Labour Re-writes History

In Ed Miliband's first speech to the comrades as party leader:

He said he understood voters' anger that "Labour hadn't stood up to the old ways in the City which said deregulation was the answer" and "at a Labour government that claimed it could end boom and bust."

Ahem. It was Labour that did the deregulating. The City might have asked for it, but Gordon Brown was willing to do it, and even bragged of it in the days before it all came crashing down. The 'light regulatory touch' was his boast, not the City's. While the bubble was still inflating, he was keen to take the credit. He didn't 'stand up' to the City - he fell over himself to give it what it wanted.

And the Labour government didn't claim it could end 'boom and bust'. It claimed it had ended boom and bust.

"Under this Government, Britain will not return to the boom and bust of the past."
Pre-Budget Report, 9th November 1999

"Britain does not want a return to boom and bust."
Budget Statement, 21 March 2000

"So our approach is to reject the old vicious circle of the...the old boom and bust."
Pre-Budget Report, 8 November 2000

"Mr Deputy Speaker we will not return to boom and bust."
Budget Statement, 7 March 2001

"As I have said before Mr Deputy Speaker: No return to boom and bust."
Budget Statement, 22 March 2006

"And we will never return to the old boom and bust."
Budget Statement, 21 March 2007

Small details, perhaps, but the comrades are starting to re-write the history of the last 13 years. (H/t Iain Dale for the compilation.)

John Prescott was keen to point out what Ed ought to be saying:

"If you're going to fight an election you will want to point out that we were quite successful in government particularly in the economic areas," he told BBC Radio 4's World at One.

And in other news, the Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix 2010 was won by Geoff Duke riding a specially-prepared New Hudson Autocycle.

And while we're at it, here's Liam Byrne yesterday:

''This Government is hell bent on destroying the foundations of our economic success ..."

This from the man who, on the day of the election, left a note for his successor, saying

"Dear Chief Secretary, I'm afraid there is no money. Kind regards - and good luck! Liam."

Remember Nikolai Yezhov? No? There's a reason for that. Gordon Brown - you're next.