Monthly Archives: March 2010

As I did not get a satisfactory answer yesterday, let me have a go firstly at an answer the PM could have given, and then at a fuller answer to the problem I was highlighting. Question: “The balance sheet of RBS shows £700 billion less in loans and other assets at end December 2009 compared [...]

Today was an unusual day. For the first time in years I won a PMQ in the weekly ballot for the opportunity to ask a question. I decided to ask him what had happened to the £700 billion of assets that disappeared from the RBS balance sheet in 2009. You would have thought he might [...]

The Advertising Standards Authority were right to ban two of the government’s gobal warming ads. They attracted a record number of complaints from people who disagreed with their message. It reminds us how there are some obvious spending cuts to make which would improve the quality of our lives. We do not need the government [...]

The USA thinks the answer to the huge imbalance in world trade between China and the rest is a revaluation of the Chinese currency, the renminbi. China has responded strongly to this advice, telling the USA not to meddle in what China regards as her business. Premier Wen advises the USA to look to itself [...]

One of Labour’s spin successes in recent years has been to shape misconceptions of the Conservatives. The press and public have been fed the line that Conservatives are the ugly ducklings. It is time to reveal that, on the contrary, they can be the swans. The ferocious spin has been relentless. Anyone who believes, as [...]

The draft EU report on the UK economy is unfortunately all too accurate. It says the government does not plan sufficient measures to control the deficit, is running with growth forecasts that are too optimstic, and has failed to offer credible detail about the cuts it is planning to make. These are conclusions any self [...]

David Cameron’s week-end message – “Britain is in serious economic trouble. Not only have we just had the longest and deepest recession on record, but our recovery is one of the weakest in the developed world. This has all happened on Gordon Brown’s watch. But now the man who promised “no more boom and bust” [...]

The government has belatedly decided to disagree with UNITE, one of its largest benefactor Unions. Alarm bells have gone off in Downing Street. They remember too well the damage the winter of discontent did to them in the 1970s and do not wish to be too heavily associated with an unpopular strike. The irony is [...]

There has been a large response to the main Conservative messages. Respondents fall into four categories. Long term opponents of the Conservatives are critical of the messages. That is no surprise, and would have been true whatever had been put out. Some loyal Conservatives are pleased with them, and will get on and put them [...]

The proper way to bail out a Euro member would be to amend the Treaty to allow a formal system of loans and grants to Euro members who get into trouble. The Treaty could provide for suitable controls over the member state’s conduct in return for seeking and being granted aid. I would favour that [...]