The Chancellor presented silly forecasts from the OBR that some of us said were out of date when published. How are they getting on with a forecast for oil prices staying around $65? What revisions would they now make to inflation and unemployment with energy costs so much higher?
Like the rest of the government the Chancellor does not seem to know there is a war on, or if she has now seen it does not think she needs to take action anytime soon to adjust our economy to new circumstances.
What should she do? She should get taxes on energy way down to offset the impact of the higher prices. 55% of the pump price for fuel is tax, so offset the rise in oil prices. Suspend VAT temporarily from domestic gas. Talk to the oil and gas companies about getting their taxes down to a level where they will maximise current output and put in more capacity with a big investment surge.
The Treasury will get a windfall increase in tax from higher energy prices. However, borrowing is still too high so the government needs to embark urgently on the spending reductions the Opposition has proposed to take the pressure off the bond markets and interest rates. It would help if the government cancelled all their proposed extra payments to foreign governments and the EU over Chagos re set, steel compensation, and the extra payments to illegal migrants the Home Secretary has announced..
March 10, 2026
Dear Sir John, Starmer has opted out of the war so it is effectively cancelled. It isn’t happening in Starmer’s World. The safety guard /watchman in Portsmouth dockyard has been told to let No 10 know when the paint has dried on HMS Dragon, union rules permitting and only during normal working hours.
Next!
March 10, 2026
She does not know what to do.
If she does something it’s pot luck, might help, might sink us completely.
Honestly we can’t go on like this, we have to address the root cause of our unending problems.
Could you think about that please JR and give us your assessment of what can be done?
March 10, 2026
Your suggestions would help tremendously. She won’t do it because of politics, ideology and self interest.
We have a political system and class that more than ever does not prioritise the good of the people.
March 10, 2026
This is all ridiculous and highly damaging, not just short term damage but serious societal and economic long term damage. We have got to get rid of Starmer’s Gang. We can’t assume Starmer won’t cancel or postpone the General Election expected in 2029. Thee is no law preventing him. Would you please initiate something that will result in a general election? Difficult with the Gang having such a large majority. But there being so many lunatics in politics now the FPTP system could by some quirk result in a majority for any remotely sensible party, Left or Right. I have often thought that if we could extract all the true patriotic conservatives from their existing parties into a new one it would win hands down. The days of the broad church are gone because the electorate is too disparate and deeply divided. It is communal like India before partition but with many more incompatible identities than just Hindus and Muslims. Starmer’s gang, riddled as it is with Fabians and assorted communists, is not on the side of Britain. Fabians believe nation states should not even exist. Starmer’s Gang is the enemy within the gates. Oh! dear me, I forgot. We no longer have any gates. Starmer’s Gang is the doormat welcoming any and all cultural groups who hate Britain as much as the Gang does and come only to rob it.
Reply Conservatives suffered a heavy defeat so we have nothing like the votes needed to require a new election. There is no reason to think Labour will cancel the next election. They have just backed down over Council elections.