Monthly Archives: May 2011

              Mr Strauss Kahn is innocent of the criminal charges brought  unless and  until proven guilty. It is nonetheless interesting to hear how much the EU and some left of centre broadcasters are said to be missing him and how kind they are about him. As he was one of the leading architects of the Euro [...]

               There has been substantial press comment based on the exchanges between Treasury and the  Business Department  on the one hand and Mr Huhne on the other. We are led to believe that they have settled for demanding targets for carbon reduction  over the next two decades, as well as confirming the exacting  2050 target. [...]

              I have tabled a few questions to find out more of the details behind the public sector wage freeze the government has introduced. I have no disagreement about the general thrust of the policy. One of the ways of controlling the growth in public spending is to keep pay rates level for a bit [...]

                  Occasionally I hear old rhetoric aimed against the Trade Unions. In the private sector that is a battle fought and decided years ago. There is no need for friends of management to demand tougher laws or to pursue an anti Union vendetta.               Trade Unions can be a good way for some  employees to organise [...]

              The debate we held on Wednesday evening was a crucial one. It was about the EU’s plan for a complete change to our Corporation Tax system. We widened the debate into one about sovereignty and why the government does n to simply say “no” to radical tax changes. I heard no mention of [...]

                 I have always opposed the Common Fishing Policy. I always thought it was bad for consumers, bad for fishermen and bad for the fish. The discard policy was especially crass, forcing the return of large numbers of dead fish to the sea in the name of conservation. It was always aimed at allowing [...]

                      The NHS has always relied heavily on the private sector. When it was set up the GPs were not nationalised. They remain to this day as independent contractors working for the NHS, but some can and do undertake their own private work as well. Hospital Consultants may also undertake work in  the private [...]

                  Yesterday the Bank of England revised their growth forecast downwards. They are not always wrong. Commodity markets had their second sharp sell off in a fortnight, as world investors recognised the impact of tightening money in the emerging markets and looked forward to the ending of the second phase of quantitative easing in [...]