So the Conservative Party is gradually coming clean. And it is clear already that as part of their “pain for all” plans phase one is taking a scorched earth policy to public spending.

With a freeze on public sector pay, delayed pensions, restricted pay limits and a 10% cut to public services this is a scorched earth policy designed for more than control of public spending in mind.

The more I here from Cameron, Osborne and co. the more I believe this weeks announcements are part of a concerted attempt to scare the British public into accepting the most demanding and fierce medicine they can throw at us. The big question is this. If the Tories are planning this scale of attack on our public services and spending, what do they intend to do with the savings? Something tells me when the public purse has recovered, we won’t be seeing re-investment in those same public services, and then they may just delay restoring the pension/earnings link or even put back retirement age further. And we shouldn’t forget that they have already pledged cuts to inheritance tax to make life easier for the rich as well.

Phase two should be very interesting – there is no doubt we need to cut public spending and we do need people to face up to some stark choices. However what we should be doing is not taking a chain saw to our public services but discussing which services should be protected and which need improving and which need support. What should our priorities be. I suspect the Conservatives know what they’re priorities are – so how about telling us. Now. Or is it all a case of slash and burn?