Bad news for the Co-op today as Moody’s downgrades their debt rating to junk status. Labour’s bank of choice has been battered by bad debts over recent years, one of their major debtors is – surprise, surprise – none other than the Labour Party themselves. Of the £3,580,000 borrowed in 1999, only £189,000 has been repaid, meaning Labour still owe their troubled lender £3,391,000. Maybe they could pay them back to help them out a bit…

Unable to cut spending, Obama has been forced to accept $85 billion of cuts…

Guido said last week that Dave Denies Debt Truth, the boss of the Office for National Statistics, Andrew Dilnot, agrees. He has given Downing Street a slap, though Osborne will be pleased with the confirmation that the deficit is down by a quarter…

In all the referendum chatter yesterday something significant went little reported. Fraser Nelson pointed out that the Prime Minister told a massive fib in the Conservative party political broadcast. He claimed the government was “paying down Britain’s debts”, listen:

As you can see from the graph that is completely untrue. That’s not poor phrasing. That is lying.

UPDATE: Jean-Christophe Gray – the PM’s spokesman – told the Lobby that the PM does know the difference between the UK’s budget deficit, down from 11% to 7% of GDP and the total stock of debt, up from 70.7% to 79.9% by the time of the next general election.

Guido is impressed. Stella Creasy’s endorsement of the ASI’s “Zero-Base Policy” that would see every single item of public spending reassessed is gaining traction in Labour.  After Guido gave her interview a push last week, the idea has now been adopted by her colleagues over at shadow Business Innovation and Skills. Asked if he agreed with Stella’s reality-based thinking, Chuka understudy Ian Murray told an interview with London Loves Business:

“Absolutely. If you start from a zero budget spending review, you can always work forward if you have money available. It’s a bit about priorities isn’t it? I don’t think there’s anything wrong in saying that you have to look at where your money is best spent. 

Finally a policy on the blank sheet of paper! A win for Stella and the ASI.

In a low-key interview over the summer, Labour’s Stella Creasy declared herself a member of the reality based community. She told Patrick Wintour of the Guardian that the main focus of an incoming Labour government must be value for money. Therefore they would have to “reassess every single item of departmental public spending in response to mounting government debt and the pressure on public resources.” The interview won her plaudits from the likes of ConservativeHome and the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

The Zero Base Policy is an idea advocated by the Adam Smith Institute and they’re delighted that it’s gaining traction in Parliament:

“It’s great to see that Stella Creasy has been reading some Adam Smith Institute publications. Now that she’s read Zero Base Policy, she should try Madsen Pirie’s “Economics Made Simple” and Eamonn Butler’s “The Alternative Manifesto” to learn that you can’t spend your way out of a recession.”

While you might think all this praise from sensible types will blot Stella’s copy book in the eyes of her deluded Labour colleagues, quite the opposite has happened. Instead, LabourList readers have named her as their MP of the Month-  not only for her campaign against Wonga, but as the site notes, her Zero Base work too. There is a lesson for Labour there…

This morning’s public borrowing figures do not make happy reading for the government. Despite July traditionally providing good news in terms of tax receipts, Chancellor Zero has borrowed £600 million in the last month – compared with a £2.8 billion surplus in the same month last year. The total borrowing projection for this year is now some £30 billion more than in 2011, despite the Coalition predicting that borrowing would fall.

BBC News‘ Jane Hill is suggesting that the government has borrowed the money “by accident“. Perhaps she has been reading Tory whip Greg Hands’ tweets to Guido:

@GuidoFawkes Yes, but point is Labour would do it deliberately.—
Greg Hands (@GregHands) August 21, 2012

Well that’s okay then…

You wait for ages for a good letter in the FT and suddenly two come along at once. It’s not just the eminent economists telling it like it is about the 50p tax rate this morning, but also another healthy dose of reality from the CEO of brokers Tullett Prebon, Terry Smith:

“To the ordinary person in the street, the idea that we can rescue ourselves from a crisis caused by excessive borrowing by borrowing even more must seem mad. In this respect they are possessed of far more common sense than those who are currently advocating just such a course of action and purport to be our leaders… The first step in rectifying this situation should be to make a clear and unambiguous statement about the actual debt the UK is carrying.”

Once messy public sector pensions, PFI and banking guarantees are taken into account, Smith believes out debt to be £3,589,000,000,000. MPs are reporting that their very own can arrived in the post this morning from Smith.  To keep on kicking:

Guido is amused…

According to the BBC 350 of us turned out to Rally Against the Debt, a petition passed round gathered 400 signatures so the actual number is likely nearer 500. The Fawkes girls were unimpressed with their first political demonstration and even their father’s speech until they saw a chihuahua dog which made their day. It was as promised, pretty civilised and good natured, there were no riots, arrests or any trouble – apart from 3 counter protestors. The after party at the Westminster Arms went on till late…

The Rally Against Debt will be held at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, central London, at 11 a.m. Today.

Old Palace Yard (pictured above) is in between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, a short distance from Victoria train station and walking distance from both Westminster and St James’s Park tube stations.

The Rally will start at 11 a.m. and finish in good time for the FA Cup final, and during that time there will be the opportunity to hear speakers explain why they are rallying against debt, and to see the TPA Debt Clock – a giant digital display counting up the country’s national debt.

If you need a reminder of the reasons behind the rally, why not take a look at our Why Rally Against Debt fact sheet, or check out the official website FAQ. And if you’re on Facebook, why not join the official event page?

Come and enjoy yourselves, while taking the opportunity to make a serious point about the importance of dealing with Britain’s horrific national debt.