Monthly Archives: May 2009

Yesterday the Speaker’s remarks triggered another wave of bad press for Parliament. Last night there was a meeting to discuss what to do next about MPs’ expenses. I would like the Speaker to give us another Statement, based on whatever took place at that private meeting for a few MPs on the relevant committee. Ideally [...]

The first thing you do when trying to control spending in a near bankrupt company is to stop hiring people. Looking at the Jobs pages this week-end, the public sector still thinks it can hire as many as it likes to do as little as it likes. Take the case of Aberdeen City Council. They [...]

According to the polls which modern politicians normally follow slavishly, the public wants a quick 20% off public spending, so we get back to living within our means. The public are right that that is the order of magnitude if we wish to curb the borrowing. 20% off this year’s spending – or next year’s [...]

Dear Shareholders, I am writing to explain the remuneration practises of UK PLC towards its Board and senior executives. It has been designed not just to give them incentives to meet our goals of increasing spending and borrowing, but to make a direct contribution to those objectives by increasing the costs of our senior employees. [...]

The government is struggling with its new interventionist industrial strategy. So far it has failed to come up with terms to help Jaguar Land Rover. This has triggered a blast from Tata, their Indian owner, at their failure to support manufacturing. Apparently the government wants too much say and influence, when the company thinks it [...]

Is there no end to the silly spin. I cannot believe that Labour think the MPs expenses leaks are “Tory dirty tricks”. Why “Tory”? Why would any wellwisher of the Tories leak these documents, when doubtless they include some claims from Conservatives which will also prove to be embarrassing, reflecting claims for items which may [...]

Compare three different situations. 1. A Tory frontbencher leaks documents which embarrass the government but are not related to national security. Police sent in. The authorities eventually conclude there was no crime. 2. Someone leaks price sensititive information abut the financial position of the leading banks and the Regulator’s responses to them. Police not involved. [...]

I was pleased last night with Peter Lilley and Edward Leigh to be on the winning side at the Cambridge Union. The motion taking pride in Margaret’s period in office was carried. It was no stroll in the park. There were plenty of neo Marxists, left inclined thinkers and some Labour supporters who seemed to [...]

I am asked to confirm that MPs invested in Equitable Life through their pension arrangements. Yes, Equitable Life was the preferred company for MPs making Additional Voluntary Contributions for their pensions. It means that many MPs in the Commons are not allowed to request compensation for the company’s clients as they would be themselves direct [...]

After losing us £24,000,000,000 last year, our very own RBS has managed to keep its losses down to a modest £850,000,000 in the first quarter of this year. Barclays made money for their shareholders. You might have thought that after such whopping losses they had allowed for the kitchen sink and the basin plug. Apparently [...]