A change in language

In the previous weeks the language from the coalition government seems to have reverted to the same old conservative stance.

Last week was the charge of benefits cheats, let's be honest any benefit fraud is wrong and should be punished, but compared to tax evasion and none payment of tax is a smaller problem, so why does the prime minister focus more on alleged benefits cheats?

A common theme since the coalition governments election has been the constant sniping at the public sectors pay and conditions, focusing on a small band that enjoy good employment terms, yet leaving the public with a view the majority of public employees are living off the backs of the tax payer in the age of austerity.

The truth is the financial sector caused the recession and the deficits that resulted in the loss of tax revenues and additional spending to save the economy from a depression, not huge excesses of public sector workers, many of them being low paid.

The ConDems are trying to create a toxic cocktail that gives legitimacy to cutting of benefits for the poorest and worsening of conditions of public servants, with the voters consuming of Cameron's guff and blaming the recipients of Conservative cuts.

The proud boast of a new politics has simply evaporated, the politics of prejudges is back.

The Audit Commission was abolished last week, everyone seems to respects their judgements, hugely disliked by leading Tories, just look at Mendip, they concluded they were failing to deliver value for money and no one knew what they were trying to do, the best way to end this scrutiny is to abolish or privatise this body.

I suspect not too many voters will miss the Audit Commission because they quietly go about their business, but poor performing councils will continue to coast like Mendip. Stories of strange council spending will soon appear in the Tory press, more softening for the October spending review.

Are we to be taken in by this or will we recognise what is happening?