Gordon's deepening hole

I have some sympathy with Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling - but not much.

They're in a pickle in that their spending plans are based on tax revenue. Firstly, they've had to borrow £2.7bn to bail themselves out of the 10p tax rate fiasco. Public anger, reflected among Labour backbenchers, is growing at the wholesale change in vehicle excise duties meant to clobber the gas guzzlers but which will catch drivers of older cars in its net. Then there's the near ruinous price of petrol and diesel, on the back of soaring food rpices.

Yet, we all know food and fuel hikes are not unique to Britain. And yes, it's unfair to blame the Government for the price of tea from Sri Lanka. But after 10 years of allowing Gordon Brown to get the credit for boasting of low inflation, a golden economy, and no boom and bust, he's now well and truly in the firing line when the booming economy he has presided over jolly well does bust.

Politics, Gordon, is about taking tough decisions and standing up to be counted. Sorry, but there's no hiding place.

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