Monthly Archives: April 2009

There are two themes from many of the contributions. Will I put my views about more widely in the media? And will the Conservatives take the advice if elected to government? Yes, I willingly put my views in the wider media when opportunity presents. I have written two Sunday Express articles and a Telegraph article, [...]

In support of my argument that Parliament meets too little and is forced to pass things without proper debate I have been sent the following figures for the Commons: 1947-97 136 timetable motions curtailing debate on a Bill ( under 3 a year) 1997-2007 438 timetable motions ( 44 a year)

Politicians and the media will try to build up the drama of Budget day. In truth you’ve had the budget already, in two senses. You’ve had it over the last year, as the government has heaped spending on spending, commitment on commitment. And you’ve had it in the last week, as the government has seen [...]

I am heartily sick of all these hand wringing interviews about how difficult it is to cut public spending. They usually ask people if they want to cut schools or hospitals, the nonsensical Labour spin. The “better” ones do go on to offer the interviewee chance to cut defence or some other public service. Businesses [...]

When I wrote my piece for today’s Sunday Express on how to cut public spending in a popular way, I should have made more of the need to cut the number of Spin Doctors and allied trades employed at the public expense. One of the ironies of the present government’s difficulties, is that the Spin [...]

The following transcript has come to me by telepathy from the thought police, Ministerial Mind Reading Section. Unfortunately the Minister concerned was referred to only by a secret Code Number which I cannot crack: ” It is now clear Gordon cannot win the election. We’re at 26% and the skids are under us. The game [...]

If you are a Minister in a government that has lost its way, is trampling on the beliefs and ideals of its own party, and busily briefing against its own people, in the end you have to resign. You carry on, trying to avoid having to defend the indefensible, picking your way carefully through the [...]

Last night I attended a meeting of around 100 angry and worried local residents. Their story could be the story of so many in modern Britain. Most of them work hard, pay their national taxes, pay their Council tax and pay their water bills. All they want is that the authorities maintain the flood defences [...]

Labour’s polling has at last picked up that many people hate their surveillance society. They tell us today they will look at their much hated Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to try to stop Councils using snooping powers against us for “minor” offences. Why not repeal it, and the rest of the surveillance society they [...]

The decision to allow a police raid on Damian Green showed yet another bad lack of judgement by the Home Secretary. We all know now that she showed a lack of judgement in what items to buy on expenses, and on how to explain the nature of her second home arrangements to taxpayers. She was [...]