Monthly Archives: August 2009

Andrew Sentance of the MPC has rushed into print this morning in the Sunday Times. He tells us we might have a very feeble recovery, thanks to the huge debt overhang in the US and UK, or we might have an inflationary recovery if India, China and other better placed economies generate their own growth [...]

President Bush and Prime Minister Blair made themselves unpopular by fighting the Iraqi war. In the UK a majority of people most of the time opposed the war. In the US a vocal minority against it gained strength and hounded the administration over its purpose and origins. Both leaders presided over an apparently strong economy, [...]

Democracy thrives on the clash of ideas. It needs open and public debate of what government is doing well and badly. It needs a choice for the people, with rival parties being able to articulate a different approach. Of course lively politics has lots of other noise in the system, and there will always be [...]

The news yesterday that the French and German economies grew a little in the second quarter whilst the UK one was still plunging has led to reappraisal of the UK strategy. The UK kept interest rates too high for too long in 2007-8, as I pointed out at the time. Modest recovery will come in [...]

I am invited by so called journalists to attack the NHS and side with Republican criticisms of it. I have this simple message for journalists now wanting me to appear on this topic – try reading what I wrote about the BBC and Obama’s health plans. This is just more lies and more pathetic attempts [...]

A few days ago I had an odd call. Would I like to appear on Newsnight to discuss Jack Straw’s decision over the Great train robber? “No” I said, “of course not”. I have never spoken, written or blogged about it. I have not studied it and do not think it an important issue compared [...]

I was delighted to hear Norman this morning on the radio turning out a pheasant dish to offer some variety to dinner. The seasoned campaigner is game for a different role in life, and good luck to him. Norman was one of an important breed in the 1980s – a Conservative Trade Unionist. He had [...]

The bank’s judgement today was more about output than inflation. There was no public recognition that the UK’s inflation rate has been high compared to most other countries over the last year, and no convincing explanation of why another £50 billion of quantitative easing was thought necessary or how it might work. The Governor rightly [...]

Peter Mandelson comes over as a little rattled today in the Guardian with his personal attack on George Osborne. Yesterday George made it more difficult for him, by refusing the BBC’s request to spell out the numbers “behind the cuts” so Labour could go back to playing their childish and boorish spin game of “Labour [...]