Monthly Archives: October 2010

It is important to remember that the UK  joined a “Common market”. The British people have only been asked once for their opinion. In 1975 they were asked if they wished to remain in a  “Common market”. The whole EU project has always been sold to the British people in terms of selling more goods, [...]

In the debate on thursday on Public Spending Labour pressed home an attack on the question of how many people will lose their jobs in the public sector as a result of the cuts   Everyone seemed to accept the Office of Budget Responsibility’s figures that over the next four years there will be 490,000 fewer [...]

The US alliance served the UK well in the Cold War, and was at its best under Reagan and Thatcher when their combined pressure helped bring communism down in Eastern Europe. The relationship has not always been so strong. In 1939-41 the US was reluctant to come to the aid of the UK at its [...]

The government  defines the UK’s interest in terms of two central alliances – the American and the EU. This is old thinking. It is true that the government has sought to improve and develop the UK relationship with India, and has recognised the growing economic strength of China. We are moving rapidly from a world [...]

It was good to hear this morning a plea to simplify and reduce the  bureacratic checks at airports. They are over the top and do not make us safer. There were also wise words on Afghanistan from a man who rightly withdrew Russian forces after a protracted and costly conflict.

Angela Merkel is afraid that the German constitutional court could challenge the legality of the bail out arrangements put in place for Euro zone members to get them through the last crisis. She is pressing for a new EU Treaty to define  the EU powers and to put them beyond constitutional doubt. France is looking for EU  [...]

Yesterday the Prime Minister talked about the right thing at the CBI – how does the UK sustain its current recovery and speed its growth. Readers of this website will know that the government’s whole economic policy is based on achieving and sustaining above trend growth for four years, starting next year. It is the [...]

The current strategy on public spending, borrowing and taxing is  presented by some as a case of  ”there is no alternative”. I agree with the government that there is no alternative in the sense that leaving the deficit to grow at Labnour’s pace is not an option. However,   I think there are choices, there is an [...]

I am all in favour of famine relief, and want our country to be generous when other countries face disaster or extreme poverty. I am not in favour of an EU diplomatic service, and do not think Russia, China and India need our overseas aid. Two of the budgets which are rising over this period [...]