Lord Young fails to fend off Eagle's attacks

When eagles swoop on their prey they more often than not get their victim. Angela Eagle lives up to her name, if only in part. She's good on the attack but has failed to soar high with glory. Her favoured method is the monotone attack laced with half truths and innuendo. This morning she has been doing the rounds giving the impression of being a palsied victim in sackcloth and ashes. This lunchtime Lord Young has resigned as enterprise advisor to the government.

His "political crime" was stating the bleeding obvious. That was that despite the economic times "the vast majority are better off". That is true. Most are in employment. Most have very low mortgage rates. Most have more disposable income. However, lots of other people will bear the brunt of the cuts, will lose their jobs and will find it hard going.

The difficulty with modern politics is that political antennae have to pick up all kinds of signals. Unfortunately, Lord Young was not tuned into Ms Eagle's wavelength. Her AM band crackle was being heard loud and clear elsewhere. It got picked up by the media, never ones to enter the cerebral heights of political debate, and relayed ad nauseam.

David Cameron realised that Lord Young's remarks were politically unsustainable. However, the truth should find more favour with him. He should be pleased that so many have actually "never had it so good". If he would prefer to tell us that we have never had it so bad, let him say so.

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