I am beginning to wonder if the chancellor knows something about climate change that he is not letting on, because next week we will have his autumn statement, which is yet again in December.
It comes as his five year plan to eliminate the deficit is now running four years late and wages have fallen year on year while food bank use soars.
On this government’s watch the majority of people in poverty in this country are in work, but all this government can deliver is a £3 billion a year tax cut for the top one per cent of earners.
But if there is one thing this government can do really well it is miss their own targets. On top of the chancellor’s abject failure on the deficit, the Home Secretary has this week finally admitted that the government has no hope of meeting its target to reduce net migration.
Just yesterday we discovered that the government’s flagship universal credit programme is being delayed again. It was meant to be fully in place by 2017, but a National Audit Office report now says that it won’t be ready until 2020.
The secretary of state for work and pensions often talks fondly of ‘landing the universal credit programme safely’ but it is clear from this damning report that it has not even taken off yet.
This week, yet again, we have watched as the Conservative party’s civil war on Europe widens. After the chancellor’s humiliating climb down on EU bankers bonuses, and as the prime minister keeps us all waiting for yet another speech to end all speeches on Europe, it is no wonder Tory members of parliament are taking matters in to their own hands.
Philip Davies, member for Shipley has said ‘I agree with UKIP and Nigel Farage on virtually everything.’ Former secretary of state for the environment, Owen Paterson, has been making a bid to put himself at the head of the out campaign with six senior ministers look set to join him.
It is no wonder the home secretary has let it be known that she no longer rates the prime minister and has just ‘given up’ on him. Appearing on Desert Island discs this week she revealed her favourite song is Abba’s Dancing Queen when what she really meant was ‘take a chance on me’.
I can only imagine what it would be like to be stuck on a desert island: cut off, alone, isolated from your friends, with no one to talk to and no hope of rescue. Actually it must be like being a Liberal Democrat.
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Angela Eagle is member of parliament for Wallasey, shadow leader of the House of Commons and writes the weekly Business of Parliament column for Progress. She tweets @AngelaEagle
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