Monthly Archives: December 2011

Oh dear – the wolves have come back to haunt us

When the UK and US banks got into trouble all the European friends put on a knowing look. There you are, they said. That’s what happens if you don’t have our system based on solidarity and friendship. Thank heavens we set up the Euro and turned our backs on all that Anglo Saxon stuff. So [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 31 Comments

The Euro tooth fairy brings a shiny single currency after all

Were they downhearted by all the mess their currency plan had brought on them? No, not at all. They immediately saw the problems. They had let the wolves wreck things for them. They had not been friendly and European enough. The next time they were not to be thwarted. They said to themselves, if the [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 63 Comments

QE EU style? AAA UK?

Today the ECB hosed the European banks down with long term money. The Germans may be able to stop them lending directly to near bankrupt countries, but they can’t stop them lending to commercial banks. The Treaty allows the one and bans the other. The money lent achieves two purposes. It eases liquidity for the [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 32 Comments

Welcome to Euro fairy land

Once upon a time lots of European countries decided they wanted to be friends with each other.That was a very good idea. They had a history of being enemies, and fighting. That was a very bad idea. They formed a club. They did a few things together. They planned what to grow and farm together. [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 73 Comments

The Giving Tree

On Monday after surgery I went to Tesco to visit the Giving Tree, and to provide a gift. Once again this initiative has been successful, with many local people buying gifts to put near the tree to make sure children will all have something to open this Christmas. I would like to thank all involved [...]

Posted in Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues | Leave a comment

Visit to Wokingham Royal Mail

On Monday morning I called in at the Brodd Street office to meet the postal staff sorting the mail ready for their morning rounds. I thanked them on behalf of the local community for handling all the mail, and wished them all a Happy Christmas. The trend to more packets continues, with more and more [...]

Posted in Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues | 4 Comments

The UK says “No” to more IMF funding for the Euro

The UK was right yesterday to rule out giving more money to the IMF to finance a currency. The Chancellor, asked to commit Euro 30 billion to IMF resources to defend the Euro, sensibly pointed out that the IMF is there to lend money to distressed countries against the security of better economic policies, not [...]

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The French and UK deals compared

The Uk as a late entrant to the EEC had to accept many of the rules and schemes that were already in existence when it joined. Subsequent enlargements ,and four major Treaties strengthening Brussels powers and competence later, and the EU is even less to the UK’s liking than at the outset. France wanted a [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 119 Comments

You do not get much for £75,000

The most striking feature of this week’s government announcement of new ways to tackle problem families was the figure work. Apparently the 120,000 worst problem families in the country cost taxpayers on average £75,000 a year. That is the cost of benefits, housing, social work, police time and the rest, as a small army of [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | 139 Comments

Choirs, carols and candlelight

Wokingham is in good voice this festive season. Last weekend I went to the Loddon Valley concert, given by the Maestros youth orchestra and the massed primary schools choirs. James Baker led it well, getting a strong sound from the singers, and a great performance from the instrumentalists. One of the highlights of Christmas is [...]

Posted in Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues | 2 Comments
  • About John Redwood

    John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College, and has a DPhil from All Souls, Oxford. A businessman by background, he has been a director of NM Rothschild merchant bank and chairman of a quoted industrial PLC.
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