Hot air

Andrew Little gave his big "state of the nation" speech today, telling his preferred audiance of the 1% that Labour wants more jobs, higher wages, and lower inequality. They weren't impressed, and neither am I. The problem? There's two. First of course is Little's pretence that he can deliver those things without hurting the people he was speaking to. That's crap. Raising wages means reducing profits, and redirecting growth so that everyone shares in it means directing it away from its current beneficiaries, the ultra-rich. Business knows this, we know this, so who does Little think he's fooling?

Second of course is the lack of detail. Labour wants these things, but they won't say how they'll go about getting them. Well, I want chocolate chip cookies, but unless I have a plan (and some sugar, butter, eggs, flour, baking soda and half a block of Whittakers) my cookie dreams will remain unfulfilled. Sure, its a long way till the next election, and Labour is more interested in positioning itself than in policy - but without policy, positions mean nothing. Aspirations alone are just hot air.