MobileWhere's Alistair Darling?
14:46 | Insider Research
Alistair Darling may be renowned for his low-key approach, but his recent disappearance from the airwaves in the midst of a debate on public spending is remarkable.
Has he been sidelined in an attempt to keep him out of sight, or is he lying low through choice, to avoid being drawn on specifics?
PoliticsHome put the question to the Phi100 insider panel, which comprises parliamentarians, senior political journalists, party strategists and policy experts.
The panel were split on this issue, with just under two thirds of left-leaning and non-aligned panellists saying that Darling has chosen to keep a low profile, and comparable proportions of those on the right and Lib Dems holding the opposite view.
Overall, a narrow fifty one per cent majority of the panel reckon that it is Darling’s chosen strategy to lay low.
Four per cent think the Chancellor has been ‘otherwise engaged’.
Why do you think Alistair Darling has been absent from the airwaves recently when there has been so much discussion of public spending?
Does he disagree?
A right-leaning parliamentarian believed: ‘It's a mixture of the first two.’
A strategist on the panel said: ‘Balls kept saying that Darling knows the details but as long as Darling stays hidden no details can be discussed.’
A left-leaning parliamentarian said: ‘He doesn't agree with the government position on tax/spend and can't defend it.’
CSR possibility rejected
The Business Secretary surprised many by making a shock announcement – seen as a mistake by some – on yesterday’s Today programme that no spending review would be held by the government before the next election.
The Treasury - within whose remit this issue would normally lie - have remained silent, briefing that a CSR may still be a possiblity.
Sixty one per cent of the Phi100 believe, however, that Mandelson was right and that not even a review of reduced scope will occur before the next election.
Right-leaning and non-aligned panellists believe more strongly that left-leaning and Lib Dem panellists that no CSR will be forthcoming before the election.
CSR would undermine Labour attack
A panellist at a right-leaning think tank reckoned a review would not take place on the grounds that : ‘A CSR will highlight cuts and undermine Labour's sole attack line against the Tories.’
A non-aligned media panellist said: ‘some spending totals might be fleshed out but nothing you could call a spending review.’
A Lib Dem parliamentarian commented: ‘The CSR is not in fairness due till July 2010, but a cheap and dirty review will be needed to inform a manifesto.’