Joined Up Opposition

Exhibit 1: From Marketing Magazine, 1 February 2010:

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne yesterday pledged that the Government's advertising budget would be among the first to be cut by a new Conservative government... Osborne confirmed the marketing budget handled by the COI, which last year amounted to £540 million, was the place to begin the necessary changes... The Government was the UK's largest advertiser in 2009 following an increase of 43% year on year. It was responsible for campaigns ranging from recruiting teachers to helping people give up smoking, and recycling to tax returns.

Fair enough, money well worth saving, you might think.

Exhibit 2: From The Daily Mail, 18 February 2010:

David Cameron today pledged to clamp down on the 'inappropriate sexualisation' of children as he vowed to give them their childhood back. The Tory leader outlined proposals for punitive measures against firms found flouting rules against targeting youngsters... It came as he suggested firms found guilty of inappropriate marketing to children could be banned from bidding for Government contracts for three years.

Er ... right, so George says that a Tory government will stop giving taxpayers' money to advertising and marketing firms, full stop, but George's boss says that a Tory government will stop giving them taxpayer's money if they don't do what he wants?

Doesn't that suggest that Dave will only stop giving taxpayers' money to advertising and marketing firms if they don't do what he wants, i.e. that as long they comply, they will continue receiving taxpayers' money? Blue Socialism, anyone?