The financial and Eurozone crises have changed the face of politics forever

Sara Benwell 6.45am

Economic policy has always been important in politics, and people have always cared about fiscal policies that affect them directly, but not such a long time ago broader economic strategy only made up a small percentage of the issues that mattered when people decided who to vote for.

Essentially, voters cared if their taxes were going up, but when it came to broader economic strategy the issues were sidelined compared to other policies that had more obvious effects on people’s lives. Moreover, much of the banking world and financial terminology remained a complete mystery to the majority of the electorate, so as long as things were going well, economic policy was seen to be less important. Everyone presumed that the government and the bankers knew what they were doing.

Then came recession and the onset of the Eurozone crisis - and everything changed.

Now more people have a better working understanding of finance. Almost everybody I meet has an opinion about Greece, about Spain, about whether the Eurozone will break up and most importantly about whether or not the Government is doing the right thing to deal with the financial crisis or whether now is the right time for a credible plan B, or even C.

People don’t merely care about the areas of policy that effect them; they now care about the broader economic strategy. The space allocated to business and financial news - not just in the broadsheets but also in the tabloids - is increasing and is reflective of a growing public interest. These days it’s rare you’ll see any business stories in the national press that don’t have a direct link to finance and the economic situation; more often the stories will reflect job creation or losses, financial results, or economic indicators.

While the economic crisis is clearly not a good thing, it’s arguable that the increase in public knowledge and awareness has to be the silver lining to the debt crisis cloud. How many people fifteen years ago knew about monetary policy decisions, about inflation and about quantitative easing, let alone had a good working understanding of these terms as well as an opinion on them? Wider comprehension has to be a good thing.

There has also been a shift towards people wanting their financial institutions and their government to be held accountable. Now that everybody has seen the impact of the poor financial policies of the last labour governments and the problems that can arise when the bankers are given a free rein with little or no fear of retribution, there is an increasing focus on making sure that somewhere somebody is held responsible.

This has been reflected by the recent ‘shareholder spring’. While I think this is an exaggeration, and the term is used too widely and too often, there is no denying that the recent spate of chief executives like Sir Martin Sorrell being denied their bonuses would have been unthinkable a few years ago and reflects growing popular demand for more accountability in the business world.

Furthermore, policies like the ring-fencing of the banks, which I have written about here before, illustrate a move by the Government to introduce financial legislation designed to protect the electorate. This policy has recently been watered down, but that doesn’t change the fact that political parties have recognised the importance of bringing in policies to ensure that an increasingly aware voting public are sheltered from having to bail out the banks once more.

One can quite easily argue that the Coalition will stand or fall on the success of its economic policies. And it is increasingly clear that you cannot spend your way out of a recession, despite what the Labour party might claim.

So the question confronting us now is whether the Coalition Government has enough time left for its economic policy to come good, or whether ministers need to be considering a new plan.

Rest assured that whatever the answers to those questions, the British public is no longer ignorant about economics. And if the Coalition partners, particularly the Conservative party, wants to win the next election, they shall need to prove the credibility of their economic strategy.

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A Shared Resolve

Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP 10.55am

This Coalition Government is delivering on its founding purpose – returning this country to a path of prosperity that is sustainable for the long term. Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives should be proud of the decision we made to put the national interest before party politics. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.

With massive market turbulence across Europe the backdrop to the election, both parties knew that economic stability could not be achieved without political stability too.

This historic decision and our shared resolve to tackle the deficit have resulted in interest rates staying low – keeping families in their home and workers in their jobs. Getting ahead of the curve on dealing with the deficit means that despite having a deficit larger than Portugal, UK government-backed bonds still attract interest rates that are as low as Germany’s. We have established financial discipline, motivated not by ideology, but because it is a vital precondition for effective government.

But recovering from the catastrophic legacy left by Labour cannot simply be achieved by tackling the deficit. Not only was the way of life they promised unaffordable, it relied disproportionately on the square mile of the city of London and an unsustainable house price bubble. Gordon Brown vowed to end boom and bust, but in the end presided over both.

We must ensure the lessons of Labour’s failure are learnt for good. Which means rebalancing the economy as well as tackling the deficit, and being straight with people about how long this will take, how hard it will be and what we will do to get it right.

Laying strong foundations for prosperity requires an economic strategy that invests in the future to deliver growth that is sustainable, balanced, competitive and fair. This strategy must seek to unlock our economy’s potential in every sector of the economy and in every part of the UK.

As a government that means prioritising infrastructure investment, as we already have in the Spending Review. The projects getting the go ahead have been assessed and selected on the basis of the economic benefit they will bring. As a result, we are spending more on transport infrastructure over these four years than Labour managed in their last four, which will help support businesses and growth across the entire country.

But we also realise that it is not possible just to impose growth from the centre. This government must also help local businesses and communities drive economic growth too. To this end, at the Liberal Democrat conference, I announced the launch of a £500 million Growing Places Fund. This money will go towards helping kick start developments that have been identified locally that are currently stalled by tough market conditions, difficult cash flow and a lack of confidence.

 Of course, our focus on supporting growth isn’t just about spending money – government must break down the barriers that regulation puts in the way too. The Red Tape Challenge is proving effective at identifying unhelpful and expensive regulations, but the government is tackling more controversial barriers too. That is why we must press ahead with our planning reforms. The current system means it can take years for development to get off the ground. A presumption in favour of sustainable development will ensure local protections are in place, but will help deliver much needed local homes and jobs.

Delivering growth also means looking beyond local and national horizons. Trade is vital too. In the 1980s, Britain led the agenda in developing the European Single Market, helping to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The Eurozone crisis means it’s now more important than ever that they deepen their integration, and for our own sakes it’s important we support them, to ensure we can continue to progress ensuring all areas of the European economy are open to British Business.

Finally, investment in the future also means investing in people – giving them the best opportunity possible to prosper. Raising the income tax threshold makes work pay better for millions in jobs on low incomes. Investment in apprenticeships and work experience placements is helping young people get started in a tough labour market. And even at the youngest age, the Pupil Premium is helping children from the poorest backgrounds get the best start in life.

We are putting this country on the path to prosperity for the long term, as well as introducing immediate incentives for growth. The years ahead will not be easy, and the economic storms surrounding us are still raging, but this government will not be distracted from its goal – a more prosperous future for us all.

Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP is Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This article first appeared in the most recent publication of Reformer, the journal of the Tory Reform Group.

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