The tory hope; a British economic slump

Michael Howard claimed today that the only way he could see the tories returning to power was if the UK experienced an "economic slump".

In some ways one might see this as a back-handed compliament to Labours' running of the economy but I think he also being wildly simplistic.
Afterall the public repeatedly elected the tories back to office when they had presided over record recessions in the early 1980's and 1990's.

Departing Tory leader Michael Howard said he believes only an economic slump can return the Conservatives to power.
Mr Howard said the state of the economy was central to overthrowing Labour at the next general election.

In an interview in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Howard said it was hard for the opposition to win when people were 'relatively content'.

He was speaking ahead of the Tory annual conference, where the leadership contest is expected to step up.

He told the paper: "When most people are relatively content with their economic lot, it is very hard for an opposition to win elections.

news.bbc.co.uk...

- Still, I suppose it fits with the current tactic of the tory spokespeople to 'talk down' the UK economy at every turn (George Osbourne, shadow chancellor/tea boy on Bloomberg yesterday was particularly disgracefully opportunist in this regard - even prompting the normally ultra neutral interviewer to pull him up on several occasions) rather than recognising the surprisingly impressive resilience of our economy in the face of the recent tripling of the price of oil.

Michael Howard is blowing smoke the UK has the most competitive economy in europe. He's probably right in that it would take a massive downturn in the UK's economy for the Tories to even have a prayer of becoming the majority party. I think the reason the Tories had the success they did in the 80's and 90's is that people were afraid of labour. The Tories had the success of demonizing labour as the tax and spend party. That is until Tony Blair's new Labour. IMO New Labour is the best thing to happen to Britain for decades. It would be a disaster if either the Tories or the Lib Dems ever became dominant.