""The ending of Boom and Bust" was always a great sound bite, and now that the UK has officially entered recession it is coming back to haunt Gordon Brown, with commentators and radio interviewers accusing him of peddling falsehoods, of deluding the public, of arrogance and worse. This is rather unfair, as no politician could ever have credibly promised to protect Britain from recession for all time, Brown included.
His original objective, set out before Labour came to power in 1997, could with hindsight have been better phrased as "we will abolish homegrown Boom and Bust".
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In a sense Gordon Brown can be compared to the driver of a bus which has been travelling a rough and bumpy road. On taking the wheel, he promises the passengers that from now on the road will be smooth and there will be no more "Boom and Bust". He drives carefully along a fine new highway and all is well. But then a storm breaks out and the bus is buffeted from side to side. The passengers at the back complain loudly that they were misled, that it is just as uncomfortable as before - but Gordon must not waste time arguing with them. He has to concentrate on driving the bus."
Indeed Gordon Brown could be compared to the driver of a bus: a bus that has had very expensive new seats, air-conditioning and a 7-channel surround system fitted; all paid for on credit and without having the engine serviced or the tyres kept at the right pressure. Now the bus has a couple of punctures and is in need of careful maintenance but Gordon Brown won't pull over for a garage to take a look instead he is trying to fix a puncture by coating the tyres in used £50 notes whilst putting the accelerator pedal hard down so as to avoid any more nails in the road.
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