The Unofficial Opposition

I was reading this article today about the creation of a load of non-jobs (recycling, forestry workers) and I think that something just tipped, something I've been spotting for a long time, and it's now happened one too many times.

That thing is the use of the Taxpayers Alliance (TPA) as the first opposition voice in government spending. I have no criticism of the TPA.

But it does strike me that in the years of Major or Blair, the first opposition voice in an article was a spokesman from the opposition party. Today, it's the TPA. Are the Telegraph going to them first for a comment? I doubt it. More likely, the Conservatives are too scared to be bold and aren't commenting.

Is it any surprise that people don't know what the Conservatives stand for, when they seem to be unafraid to say anything that might be considered as tough choices?