The arrest of Damian Green, shadow immigration minister, has understandably led to a firestorm of internet coverage. I won’t link to them all, but just assume that every UK blog I can think of has weighed in, quite rightly. Like most people, I have no idea what the police investigation is uncovering, or why the [...]
Entries from November 2008
November 27, 2008
The Three Horsemen…
As I was having a (very enjoyable) coffee with Iain Dale today we couldn’t help but notice ex-Chancellors Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson and Norman Lamont coming back from a meeting in the Norman Shaw buildings, where they’d presumably been advising Mr Osborne or Mr Cameron. Howe, Lawson and Lamont. 3 million unemployed, Black Monday and [...]
November 26, 2008
PMQs – here we go.
Well, this one will fun. Very good start by Gordon in response to Peter Tapsell pointing out he’d called for a cut in VAT and increased capital spending. Cameron going on VAT. Nice soundbites, but very lightweight in content. An easy Gordon win so far. Can I take some credit for the “Do Nothing” line [...]
November 24, 2008
Initial reactions..
I tend not to like giveing instant reactions to enormous announcements – time for reflection is a pretty useful commodity. Yet we’ve known the thrust and the outline of this PBR for a while. So perhaps some snap judgements aren’t entirely out of place. Some background – I’ve been calling for a strategy of lowering [...]
November 24, 2008
The Choice
So here’s the choice. Do we want to push the economy forward by helping consumers with lower VAT, tax relief for middle income household, and lower fuel prices and up front capital spending while helping small businesses by making £7 billion of loans and supports for small firms. Or do we want to do nothing, [...]
November 24, 2008
PBR live-ish blogging
Alistair stands up. Tory MPs clearly up for a bit of shouting and barracking and so on. Starts off by talking about global economy. Update 1 Global economy will recover – root of todays failing in global system. Tory MPs disagree loudly. Michael Fabricant told off. Perhaps he fears a tax on hairpieces. Update 2 [...]
November 24, 2008
Live-ish blogging – 45%
Just a thought. Right wing talking heads are saying that a top rate tax rate of 45% would stop people starting small businesses. Presumably then, the 1979-1988 era was a pretty entrepeneur unfirendly time. Second. I hate vox pops. I hate them. Hate hate hate hate.“Hello Steve, you’re a plank. Can you tell me the [...]
November 24, 2008
PBR Live(ish) blogging
To begin with, let’s note some media insanity. Sky News has got a helicopter in the air to film the exciting journey of Alistair Darling going from the Treasury to Parliament. It’s a journey of 30 seconds or so. Fine, It seems ludicrous, but whatever. But then they cut away from the car journey to [...]
November 24, 2008
Boy George…
As we alll wait breathless with anticipation for the Pre Budget Report, here’s a little vid reflecting on George Osborne’s problems (via Luke Akehurst). Mind you, I’ve always though of Osborne as more Boy Mulcaster than Boy George.
November 25, 2008
A modest proposal
I spent much of this weekend on trains. It’s a mild irony that when you invest in infrastucture, like renerwing railways tracks, putting in new gas pipes, or widening roads, the short term effect is to make life more miserable and unpleasant for everyone. There should be a term for this. I suggest “the planned works [...]
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