Conservative Party attack ad slams Balls and Miliband’s time working in Gordon Brown’s Treasury
Yesterday evening, on the eve of the Budget, the Tories launched a fresh attack ad lambasting Ed Miliband and Ed Balls for their time working as Treasury aides to Gordon Brown.
The video features the two Eds beside Gordon Brown in 1997, shortly after Labour's historic landslide victory. The Tory ad argues the last Labour government came into power promising prudence, but quickly devolved into a mass spending spree.
The ad accuses Labour of wrecking the economy and warns voters not to let Labour do it again. After showing a host of newspaper clips savaging Labour's record on borrowing, the video cuts to interviews from the two Eds with Andrew Marr, where both refuse to say the last government spent too much money.
The Conservatives hope their years of connecting the current Labour leadership with the economic record of the previous government will make voters think twice before switching to Ed Miliband.
With George Osborne's opinion ratings somewhat restored from subterranean levels in 2012, today's Budget is the last set-piece opportunity for the government to draw clear blue water between itself and the opposition, as well as sweeten the electorate before polling day.
Measures already known to be included in today's Budget are further reform of the pensions system, cuts to beer duty and an end to annual tax returns. It is highly likely the personal allowance will be raised even further, while duty on spirits could also be in line for a cut.