The Labour party is finding that being in government is rather harder than being in opposition. The latter just involves saying everything the government of the day does is rubbish, the former requires clear vision, strong communication – especially of difficult things, the ability to make wise choices and the courage to lead.

The Labour Government has had a poor start.

They have, as nearly all governments do, a difficult hand but they have not played it well.

The manifesto promises were cunningly written and their letter has not been broken by the budget. People will say that Labour did not tell the whole truth in their manifesto to which the reply is that if they had they would never have got elected. Such is the politician’s lot, we don’t want to hear too much truth.

The thrust of the budget and other announcements which surrounded it is not entirely wrong. People who work for a living on average salaries have seen real wages rise since the financial crash of 2008 at a slower pace than at any time since the Industrial Revolution. An instinct to help them is laudable but instinct alone is not enough, it is how that instinct is directed and delivered which counts.

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