He actually said it!

There's an article in the FT about Labour's last minute scorched-earth spending splurge, all good stuff, although the Lib-Cons have barely scratched the surface*.

The highlight is this from The Badger: Former ministers have dismissed the exercise as a political show-trial to soften up public opinion for spending cuts. Alistair Darling, former chancellor, said blaming an outgoing administration was the "oldest trick in the book".

Sheesh.

They wrote the book. A quick Google search of years+of+Tory"under investment" gives me 33,500 hits, the latest were in the last few days.

* A few quick wins, lads - shut down DTI, DFID, DECC and DCMS, and replace the entire welfare system with a Citizen's Income, that'd save about £50 billion a year. Sure, DTI budget includes some spending on higher education, which is important for the economy in general and employers in particular - but they end up paying twice. They pay for cost of higher education through taxation and the value of the education through higher salaries.

On a personal note, I paid for my own degree courses (OK, they were subsidised, but it's the principle that matters) without getting a penny of grant and for my own professional qualifications (with private providers). Stupendously good value they were too. I can imagine most lorry drivers or taxi drivers would say the same thing, or indeed anybody who accepted below-market wages while they were doing an apprenticeship or similar.