The Tories never cared about eliminating the deficit. It was just a pretext to slash the state | Frances Ryan

David Cameron and George Osborne are celebrating this week. But their austerity programme has left lives in ruins

They say that a picture looks different, depending on the viewers' perspective. The same can be said for politics. The continuing, unprecedented cuts to Britain's public services, for example, will appear quite different to a disabled person unable to get to the toilet because their social care has been halved than they will to, say, a former prime minister reading the news at his mansion.

Two events from the past week display this stark contrast. In response to news that Britain has eliminated its day-to-day deficit budget, the delayed target originally set by George Osborne when he imposed austerity on public services in 2010, the former chancellor tweeted: "We got there in the end - a remarkable national effort. Thank you." David Cameron followed self-congratulatory suit with: "It was the right thing to do."

We got there in the end - a remarkable national effort. Thank you. https://t.co/8D23AKbuwH

Far from revelling in success, the Conservatives should be considering the consequences of their failure

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