I have been critical of the government for putting up with unacceptable losses by the Bank of England, the railways, the Post Office, HS 2 and other nationalised concerns. I have criticised the handling and reporting of high borrowings and interest charges. I have highlighted the unaffordable collapse in public sector productivity. I have successfully urged government to find ways to get more people off benefits into work.
The fashionable establishment gloom tells us we need to put up taxes further to alleviate spending pressures, and to cut debt relative to GDP. They refuse to see the imperative need to stop the waste and losses of the public sector or to accept that cutting the right taxes can boost growth and overall tax revenues. The huge cost burden of net zero compounds the problem, seeking to rip out fossil fuel use in the  UK only to import  energy and products at dearer cost from abroad, losing us huge tax revenues.
Labour would make all this worse. They want to end fuel duty sooner by accelerating the end of petrol and diesel cars. They do not propose a replacement tax on the use of electric vehicles. So what would they do about the revenue black hole? They want to find off balance sheet ways to borrow more.They have delayed hugely expensive net zero plans whilst not changing the aims or targets. Â They have no plans to boost public sector productivity. They oppose some of the measures to get more people into work.
Their proposal to charge VAT on school fees might produce very little net revenue after allowing for  all the extra  costs of lower income parents switching children  to state schools. Toughening non dom tax just drives more rich people out or keeps  them away, to the point where we get less revenue from them . In the 1970s penal tax on foreigners and high earners led to the brain drain, an exodus of successful people.
Accepting the control of the five year out OBR figure for the deficit is absurd. No-one  knows what the deficit will be in 5 years and government can borrow too much in the four years before the control. The government’s use of this control did not stop a big debt build up. Labour want to double up on OBR influence, though they want to allow more borrowing to “invest”. The way the public sector does that is often a licence to lose money, as with some Council energy and property investments and the Bank’s lamentable bond dealings.
We need a commitment to cut this years deficit by taking the actions on the loss making Bank and nationalised industries I have set out, and by moving fast to return to 2019 levels of public service productivity. We need growth promoting tax cuts.The build up of interest charges can also be curtailed. Why do the main parties ignore many of these billions spent on mismanagement?
May 26, 2024
â Why do the main parties ignore many of these billions spent on mismanagement?â
Because they are all useless and they have all managed to get away with it for so long.
Even on issues where there is a huge public outcry, like illegal migrants, any protests are simply ignored or voters are fobbed off with excuses and diversionary activities.
May 26, 2024
Exactly. We have had chumps in charge. They are soon to be followed, it seems, with even bigger chumps in charge if/when Labour win the coming GE.
May 26, 2024
You set me thinking about the word âchumpâ. Havenât heard it in years. No idea of its origin/meaning . So I looked it up.
âshort, thick piece of woodâ
EXCELLENT use of language on your part!!
May 26, 2024
JR, you have no factual basis for saying Labour would be worse when your party has the highest level of taxation for 75 years ie. more than any Labour post war govt., highest debt, highest debt interest, refused to cut state spending, higher than Corbyn was promoting!
Your govt introduced a mandate to waste tens of billions on overseas aid each year even giving EU overseas aid money to spend as it wished without any say or conditions, it gives Africa ÂŁ3 billion a year without any say or condition how the money is spent! What lunatic thought that was a good idea, left wing pro EU Plebgate Mitchell?
5 weeks before your party leave office no state cut backs, it has grown! Welfare is through the roof and people being paid how to abuse the system and your party stopped checks on 5 million welfare claimants to see if their circumstance changed! Your party imported 4 million welfare claimants in the last two years! Preventing UK taxpayers from receiving public services like dentists, doctors, hospital appointments and illegals being put up in four star hotels with medical treatment on request! Your party is not conservative nor unionists as it gave away N.Ireland and our fishing waters! Your party worse than Blaire and wanted to emulate him!
May 26, 2024
Laurel and Hardy ‘Chumps at Oxford’
May 26, 2024
Only when everybody understands there is nothing but chumps in Government and wonders how that happened, will they bother to replace the chumps with the brilliant people the British produce every generation. We need to beat the Party Machines! That is the only means of saving our country as a home fit for British people.
I honestly believe most of the Members of Parliament cannot comprehend what JR is speaking of. Thatâs why they donât even attempt to apply the break before hitting the wall.
For the first time ever, I have a new tenant who cannot work out her electricity bill. Turns out she has not produced a business plan and has no idea what quantity she needs to sell to break even, much less when that will be achieved and how she will fund the business, and herself, until that happy day. Gen Z are beyond all understanding. Apparently trial and error is the plan. No comprehension that each failed trial costs money.
As to Sunakâs bright idea: the last thing we need is the excuse that all these fit healthy 18 year old boat people are just what we want for our new conscription strategy, and must obtain British citizenship on that basis. âThey are here to fight Putinâ – they have not yet said it but just keep listening. Letâs not get them fitter and armed. They are NOT British!
Imagine meeting the Viking boats and handing out swords to the âbrave men who built their boat and paddled over the ocean so desperate were they to reach Britainâ!
May 26, 2024
So the leader of the âConservativeâ party wants to bring back conscription. Compulsory service in the military. That another such freedom destroying proposal could even be contemplated let alone proposed is proof positive that our current government should not be our current government.
May 27, 2024
Military service is primarily about patriotism. Those who oppose it are unpatriotic.
May 26, 2024
Perhaps that âConscription strategyâ is this odd PMâs way of justifying housing boat people in spartan barracks instead of 4-star hotels and increasing our âdefenceâ spending nearer to 2.5% at the same time!
May 26, 2024
You live in a parallel universe where there is group of fabulously talented people just desperate to become politicians. It doesnât exist and no one in their right mind would do it. Why should anyone successful give it all up for the drudge/cess pit of politics.
Mediocre âknow better than the restâ narrow obsessive prepared to spend 24 hours a day, PPE grads with an interest in politics for politics sake and so it goes on.
Like most of the stuff on this blog, including me itâs an (dare I say it, out of touch?) generational thing still almost wedded to the âextremesâ of Thatcher.
May 27, 2024
They have always done it as a service to their people and their country. You have obviously not been active in the Conservative Party and seen the many hugely qualified and successful people who would have served had we all found the Party Machine blocking everything we wanted and were prepared to sacrifice for our politics.
May 26, 2024
Lynne,
Tory party has given amnesty to over 68,000 illegal boat people in the last year more than any in history, JR claims Labour will be worse but as a matter of fact and record that is patently untrue.
Why has Sunak not made it mandatory national service for these illegal criminals to prove their loyalty to our country as they fought so hard to come here? Or is his idea for poor white boys? How about all those who claim they trans and cannot complete fitness test, like to dress as women, over weight etc etc. No welfare, housing, medical treatment until two national service. They might consider it better in safe France!!
Presumably Sunakâs children will be in California. I also note the most migrants come from India! Followed by Nigeria and Pakistan. Javlin highlighted yesterday these groups from high in the criminal league table by 5,6 times in other European countries. Good plan Sunak!
May 26, 2024
The timing of Sunak’s ‘National Service’ announcement seems at odds with the GE campaigning that’s underway.
Yet again, I suspect government is withholding from the public full facts why now a new ‘National Service’.
Drafting undocumented young male boat people into a new (security/military) service has probably been part of government strategy for some time.
Truth will out.
May 26, 2024
Can’t wait for the manifesto
May 26, 2024
You’re assuming that number ten are in charge of policy.
Clearly the role of governance has long since passed to Whitehall Mandarins and their staff.
If the Home Office Minister says stop the boats and the Home Office staff don’t want to, then they would rather depose the Minister
May 26, 2024
The home secretary today said he gave instructions to the police to make arrests, however the police chiefs/commissioners gave instructions to arrest no-one ….the ministers are nolonger in charge
May 27, 2024
The idea of a generation of youth trained in how to use weapons and how to fight and survive without normal creature comforts would once have given confidence that the nation was prepared to defend itself if necessary. I underwent some basic training as an Army cadet – using Lee Enfield .303s!
However, today it is more likely that the youth would end up divided into factions against each other and the rest of the population. Will the next civil war be fought by drone and taking control of your smart meter?
May 27, 2024
No. It will be fought on the streets using knives.
May 27, 2024
It’s not just about military training for war. Its also about challenging WOKISM that is turning our young men into wimps.
May 26, 2024
People love to knock the Tories but who else is there? It is DELUSIONAL to think Reform will get into power (even though they have a few good policies). Overall, Reform make it more likely Labour will get in.
One big prob is we don’t have enough hjgh quality MPs with quality business experience. Not easy prob to solve. But it should be discussed in detail at Tory Conference how to redress.
But the much, much bigger prob is relative collapse of trad Conservative values in the West such as personal responsibility, work ethic, family over state, patriotism etc. People such as Jordan Peterson is doing stalwart work in trying to redress this CULTURAL problem (or cancer). And Tories wanting to reintroduce National Service is a brilliant policy to try and reverse too – saving our country billions in long run as our young men become more disciplined, responsible and masculine. But far more needs to be done with politicians working more closely with people in the churches, media, arts and education to redress all this so that our economy and country as a whole can thrive.
May 26, 2024
Yes David, and soon to be followed by green commies who are out to bankrupt our country our country and also planning their long term rule by giving children a vote.
Look around our fair and pleasant land as after the 4th July it will start going down hill. At present we have the MET office quietly changing records to push the net.zero ( i so hate that saying) scam! At my age (80) I have seen a lot of problems but the politicians fought to put things right ! These days the commies influenced by world enemies fight to destroy our country. Diversity – pah! its destruction by wasted money we cannot afford. AND Global Warming- if anybody believes that they lockup in a mental hospital !
May 26, 2024
JR, another stupid ill thought out idea by Sunak lefties about national service. My children passed their Duke of Edinburgh awards between 16-18 which included a period of public service. There are children who also participate in CCF and military cadets. Of course these could be included in improving the failed comprehensive school system but your left party is opposed to such ideas. Like Labour your party wants to dumb down education, import rubbish from around the world to rid us of our nation state.
Your party has presided over some schools banning Christian assemblies! Inch by inch you are changing our culture and way of life for some third world rot which is given a higher priority over our own cultural beliefs. 5 weeks to go than goodness.
May 26, 2024
To be opposed to National Service is left-wing WOKE of the worst order.
May 27, 2024
Utter rubbish. Look at Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan the loss of life, life changing injuries and billions of taxes wasted, for what? Ego of Blaire and Cameron! What strategic interest to our country. Ukraine running out of people, what next UK citizens, for what? Regime change again?
No, nothing woke but very principled against corrupt dishonest politicians who do not have an our actionable interest at heart. If they did N.Ireland would not have been given away without a cross word, same for our territorial waters and fishing grounds. Both sides of the Uni party are deliberately not delivering Brexit, not diverging not being independent and doing everything on the sly to act in lock step and prevent leaving. What has Starmer not challenged Sunak over failing to,
deliver Brexit? Is that not his job in opposition? What next give away foreign policy and military to the control of the EU under the guise of PESCO and greater cooperation bollocks!
Get real, your comment is naive in the extreme bordering on stupidity.
May 26, 2024
There is a DIFFERENCE between the BoE losses and all the other government department losses. The BoE ‘losses’ is money removed from circulation. The BoE receives money from sale of Gilts and ‘make-up’ from Treasury and eliminates it, reducing money supply. The wasteful expenditure by other government departments does not remove that money, it remains in the economy and lines clever peoples pockets and stays in circulation. Bad management for sure, but not the same.
If I m incorrect Sir J., please say where.
May 26, 2024
I will save Sir John the bother. The money the BOE mops up is NOT mopped up from the pockets of the clever (cunning) rich peoples pockets where it remains. It is mopped up from the rest of us who own homes and businesses and are easy to target. We are the ones who have already been deprived of our financial cushion by the âCovid financial disasterâ. So the mopping up is putting many businesses out of business.
Which bit donât you understand?
May 26, 2024
H.M. Treasury retains the liability to redeem at face value the Gilts sold by the Bank in the secondary market. It likely received face value upon original issuance and so aside from interest settlements it is a wash.
But meanwhile, because of the arrangement that sees H.M. Treasury indemnify the Bankâs losses (arising from the discount granted on the secondary market sales of those same Gilts), it has had to pay over cash to the Bank so far totalling ÂŁ49 billion. From where other than its own income (tax receipts) does H.M. Treasury eventually find the funds?
Regardless of the reasons that see a liability created, an expense is an expense and as such one is indistinguishable from another so far as cash consumption is concerned. What the Bank does thereafter with the money supply does not alter the fact that taxpayers have had to meet an extra expense, wantonly and unnecessarily incurred.
May 26, 2024
Yes, the the Treasury/BoE have reduced the amount of money in the system, that is what QT means. The opposite of QE. Less money in the system, means the ÂŁ has more value against assets, ie reverse inflation. There is less money about therefore it has to go further. Treasury will need to get more value for the ÂŁ. What’s wrong with that?
May 26, 2024
You conflate the activities of HMT and the Bank and in ways that do not illuminate. When HMT is expending funds obtained as tax receipts to cover Bank trading losses it is not indulging in QT, rather it is using up a resource that could have been spent otherwise, including in meeting losses incurred by other parts of government.
May 26, 2024
All very sensible John bur you’ve had 14 years to get things right.
Your government continues with HS2, your government introduced Net Zero, your government put north sea taxes up to 75%, your government presided over a massive increase in civil Serpents and refused to cull them.
5 years of Starmergeddon should wake up generation Z when they can’t afford cars or mobiles, when conscription returns and there are no jobs for there worthless degrees.
May 26, 2024
Indeed. Cut the soft loans for worthless degrees and put people to work. Let them learn on day release or night school as my parent did.
Now Sunak comes up with national service or compulsory âvolunteeringâ as he dishonestly puts it. So we have a law against âmodern slaveryâ and a minimum wage but then we have compulsory âvolunteeringâ and unpaid slavery by law.
Replace Sunak with a stuffed bear holding a placard saying:- Ditch net zero, halve the size of the state, cut taxes, reduce low skilled immigration by 90%, let more houses be built⊠It would be ten times more popular. Sunak is bonkers!
May 26, 2024
@Ian Wragg; Far from sensible! Such ‘polices’ have always been more akin to ‘guesstimates’ made on the back of a fag-packets, the Laffer curve is a (unproven) theory, not a mathematical law; and those Tories who preach such theories have had 32 years over the last 45 to prove otherwise!
Nor has it ever been about lower over-all taxes, some people still need to grasp the fact that taxes are more than Income, NI or even IHT; indirect taxes [1] have sky-rocket during the last 45 years, a direct policy decision of the first Thatcher Govt in 1979, read the released Downing Street documents on economic policy if you doubt me.
[1] and let’s not forget inflation, which went up (less fast) during the first few years of the Thatcher govt.
May 26, 2024
+many
May 27, 2024
A bit of military training is far more useful psychologically and emotionally than 3 years wasting money on daft degrees (at least 50% of degrees if not 60% or 70%).
May 26, 2024
Indeed they endlessly get away with their vast waste and ineptitude.
Talk about lowering taxes but Sunak now tells 18 year oldsâ they have to âvolunteerâ in effect yet another new tax. Sunak clearly wants to be even more disliked than he is already.
May 27, 2024
To oppose military service is the ultimate in WOKE wetness to me.
May 26, 2024
We don’t select our politicians based on their ability to run things. We expect them to lead the government that runs half of the economy via 900 departments and quangosâfar too many to manage simultaneously.
John advocates a superior alternative on this site: using markets to devolve power to individuals to choose between competing providers. This approach drives up standards and lowers costs.
However, the public continues to vote for state ownership and regulation. As a result, poor and expensive services will continue whoever is in charge. The public gets what it deserves.Â
May 27, 2024
The public has no option. How can we vote for real conservatism when there are no candidates for that option? Democracy has been hijacked – I suppose itâs the publics fault for allowing that.
May 26, 2024
The so called “fashionable establishment” are not Conservative. To varying degrees they have captured Parliament but for about 100 MPs. Historically, since we entered the EU, Parliament were never in charge any way, having been replaced by quangos and EU directive. Devolution further diluted UK parliamentary influence and effect.
The “FE” went on to capture our various institutions using a re-armed and empowered civil service via the EU and an emasculated political government. Apart from those 100 Conservatives , carefully selected candidates becoming MPs believed in all this. In terms of institutions I have in mind the Home Office, the police forces, the legal profession, our banks, all educational establishments, the BoE, OBR et al. None of whom think in terms of the entrepreneurial UK you espouse. A UK too free thinking to be controlled. The “FE” are now in mopping up mode. Intent on destroying our best educational establishments, not by making the state system better, but by reducing all to the lowest common denominator. Socialism is the guillatine of enterprise, brought about by envy. The brain drain you ellude to is already reducing immigration to the lower nett numbers. I would advise anyone obtaining a marketable degree or apprentership training to get out before the socialist fantasy consumes you.
May 26, 2024
One of the economic stats I look to is foreign holiday expenditure, as a gauge of peoples feelgood factor and spare cash, and I’m sure the government is looking to take that spare cash!
From December Travel Weekly: ‘Almost 14 million people have already booked elements of their foreign travel for next year with an average spend of ÂŁ1,756, new research suggests.
The American Express study reveals that consumers plan an average of two holidays in 2024.’
Either we’re still not feeling too financially pinched, or we’re a bunch of spendthrift layabouts! There seems to be confidence remaining in the wider UK economy, so we could put the economy onto a sound basis, IF we have the correct policies.
May 26, 2024
Peter I wonder which demographic is going abroad on holiday? Is it those with no liabilities and an increase minimum wage? You see my shops in the poor part of the north are doing very well. That is because the poor people have more disposable income than the âmiddle classesâ.
The more money taken out of the pockets of the wealth creators, the job creators and given to the âpoorâ – the more money is spent rather than invested.
The poor, by the way, fritter their money away on trips b]abroad because they have given up all hope of owning a home or a business.
May 26, 2024
the old old story of the working man with no prospects!
What you could do was to drink and smoke the misery away, in similar company!
May 27, 2024
We are all working people now Mickey. The difference is between those who work for their pittance and those who donât. Those who get their pittance and thus have time too tend to go abroad.
May 27, 2024
@Lynn Atkinson; “The difference is between those who work for their pittance and those who donât.”
And there I was, thinking you were referring to ‘plebs’ north of the Watford Gap, not those who live in the Home Counties and Stockbroker belts around London…
May 26, 2024
@Peter Woods; Of course there might just be a massive unsecured loan pilling up on the plastic cards, just as there was a massive unsecured loan via sub-prime bricks and mortar back in 2007-8…
The ‘never -never’ has never had it so good! đĄ
May 26, 2024
People who are hit by Labourâs ideological attempt to finish off private schools in the U.K. will just send their children to private schools abroad.
They will do anything to avoid the dire local comprehensive.
I believe also that a lot of people who have settled here send their kids âhomeâ to get a decent education.
Will Labour tax or outlaw home ed?
Our âeducationâ system is probably the reason for NZ enthusiasm and for the fact that the country just does not function any more.
May 26, 2024
Others, who can’t take the overseas option, will move to an area with better schools or put up with the dire Comp and hire tutors for evening and weekends.
May 26, 2024
Very true.
And then thereâll be a new rash of Postcode house purchases and price rises.
Not real politik more class warfareâŠpolitics of envy.
Why not let those who can afford to pay for private pay and free up state ed a bit?
Those parents are already paying twice over.
May 26, 2024
Indeed. The policy is pure politics of envy evil.
Really we need fair competition between state and private provision so nearly all schools would then be private. All should get an education voucher they can use at any education establishment they choose to and top us as they wish. That would be fair competition. The same for healthcare, if you choose to go privately you should get a refund for not using the state provision.
James Cleverly says the military service option will not be mandatory so just the weekend âvolunteeringâ will be. Does he understand the word to âvolunteerâ.
A far better scheme would be to let people leave school at 15 and to learn how to build. The perhaps also building collectively their own houses as payment after say 5 years. That is what is needed. Or fix cars to perhaps keep older cars running they use far less CO2 than building new EV ones.
I see that one VW EV managed only 7500 miles before needing ÂŁ300 for two new rear tyres. They often weigh more than double what an old (say VW golf or polo did). That is about 7p a mile just in tyres assuming the front ones were fairly worn out too. Lots more road wear, tyre wear, tyre particulate pollution and loads of oil needed for each tyre manufactured. Great plan Sunak.
May 27, 2024
Potholes are tyre killers. They wreck suspensions too. All part of the plan to make motoring less affordable, it seems.
May 27, 2024
School vouchers – agreed!
Medical vouchers – good idea?
May 27, 2024
I agree about getting the young to work younger. But a few months national service would greatly improve our increasingly WOKE young.
May 26, 2024
@Donna; “[or] hire tutors for evening and weekends.”
Which, of course, is the far more sensible, and accessible, option for such parents – and you never know, with more gifted children (never mind teachers) once again attending, those ‘dire Comps’ such schools will improve, and if the less gifted start to feel they are not just future fodder for unscrupulous zero-hours, NMW employers…
May 26, 2024
Once education ceases to be exempt Jerry then the tutors, nurseries and universities will need to start to charge VAT unless they are below the threshold for turnover.
Careful what you wish for.
May 26, 2024
@NS; That is a bit like suggesting all food prices carry a VAT element; and even if every education setting had to charge VAT on their fees, like with children cloths, for example, the rate does not have to be set at standard rate of 20% for all products, and in any case since we are outside of the EU can we not set our own VAT rules, thanks to Brexit?
Careful what you wish for, indeed, ho-hum!
May 27, 2024
MMmm let’s see – VAT category; education – paid for.
That is fairly catch all Jerry.
May 27, 2024
@NS; Duh? VAT rates for education services do not exist as yet, so unless you are privy to internal Labour Party documents…
May 26, 2024
Will Labour tax or outlaw home education?
Well will IR35 mean you have to fully employ tutors rather than them being self employed. Will they outlaw buying or renting an expensive house in a good school catchment area. So that other people will then be excluded?
VAT on private school fees is put politics of envy evil. It will not raise any net taxes, pupils will be have to more schools, lose there friends and the stability and it will kill many good schools. People who use private schools are paying three times over already it is not a tax break as Labour like to put it. There is no free or vat on state schools. Users of private schools pay three time over already it will be four times with VAT.
Needless to say Socialist Gove supported VAT. If you have one child at private school you might have to earn about ÂŁ60,000 more than sending him to a free state school to retain the same disposable income. Of this about 60% will go in tax, VAT and NI and 40% in fees. So the effective tax on education will be about 150% of the fees.
May 26, 2024
Under the regulations of 15 minute cities and net-zero, home schooling will be compulsory
May 26, 2024
Yes youâre right.
I forgot that.
So maybe this is the way they will close all schools?
Softly, softly etc. One outrageous step at a time.
May 26, 2024
How will the state sector cope with +10% to 20% extra pupils?
May 26, 2024
it doesn’t cope very well now, even with 10 to 20% absentees!
May 26, 2024
@Know-Dice; The same as the State sector has always coped with population movements, (unplanned) inward migration, or a host of other changed circumstances, they find the necessary places – and staff, even if that means busing to the next town etc.
A more valid question might be, what will all the excess staff do when these private schools slim-down, now they can’t swan off to private “English Schools” in the EU27 so easily, nor get their USA Green Cards, perhaps?
Of course the simple solution is for the private schools, and staff, to adjust their tuition / remuneration fees SHOULD the need arise, meaning the total amount paid by parents will be the same as if still VAT exempt. Yes some schools might have to trim their gowns, offer less extra-curricular activities etc, but all should be able to retain core subjects, and of course the children’s social networking, so important for later life, will remain.
May 26, 2024
Its time to disband government subsidy to âcharitiesâ, allow them to operate alongside every other business without taxpayer support âŠmost charities are scams
May 27, 2024
QUITE SO!
May 26, 2024
Sir John, you ask why do the main parties ignore sound fiscal ideas and methods to transform the bloated Public Sector?
The problem for us followers of your blog is this. If you a very prominent politician sitting in the HoC since 1987 don’t know the answer then what chance have we mere voters to know?
The obvious fixes to our runaway spending money like water Public Employees, are simply ignored.
Maybe that was always going to be the end game. If the people making the decisions about their own futures are allowed to do as they please, why would they not keep upping their salaries and pensions and perks?
No one is in a position to stop them. Well no one until the whole thing collapses but by then it is too late.
The key issue is. The public sector now instruct government rather than government instructing the public servants.
Not very good is it?
May 26, 2024
Agree with you, Rod.
May 26, 2024
Regardless of the points that Sir John raises, the incompetent start that Sunak has made with the election campaign has not even dented Labour support in the weekend opinion polls. The public has had enough of the Conservatives and want change. His latest, stupid, proposal to re-introduce military national service will probably cost the party another 25 seats
78 Tory MP’s have recognised the inevitable and have chosen to stand down, including Sir John. Many others, including Moggy, IDS, Foxy and Sunak himself are going to experience “Portillo moments” on election night
Business leaders, the IMF and previous heads of the BoE have all spoken well of the Shadow Chancellor’s proposals. Let’s be frank – Labour could not do worse than the Conservative record of doubling the National Debt from ÂŁ1.3 TRILLION to ÂŁ2.6 TRILLION in the 14 years since 2010
No less than 6 million people are currently forced to use food banks, many of whom have two or even three jobs. Who do you think they are going to vote for?
May 26, 2024
Labour intends to provide more and more âfree foodâ âŠâFeed Britainâ or somesuch.
Opting out rather than opting in by registration.
People donât need free foodâŠthey need jobs and low taxes and accommodation and schools provided by employers.
They also need large supportive families and for the state to keep its distance.
They need proper food not supermarket offerings.
They also need factories and farms to work in.
May 26, 2024
@Everhopeful; “People donât need free foodâŠthey need jobs and low taxes and accommodation and schools”
Which the UK had (and govt. gave, if needs-be) by the shovelful of back in the 1950s and 1960s, even for much of the 1970s … what went wrong?
May 26, 2024
Bl**dy governments I would imagine!
Marxism too no doubt.
May 26, 2024
@Everhopeful; I’ve heard Monetarism called many thing, but never Marxist, before today!
May 26, 2024
Sakara Gold:
I spoke with a Labour candidate yesterday: a fine man and ex-soldier with splendid credentials and about nine party supporters around him, all campaigning in the busiest focal point of the City on a great sunny day, gaining much interest from locals. A rare majority passing took and read the candidateâs single sheet leaflet which was concise and very well presented. The candidate coolly just gave straight, good quality answers to questions without attempting to be convincing, nor knowing I would not support Labour. He is forecast to overturn the present Conservative majority of nearly 20,000. Even the oddball candidate likely to gain only a few hundred votes had a strong visible presence, but the Conservative candidate was nowhere to be seen.
May 26, 2024
–probably off networking somewhere?
May 27, 2024
They already did that. In May 1997 when they came to power PSND was ÂŁ358bn. By September 2008 it was more than double at ÂŁ793bn. It peaked at ÂŁ2,335bn in December 2009, shortly before the 2010 election. So they added nearly ÂŁ2 trillion to the debt, and multiplied it by 6.5
But you are probably right – they will beat their previous record, making most of us digital millionaires in the process, unable to access our accounts in the power cuts.
May 26, 2024
I’m afraid there is precious little real difference between the policies Labour says it will pursue and those the Not-a-Conservative-Party has been pursuing for the past 14 years.
And that’s why the NaCP is going to lose and lose badly. If you really do want Socialism, a bloated public sector with all the spend and waste that means and the “green” tyranny you’ll vote for the Organ Grinder, not their monkey who is just dancing to their tune.
May 26, 2024
The fossil fuel cartel funded campaign by the right-wing press against EVs continues with renewed vigour, here is some of the ridiculous propaganda recently seen;
EVs will bankrupt the nation because we will lose more ICE motoring taxes
EVs will cause more potholes because they are heavier than 55ton juggernaults
Cheap Chinese EVs are a security threat to those GCHQ employees who have bought one
More EVs will bankrupt the window cleaning industry because they cause less airborne pollution
EVs are the cause of the recent rises in vehicle insurance premiums and not fraud
EV tyre replacement costs are 8 times more expensive than ICE vehicle tyres
EV chargers at garages are causing jams and tailbacks because the folk using them are blocking ICE vehicle owners from tanking up
The EV charging industry is causing more car crime with charging cable thefts said to be on the rise
Talk about desperation!
Reply So why arent people rushing to buy them
May 26, 2024
@Sir John – reply
People are buying EVs but the pace of adoption has slowed. There are several reasons for this, primarily there are insufficient high speed charging points, also the forced timetable for EV introduction was set back five years by Sunak.
Kwarteng cancelled ÂŁ250m worth of funded EV chargers (40,000) shortly before the Truss “fiscal event”. This one decision has held back the adoption of EVs by years
Reply You are so out of touch. I have set out several times the variety of good reasons why a big majority of car buyers do not want an EV.
May 26, 2024
@SG; For those who it is impossible to have a dedicated EV charger at home, in other words those without at least a private driveway, ownership of a EV is going to be all but impossible.
Tell me; how long does it take to fully recharge a EV from ’empty’, meaning the vehicle can not move under its own power, most petrol engines cars and vans take all of 300 seconds, and as long as not totally dry, the same goes for most cars and vans running on diesel. Nor is high speed charging the answer, for various reasons, just because something is technical possible doesn’t mean should become the norm.
A major international company has just built a new distribution hub on the south coast, complete with a multistory vehicle park for their fleet of EV delivery vans, now given the average range of a EV, and based on the approved plans, they appear to needed twice the number of vehicles than had they used a fleet of IC powered vans [1], almost certainly due to the time needed to fully recharge the traction batteries – great eco PR perhaps, but at one hell of an uneconomic price-tag, never mind the draw on the national electricity grid.
For most the switch to EVs will run or stall based on the economic and practical realities, not emotion or PR value!
[1] unless location is less than operationally optimal
May 26, 2024
SG : “…..also the forced timetable for EV introduction was set back five years by Sunak.”
If EVs are so good why is a “forced timetable” considered necessary?
May 27, 2024
Gold – did you notice that British Volt has been bankrupted? Any idea why? Excess demand do you think đđ€Ł
May 26, 2024
You forget to add – wind farms are useless when the wind does not blow.
May 26, 2024
Don’t know what comic you read for that lot, but some gave me a great laugh.
May 26, 2024
But EVs ARE more expensive to insure, SG. The Electric Car Guide website https://electriccarguide.co.uk/, which is generally favourable to EVs, admits this: “Electric cars are more expensive to insure in the UK due to higher purchase prices, the cost of battery technology, and specialised repairs.” You’re wrongly portraying the acknowledged truth as media misinformation.
Of course, other factors affect car insurance as well. ‘Which’ reports the Association of British Insurers saying the main factor generally is inflation – the cost to insurers of vehicle repairs rose by a third over last year to reach ÂŁ1.5 billion, the highest figure since 2013. The ABI also blames increases in energy charges.
May 26, 2024
A bank of six EV charging point connections took over six spaces in our large local Park and Ride car park, in prime position nearest to the waiting room. During all my visits throughout the year Iâve seen only ONE EV car in any of those spaces, and only once!
May 26, 2024
SG
Yes there are some stupid claims being made by all sides, in what is fast becoming a fiasco.
I could list dozens of stupid reasons made by those who push EV’s
The simple fact is you need to have a significant amount of money to purchase a new car, any car, that is why 90% of new cars are sold with monthly contract payments. leaving you with nothing when the contract expires.
Those who have a car that works, is reliable, and is already fully owned, (mostly ICE vehicles) do not see the vast amount of extra cost per month needed to purchase a new EV as value for money.
Few are interested in 2nd hand EV’s as the early models had real time range problems, and also now have some battery degradation as well, hence the huge depreciation with such vehicles.
If you can only run one car then it needs to be able to do everything, long runs, short runs, rapid fill up time, and which is economic to purchase, repair and insure.
Those who can afford two cars, perhaps using one as a more local run around, can purchase a very good secondhand ICE vehicle at less than half of the cost of a new EV equivalent.
Ev’s may make good sense for a company or business user simply because of Tax breaks, but for the individual it does not yet make economic sense for many.
May 26, 2024
To add to your list of nonsense claims:
EVs will save the planet.
No they won’t, if you want green transport get your bicycle out and ride it.
May 26, 2024
I think Goldie , you should start writing children’s fairy tales, as you made a good job of twisting the truth about the electric carts!
Do you not get tired sitting thinking up such trash! Electric runabouts are ok for city people who dont want to associate with the trash who use the bus. I think they should be made smaller with just two seats like the little German runabouts of the sixties!
How ever they are no use in the country side where the real work is done.
May 26, 2024
I’m cynical about them because I’ve spoken with people who drive them. They tell me that EV’s are ok for local runs provided they can be charged at home on a driveway, but when public chargers have to be relied on the convenience disappears. Also on long journeys they tell me of queues at the existing charge points and total journey times that are quite ridiculous. Paying such exorbitant prices for vehicles that are still at an early stage of development (so may become obsolete quite rapidly as far as the market is concerned) is a big risk. Plus the claims of their being “greener” doesn’t stand up to scrutiny…check out the mining for the raw materials.
Similarly, a friend of mine has recently had solar panels installed on his roof. The early enthusiasm he had for them has dissipated somewhat as the benefits promised by the sellers haven’t been quite so apparent. The journey to Net Zero is going to be a long, bumpy and ultimately futile ride and will cause a lot of misery for many.
May 26, 2024
Try reading the industry magazines, Sakara. EV’s are NOT selling!
China has fields and fields of unsold EV’s – don’t know if those are the ones being dumped on Europe, or are in addition to!
That list you cite, is true!
May 26, 2024
Rising levels of national debt is an indication of greater state control and should seen as a warning to those who cherish freedom outside of the state’s parasitic existence
The damage John’s party has inflicted upon this nation’s general well-being and general makeup by endorsing Blairism cannot be underestimated. It will destroy this nation as we know it by giving the loathsome, lying Starmer a solid platform on which to finally enact the left’s realignment agenda
May 26, 2024
First, your standing down will be a genuine loss to the House, and I trust Sunak will will remember you when he submits his list for peerages.
Second, what you set out is ninety percent of the reasons why the Party will suffer its worse defeat on record this July. It has had well over a decade to tackle Britain’s endemic problems, yet chose vanity and irrelevant personal ‘legacy’ policies instead.
The other ten percent? Mass migration, legal or otherwise, into the UK under its tenure.
The Conservative party members, like the UK as a whole, are lions led by donkeys.
Labour will be worse, but I can no longer justify giving my vote to this Government.
Best wishes for your next project.
May 26, 2024
Sir John please refuse a peerage, joining that overstaffed political incompetents in that other house would be the last straw.
Reply I have not been offered one
May 26, 2024
best news today, thank heavens!
May 27, 2024
Sadly the House of Lords is not fit for you, nevertheless itâs a disgrace that you have not been offered a peerage. If ever there was proof that ability and brains are scorned in this poor deluded country, itâs the political career of Powell, Redwood – also the many who were denied a place in Parliament like Norris McWhirter, David Lane etc etc etc.
If you love Britain and are not depressed there is something wrong with you.
May 26, 2024
There are far too many u deserving peerages to MPs. It is full of corrupt MPs, whose sole purpose is to line their pockets without service. Many many public servants deserve peerages far more than them.
May 26, 2024
We don’t need more peerages, but we do need the whole corrupt so called house of lords to be swept away.
The country is a nation mostly of donkeys who elect donkeys.
May 26, 2024
National Service. Really?
I’m convinced Sunak’s either a moron or he’s trying to throw the election to appease Europhile, One Nation Tories who know Starmer would take the UK back into the EU
What Sunak should be doing is destroying Starmer’s character by focusing on Starmer’s historical behaviour. Starmer’s got real, nasty form on some brutal and upsetting issues
May 26, 2024
I second all that Dom, well said!
May 26, 2024
Sunak has no idea what Conservative voters actually believe, and seems to have swallowed the view that they are mainly jingoistic idiots who will go for a ridiculous idea like National Service.
It couldn’t be afforded last time, and assuredly can’t now. It was highly unpopular then, and removed from the workforce people who wanted to work and “get on”, not prop up Britain’s delusions of being a world power.
May 27, 2024
You have no idea about the psychology of military service then. You sound like some WOKE Marxist.
And it shouldn’t be the same as national service from the past but much shorter with more practical training involved that would help the young do well in the harsh world out there. But still based on military training and encouraging patriotism.
May 26, 2024
+1 Sunak could also change all his policies by 180 degrees to the correct ones, start with tax levels, the size of government, the net zero lunacy, the war on landlords, car drivers, the self employedâŠ
May 26, 2024
+++
Yes. And he could have started months ago.
ErgoâŠletâs sayâŠhis heart isnât in it!
May 26, 2024
@ DOM “National Service. Really?
By coincidence, Germany this month proposed a substantially identical scheme.
By further coincidence the SPD leader Lars Klingbeil sugar-coated the idea as giving young people an opportunity to serve the state at one point in their lives.
Eurointelligence on 10th., May under a self-admitted hysterical headline of “Germany to re-indroduce slavery” wrote: – “This is not happening because Germany expects to be at war. It is not about the military at all. Under the plans, young people, male and female, can choose between the Bundeswehr or a year of forced labour in the social services, essentially uncompensated. The main reason we see is that their fiscal rules have depleted them with the resources to fund the Bundeswehr and critical social services like old-age care. ”
I for one welcome stealing bad German ideas to inflict upon young fellow citizens. It is as if we never left the Evil Empire.
May 27, 2024
You sound like a WOKE Marxist
May 26, 2024
Dom
Yes National Service, or volunteer for weekend only community service, what a bloody farce.
Sunak does not have a clue, Community service given out by the Courts is a massive failure as I have posted before. No penalty for not turning up, no detrimental reports are allowed or can be made.
Who is going to train all of these people, where are they going to reside, our armed forces, equipment, manpower have been hollowed out, some of their barracks are not even deemed fit for illegal immigrants.
The headline sounds good, but the detail is a farce, like so many other polices which are failing.
Then a couple of days ago we have the other clown, Hunt, saying Inheritance tax is an un Conservative tax, and destroys savings and investment, yet he could have changed it if he wanted to.
All talk and no action, and Government by sound bites, whilst the very fabric of our Country is falling apart, good grief we cannot even fix a hole in the road any more !
May 27, 2024
The ex head of MI6 supports National Service and I think he knows better than MPs in Parl.
May 27, 2024
And Starmer is the âelectable nice faceâ of the Labour Party. Iâm sure they will replace him once he has served his purpose and got Labour in.
May 26, 2024
John.
Nobody believes a single word coming out of the Conservative Party.
Only a small number of voters in the marginal constituencies wanted their major policies. The majority of voters just went along with it because they are too simple to be able to predict consequences. But when the consequences become real they donât like the policies.
You have to say politicians are also none to bright to have not realised small winning policies are also massive losing policies.
May 26, 2024
And thats the nub of it ….no-one any longer believes the tories
May 26, 2024
gc – OR ANY OF THEM. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME
May 26, 2024
The problem is that your party presided over the mess. They made so many mistakes, failed to carry out what they should have undertaken, and even now demonstrate crass inability and a lack of common sense. It is not therefore surprising that so many voters want to see your party obliterated, even whilst believing that Labour will be worse.
May 26, 2024
It would be nice to imagine that the economy has been ruined by mistakes, but that is too generous. The ruination was completely deliberate!
May 26, 2024
Is ANY party worthy of government?
The Reform Party appears the best option for so many now after the havoc the Conservative Party has allowed to ensue.
May 26, 2024
Another Sunak vote winner bringing back national service. Bureaucratic costly subject to mass avoidance and whatâs worse utterly a Stalinist state imposition when we need less not more.
Letâs ruin young peoples lives as they look forward to furst jobs or Uni and send them to be killed somewhere.
This man is truly out of touch. I can see why no one wants to work for him and as we have seen over the last months why he should not have got the job.
May 26, 2024
The key line in this piece is âLabour would be worseâ. Thatâs the main argument in this election and the essential reason to vote Conservative. Thereâs lots to criticise the Conservatives for but Labour would be (much) worse.
May 26, 2024
@Richard1 – I agree, but how else can you remove Sunak and Hunt? They wouldn’t allow the Conservative Party to elect them they were appointed by themselves a handful of MPs. This is the same cabal that with CCHQ refuses Conservatives to be on the Ballot Paper at the election. To get on to be on the Conservative selection list you have to bow down to the Sunak/Hunt Socialist ideal. You cannot be chosen as a Conservative Candidate by those you wish to represent, you cannot serve your community, your Country – that’s a NO NO.
We are not living in a Country where the Gang Leaders believe in Government for the People by the People – that would be a Democracy.
May 26, 2024
@ Richard I – and the key concept is illustrated thus: – you are a passenger in a car being driven at speed towards a collapsed bridge over a shark-infested ravine with every prospect of the driver maintaining course towards assured doom. Although the option of changing driver is presented, the replacement driver might go faster so, in conformity with your view, best stick with the one at present at the wheel!
May 26, 2024
Sir John, Please don’t put the whole blame for the state we are in on the Nationalisation concept (tax payer owned). This is down to the people chosen to manage these undertakings.
And who selects these people ? – Government Politicians and they can never admit they have made errors of judgement only when they are trying to get re-elected.
Is it possible to have Nationalisation without Politics and Politicians ? That is the real problem we face not the concept that strategic infrastructure should be owned by the state( the tax payer not Politicians)
Reply The senior people in nationalised industries are chosen by senior officials, confirmed by a Minister, or a highly selective short list compiled by officials is given to a Minister. I have run large companies in the past but no Conservative Minister ever thought I could be considered for such a post in the state sector for a period after an election.
May 26, 2024
We have all seen the problems Sir Wally McFarlane had trying (unsuccessfully!) to get permission for the nationalized industry he led to produce proponol, safe though it was, export enhancing and job-creating.
May 26, 2024
Isn’t it the case that the main political parties in Westminster are servants of globalists and working to their agenda whilst paying lip service to the electorate they purport to serve? Keir Starmer admitted as much when he was interviewd by Emily Maitlis in January 2023 as described in this extract from the Daily Express: ” ‘ Emily Maitlis, during the interview, asked Keir Starmer: âyou have to choose now between Davos or Westminsterâ.
Without hesitation, the leader of his Majestyâs opposition, replied: âDavosâ.
âWhy?â, Emily Maitlis, queried.
Because Westminster is too constrained. It’s closed and we’re not having meaningâŠ.â,
He carried on: âOnce you get out of Westminster, whether it is Davos or anywhere else, you actually engage with people that you can see working with in the future.â
On the topic he ends with âWestminster is just a tribal shouting placeâ.
May 26, 2024
Brian Tomkinson +1
May 26, 2024
Answer to your last question is – Because they, under the auspices of the blob, want to keep us in hoc to the State. Rather like a bug and spatial control, the debt gives them an excuse for keeping us under financial control. Same a the Net Zero thing, which keeps us under both spatial and financial control, as does flooding the place with immigrants.
Yet National Service is a no no. Sunak can go off-piste now, because no chance he can get to put that little nasty into action.
May 26, 2024
Your last sentence you say ‘mis-management’, I’d say mis-policy
May 26, 2024
The problem you describe Sir John is the effect of spending other people’s money.
If Government Ministers’ and private secretaries’ home were on the line like so many self employed people they might look for savings and efficiencies. There is no skin in the game while raising taxes or borrowing. The only sanction is being voted out and moving to an NED role(s) to keep the gravy train moving.
There needs to be sanction for failure and spending more than is coming in. This applies at local as well as national level.
May 26, 2024
ÂŁ2.5 billion set aside for conscription âŠnot quoted on any manifesto with funds we donât have
May 26, 2024
I wonder how many nasty, shouty big hairy, tattooed butch Sergeant-Majors will be required?
May 26, 2024
Small-c conservatism in this country needs fundamental renewal, with a return to what was once a winning agenda and widespread popular support, and above all it needs different people leading it. How will that be achieved, except by the present lot going down to a pulverising defeat in the general election? After the clear-out, the rebuilding can begin. Labour in power won’t be nice, but it should at least focus minds on the task ahead.
May 27, 2024
+1
May 26, 2024
I’ll try just with some simple changes in tax arrangements.
Increase the personal tax allowance immediately to ÂŁ15000pa, and two years on to ÂŁ20000pa.
And at a more detailed position allow savers to earn ÂŁ5000 pa tax free in savings interest immediately and ÂŁ10000 pa in two years on. Keep ISAs though and even increase their top limit significantly.
Allow owners of company shares to earn the same income in tax free dividends.
Money must be returned to individuals.
They will, in wages and salaries tend to spend it and so government tax income will be increased from that but economic activity too.
The savings change will help people increase their capital which they will spend later usually in a lump, and dividends will help investment in businesses.
These changes will enable a reduction in staff employed at HMRC, and this must be enforced.
May 26, 2024
Your problem is that any âcommitmentâ made by your party is worthless as has been amply demonstrated in practice over many years.
OT: This incredible, uncosted, national service proposal will ensure no one at all with any relative or friend of 18 or under will vote Conservative anyway so not much point making any commitments at all.
May 26, 2024
About the O/T: I think you’re right, Roy, especially as regards parents of teenagers, i.e. people likely to be in their 30s and 40s, whose votes you would think the Conservatives would be concerned about. But apparently not. Let’s wait, though, for those opinion surveys graded by age-group to tell us how well Sunak’s latest brilliant idea has gone down.
May 26, 2024
Sir John
So, in a ânutshellâ you along with most sane people even some Conservatives have recognized that the Socialist ideal of BIG uncontrolled expenditure what was this Conservative Government main mantra followed by massive taxes increases to mask the failures to control is not a good thing it is completely counterproductive.
The unfortunate bit is the incoming Labour Government has been handed an open door to accelerate and expand on this Socialist Government methodology. The Taxpayer will pick up the cost of mistakes, miss-management and the refusal to control.
To have more money, more wealth, you first need to have something that creates it. It was in the old-fashioned days what a Country called an âeconomyâ. Exporting jobs, offshoring industry and services, becoming a prime importer of foreign sourced or owned energy, goods and services â is a good starting position to trash an entire Nation. Labour will just mirror Sunak/Hunt, they will spend, without control, they will have personal religious hang ups (Public/now Private Schooling) that have nothing to do with anything that they would wish to dump on the Country that creates costs and burdens.
Tax is treated by all of our Politicos, those in Government, in the Blob as a toy that they can mess around with, break then expect more to replace their personal incompetent behaviour. In their Ivory Towers they have it so wrong they are insulting a Nation of hard-working people. More tax should only ever come from, more earnings, greater wealth and that is only achieved in the first place with a dynamic purposeful economy. The ideal position should be that âtaxâ take should be a fixed percentage of GDP, Governments and their offices then only getting a fixed percentage of GDP â itâs called budgeting, real budgeting the type that every person and every house hold in the UK practices throughout their life. The Sunak/Hunt so-called budgets were never based on the realities of what could be earned, but what they could spend on personal self-esteem and hiding their management mistakes.
May 26, 2024
”The London Mayor just approved a deal between Go-Ahead Group (a UK transport company) and Chinese automaker BYD to build over 100 electric double-decker buses (ÂŁ400,000 each) for Londonâs streets. ”
May 26, 2024
“They want to find off balance sheet ways to borrow more.”
That’s really worrying. Are we going to get more PFI contracts to load up the next generation with high maintenance costs? I haven’t noticed this in any reporting myself.
My chief worry with Rachel Reeves is that although she seems moderate in her approach, there will be rows of Labour MPs behind her demanding more unaffordable spending.
May 27, 2024
I expect her to increases taxes she hasn’t mentioned. That means taxes on energy for one thing.
May 26, 2024
Firstly apologies for the length of this posting.
Yes it is a huge worry John isn’t it.
The fact is, we have not had a sensible Prime Minister since Thatcher (bought down by her own MP’s)
Correctly the Conservatives were kicked out in 1997 due to sleaze and incompetence under Major. (not a failure to manage the economy)
Blaire was a good communicator, but his spin doctor tactics in hiding the truth, and his internal war with Brown did for him in the end. Micro manager Brown was even worse.
So the Conservatives were given another chance, under another good communicator in Cameron and his side kick Clegg.
Cameron failed because he was wedded to the EU, so he surrendered, and then we were stuck with the disastrous May, after Gove knifed Boris in the back.
Boris then lifted some spirits and gave the Nation some hope for a while, but eventually Covid and his own Party Mp’s did it for him again.
So we have been stuck with what we have, apart from a short interlude with Truss (own Party Mp’s again).
None of the above have had what I would call a good Chancellor, and the Politicians have got us further and further into debt, have dramatically increased taxes, and become incompetent at managing the millions people on its departmental payroll.
I had hoped that one of the above would use your undoubted talents as a Chancellor, but eventually came to the conclusion that political mates are regarded and rewarded rather more than talent.
Now understandably after serving the local community well for many years, you are seeking a new chapter in your life.
I am so absolutely fed up with endless failed promises, policies, utter incompetence at all levels, and a failure of many politicians to even understand Human Nature, that I will not be voting for any of the major Party’s at this next election.
Do we have a Monster Raving Looney candidate standing on Wokingham by any chance, as I may as well vote for the real thing now.
Thank you once again for all of your efforts over the years John
Regards and all the very best for the future.
May 26, 2024
âWhy do the main parties ignore many of these billions spent on mismanagement?â
Because itâs not âmismanagementâ. Itâs deliberate. High and wasteful spending and âunacceptable lossesâ are intended to provide a justification for high taxes.
High taxes are designed to destroy our wealth, increase control by curbing private spending and finance ever increasing state employment etc..
May 26, 2024
“Why do the main parties ignore many of these billions spent on mismanagement?”
Because the people who are mis-managing public services come from the same swamp as those who are controlling the government.
Just look at how Paula Vennells got the top job in the Post Office. No wonder she was out of her depth.
May 26, 2024
@Kenneth – never loose sight that the management of these entities is the people we empower and pay, our MPs, this Conservative Government. Ed Davey your prospective Liberal Democratic candidate for PM was the Post Office Minster we paid to be in charge of Paula Vennells activities at the time all this deception came to light. He was/is inept, showed he lacked managerial skill, and he like Sunak an Starmer with the same capabilities want to run a Country. Then get us to pay them to do it!
May 27, 2024
How can anybody vote Lib Dem when Ed Davey has shown us that they will collude with criminal cover-ups? Nixon was impeached for less! Why is this man even allowed to stand?
May 27, 2024
Post Office is a great example of the weakness in market capitalism.
Capitalism works just great at the highest entrepreneurial level (starts-up in tech etc). But there is then a fall in talent to where you get the useless but greedy and the sociopaths and dregs involved in business such as the post office (and utilities etc). There has to be a cut-off point where nationalisation becomes a bad idea / more unhelpful than helpful and the post office with all their negligence (and it might be worse) and greedy, corrupt bonuses during the whole saga of the post office is proof of this.
Reply Post Office has been nationalised throughout last 50 years!
May 28, 2024
But my point still remains, some / many of the dregs of capitalism are to be found in organisations such as the Post Office. They are too useless to find jobs in more dynamic forms of capitalism (ie a tech start-ups), but instead focus on areas such as the post office where they receive big salaries topped by enormous bonuses for doing nothing except aiding and abetting the scandal we’ve just seen in the PO.
And now the enormous bill that has to be paid out for miscarriage of justice and the shame on an institution (the PO) that was once a popular icon of British life. In other words, wasn’t worth nationalising (similar to Chinese and Arabs owning our water for relatively poor service).
May 28, 2024
Not forgetting the relatively bad price the PO was sold off for and price surges to use its service (and the charm of the place lost .. I’m a Capitalist but not at any cost).
Lastly Reform Parth accept there is a nuanced debate to have about nationalisation. Where it works and doesn’t. And want to renationalise 50% of some formerly nationalised companies / organisations (I forget which now). But their approach here is spot on / pragmatic (as Capitalism should be) not idealistic / ideological.
May 26, 2024
Neither labour or Tories are being honest about what their true aims are for the economy – they certainly are not going to make us more wealthy or self sufficient. Far from it, we face ruin, and not just because of netzero.
Historically, labour have never been good with economics which is why we put a lot of faith in the tories, so why did the Tories adopt socialist policies?
If we look at all the wealth that has been drained from our economy, be it for Ukraine, EU expenses, gifts abroad or simply just wasted on ridiculous schemes – all with labour/libdem support. It becomes clear that we are headed for economic disaster.
Can you just imagine how the UK would be blooming if we hadn’t wasted so many ÂŁBillions?
If only we had had a real Tory government.
May 26, 2024
Lower taxes and higher growth? Copy Argentina and close government departments wholesale. Repal laws and regulations by the truckload. Government is the problem.
May 26, 2024
@Paul – all good, extremely good reasoning. That we all know works in practice. However what is called a Conservative Government (That know one recognises as Conservative) has been promising to do that for the last 14 years. Even now we have Sunak promising to bring in polices if he is elected, the same polices he could have brought in as Chancellor then PM but refuse.
May 26, 2024
“They oppose some of the measures to get more people into work” ?
You failed to support British Primary Steel making in Port Talbot, simply by investing in Blast Furnaces, throwing thousands of People onto Benefits (Universal Credit, that’s also an In Work Benefit), and then cut benefits?
And, you wonder why People have lost trust in your Party!
Sunak and Hunt had a chance to increase the Business Activity rate (cutting Corp, VAT, Fuel Duty, Business Rates, etc,.. With Supply-side Reforms and de-regulation), and did nothing reachable (cutting NI, a medium to long term measure)? We need cultural change, but with the cost to living so much higher then Peoples disposable Incomes, cutting benefits, is stupid! People can’t save, can’t pay rent, let alone, save for a deposit, etc,…
This is important because if you have Supply-side Inflation, the answer is obvious, increase production!
So, With food prices increasing, increase Farming, Fishing, Home grown food Production!
Same with Energy; Increase Gas (Fracking), and Northsea Oil&Gas, …
Same with cutting VAT and VAT Thresholds!
Fuel duty!
So, Increasing Business Activity rate, increasing Profitability within these areas, would directly increase Productivity, and help suppress Food, Energy prices, etc,.. pushing down Supply-side Inflation!
And, then, House Prices?
Have you built Millions of houses? Where are you’re plans?
Sunak and Hunt have had all the chance they deserve, and all we get is One Nation, Small C Localism ?
I accept some of you’re suggestions, but 14 years? No! sorry, it’s time for a change!
Don’t think so!
Get rid of Sunak and Hunt, and the One Nation rubbish, and offer our Freedoms back and a Free Market economy!
We need a Maidenhead MP, a spokesman for Freedoms,…?
BR
RDM
May 26, 2024
Sir John , as usual I fully agree with your criticisms on the economy . The BoE and the OBR have made huge errors of judgement and it has been wrong of the Conservatives to allow them to influence their decisions . I trust you will continue to use whatever ever influence you may have to stop this nonsense .
May 26, 2024
Itâs a good job that our existing Parliamentary parties names are not covered by the ASA :
Conservatives : Massive alien immigration and the pursuit of Net Zero is not conserving our culture or wealth.
Labour : Massive immigration of cheap labour and the de-industrialising and wealth destroying Net Zero are not policies to help the indigenous working class whom they claim to represent. In fact one of the pernicious and unfair aspects of the whole CAGW/Net Zero cult is the way that the poorest in the country are paying through their energy bills and taxes to subsidise the wealthyâs evs, rooftop solar and heat pump toys.
Liberal Democrats : Proved they are neither liberal or democratic by campaigning to cancel Brexit, the largest mandate in our history.
Greens : Really the âRedsâ who have tricked many into following the false and environmentally damaging CAGW/Net Zero cult when they thought they were voting to protect the environment and who are now are in support of Palestine.
May 26, 2024
@Original Richard – how great it would be if our MPs once in office could get booted out for reneging on ‘elect me’ promises. Even better if the ASA was real and not a politically appointed Quango could have them charged for miss-representation
May 26, 2024
Starmer wants to give 16 and 17 year olds the vote.
He saysâŠâthey work and pay taxâ
Do they? I thought that education was compulsory until 18.
Is he going to build factories for them to work in and lower the school leaving age?
16 and 17 year olds canât smoke, marry or drink.
Is he going to change all that to make them âgrown upsâ?
May 26, 2024
I have and had 3 grandsons recently in that age group. They all worked when they could, weekends etc.
None ever paid NI or Income tax.
May 26, 2024
A weird election with weird themes from weird people.
The Scenarios are not who would be best for the UK, as neither of the 2 âPresidentialâ candidates have that on their agendas. It is not even about and good MPs to serve their electorate and the Country, the party campaign headquarters have ensured that cannot be an outcome. They have ensured that only the prospective candidates are those that are wholly loyal to the Party, its Lord and master and their warped are allowed to get on the ballot paper. They have corrupted democracy for personal ego.
Now it is simply the choice of more damage to the UK and its people, or more damage to the UK and its people. Die-Hard Socialism or Die-Hard Socialism. Neither of the âPresidentialâ candidates will put the electorate or the Country first. They both refuse to listen or hear or even work with the fabulous people of this once great Country â they the UK people, the electorate are just the fodder, the minions that have been enslaved to empty their pockets and wallets into the machinery to keep the inadequate and incapable and their egos, personal self-esteem along with the never-ending regime of mistakes afloat
The worst candidates the UK has ever produced. Until the revolution we are powerless to clean the swamp.
Vote ‘None of the above’ and the future will be the same
May 26, 2024
Can our PM still sign off the WHO Pandemic Treaty, during this period of prorogation
Reply I think that would be wrong . Ministers are not meant to enter new commitments or make new policies. They stay in post in case there is an emergency when most would agree they need to drop campaigning and man the crisis room.
May 26, 2024
So he will, then?
May 26, 2024
What do they know of crisis who only crisis know?
May 26, 2024
Many people with financial backgrounds agree with your analysis of the BoE’s behaviour in selling bonds at a loss. No one has a good explanation for why they might be doing this. Do you have any insights? Can the Governor be interrogated more forensically on this subject. I hope MPs will still seek your advice on how to cross examine.
May 26, 2024
I have just listened to a very good broadcast from Bury’s labour representative and he talks about damaging tactics.
May 26, 2024
At this moment in time it does not matter who or which party one votes for, the Globalist UK Establishment decide the agenda. So until our whole system of government is changed nothing will happen however change is coming and Nothing can stop what is coming, NOTHING and the Enormity of what is coming will shock the world. The people have been fooled for far too long.
May 26, 2024
‘How to have lower taxes and faster growth’ – might seem a but left-field (in the out there sense) My Son featured in the FT just recently after being recognised and rewarded for his contribution in creating an innovative product that adds efficiency improvements to industry – they get to make things. Then the kicker, he is English working for a US company in the US and it was they that recognised his talent.
It couldn’t have happened in the UK our Politicos are so wound up in-self and punishment for the minions, that they drive talent out and then wonder why it is not around when the Nation needs it