Monthly Archives: May 2010

Some of you took exception to hearing the late Mr Hood described as an armed robber. I did so, as in the accounts and films of Robin Hood that I have seen, taking money off successful local entrepreneurs at arrow point was an important part of what he did. I freely accept that he might [...]

Today I made a proposal for the form of CGT changes the Coalition government might introduce. As yet there are no government proposals, as I imagine they are thinking through how best to change it. The Evening Standard expressed interest in the scheme I had outlined. I explained it to them and explained it was [...]

Let me offer a little marriage guidance to the new Coalition. Tax is something Conservatives and Lib Dems could fall out over. It is, however, an accident that need not happen. Deep in Lib Dem DNA is the Robin Hood principle – tax the rich and give to the poor. It is superfically popular, and [...]

I had composed this headline in my mind when I heard on the radio that the government will announce its first cuts next week, following urgent review of the projects and plans the last government approved for spending in the first four months of this year. They are right to do so. Sterling has devalued [...]

Mr Hammond Transport Secretary) promised to end the war on motorists. That is a great idea for the day job. He should leave the BA dispute to the management and Unions, and to ACAS when they need professional arbitration or neutral chairmanship. If he wants something else to do he could see how his Regulator [...]

The “black holes” now being revealed should come as no surprise to readers of this site. I have set out many times how the true indebtedness of the Uk state is between £3 trillion and £4.5 trillion depending on how you account for bank liabilities, on normal company accounting. (PPP,PFI, unfunded public sector employee pensions, [...]

I went out on the doorsteps yesterday, resuming my Saturday morning roving doorstep surgeries. I was pleasantly surprised by the mood. Most who said they were Conservatives were pleased the Labour government had gone. They ranged from disappointed that we had to be in alliance with Lib Dems to quite positive about it, but all [...]