Political

Refreshingly frank or recklessly foolish? Darling paints picture of economic gloom

The Guardian has an exclusive interview in Saturday’s magazine with the Chancellor, Alistair Darling. The Labour politician paints a grim picture of the state of the economy:

Britain is facing “arguably the worst” economic downturn in 60 years which will be “more profound and long-lasting” than people had expected, Alistair Darling, the chancellor, has told the Guardian today.

In the government’s gravest assessment of the economy, which follows a warning from a Bank of England policymaker that 2 million people could be unemployed by Christmas, Darling admits he had no idea how serious the credit crunch would become.

Darling’s blunt remarks lay bare the unease in the highest ranks of the cabinet that the downturn is making it all but impossible for Gordon Brown to recover momentum after a series of setbacks.

The chancellor, who says that Labour faces its toughest challenge in a generation, admits that Brown and the cabinet are partly to blame for Labour’s woes because they have “patently” failed to explain the party’s central mission to the country, leaving voters “pissed off”.

In a candid interview Darling warns that the economic times faced by Britain and the rest of the world “are arguably the worst they’ve been in 60 years”.

To deepen the sense of gloom, he adds: “And I think it’s going to be more profound and long-lasting than people thought.”…

Darling does not name names, but says some people want his job and have been trying to undermine him. Many in the Treasury believe that Ed Balls, the schools secretary, has been less than supportive. “There’s lots of people who’d like to do my job. And no doubt,” he adds, half under his breath, “actively trying to do it.”