The ever growing population of the UK means more to feed and clothe, more utilities needed, more to house and more needing school places and medical care. The UK needs to do more to promote extra capacity to meet these needs.
Instead tax and regulation is getting in the way of producing more. This decade we have lost 700,000 self employed when we need more to set up in business. The government should revert to IR 35 rules used prior to 2017. It should be easier to get started as self employed.
The Treasury should raise the VAT registration threshold from £85,000 to £250,000. Too many small businesses turn down business to avoid the need to register.
The government should remove the 31% hike to corporation tax. If it was really serious about more investment and getting the deficit down it would cut the rate to 15% to attract more large companies.
The government should lift the planned ban on making and selling new diesel and petrol cars in 2030. The ban is putting car companies off investing here.
DEFRA should stop offering grants to farmers to prevent them farming. The money for wilding should be switched to supporting growing food.
The Business Department should suspend the emissions trading and carbon tax system. This is imposing the highest taxes on UK steel, ceramics, glass and other intensive industries of the advanced world. It is leading to closures.
We need to foster enterprise and promote home production. That would bring prices under control.
May 9, 2023
Yes, the government should…but won’t.
May 9, 2023
So despite the fact we have a good chance to improve our electricity supply using British workers and technology, the unelected Fishy and Hunt want to put the purchase out to international tender.
No doubt Hunt will prefer China to build SMRs and Fishy would like American to help smooth his way back there after your wiped our at the next GE.
The goid point isthat doing the manufacturing abroad will be good for net zero.
Bad for jobs nd the economy but who cares.
May 9, 2023
@ mickc – agreed, and so the proper action when this rotten government asks for our vote is to withhold it.
Were the Starmer and Reeves persons astute enough to hold the offices they seek, they would now announce all of Sir John’s measures as Labour policy (there is no ideological bar of course) and challenge the government to implement them without delay to avoid further harm being done.
May 9, 2023
@mickc +1
It point blank refuses to ‘manage’ anything other than collecting the 70 year high tax revenue
May 9, 2023
110% agreed.
May 9, 2023
The high taxes on entrepreneurs and the middle class are needed to pay for mass migration of net tax takers. It’s now a permanent downward trend.
May 9, 2023
All agreed, and we need to stop and reverse the ‘growing population’ which is imported and is an existential threat to our own nation.
May 9, 2023
Anything which is a threat to a vicious, niggardly host, of curtain-twitching pearl-clutchers can’t be all bad.
May 9, 2023
Vicious? Niggardly? Other countries are pushing migrants back out to sea or interning them in far-off detention camps. Only in this country are they put up in four star hotels and paid to conduct endless legal action. Only in this country can a torturer be spared deportation for fear he might be tortured. Only in this country can you successfully claim to be fleeing from somewhere and then return there for holidays.
May 9, 2023
you didn’t learn much variety on the creative writing course. Lack of imagination Martin.
May 9, 2023
The pearls and curtains were long since sold to pay for the non-working non-contributing wealth consuming seekers of asylum.
May 9, 2023
But our own nation isn’t our own nation anymore. It is multi ethnic with ethnicities longing for a normal life in their native country. Our nation is a stop gap which will give it money. All want home.
May 9, 2023
You sound more like Dave Spart with every deranged post NLH
May 9, 2023
100% Lynn
May 9, 2023
Totally agree with all of this
May 9, 2023
Cut tax! Go for growth! Why did no one think of this before? Oh hang on … they did. Where is Liz Truss right now?
May 9, 2023
Their MASTERS did not like the cut of her jib or survival plans Trader
May 9, 2023
More goods and services help control inflation
Why not start by reducing diesel which all HGVs Vans and the majority of small vehicles run on, we are being ripped off big time by everyone with connections to the oil and fuel supply, then there’s the profits being made by business in all walks of life since the end of all restrictions being lifted to try and claw back profits they lost during the pandemic, the public can only take so much because they don’t have that much disposable income to fun these money grabbing leaches that are fleecing us left right and centre
May 9, 2023
I forgot the biggest money spinning wheeze on the market is the Net Zero rubbish, scrap anything associated with this con across the board I for one don’t care about the year 2050 I’ll be long gone and besides we will have come up with new technology to make our lives cheaper and better to run,
End of rant
May 9, 2023
Your party’s to blame and I wouldn’t say that If I didn’t believe it.
Your party’s leaders have signed us up to an ideology whose purpose is destructive using race, gender, climate and illness as tools of control and manipulation. Call it progressive, Frankfurt School Marxism but we are seeing the dismantling of our world each and every day.
It is simply wrong for John and his colleagues to pretend they’re not part of or indeed conscious of this development.
When Al Gore put forward his climate change tosh some decades ago I thought then that this politician was up to no good as he lay the foundations of State control over an economy and millions of peoples daily lives in the name of CO2 emissions
As an aside. Why has the BBC embraced racism as its core driving principle. One would think they despised the royal family
May 9, 2023
I remember the BBC preceding good news with ‘despite Brexit’. These days the good news should be preceded with ‘despite Government intentions’
May 9, 2023
DOM
They do don’t they?
May 9, 2023
Indeed all that plus we have Gove has been correctly described as a “Communist” with his moronic attacks on Landlords and Tenants etc. But Sunak retains this dangerous Borris stabbing fool. Meanwhile Sunak is pushing his let’s all go to pharmacies instead of GPs and change GP booking system – with his top down, government knows best agenda to fix the dire NHS.
What a pathetic fake Conservative & totally misdirected Government we all have to suffer under. No wonder they were wiped out in the recent local elections. Despite little enthusiasm for the even more dreadful Labour Party.
May 9, 2023
So the police “regret” the arrest of innocent republican protesters (as if this was nothing to do with them at all). They do nothing about real crimes, burglary, shop lifting, muggings, road blocking and criminal damage (by just stop oil etc.) & yet they arrest innocent anti-royalist protestors for no reason.
May 9, 2023
Regrettably, sometimes action is needed before an offence is committed to prevent much worse affecting billions around the world. The Coronation was one such time.
May 9, 2023
so how exactly do you judge an offence will be committed? Where in law does it say it is an offence to carry a banner in a public place, no racism, no homophobia – in fact can all the police actually read?
I accept protests on that day might spoil enjoyment of the public, and a different day would still make their points, however the protest should be allowed until law is actually broken.
May 9, 2023
Our police know where 99% of burgles live, and yet do nothing to prevent their activities, nor arrest them without ironclad video or physical evidence of a crime …who decides when our police give the blind-eye, the cup of tea or the truncheon
May 9, 2023
Indeed but one should have reasonable evidence of this before the police take such actions. Otherwise free speech and the right to protest is clearly dead. Meanwhile the Police often do nothing where oil and other protestor are actually committing serious offences like blocking motorways, smashing windows and doing actually criminal damage!
May 9, 2023
Bloke – all very well except the police had already decided on this course of action beforehand with the “regret” built in ready for afterwards a bit like the Chinese police do in Hong kong so who can say we are not learning something from our former colonials. You don’t for a moment think they could have had a “regret” ready so soon to be trotted out unless it was all well agreed beforehand with the Home Office? The world we live in?
May 9, 2023
I support the monarchy but also support lawful protests.
Support for the monarchy would of course be even higher were King Charles to keep his deluded, facile & hypocritical climate alarmist, GM crops and other politics to himself.
Neil O’Brian on GBNews just now. Has this appalling and deluded Handcock xxxxxxx not been fired yet for his idiotic attacks on delightful and correct scientists like Clare Craig and the Barrington Declaration people. For some reason he was not questioned about the excess deaths in the UK now running at the appalling levels of 363 (average) each day (in the latest released figures week 16). Five time the Grenville tower death toll each day & yet no one even want to discuss or investigate this? Plus it would normally be expected to be lower than normal after a few higher death years.
So what proportion of this is vaccine damage, what is due to NHS delays and incompetence and what are the other causes? It seems the government and the MSM media just wants to pretend this massive problem simply does not exist.
They prefer to deal with GPs phone systems. A someone put it this morning we have demand to 1000 loaves but only 120 available in the bakery shop. So the bonkers government changes the queueing system and open more of the shop doors! A brilliant solution Sunak.
May 9, 2023
Innocent? We don’t know if they would have caused disruption and harm, if they had not been stopped, and I do wish the Police would stop :apologising’ for everything they do!
May 9, 2023
Cheshire Girl
+1
May 9, 2023
Well we do not know if any person will commit a murder or stabbing later in life do we – best arrest them all just in case! Guilty ’til proven innocent (on their final death without incident). Is that really what you are suggesting?
May 9, 2023
and stand and watch people sit across major roads for hours. Then warn the public they will arrest them if they take matters upon themselves.
May 9, 2023
@Lifelogic +1
It would be a a joke in another setting, but, this Conservative Government is forcing us to are pay these clowns in uniform.
May 9, 2023
The Public Order Bill (which was used to initially justify the arrests) was bought into law by this Conservative government.
May 9, 2023
Lifelogic, I thought the police stopped many protests to strike a balance between individual rights and the majority of people’s rights. In this instance, most people in London on the day wanted to go about celebrating the coronation of the King without these people oppressing them and sticking large signs in front of them. Some people protested, and I saw them with yellow T-shirts and posters, Liverpool fans also voiced their displeasure with our National Anthem.
How far does this free speech go if, for example, a group of people decided they didn’t like the Eurovision Song Contest being funded to the tune of £30m plus £2m from the local council + £2m matched funding from the Metro authority organised to turn up to disrupt and upset the vast majority grouping to enjoy this event? Would they be allowed to, with goodness knows what about to be shouted or booing and heckling or what civil disorder it would create?
[I wonder if £30m includes £8-£17m the BBC usually contribute? Typically every year, only five countries end up paying for it ‘France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK’.]
A colleague went to Liverpool by train this weekend and bought a return ticket to enjoy some of the pre-show activities; only her return train was cancelled without a buy-your-leave; two trains had been cancelled, and they had to wake a family member up to come and collect them a two-hour round trip! The Cities that host this hope to boost tourism; how will that work if the railways hobble them?
Some say the last City that hosted Eurovision made a £70m profit, and I wonder how that was calculated and if it is true. If it is, I hope they give the Liverpool ratepayers a £4m rebate.
May 9, 2023
The constant high tides of NZ, Immigration , the selling off of so many industries is all but covering this island and still all we do is add to the mayhem.
Until this country accepts it cannot save the world with NZ, it cannot be a refuge for all the worlds population if they need it, people get payed for doing nothing, without a industrial and agriculture and farming base then things can only continue to decline.
Everything that is happening has all the signs of a well orchestrated symphony but we don’t know who composed and is conducting it.. The waters continue to rise at a pace.
May 9, 2023
Net Zero is clearly a bonkers (totally unscientific) agenda and hugely damaging and vastly expensive agenda – another time bomb disaster from the appalling Teressa May.
May 9, 2023
Needless to day Communist Gove (and Sunak who chooses to employ him) are clearly on side with this economic and environmental insanity.
May 9, 2023
If the government wanted 15 minute cities they why did they drive retailers off of the high street with rapacious business rates and parking charges?
May 9, 2023
LL, the science for Net Zero was based on Venus with a CO2 of around 95% and very hot but Mars has a similar percentage of CO2 but has seasons not too dissimilar to our own.
Apparently the defunct Doncaster airport is to be considered as a manufacturing base for airships to replace aircraft. I guess soon someone will discover wherries and sailing ships to transport goods.
May 13, 2023
‘The science of Net Zero’ ‘started’ with John Tyndall in 1859 with his observation of absorption of radiation in a cell containing water vapour, then carbon dioxide. The American Eunice Foote had also observed it three years before, but being a woman she could not present her results at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, so history remembers Tyndall’s results.
First measurements of pressure and atmospheric composition at the surface of Venus were made by the Venera probes from 1961. First remote derivation of Mars surface pressure and atmospheric composition (from spectrometer measurements) were made in 1977 and it’s below 1 % of the Earth’s surface pressure.
So knowledge about the radiative effect of CO2 aka ‘greenhouse warming’ is older than the first Venus or Mars missions/studies.
May 9, 2023
HoC today the Energy Bill second reading – and the government is still going full stream ahead with net-zero, carbon capture, heat pumps and banning ICE vehicle …..so nothing has changed (good luck in opposition)
May 9, 2023
Save the world??? Save humanity more like! From the evil members of WEF Turbo! Time to fight by refusing to play their game, for all Nations
May 9, 2023
Maybe we should try to reduce the ‘ever growing population’.
Just an idea…..
May 9, 2023
Well, the seventeen million least productive and economically active played a large part in wrecking conditions for those who, unlike them, were not utter wastes-of-space.
What a pity that they can’t be exchanged for young, energetic folk from elsewhere.
May 9, 2023
Or perhaps you could export yourself to elsewhere.
May 9, 2023
From “The Brook” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever
May 9, 2023
You need to seek medical help.
May 9, 2023
Well it looks like the vaccines and NHS are “helping” reduce the population – excess death of circa 363 a day up on normal currently! But they do not even publish the proportion that were vaccinated so one assumes they know the net harm they are done and so choose not to.
May 9, 2023
But just think how useful it is for Big P to have all these long-term side effects to sell lotions and potions for!
Population reduction AND ongoing customers!
Remember when they all but criminalised herbal meds? ( And the TM ed them I believe) Can’t have any competition.
May 9, 2023
And when Andrew Bridgen raised the issue in Parliament all of the MPs on both sides of the House staged what can only be described as a walk out. Three wise monkeys comes to mind.
May 9, 2023
Any excess deaths in Shangri-La, I mean Westminster?
May 9, 2023
That sounds too close to a dystopian nightmare. How do you propose to ‘reduce growing population’?
Enforced sterility?
May 9, 2023
Stop all foreign students for a year, and all other work visa unless their salary is £100K plus
May 9, 2023
The Not-a-Conservative-Government needs to do all that. But more importantly, it needs to stop mass immigration.
We simply cannot cope with hundreds of thousands (reportedly three quarters of a million last year) flooding into this country every year.
The Government does not have a mandate to change the population of these islands: which is what they are doing.
May 9, 2023
Good morning.
“We need to . . . ”
If you want change, Sir John may I suggest you speak to the likes of the WEF and the UN and not the UK Government. It is they that are in charge.
Out of the EU frying pan, sort of, and into the Globalist fire.
May 9, 2023
So you would like England to exit not only the European Union, but the very planet, I can onlt assume.
I suppose that we’d all have to join you folk who apparently did this some time ago, then.
May 9, 2023
Those international un-elected bodies make the real decisions
May 9, 2023
Seem so.
I am in Cambridge currently where road blocking seems to be the main local government activity. Every time you block a road you just force people (who usually have few practical alternatives to cars, vans or taxis) to take longer routes decreasing productivity and increasing costs hugely and pollution. Economic and environmental vandalism from Government and LEAs under WEF/UN… direction it seems.
May 9, 2023
Enforced by this government
May 9, 2023
Most of the problems would be remedied by reducing the population.
This Government’s actions do the opposite of what the UK needs.
It takes a proper Conservative MP to show where those in the ‘Conservative Party’ are misleading.
May 9, 2023
So much is going so wrong.
Imagine this Govt being assessed in two columns, labelled Going Well and Going Badly.
It is likely that the BAD side of the balance would be weighing down heavily.
Other than the cynical view of stating the bad things as ‘going well!’: What IS Going Well?
A list of 3 would be an achievement.
May 9, 2023
Dear Sir John, the Conservative Party has been in power since 2010 with an 80 seat majority since 2019 . Therefore you should have had no cause for the need to write your diary entry for today.
You appear to admit IR35 was made more restrictive by a Conservative Government. It was introduced by Labour and the Conservative Government did not repeal the act/legislation in 2010.
The fact is, that in Practical terms, the Conservative Party no longer exists.
It is just the UK arm of the WEF, G7 etc.,etc.
May 9, 2023
So much to do, so much ignored…
May 9, 2023
Can you suggest a political party we could vote for which would do even a single one of those things ? Reform maybe ?
OAM. The BoE assured us inflation would start falling rapidly once the energy price shock of the Ukraine invasion had dropped out of the figures after a year. Well, wholesale energy prices are now below where they were at that time but inflation hasn’t reduced. Maybe Andrew Bailey can explain why he got that wrong too.
May 9, 2023
Giving inflationary increases to benefits and pension recipients adds fuel to the inflationary fire and requires ever greater tax receipts to pay for it, all deducted from those who receive lower than inflation pay rises under the threat of imprisonment. Add to that additional cost of living payments to benefits recipients of £300 per month and the rest of us suffer massive reductions in the pay differentials.
Why should I look to earn more when I can get the equivalent of £50 – £55K on benefits working a local minimum wage job?
Yes we need to produce more but what is the incentive when you can sit at home for good wedge.
And as others have written above, we keep importing net recipients. How is that helping?
May 9, 2023
NS – do you read the Guardian? Gordon Brown warned that food banks are taking over from the welfare state today. He claims that charities are taking over the role of the social security system. A new “multi-bank” model is now emerging to help families with everything from hygiene products to furniture, writes Mr Savage.
It will never be enough until they get much more than working people get without contributing an hour of their time. “The Trussell Trust says low-income households are at least £140 a month below the ‘real’ cost of food, energy and everyday basics; they urged the government to formally bring universal credit rates into line with minimum living costs.”
If they’re using the ONS shopping basic, they are poor shoppers. I found every one of their products for a lot less than they claimed they were! Sadly I know people who haven’t worked legitimately all their adult life by choice; I see them and what they do.
May 10, 2023
Relative poor a-tracey. As the median wage rises so does the measure of relative poor and yet Samsung and Apple profits still increase.
If food banks did not exist then budgeting decisions would need to be made in some households. As they do exist those decisions are easier. If benefits were paid in food and clothing vouchers then the money would be spent on those instead. I don’t care about the stigma but I don’t know how to combat the secondary and barter market where recipeints get less than the value of their vouchers for cash to splash on fags, beer and TV subscriptions.
May 10, 2023
My suggestion is community work on the NLW for their benefits, apparently there is much that can’t be afforded locally, dirty windows in the shopping centre, weeds, moss and verge overgrowth in all the pavements and roads, potholes, childcare nurseries where sufficient assistants can’t be funded, if they like looking after children then they can learn how to childcare professionally for more than just one at a time. No-one should get money for nothing for more than an agreed length of time to find a suitable job (3 months). Then they don’t have the time for their side earnings from e-baying, baking and selling cakes, gardening to informal childcare and dog walking.
There is now lots of phone and computer work from home on flexible hours for people houseband. Only those truly incapable of being economically active should be if they are claiming from our collective purse taking a free ride.
May 9, 2023
Two of the largest contributors to cost of goods and services – net zero taxes and 20% VAT. Entirely within your government’s gift to change.
May 9, 2023
Plus the mad road blocking agenda, bans on cheaper & far more practical petrol and diesel cars and their money printing that make £1 worth 75p every couple of years.
May 9, 2023
You quite rightly say that HMG should reverse the planned 2030 ban on selling new ICE cars. This is an opportune moment to flag up a hidden threat to old ICE cars.
Sections 74-77 Environment Act 2021, under the guise of “provision to require the recall of motor vehicles on environmental grounds”, enable a minister to order the “recall” of vehicles deemed not to meet relevant environmental standards by reference to noise, heat, vibrations or any other kind of release of energy or emissions.
Plainly it never occurred to those who enacted this profoundly un-conservative measure that a future government might arbitrarily order that all 4x4s manufactured before 2016 with an engine size of 3000cc or more, or all pre-2015 diesels, or all ICE cars that have done over 100,000 miles, are to be confiscated and destroyed. Or perhaps that was their unspoken and unmandated aim?
May 9, 2023
David+Cooper
Now the engineers are getting concerned about weight ratios of electric vehicle on the existing infrastructure, bridges and multi storey carparking.
What about the extra weight and the resultant collision damage too property and life.?
Whatever happened to all those that campaigned to get rid of 4×4 Chelsea Tractors as they were considered a lethal weapon due to their weight and size? At least you could hear them coming even at slow speeds.
It definitely has not been thought through.
May 9, 2023
Yes, and if you cant afford a new electric then you can walk! And the anti-protest legislation is pre-prepared – very forward looking…
May 9, 2023
The plebs can walk around your 15 minute neighbourhood or stay at home watching your smart-meter spin round
May 9, 2023
The Government is still in the mode of talking about change thinking that that will ensure it happens.
With the inadequate performance of various services – NHS, Home Office, Social Services etc – can we afford another 500k new arrivals this year
May 9, 2023
Forget 500k , it looks like they have excelled themselves and stuffed in 675k in the last year. Suddenly 500k looks like a result , not the disaster it was. Remember the 10s of thousands promise they made us?
May 9, 2023
Remember Sunak’s fifth pledge ‘’ We will pass new laws to stop small boats, making sure that if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed.’’ ….he didn’t say anything about reducing the numbers of immigration – everything’s in the small print
May 9, 2023
Sir John
I think we now all know the problems and the situations we all face. Money doesn’t appear to solve even the basics, as behind every situation the flaw is no one is managing expenditure.
So that begs the question who if anyone is in place anywhere to ‘manage’ and take responsibility of what happens to every penny collected and then spent by this Conservative Government.
May 9, 2023
We don’t need growth, we need shrink.
Shrink the bloated state.
Shrink the tax take.
Shrink the immigration numbers.
Shrink the English meadows turned over for housing development.
Shrink the debt to be passed onto the next generation.
May 9, 2023
Much needs shrinking.
Too many are shirking.
May 9, 2023
D+W
Waste is common to all you mention so why don’t they concentrate on the obvious?
It should be the easiest thing to identify and eradicate. It’s there for all of us to see why can’t they.
May 9, 2023
Dave+Andrews: Shring, .. shrink,.. shrink, ..
Yes, but the greatest shrinkage, should be in the pay and remuneration and numbers of the Political and administrative class who have sat on their backsides, and ruined the economy of this country.
May 9, 2023
Rusi Sunak is the undertaker of the conservative party.
My theory is that Rusi Sunak has realised that the next election will be lost and is now concentrating on creating landmines for the incoming Labour.
Energy: Sunak will not start the SME program, and may commit the country to a massive, and useless, building of wind turbines, which will marginally help with energy but will be a huge financial burden.
Taxes: Sunak will reduce taxes to remove that option from Labour’s book
Economy: Sunak will keep the inflation high to present Labour with a wall of problems.
May 9, 2023
Instead of the note saying ‘we spent all the money’ it might say’ we destroyed all the positives’.
May 9, 2023
Credit where it’s due. Maggie was the saviour. Major was the architect of 13 years of Labour. Cameron, May, Johnson and Sunak must all take their blame for the impending electoral wipeout and another 13 years on the opposition benches – drawing a nice salary, massive expenses and a lovely, platinum plated pension. With power comes responsibility. The current Tory Party can’t even stop the boats.
May 9, 2023
I haven’t heard Sunak say ‘build back better’ for a while
May 9, 2023
Excellent suggestions that you have made repeatedly, but this government will not do anything of this nature, it is not in their DNA. They have left you, a hundred of your fellow Conservatives, and most of the Conservative electorate way behind and disenfranchised. You should all be talking to Richard Tice and Nigel. The loyalty you have shown to the Conservative Party has not been reciprocated. You must ask yourself, which is the most important, the phylosophy and the country or a party that has lost its way. Experiencing last weekend should have told you where fhe majority of the people are. They have just embraced symbolic leadership, all they now need is point of action political leadership and they would be unstoppable.
May 9, 2023
All very good points, but, unfortunately this government is not listening and never will, unfortunately.
May 9, 2023
I saw you on Talk tv yesterday saying all this. We have all seen it written here many many times before. Your government to which you are totally loyal has heard it too and has ignored it many many times. Do you think they will pay attention this time? They may if they were put under more pressure than that.
They know you can be ignored, they know you will do nothing to unsettle them. And what about the many of us who would like to see this change, why should we bother to follow you and your empty opposition?
You were also asked about the treatment of Dominic Raab. You said you didn’t think he ought to have lost his job. What you did say was that you would have required him to apologise to those making the complaints and remain where he was. A fair compromise in your view but that amounts to the weakening and undermining of the minister, and encourages malicious complainants to make more.
Weak wristed leaders are not what we need against subversives. Look what is happening with the republicans – weak appeasement of groups wishing to destroy our constitution. The word ‘inclusivity’ which your party loves allows any troublemakers to be given out of proportion status, and no-one is has the courage and seriously defend the majority, in case they are criticised. Weakness is everywhere.
May 9, 2023
Example of the problem
from today’s Telegraph “Patients suffering from any of seven common conditions will no longer need to see a GP to get treatment under plans by Rishi Sunak to free up millions of family doctor appointments.” I would guess based on recent anecdotes these Patients will just turn up at A&E
So from all the extra millions pumped into the NHS, it no longer a case of where has the money gone, but lets pay someone else to double up on the Tax Payer expenditure.
The Government refuses to ‘manage’ what it is maliciously syphoning off from the UK economy. Its this Conservative Government that is the problem that we are all paying for.
May 9, 2023
[…] Producing more would help control inflation – John Redwood […]
May 9, 2023
Interesting to see the lib dems might make a second Brexit referendum the condition of a Labour coalition. I’d expect the introduction of PR (but without a referendum as they’d lose that) to be another. I suppose if we are going to have 10 years or so of left wing govt, it might be better to be back in the EU as at least it does impose constraints on what a leftist govt can do. Indeed this is one of the main reasons Margaret Thatcher was in favour of the EEC in the first place.
I will try not to make the point in every post, but the consequences of the choice of Liz Truss as leader, which took us from approx even Stevens to -30%, is quite possibly going to mean Brexit is done for as well.
May 9, 2023
Sir John
As you rightly point out this Conservative Government, your Conservative Government is at its core anti enterprise, anti wealth creation, therefore anti the UK. They have not been involved in anything after 13 years in power other than sucking money from the taxpayer then giving it way to all their-friend-of-friends with no responsibility or accountability attached.
Strange that in the years, no centuries before the Quango, the BoE, the OBR and the all powerful ‘Blob’ collective the UK Government used to manage the UK economy, spend what it could afford. As a result the whole Country was better off, a better place to live and people had a future.
May 9, 2023
Sir John
If there is still such a thing as the Conservative Party, it is they that need to get a grip.
For what ever reason it is they that have handed power to those that now call themselves the Conservative Government. At the last GE the people voted in by a vast majority the Conservative Party because they wanted and sort a leadership based on Conservative values. What has happened is that the Conservative Party is now permitting the control in Parliament by those that don’t have the same core values.
What was the point of asking the loyal foot-soldiers of the Party to go out canvass and spread the message if the Conservative Party leadership was to kick them in the teeth and empower a Socialist Cabal that takes its orders not from the electorate but some fanciful power who’s dream is to cancel the very meaning of freedom and Democracy.
May 9, 2023
If you can see what is needed & most of the people commenting can see it, why can’t the PM & Chancellor? I don’t wish to be rude to either man, but both seem out of their depth. Do either of them ever talk to you or listen to you? Who are they listening to? It can’t be anyone conservative or with a brain! For example, what an own goal by refusing to allow tourists to claim VAT back before the coronation. When will anyone advocate cutting the cost of government so taxes can be cut? It’s as if the PM & Chancellor are paralysed & never look at different ways to make the UK work.
May 9, 2023
[…] Producing more would help control inflation – John Redwood […]
May 9, 2023
As so often you remind us that there are sensible alternatives to policies of the left-wing all party consensus that governs us, but your posts are making me increasingly frustrated because there is little hope of these ideas being enacted by the present Government. We must get rid of Sunak and Hunt and their cronies.
May 9, 2023
If the Conservatives implemented these proposals, the country would be spared a coalition government headed by Sir Keir Starmer.
May 9, 2023
“DEFRA should stop offering grants to farmers to prevent them farming.”
Better still, just shut down Defra. Simple. Turn their lights off, lock the doors, sell their buildings or leases to the highest bidders, and turn the people loose to do some productive work in the private sector.
May 9, 2023
All the critical points made in Sir John’s post today I fully support . I am fed up at the lack of enterprise and stimulation that exists and the time has come for a vote of no confidence in the way the economy is being managed . The country has suffered under this present leadership ; the voters have shown their disdain and it is now up to Conservative MPs to drive in change . We – the ordinary people cannot do this so our representatives must . Please !.
May 9, 2023
Socialist governments do not like small businesses. They prefer to have a smaller pool of very large businesses that they can control more easily.
Also, big business can provide jollies for civil servants.
We need a proper Conservative government.
May 9, 2023
The many good suggestions would indeed boost supply and bring prices down. But that is why they won’t become policy. The central banks and their governments know low price inflation would leave them with debt the depth of which they have never handled before. The two exits are labelled Default and Print. The latter is the ‘sensible’ door to take. Prices must inflate, supply constraints help, a high base rate constrains, the printers can compensate some, the debt is eroded.
We are beyond the normal arguments over what particular policy is best. Adjust to the new arena. Should the public be educated to the ruse? Or is it best for them if a short, sharp shock of very high inflation gets it over and done with?
May 9, 2023
To sum up what has been said in recent days if not months. There are approx 60 Conservative MP’s out of the total of 354 that gained entry on that ticket at the last election. Just a handful get to remind us the point of the Conservative Party.
From the Telegraph
Sir John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister, said voters were punishing the Tories for adopting left-wing policies on tax, spending and regulation.
“Last Thursday many Conservative voters went on strike. They do not want to vote for higher taxes, anti-enterprise policies and a failure to take back control of our borders,” he said.
“Many former Conservative voters think they are governed by a left-leaning coalition that makes too many compromises with opposition parties and overseas interests at their expense.
“They want lower taxes, rewards for hard work and enterprise and an independent UK.”
Sir John’s constituency of Wokingham, in Berkshire, will be a key target seat for the Liberal Democrats at the next election.
May 9, 2023
@Ian B
Illustrating the cloud cuckoo land mentality found in this Government
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary blames ‘Pandemic and war in Ukraine’ for this Socialist Left Cabal being unpopular with Conservatives.
All ‘Conservatives’ know the pandemic and the situation in Ukraine has nothing to do with anything, something in the World always goes astray, and all proper Governments are prepared especially one that has had power for 13 years. It’s the ‘economy – stupid’
May 9, 2023
Sir John, why are you still a member of this party? If there is no significant change of policy, will you support them in the next election?
Having read all the comments today, we all seem to be looking for a proper Conservative Party to vote for.
May 9, 2023
Why is it only Sir John, with the changes he has listed
, to bring the Conservative party and the U.K. back to life?
If Dishey Richie hankers holding onto his job as PM then
He needs to follow Sir John’s list.
The political scenario after the 2024 election looks a nightmare!
A coalition of no hopers!
May 9, 2023
Sir John,
You are quite right in stating that corporation tax should be cut to 15%.
In Northern Ireland it should be reduced to 10%.
May 9, 2023
Or, and here’s an off the wall idea, STOP INCREASING THE POPULATION!!!
The bath is full and overflowing. Turn the tap off or build up the sides of the bath? Tricky one.
May 10, 2023
The word on the street is, from seemingly reliable sources is that we should hold on to our seatbelts as the next set of figures we’ll see announced at the end of the month ( legal ) will be somewhat of a shock ! An estimate has been mentioned of up to 700.000.
May 9, 2023
Home Office – 08 May 2023
Illegal Immigrants – 142
Boats – 3
…They’re not stopping
May 9, 2023
O/T: thanks to the Rt Hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden.
May 9, 2023
IR35 has nothing to do with it. IR35 is simply to ensure that people who are manifestly employed are taxed as such.
Focus on what is wrong with this Tory party which is not wrong with every other party elected to the HoC.
Can’t think of anything? Neither can I. What is obviously wrong therefore is the electoral system. Why not change the electoral system to allow more than one third of the votes to count? Do you want to watch as this country is bypassed by nation after nation simply because they have fairer electoral systems? I don’t like living in a country going down the pan but obviously the Tory MPs do as long as they retain their seats and their perks.
May 9, 2023
Hear hear!
May 9, 2023
I agree with John Redwood’s list of measures with the sole reservation that it is more important to prevent the cliff-edge deterrent of V.A.T. (where one penny over the threshold leads to V.A.T. on the whole lot) than to raise the annual V.A.T. threshold. I was actually proposing a V.A.T. threshold of £60,000 with a £10,000 payment credit towards V.A.T. liabilities for those over the threshold (but obviously wouldn’t object to a £240,000 threshold with a £40,000 payment credit to those over the threshold!).
I also emphasise with a new approach we need a different Prime Minister who can enthuse about it rather than Sunak who seems incapable of convincing almost anybody about anything.
May 9, 2023
Sir John as I am more interested in comments that are moderated ie. meaning deleted – or should I say censored – and I fear there’s quite a bit of it about – however from my point I find such deleted remarks much more intetesting – any chance you could set them out on a seperate blog? Tks
May 9, 2023
Sir John:
I agree with all your policy suggestions. If only we had a Conservative government to implement them.
The last 13 years have been a complete waste of time. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?
May 9, 2023
Agree – A sad waste of 13 years
May 10, 2023
I think it is fair to say, we’ve not had a true blue Conservative Government since 1990 when our Iron Lady was ‘Brutusised’.
However, she made the mistake with her preferred replacement who turned out to become a serial Europhile who sought (and still seeks) to bring OUR country under the control of a bunch of unelected and unaccountable foreigners.
He set the scene for the continuing succession of Europhiles who were all given the keys to Number 10. Regardless of Party.
May 9, 2023
Time and time again SJ has consistently come up with very sound ideas and very positive proposals yet Downing St ignores them all. Why?
Are they so embarrassed they never thought of them or are they just mere puppets of Whitehall and Westminster Mandarins Incorporated who always insist on doing things their own way? Consequently, they are binned.
Either way, if they do not accept at least, many of them, they will not remain in Downing St much longer.
May 9, 2023
Very good list. VAT on building works on old houses and not new is wrong and can’t be helping to provide more housing.
May 9, 2023
JR: “The UK needs to do more to promote extra capacity to meet these needs.”
Why ?
You are ‘away with the fairies’. Bloomberg projects that British standards of living are going to get a great deal worse. 40% worse than Italy, the worst in the Eurozone.
Why is the government you support still encouraging more and more, often ill educated people to move to the UK? Why haven’t you stopped the migrant boats originating from France. France is a democratic country.
Are these people French Citizens ? Do they have French papers ? If not, they should be returned to France for the French authorities to deal with.
May 10, 2023
“The ever growing population of the UK ……………..”. Stop right there. There is absolutely no need for the population of the UK to be ever growing. Our population policy could be – and should be – zero population growth. How do you think net zero carbon can be achieved by 2050 unless world ZPG is achieved? If it is necessary, the UK should play its part. Our economic goal would be growth and income per capita.
It is acknowledged that many people are desperate to leave countries that Donald Trump has called ‘shitholes’ but that does not mean that we are obliged to receive them. Some countries export little except people. Maybe we should seal the borders of such countries and let the good old standbys of war, pestilence and famine control their populations.
May 10, 2023
“The government should revert to IR 35 rules used prior to 2017. It should be easier to get started as self employed”
Ah, so the Conservative Party way emerges again. Instead of repealing IR35, we now just roll it back one stage?
After IR35 was brought in by Labour, the Tories promised to repeal it, albeit in an election they knew they were going to lose, Blair’s 2nd term. Ever since it’s been a policy of “review” (politician-speak for “talk a while, when they stop noticing, do nothing”).
Except that the “do nothing” became “make it worse”. And now, one of teh rare breed who advocated getting rid of it suddenly rows back. Hmmm. No wonder your lot are struggling in the polls. I’ll be voting for Andrew Bridgen’s party.
May 10, 2023
Of course, the Government should do all the things you suggest, Sir John. Is there any sign that the Government will even consider doing any of them? It is a fearful government. It is fearful of the EU’s reaction to anything it does that might improve the UK’s competitiveness relative to the EU. This fearfulness has been cemented in the Sunak Framework. The UK’s independence is now conditional on the pleasure of the EU. The UK won’t stop the boats. It could but it won’t. It won’t leave the ECHR because compliance of NI legislation is required by the GFA.
It could reform the NHS but it won’t because doing so has always cost votes. Will it cut spending or reduce taxes? No. Will it reppeal REUL? It could but it won’t other than a few trivial measures in order to say it has done something. It could do more but it won’t. It serves no purpose.
The Government is fearful because its has no sense of purpose, no vision, no philosophy of governance of a sovereign democratic nation state. It has no moral purpose and therefore cannot lead. It will adopt any policy that might win it a few more votes in the forthcoming general election because winning is more important than doing what is right for the country.
May 10, 2023
I see that the latest Home Office contract for a borders and immigration management system worth £37 million has been awarded to a French company.
Is this an example of this government “fostering enterprise and promoting home production”?
May 10, 2023
No its an example of government buckling to the French as usual, it was probably part of the agreement to stop them selling the traffickers boats and putting on buses to the coast.