Category Archives: Uncategorized

               The Office of Budget responsibility now endorses what I have been saying for the last three years. Public spending is rising in real terms as well as cash terms. Here is the latest OBR Report on the subject: “Real government consumption remains strong…The latest ONS data indicate that government consumption grew by 1.7% […]

            At the height of the controversy over MPs expense claims in the last Parliament, it became fashionable amongst MPs to want to create an independent body which would settle MPs pay, expenses and office support without any interference or votes by MPs.           At the time I argued against in the many private […]

            “Growth up, borrowing down, what’s not to like” was one of my Autumn Statement headlines last week. The Sunday Times came up with a similar headline for their main commentary piece on the economy this Sunday in the Business section.  A happy  coincidence, or the power of Twitter?

           I have been fortunate indeed to receive a second leaked letter from the heart of government. Dr Spendlove is writing to his boss, Dame Lucy, about civil service preparations for the next government…   Dear Lucy,           I am concerned that the Lord Chancellor and the Welfare Secretary are putting too much pressure […]

On Wednesday I met leading BBC people at the Commons. They told us of their commercial successes with Dr Who and Strictly Come dancing, and tried to whet our appetite for their Christmas schedules with a long advert for their leading programmes. I asked them how they defined public service broadcasting? They said they saw […]

Free enterprise offers us the hope of a better tomorrow. Conservatives like me want more people to succeed, more people to enjoy rising living standards, more people to own homes and shares and other items of value. My opponents’ caricature that Conservatives promote low pay for the many and greater inequality for the few is […]

               The documents connected to the Autumn Statement include an interesting table which shows that the majority of the additional deficit reduction the OBR is now forecasting will come from increased tax revenue.               In 2014-15 an additional £9.6bn of tax is 77% of the extra deficit reduction (compared to the March position). In […]

            As expected, the Autumn Statement produced a new independent official forecast for  the economy. The OBR expects growth to be faster, and extra borrowing lower as a result. By 2018-19 the government aims to be repaying debt.             The forecast also anticipates a substantial increase in new housing,  with modest house prices rises […]

Conservatives are in many ways better placed to cut poverty than Labour. If you are keen to let more people succeed, to build businesses and create jobs, you will do more to eliminate poverty than if you want to tax enterprise into submission. If you believe in competitive markets, you offer people more choice of […]

I voted with other MPs today in support of Zac Goldsmith’s Bill for the recall of MPs. We won the vote, but the three main front benches do not agree with the measure, so it is unlikely to become a law.