Ed Miliband has form for robot-like repetition of the same phrases over and over again, just remember his infamous “these strikes are wrong” interview. Well a compare and contrast of yesterday’s Budget response with his responses from previous years suggests someone should turn him off and on again:
Yesterday: “The Chancellor spoke for nearly an hour. But he did not mention one central fact. The working people of Britain are worse off under the Tories”.
2012: “The Chancellor spoke for an hour. But there was one phrase that did not pass his lips. One claim he has abandoned. ‘We’re all in this together’”.
2011: “The Chancellor spoke for nearly an hour. But one fact says it all. Growth down last year, this year and next year”.
Yesterday: “It’s a classic Tory con. Give with one hand and take far more away with another.”
2013: “The Chancellor is giving with one hand, and taking far more away with the other”.
2012: “All he is doing for ordinary families is giving with one hand and taking far more away with the other”.
Yesterday: “Will he rule out a further tax cut for millionaires to 40p? Just nod your head if you’re ruling it out!”.
2013: “come on. Nod your head if you are getting the 50p tax rate”
2012: “Just nod if you’re going to benefit from it. Come on, we’ve got plenty of time.”
Yesterday: “It’s Tory values. It’s Tory choices. It’s the same old Tories“
2012: “Wrong choices. Wrong priorities. Wrong values. Out of touch. Same old Tories“
2011: “Every Tory tax cut ends up costing them more. Same old Tories. Same old deceit.”
Yesterday: “2011 – living standards down. 2012 – living standards down. 2013 – living standards down”
2013: “Growth last year, down. Growth this year, down. Growth next year, down”
2012: “Growth down last year. Growth down this year. Growth down next year”.
Yesterday: “Under them it’s a recovery for the few not the many”
2013: “they don’t understand, you need a recovery made by the many not just a few at the top”
2012: “Unfair. Out of touch. For the few, not the many.”
Some of these weren’t terrible the first time round, but please Ed, come up with something new for next time…