When the New Labour government first came to power in 1997, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (or finance minister), was tightfisted. He bolted down public spending and increased the tax burden. In 2000 the dividends arrived, as Mr Brown ladled out money for public services. The ever-more-powerful Chancellor promised targeted giveaways in the 2001 budget. This year's budget focused on reviving the perpetually troubled National Health Service. Mr Brown vowed to raise taxes-National Insurance contributions, more precisely-to bring British health spending to European levels. In his mid-year spending review, delivered in July, he showered still more money on other services, education in particular. But pouring money into an unreformed system may not be his cleverest idea.