AFTER the coalition ended, in 2015 chancellor George Osborne announced his budget and long term objectives of (a) low wage (b) low tax and (c) low welfare economy, of a single party Conservative government.

In the TV debate with the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, PM Boris Johnson mentioned only two elements of these long term aims of a Conservative government, wage and low tax economy, failing to include low welfare, a key factor of the last nine years of austerity, when stating the aims of his economic strategy.

Why?

Was Boris Johnson’s economic strategy different to that of the Conservative government of 2015?

Was he afraid to mention welfare in front of a public panel?

Is austerity officially over?

Possible momentary memory loss?

Or was it just a cynical move by Boris Johnson on how not to tell the electorate of continued austerity, under the guise of lower welfare for the most vulnerable, the sick and disabled, the unemployed, subsidy for the low waged and those on zero hour contracts, working tax credit claimants etc, should a Conservative government be returned in December?

Maybe the Conservative manifesto will provide the real reason.

Alan Kelly, Ferryhill