Yesterday’s budget was historic in many respects; public borrowing is to stand at an all-time high of £175bn next year, a new 50% rate for those earning over £150′000 pushes taxes to the limit, and a £2000 per car scrappage scheme will pump over £300m into the motor industry. However, what is not historic is the reaction of the Conservative opposition. The world economy is in a mess and no-one can deny that is also the case for the UK public finances. It is not the case however, that this is has been single-handedly caused by the Labour government, as the Conservatives would like us to believe.

Before the financial crisis took a turn for the worse in autumn 2008, the UK economy was growing faster than all the other G7 economies with the 59th quarter of uninterrupted economic growth within sight. Income tax had been lowered to 20p, the lowest rate in 75 years, and inflation had been at an all-time average low.

This was about to rapidly change. Hindsight is a great thing and I have wished for it many times in my life.

What would the Conservatives want Alistair Darling to do? All we know if that they want an immediate cut in public spending, right at the time the country needs it most. A spending cut would put more jobs at risk, force more families and children into poverty and stifle investment in new housing and carbon reduction.

What else have the Conservatives suggested? Almost nothing. David Cameron is great at quick quips and witty retorts but has a long way to go in terms of actual policy and real solutions to the economic crisis the UK finds itself in. It’s unfair to criticise Labour’s huge increase in real-term spending over the last decade, when it was necessary to correct years of Conservative neglect in our public services.

I hope people vote with their hearts and their heads at the next election and realise that the Conservatives are most definitely wolves in sheep’s clothing.