Monthly Archives: January 2010

There are many economic myths around. There is the idea that the government abolished boom and bust. There is Labour latest fashion that borrowing and spending more in the public sector produces a stronger recovery. So far the biggest borrowing nation of all the major economies, the UK, is the only one not to have [...]

Praise where praise is due. Apparently the clueless coup had its moments. Lord M and Mr D seem to have wrestled the driving wheel away from Mr Balls. According to briefing “Tory cuts versus Labour investment” is no longer the dish of the day. We are all cutters now. This morning Mr Darling begins the [...]

This blast of Arctic weather will not help our economy haul itself out of recession. This week our large companies that need gas to manufacture have been told to stop burning gas so the rest of us can stay warm. The government has failed to organise sufficient gas storage, as part of its general energy [...]

“Keep this card and see that we keep our promises” says my copy of Labour’s pledge card from the start of the government.I did : “Get 250,000 under 25 year olds off benefit and into work Set tough rules for government spending and borrowing;ensure low inflation;strengthen the economy” We all look forward to those. Any [...]

The global warming theorists were out in force on this site to condemn for me for asking a simple question of Mr Ed Miliband. They accused me of being silly, of failing to grasp the “settled science” and of wasting Parliament’s time and money. The question was “Why is the Northern hemisphere winter so cold, [...]

As predicted the snow coup was over almost before it started. Mr Hoon and Mrs Hewitt did not entice a single new name onto the media to support the idea of a challenge to the PM. That must be a new record for a lack of support. It has taught us three things. Senior Labour [...]

Yesterday whilst Labour MPs were plotting and most of us were wrestling with ungritted pavements and side roads, interest rates rose again in the government bond market.They rose because markets do not believe the government is getting a grip on its borrowing and finances. They rose despite the Bank of England continuing with low short [...]

Mr Hoon and Mrs Hewitt are not being helpful to the PM. No sooner had we heard a more spirited Brown performance in Prime Minister’s Questions than the rumours and the media confirmation came that two senior Labour backbenchers want a secret ballot vote on whether Brown should stay or go on Monday! It was [...]

Yesterday as half the country struggled with snow drifts, blocked roads and icy pavements, and as the other half awaited plunging temperatures and a snow storm, Parliament devoted prime time to global warming. I looked in vain at the Order Paper to see how I could raise the state of the highways, the lack of [...]