The government was spending far too much in all the years of "boom" - hence the need for such a stark reversal.
And I speak as someone who believes fundamtentally in public services and who doesn't beleive that "private=good" and "public=bad".
We have wated all the years of North Sea oil and unlike the Norwegians have nto set aside an oil fund for when it runs out.
We should have been saving money during the "good" years so that we did have the money avaialable to use for counter-recessionary measures - but unfortunately we have a Chancellor who had the hubris to believe that he had personally abolished boom and bust.
As a country and as individuals we have been spending beyound our means and unfortunately, eventually we have to face the consequences.