Monthly Archives: October 2011

The news that The Slovakian Parliament has vetoed the bail out plan for the Euro has so far been taken quite well by the markets. They know how EU democracy works. If the EU authorities do not get the answer they want from a vote, they expect the vote to be taken again and again [...]

              Tim Montgomerie on Conservative Home has pointed out that not many party members go to conference any more.  The main parties now stage big annual events for the corporate guests, lobbyists and media. They provide a platform for Ministers and Shadow Ministers to make their announcements. Leaders heave a sigh of relief if [...]

             The decision to nationalise Dexia, and to offer Euro 90 billion of funding guarantees to this bank, alongisde creating a bad bank, shows they have learnt nothing from the crisis so far. Meanwhile the French and German leaders decide that they delay a few more weeks before having a working plan to deal [...]

          There has been one of those pointless and repetitious British debates about public  spending over the last fortnight concerning health spending. The government  says they will increase health spending every year in real terms. They mean by this they will ensure a cash increase in spending which goes up by a  bit more [...]

              The media went to town on the “grenade” Mr Tyrie chucked into the Chancellor’s path with his wide ranging condemnation of current economic policy last week-end. They have largely ignored the equally explosive attack on Mr Hammond the Transport Secretary  made by no less a figure than Archie Norman.            Mr Norman was a [...]

 Great news for people who want to soak the rich. Anyone on 52% Income Tax and NI is paying much more when you take into account  tax on their typical purchases.        The following are the marginal rates of tax if a well paid person wants to pay for something,as well as paying the income tax - [...]

Letter from Herr Bahler Office for Pan Euro solidarity Bruxelles   (This appears to be to Dame Lucy Doolittle, The Director of the Unit for co-ordinating cross cutting initiatives and partnerships, Whitehall. The letter is in excellent English, but does make the colloquial mistake of sometimes  muddling England and the UK. Once again I advise journalists [...]

          How silly of me not to realise we could simply create £75 billion to sort out our problems.  Now we are told we can, maybe we should ask what we should do with the new money? It seems such a pity just to go on buying government bonds with it. After all, taxpayers have £199 billion [...]