The battle of ideas

One of the most worrying trends is the Left’s advance in the battle of ideas. A recent poll found that 60 per cent of Britons favour raising taxes to spend more on health, education and social benefits, including 53 per cent of Conservative Party supporters. Of course, what a lot of them probably want to see is someone else’s taxes going up – not their own. But the greedy state rarely makes that distinction, and when taxes do rise, the entire economy suffers, income to the Treasury falls, services are depleted and everyone loses out. That includes the very poor.

Nevertheless, the virtue signallers are winning the argument – and it’s the Tories’ fault that they are. Not only have they not been explaining – or for that matter practising – conservative economics, but they’ve actually spent the last eight years bashing the successful. We are all for fairness and paying to the Exchequer what one is obliged to, but the Tories are wrong to indulge in the politics of envy and the munificent welfare state. Whatever happened to public sector reform? Much of it remains inefficient and wasteful.

The Conservatives have played Labour’s game by rolling out an unfunded commitment to a £20billion budget boost for the NHS. Labour, predictably, has promised just enough extra to appear more compassionate. When the Right embraces socialist economics, it triggers a bidding war that the Tories can never win because Labour will always go further – and at this week’s conference it will promise voters the moon.

It’s time the Conservatives replied with a different, compelling message about capitalism, opportunity and letting individuals control more of their own money.