Good question.
The last Tory government left the country's economy in the best shape it has ever been and the treasury coffers the fullest since the industrial revolution.
Tony Blair had 10 years of buying votes with this funds.When the money ran out he embarked on a series of private partnership deals that dont show up as debt,yet the governments of all parties will be paying back for the next 50 years...or at least our children will.
Blair not only bankrupt us but has made future recovery virtually impossible.
In short,he sold off every last national asset to maintain his vote buying excesses.
In answer to your question,yes,he did hand Brown a ticking time bomb.There is nothing left and nothing to mortgage,its over for us all,not just Brown.
In truth,much of the problem was created by Brown as a disastrous Chancellor.Selling off Britains gold at an all time low and selling our fishing rights to foreign investors are just 2 examples of why he needed to hide the black hole in the economy with smoke and mirrors.
Probably the next Tory government are going to have the most difficult task of all.They have nothing to work with.They wont be in a position to promise lower taxes because labour have already mortgaged our futures.
Traditionally,the Tories step in to thanklessly reapir the damage caused by Labours short term thinking and excessive spending.Its a painful task rarely appreciated by the population.Unfortunately,this time,the excessive population levels caused by immigration of unskilled masses is beyond the skills and willing of any centre line government.
Camerons a good guy with his head screwed on but doesnt have radical plans in place that Mrs Thatcher did.
I will be voting for a party farther to the right,otherwise Cameron will merely slow our descent into oblivion.