Author Archives: johnredwood

         The Centre for Economics and Business Research forecasts that this year City bonuses will be down to £2.3 billion.   This contrasts with their peak of £11.5 billion in 2007-8, and with £7.3 billion in the last Labour year.        The Coalition can show that on their watch the problem of City bonuses has been well [...]

            The idea that politicians and parties should seek consensus is popular. Many people say it would be good if parties learned to work together more for the sake of the country. They tell us they think behaviour at Prime Mininster’s Questions (PMQs) is poor, that the Commons should have more serious and well [...]

              It’s a strange choice to hear debated. Of course most of us will choose growth, if the alternative is austerity. Mr Hollande’s slogan was the more popular in the French election. In a way the surprise was how narrow the gap turned out to be , not how wide, between him and his [...]

  I feel one of the old myths reappearing in the political debate. Some are out and about saying that the Conservative party has to be more united to stay elected. They clearly remember no political history. Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair were both very successful Prime Ministers when it came to winning elections. Both [...]

  The Prime Minister and his Deputy chose a tractor factory to pre launch the Queen’s speech agenda on Tuesday. They heralded the opening words of the Gracious Speech, that this new session of Parliament is going to be dedicated to sorting out the economy and promoting faster growth. It does not worry me that [...]

              All those who claim to be wise in politics tell you that a leader and his party must seek the centre ground to be successful. In one sense this is obvious,if it means that a party may have to extend its coalition of support well beyond its comfort zone, its original idea or  heartlands [...]

            The “wise heads” of the EU establishment think the Greek New Democracy (Conservative light) party should join forces with Pasok (Socialist light) party yet again in coalition and carry on with business as usual. These parties were rejected by two thirds of the Greek electors. What part of “No” does the EU establishment [...]

             Over the next few weeks democracy in Euroland is on trial. Most pundits and commentators agree that French electors voted in Mr Hollande to end austerity. Most agree that the massive swing against Pasok and New Democracy in Greece was a swing against austerity policies in the Euro and EU. The problem is, [...]

             There will be all manner of calls in the next few days for a change of direction by Conservative Ministers, in the wake of the big swings to Labour in the local elections. The main feature of the elections was a swing to the left as conventionally described. Labour took many votes off [...]