

Take our plans for real help now. We propose VAT cuts that benefit all, plus tax cuts for 22 million basic rate taxpayers.

The Tories offer tax cuts for ‘savers’ that don’t even reach 60% of pensioners – the group the policy was designed to benefit. Talk about the few, not the many. Well, we’ll stand up for the majority thanks very much. So Monday will see the government’s job summit stretch the help on the table to those who lost their job but want to go back to work. And later in the week, we publish our white paper on New Opportunities.

The argument is simple. This isn’t some kind of old-fashioned class-conflict. On the contrary. This is a battle for the Britain’s hardworking majority for the decades to come. If we invest now, we can not only attract the skilled jobs that’ll be created around the w0rld in the decades ahead, we can make sure that anyone in Britain has a fair shot of getting on and getting ahead, if they’ve the drive, determination and discipline.

In other words, we’re standing up for aspiration. That’s the philosophy that’s always united Britain’s great middle class and our traditional base.  And its the secret to Britain’s success in the years to come.