Now these are the kind of Conservatives this conservative can get behind!

David Cameron, leader of the British Conservative Party has announnced that the Conservative economiic program puts tax cuts squarely in the rear:

"When it comes to the economy, I am absolutely clear that stability and responsibility come first, second, and third as our priorities, and that they come before the commitment to cut taxes,"

-David Cameron

Ooh, gee, so when Her Majesty's governmentt is billions of quid in the red it might be best to build economic stabilisation into one's budgeting and put the nation into cyclical surplus, so that taxes can eventually be lowered while meeting the nation's social needs. If only they could realise that here in CANADA!

Cameron wants government spending to rise slower than growth but at a rate fast enough to continue to protect (read: slowly expand and add to) public services. I would take minor issue with this, as Galbraith has pointed out, Government must grow faster than the economy, because economic transactions become more complex and provide more opportunity for market failure. The only way to reduce the size of government is to simplify the economy. But that doesn't mean less economic actors, that means constraints on the compexity and variety of transactions. I wouldn't want to regulate consumer choice out of existence, so I've really no opttion, but to meet change as it comes with government intervention and regulation where necessary.

Anyway, given the alternative I'm happy that Britain has rediscovered classical conservatism. Now if only the rest of us could do the same.