President Trump in 2025 was busy defining his new Administration with his one Big Beautiful Bill built around tax cuts and cheap energy. It is true some of his other policies were less helpful, but the thrust towards more growth and investment was clear. The relatively new Labour government also defined itself by key legislation in its early months . The two Finance Bills to implement the 2024 and the 2025 budgets set course for a dearer public sector, for more borrowing and for much higher taxes. The Employment Rights Act decided to grant the Union bosses most of their requests to make it dearer and more risky to employ people. As a result of these measures the UK sentenced itself to much lower growth than the US, and to rising unemployment.
It is difficult to comprehend how PM and Chancellor thought they were following a growth strategy when they decided to make such a large increase in the cost and difficulty of employing people, allied to an attack on successful small businesses and farms through an Inheritance tax raid. They seemed unaware of the huge success of the US digital giants out competing the UK and turning so much of our computer expenses into revenue for the USA. They seemed to think people and companies would stay here despite the large deterioration in the tax regime relative to lower tax jurisdictions including the US, and assumed businesses and farms would struggle on despite the more hostile atmosphere for them. Instead many people left the UK, jobs were lost and businesses shut down. There was a surge in more people living on benefits.
The government’s growth theory is based on expanding public sector investment in rail, energy, and public services. They are discovering that to afford this they need both to raise taxes and to accept higher interest costs for all the extra money they wish to borrow. They do not seem to have realised this attempt to re direct day to day activity and investment away from the competitive private sector to the public sector is likely to lower our productivity and lead to more losses and waste. Preventing a new gas well or a new gas fired power station but pressing on with HS2, Post Office computerisation and the Ajax military vehicle means a big bill for taxpayers and a less productive economy.
The impact of higher National Insurance and the Employment Rights Act is already being felt in more employment intensive activities like entertainment and hospitality, where there has been a big job loss. We will also feel the expansion of the state in our pockets as the bills come flooding in for railway losses, steel losses, Bank of England losses, Post Office losses, MOD cost over runs and the rest.
December 21, 2025
You seem to be against ‘MOD cost over runs’ at a time when many on the Right want to ramp up defence spending at any cost.
Should the armed forces be privatised? Would productivity be measured by the number of wars prevented?
Reply Are you in favour of cost over runs? Most agree with me they are a bad idea.
December 21, 2025
We need sensible, efficient well directed defence and defence procurement policies alas we have not had this, not even remotely, for very many years. Ditching net zero is essential for a sound defence system and for a sound economy. Plus a sound economy is also vital for defence. Labour need U turns on every issue.
December 21, 2025
Matt Vickers just now on Talk TV.
Shadow Minister of State for Illegal Immigration, Crime, Policing and Fire.
Asked the interviewer Peter Cardwell why the Tories left government after 14 years with the highest taxes since the war! Peter Cardwell’s rather poor answer should have been:-
Well Matt you spend far to much money on vast low skilled immigration, HS2, benefit claimants, failing to deter crime, net zero lunacy, sick joke covid enquiries, net harm Covid Vaccines, net harm Covid Lockdowns, far to much government and further killed economic growth with vast excessive red tape and absurd energy costs due to absurd energy policies. You also failed to take full advantage of Brexit!
Earlier we had Edwina Curry saying of the dire Sunak “when the history books are written he will come out well but he took office at a difficult time.” He sure did shortly after he had pissed billions down the drain as an appalling Covid Chancellor!
Only if these history books are written by lefty wet idiots Edwina!
December 21, 2025
This government is a disgrace. Neither Starmer Thieves actually believe in growth only expansion of the public sector.
They are both Fabians who’s logo is a wolf in sheeps clothing. That should be an enormous clue.
After Chagos, ceding control Gibraltar to Spain, what’s next. Handing the Falklands to Argentina because they’ve discovered oil and gas.
Cancelling local elections and bringing the Kings Speech forward to May is that actions of a despot. Even the Electoral Commission is against it. If we had a King worthy of the name he would step in and demand fresh elections but he is part of the problem.
December 21, 2025
The King is perhaps too occupied in talking hypocritical clap trap about the insane war on CO2 plant, tree and crop food. The vital gas of virtually all life on earth.
December 21, 2025
IN this Kingdom, I hold the view that our monarchy has really only 2 jobs, the day to day is to sell ‘GB plc’ to the world, helping sell our products to foreigners and encouraging tourism. The second, and more important, is to act a a political ‘last resort’, and step into the political realm when our politicians fail to perform or by action are clearly risking the Union. Are we getting close to the latter?
December 21, 2025
Smile, cut ribbons, make small talk, keep out of politics and sell the UK. Last resort well perhaps only in some very exceptional circumstances!
He is damaging the monarchy hugely by not keeping out of climate politics especially as he is deluded and hypocritical on this issue.
December 21, 2025
I thought the second was to uphold standards of behaviour for the ‘common’ people to aspire to? A shocking failure in several areas by several members.
December 21, 2025
Absolutely not!
The King has NO political role for a good reason.
This King’s politics would sink us quicker than Milliband’s.
December 21, 2025
Had George VI left England in 1939 for Canada, as recommended by the government, you’d probably not be here today. To say the Monarch is not political is naive in the extreme, they are head of state. The late Queen was the most experienced political operator this century.
December 21, 2025
Agreed. Charles Windsor supports the WEF’s policies which Two-Tier is implementing. He is not “above politics” …. he is deeply embedded.
December 21, 2025
Unfortunately, Charles doesn’t seem to share his mothers wisdom.
Andrew would also have been well advised to listen to her more closely. “Never Complain, Never Explian” would have avoided his Emily Mathis self-immolation.
December 21, 2025
You want him to oust the government and take over? Would that help? Ever?
December 21, 2025
I agree. Just look at the board of the Earthshot Prize to see who our royalty are in bed with. Don’t expect William to be any better than Charles. The British people have been sold out by their politicians and their Royal Family.
December 21, 2025
The problem is we do not have a written constitution like the USA has. Its forefathers rebelled against unchecked and unlimited power of a King and its Parliament.
I have log argued here on this and other forums that the current system of government is broken. This was deliberately done in 1997 with such an outcome we are witnessing today.
December 21, 2025
Aren’t we all looking forward to his Christmas speech, Ian?
December 21, 2025
Absence of control to prevent cost overruns is as lax as an inefficient armed force.
December 21, 2025
Sensible spending means neccessary expenditure increases can be kept to a minimum
December 21, 2025
Not just cost overruns but cost overruns to import Afghans, no increase in MOD preparedness for what they tell us is a definite war in 2030.
Let’s hope our enemy chooses to wait until the MOD has its vehicles operational. Would be so unsporting of them to disarm us before we can hurt them.
December 21, 2025
Since Starmer has been pushing for a war with Russia he has unfortunately acquired some followers indoctrinated to seeing Russia as the bad guy, but ask yourself why he is doing it – The answer has nothing to do with defending this country – It’s all about staying in power by any means possible.
The Ukraine war would now be a footnote in history if Starmer hadn’t involved himself.
We don’t need this war although we do need better defences, but let’s separate out what we need from what a PM with ideological desires.
December 21, 2025
Every single thing (other than planning law relaxation – which has not happened yet) that Starmer, Reeves, Miliband, Phillipson, Lammy… have done is anti-growth taxes, energy costs, workers rights bill, vat on school fees, the wars on landlords, motorists, employers, low skilled immigration levels, augmenting crime and benefit claiming…
December 21, 2025
In their minds they are doing a great job. You can’t reason with paranoia.
I expect Starmer will be toast after the May local elections, to be replaced by someone even more dire.
You just hope the country wakes up and comes to its senses for the next election, as the politicians we’ve elected never will.
December 21, 2025
And planning law relaxation has resulted in ….. No boom in building.
No buyers no building.
Simples.
December 21, 2025
Well we do not have the revised planning rulesyet and even then you still have to get the planning and find builders and even the. will only build if there is a profit to be made and you have the funds needed!
December 22, 2025
The 10-year Infrastructure Strategy was published on 26 January 2025 with (some) more details in July 2025 and December 2025 (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system’).
LA, Did you expect houses to grow like mushrooms following the autumn’s rains?
December 21, 2025
@Lifelogic – I think you mean anti UK. But you have to reflect their destruction acts have the support of the majority in Parliament – they all get to won the fight against the nation
December 21, 2025
“It is difficult to comprehend how PM and Chancellor thought they were following a growth strategy….”
It is difficult because you assume Starmer’s Gang want the same things you want. They do not. On the contrary, they want to destroy what you want. They want, not a wealthy vibrant country but a socialist state in which all are reduced to the lowest common denominator; equality of outcome and people finally accept socialism without resistance. This is important because it is the resistance that has been the cause of socialism’s perpetual failure.
This time socialism will succeed because it can use international law, including EU law, to circumvent domestic resistance and ally with Islamism which shares with Starmer’s Gang, riddled with Fabians, a deep hatred of Britain and its foundations in and history of Christianity.
It is likely however that Starmer’s ambition will be thwarted, not by conservatism, but by Islamism and the imposition of Sharia to make Britain a caliphate. The King would have no objection.
December 21, 2025
+1
Accordingly to, Sir David Starkey the first law the 1997 Labour government repealed was the death penalty for High Treason.
I wonder why?
December 21, 2025
This – and i should mention that I made my own comment along very similar lines below without having read Peter Gardner’s comment: which suggests the inference we both draw from the same facts is a reasonable one.
December 21, 2025
So no sooner has Kemi nominated Simon Heffer to the Lords than he starts slagging off the modest and self effacing Donald Trump.
Simon Heffer today.
Trump is a narcissistic fascist. The West needs a new leader of the free world
The American president has repeatedly shown his disregard for democratic norms.
Can we have Trump policies of cheap reliable energy, no men in women’s sport, free speech, abolition of net zero, pro Israel, peace demanding, vast cuts in low skilled and criminal immigration levels, restoration of trust in science medical especially, lower taxes, real growth … here please. Did Heffer really want the moronic Kamala Harris or the senile Biden? He sounds a bit like Sadiq Khan!
December 21, 2025
Biden and his people are to blame for Trump, just as much as Conservatives to blame for Starmer.
December 21, 2025
“The government’s growth theory is based on expanding public sector investment in rail, energy, and public services.”
Are Labour really so stupid as to think that taxing the private sector even more, wasting much of this in collection and distributions costs & then wasting the rest on the generally dire public sector will work? Things like the very poorly run NHS, Chagos, sick joke vaccine inquiries, the net zero rip off energy lunacy and employments red tape, more money to augment the feckless life on benefits, hotels for low skilled and often criminal immigrants…
December 21, 2025
In answer to your question – yes.
And when things don’t work they will blame it on Brexit, not noticing that UK sluggish growth rates are matched by the EU.
December 21, 2025
Yes.
December 21, 2025
A government defines itself by it’s actions and the very first things this government did was to engage in petty bribery, target pensioners, impose two tier policies to benefit zero contributors over those who worked for an income and then thieve that income from private sector workers and employees to pay off the unions.
The sooner we are rid of this rabble the better.
December 21, 2025
Children in power, malicious ones at that. A mix of ” Lord of the Flies” and “Animal Farm” doing a grown up job for which they are by previous experience totally unsuited. Sadly we must endure this self inflicted wound until they expire at the door of the IMF and other simple realities.
December 21, 2025
I was until the last Budget hopefully that the Markets would call time on this circus. But since the Chancer has back dated the costs of her latest round of borrowing, and gotten away with it, I am not so sure.
December 21, 2025
Excellent analogies AG – although it pains me how close this ficton is to our new reality.
Orwell was out by exactly 20 years. 2024 – a year everyone will come to regret.
December 21, 2025
Margaret Thatcher was in power in 1984.
December 21, 2025
Do you believe in democracy?
December 21, 2025
But they are going for growth.
Growth in the Public Sector.
Growth in their Client State.
Growth in welfare dependants, who are therefore more likely to vote Labour.
They are governing in the Party’s interests, not the country’s.
December 21, 2025
Correct.
December 21, 2025
+1
December 21, 2025
👍🏻
December 21, 2025
Do you believe in democracy?
December 21, 2025
Growth in all the things that are strangling the productive sector.
December 21, 2025
John, the contrast between Trumps administration and Labour UK’s performance in the first in the first few months could not be more stark.
Apart from the economic disaster Labour have engineered, through their bizarre counter productive policies and actions, look at their illegal migration efforts.
Trump has literally stopped the flow of illegal migrants across the USA’s southern border with Mexico, while Labour have turbo charged the incoming illegal flow of migrants from France on our southern border.
When Starmer spoke boldly about smashing the gangs, little did we realise he was talking about the gangs of British protesters demanding the cessation of government agencies using our small town hotels to accommodate illegal migrants. The said new wave of illegals are mostly fit young men with uncontrolled sexual intentions. Nobody wants them predating our children except the government it would seem!
December 21, 2025
We have more police officers than we do members of the armed forces.
That, despite the noice coming the MoD, tells you where the government sees the real threat is coming from.
December 21, 2025
President Trump has enacted America first policies but his excessive tariff implementation has hit jobs and prices and will hit growth in the short term.
Until and unless manufacturing returns he is vulnerable.
I am a supporter of tariffs to level the playing field but you also need to pursue pro industrial policies in addition to cheap energy
December 21, 2025
Fully agree with your posting today John.
Tax, borrow, and waste more on inefficient public spending/services, will lower growth not increase it.
Raising costs on Private business with more and more regulation, taxation and power costs, will harm any plans for growth, increased productivity and investment.
December 21, 2025
We are being led by politicians who believe public sector good, private sector bad.
This ideology underpins every decision.
The idea that it is the private sector that creates income, wealth and prosperity is a total anathema to even the economists amongst them.
I find it difficult to comprehend how the Starmer’s and Reeves of this world have come to this view.
Maybe somebody could explain it to me.
December 21, 2025
What they say and what they do are totally different things. They say they will not rejoin the EU but that’s exactly what they are doing in small increments. I assume they believe the Frogs (eg us voters) won’t notice the water getting hotter and hotter.
But even if we do, it’s far too late. We jumped into their pot and we can’t jump back out for another 3 years+.
We won’t easily recover from the damage they will cause in that time (whoever takes over).
“Black Hole” won’t be describe it, “Armagedon” will be more apt.
December 21, 2025
We have never had such an incompetent Government. Socialism never works, and as always, under a Labour Government, we will all end up poorer. This time, however, they are likely to bankrupt the UK, so very painful financial discipline will be forced on them by people lending us money.
It would be a joke if it were not so serious!
December 21, 2025
The UK is a pre eminent example of national decline and fall in today’s world, for the reasons you give. It can only end very badly. Perhaps irretrievably. Any future government elected too try to turn the national economy around will face a monumental task against deeply entrenched opposition.
December 21, 2025
The Labour administration, especially its back benchers are obsessed with redistribution of wealth.
They see everyone as deserving instead of casting a critical eye over claimants.
They see the public sector as good and hide behind their public service mantra without reviewing what needs to be delivered and how. Unions and workers are good. Bosses inherently bad and grasping.
As they believe in the magic money tree and don’t have to generate revenue (preferring to demand it with menaces) they don’t comprehend risk and reward. They don’t comprehend taking your job home with you as part of the responsibility that generates additional earnings over the workers.
December 21, 2025
Business rates have gone up, crippling the hospitalty industry. Pubs dying every day. Yet Starmer is happy to sign up to £3.4 billion cost of handing over the Chagos islands to Mauritius !!!!
December 21, 2025
The tax-payers Alliance estimates the cost as £34 – £74bn
December 21, 2025
They only talked about ‘Growth ‘ to make them seem more user friendly to the wealth creators before the election. Once they achieved power they reverted to Socialist type: the only growth they know, is growth in Government spending.
December 21, 2025
One of the earliest actions of the Labour Government was the “deal” with Mauritius for the Chagos Islands. For me, this sums up the irrational folly of Starmer in terms of unnecessary public expenditure, left-wing international law, defence and security, marine conservation and foreign relations (especially with China).
I genuinely think that people who believe this to be a sensible use of public money are touched in the head and cannot be trusted (or afforded) to run a government. Trump may also be similarly afflicted, but his instincts still reflect an intention to do right by his own country, the USA, and to prosper economically.
December 21, 2025
Which just shows how they have not understood the simple fact that state owned enterprises never make any profit – simple fact, proved over and over.
They might have made some progress with energy if the subsidies hadn’t ben so expensive, so crippling.
Let’s forget the idea that this government wants to grow the economy – that will never happen, not just because of opposing ideology but Net-0 will alone bankrupt us. Then we have the war with Russia Starmer is so keen to enter.
The only thing that will increase under labour, apart from taxation and oppressive legislation, is the size of the Big state which will always be a drain on resources.
December 21, 2025
“It is difficult to comprehend how PM and Chancellor thought they were following a growth strategy ” ?
I think you missed what they were saying. To create a UK in our personal image, a reset, A Great Reset is required. Control and manipulation of a Marxist regime as preached by the WEF is required to align the UK with the New World order dictated by a World Politburo.
People like me moaning about the situation, if they ever read my comments, is them seeing they have got it right, the Plan is working.
December 21, 2025
The achievements towards a controlling Marxist State after not more than 18 months are mind blowing. They have showed Blair how its done, they have shown how Cameron, May, Johnson and Sunak how to compound and accelerate their forced decline of the UK.
Its just not a named few they have the support of the majority of the UK’s legislators, a Parliamentary voting advantage of more then 150. While Johnson threw his majority down the drain to support this drift, this crowd have accelerated everything and they are in control, real control and have created a tidal wave.
December 21, 2025
The State redefine words so that they sound reasonable but what it means is often the reverse of what it sounds as if they are saying:
Growth = bigger State
Austerity = not enough funnelled to the State
Patriotic = bring in many many different and nations and traditions
Defence spending = fund criminal Ukraine junta
Capital gain = real loss
Living wage = benefits claimants need more but pensioners can just stop surviving
In my own experience this year I discovered that:
Owner = tenant
Vacant = tenant not trading
Empty = not empty
It’s impossible to survive and do business in these conditions.
December 21, 2025
6 Comments
“It is difficult to comprehend how PM and Chancellor thought they were following a growth strategy when they decided to make such a large increase in the cost and difficulty of employing people”
Of course they didn’t. As always with a Labour government, you have to note which ‘policy aim’ is parroted most frequently, and latch onto it as the core lie concealing their real intentions. when Blair talked of ‘Education, education, education’ what he really wanted was mass university degrees for the least-fitted, so youth unemployment precipitated by mass immigration would be statistically suppressed.
The current government’s wish is quite obviously the opposite of growth – to destroy the UK economy to the extent that rejoining the EU and accepting the euro will be generally seen as the only hope of survival.
December 21, 2025
803 ‘unknows’ invaded the UK yesterday 20th Dec 2025
December 21, 2025
What do we think?
From the Telegraph – Britain faces an £8.75bn bill after Sir Keir Starmer agreed a deal to rejoin the European Union’s student exchange programme. That is a deal for the Taxpayer to pay of £8.75bn.
Then the Kicker, EU Students have left debts unpaid of £5bn Uni-fees for the UK Taxpayer to cover from the last time there was an exchange program. This new £8.75bn is the pre-payment deal to allow UK Universities to teach & house EU Students at the taxpayers expense. University fees etc are on top of that. University fees from EU Student have historical been left unpaid with the UK Taxpayer then have to find the money to pay the bill.
Then ask were is the money for UK Defence? Where has the money to educate our own Students gone?
December 21, 2025
Everything you write, John, appears to be based on the assumption that this government wants to promote growth and make the country better for all its residents.
All I can see is a wilful destruction of: the country’s identity and traditions, the economy, social cohesion, morale, and everything that makes it a nation state.
When I can bear to look at Starmer I see nothing but a traitor and a globalist communist plant in the heart of our government. When I can bear to listen to him all I hear is lies and disingenuous waffle.
The question that huge numbers of people is asking to veteran political operators like yourself is: what can we do to prevent irreversible damage to our beloved home which will almost undoubtedly be wreaked in the next 3 1/2 years? It’s like watching a family member being tortured to death without being able to do anything to help!!
December 21, 2025
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, has tweeted about “Bradford’s year of culture has smashed every target”, the replies from thousands of ordinary voters are hilarious.
Really the opposition parties should be capitalising on this.
December 21, 2025
Given the background of Starmer and Reeves, and, for that matter the entire Cabinet, it’s hardly surprising there’s no growth and high taxation. These people have never run a business in the private sector, their preferred solution is state ownership and intervention; this blinkered Marxist ideology is destroying our country. Labour’s Employment Rights legislation is a huge disincentive for hiring people and expanding a business. The NHS is broken and requires urgent radical reform, but Streeting will not take appropriate action. Starmer’s much vaunted policy on illegal immigration is an abject failure saddling tax payers and local authorities with huge cost and an impossible situation. Illegal migration is now so serious it requires a National Emergency to be declared and our military deployed on the South Coast. This crisis and our dire economic situation will bring Starmer and his hapless government down and the sooner the better.
December 21, 2025
….illegal migration is now so serious it requires a National Emergency to be declared…..
Be careful what you wish for, because in all seriousness I think that is exactly what will happen just before the next GE, which will then be deferred for one year, two years – or who knows how long for?
December 21, 2025
Hi sir john
The government knows best.
December 22, 2025
Is there no chance of shutting down HS2? I know billions have been spent on it and it would cost more billions to stop it. But it’s totally out of control, nobody knows how much it will cost to
finish, even IF it’s finished I don’t see what benefit it could possibly have.