The last 24 hours have been rather news-heavy, with the two big stories being Europe and this morning the Kelly Report.
I’ve written numerous pieces on expenses, so I will deal with that in due course, but suffice to say, I have been banging on about ending the Communications Allowance and having a rental allowance for so long, that I am feeling somewhat vindicated in the positions I took.
More fundamental and important is the question of Britain in Europe. I understand that David Cameron will be making an announcement at 4pm, so I deliberately wanted to make my opinions clear before then, rather than just writing out another reactive piece after the fact.
Continue reading ‘Europe’
Published at September 9, 2009
in Conservative news, Conservatives, Deregulation, Elections, Freedom of speech and civil liberties, ID cards, Local Services, Local government, NEWS -, POLITICS -, TOPICS -, Tax, Terrorism, The Economy, The environment and Uncategorized.
Conservative Home have just put up a post, asking the “10 Big Questions” any incoming Conservative Government will need to consider after the next election.
I, for my part, hope to be part of that Government, so will do my best to answer those questions here and now.
Continue reading ‘10 Big Questions’
The summer bank holiday is over and slowly we’re creeping towards the most important party conference season of this Parliament. For this will be the last conference for each of the parties before the next General Election, so each will be using their time to set out their stalls for the forthcoming campaign.
Members of each of the parties will be in anticipation for what the “big theme” will be for each of their party’s campaigns, although the bets are that the economy will obviously dominate.
So what should that of the Conservatives be?
Continue reading ‘The Big Idea’
I know it’s silly season and that the major political stories are quite lightweight, but I feel the need to discuss the long-term problems that the Government, in whatever form it takes, will have over the coming years.
We have been drawn to talk to about “the next Government”, as if May 2010 is some kind of watershed, but that is not the case. Life does not work around the Parliamentary or constitutional timetable. Whilst politicians set the stage for the forthcoming General Election, public debt goes up, unemployment goes up and tax receipts continue to fall. These things don’t wait for an election.
Continue reading ‘Are Wealth Taxes Next?’
When Peter Mandelson speaks, I tend to listen. Not because I agree with what he says, but because, as he so famously announced the last time he was re-elected as the MP for Hartlepool, he is a “survivor and not a quitter”.
Mandelson is quite frankly, one of the canniest political operators around. If Gordon Brown is Macavity the mystery cat, then Mandelson is the archetypal feline with nine lives.
Continue reading ‘Labour Tactics at The Next Election’
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