Osborne launches economy attack

George Osborne has launched the first in a series of attacks on Gordon Brown's record in spreading wealth beyond the City to middle class families in the regions.  

The shadow chancellor says that it is the beginning of a drive to demonstrate that the prime minister is failing to extend prosperity.

 

In an interview with the Guardian, Osborne said: "There is a powerful economic argument to be deployed against Gordon Brown, which is that not enough people in Britain are sharing in the global prosperity.

 

"There are parts of our population and large parts of our country which have not benefited as much as they should have done.

 

"Of course we want a very dynamic and successful City of London. But Britain cannot just be the City of London and then 50-odd million people living off the back of those who work in financial services."

 

The senior Tory went on to say that the growing gap between rich and poor in the UK showed that Brown's economic policies had and were failing.

 

"I don't see any new argument coming from Gordon Brown that actually addresses these really deep challenges, challenges like the fact that child poverty is rising, like the fact that regional disparities are increasing, like the fact that real disposable income is falling for the average family," he said.

 

"These are the big issues and I don't see anything except a day-to-day newspaper chase from the prime minister,"

 

As Conservative general election campaign manager, Osborne said his party was ready for the contest whenever it is called - even in October.

 

"I think in the end elections do come down to a choice between one party talking about the past and one party talking about the future. We have got to be the party that's engaged in the future," he said.

 

Brown's substantial poll lead was not a cause for major concern, Osborne added. 

 

"All new political leaders usually enjoy some kind of novelty period where people are looking at the new things they are doing. But when people look back, even when they look back on the last few weeks, and say, 'Well, what really substantive thing has he said, what really new idea has he put on the table?', there's not really anything there," he said.