Alistair Darling - the new Geoffrey Howe ?

"Raising the top rate is something I didn’t want to do"...... says Alistair Darling in the Torygraph. 

One has to feel some sympathy for the Chancellor. Regardless of whether one agrees with his party politics, the job he took in 2007 has since turned into a very different proposition. 

To re-read now his 2007 interview in the FT, of which the opening exchange is quite alarming in retrospect, it is not difficult to believe that he did, indeed, disagree not only with the introduction of the hike in the top rate of income tax but probably also other knee jerk, politically motivated, changes of recent times, such as the remittance basis amendments or the introduction of the SAddO provisions.  

All of which puts one in mind of another uncharasmatic ex-lawyer and former Chancellor.

"It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find, the moment the first balls are bowled, that their bats have been broken before the game by the team captain."

For younger viewers, the rest of the speech is here (starts at bottom of page).