The Prime Minister and this blog

I learnt two important things yesterday in the debate on the Queen’s Speech. The Prime Minister is an up to date reader of this blog. Unfortunately he does not seem to understand it.

I ask my other readers to allow me to make just a few things clear to our PM thirsting for knowledge from the wonderful world of the web.

1. The main point of most of the posts on this site for the last couple of years has been to advocate more freedom and higher living standards for the UK.
2. The last thing I want is lower living standards or a downturn.My posts explaining that we are now living through a sharp downturn in living standards is describing the results of the PM’s economic policy and banking crisis, not describing what I want or what would have happened if he had taken better advice.
3. In 2007 I offered advice which if taken could have avoided the run on the Rock. I then offered advice after the run which could have avoided the need for nationalised ownership and the big cuts in the business which followed.
4. A year ago I offered advice to cut interest rates substantially, which if followed could have avoided some of the severity of the downturn we are now entering.
5. My advice- offered by others as well – on more liquidity to money and banking markets was taken too late, and my advice on interest rates was followed months too late.

My advice now, just to remind him is:

1. Don’t cut VAT. It gives very poor value for all the borrowing.
2. Start selling assets off from the nationalised banks, to reduce taxpayer risk and to cut borrowing.
3. Then cut interest rates further.

23 Comments

  1. Brian Tomkinson
    December 4, 2008

    Don’t be flattered by the knowledge that your blog is attracting Brown’s attention. Far from his wishing to read and follow any of your advice his motives will be quite malign.

    1. jean baker
      December 4, 2008

      Nulabor’s 24/7 IT pa’troll’ers monitor all forums (at taxpayers expense). Opinions considered to be a threat always result in mass attendance for ‘rebuttal’.

  2. Lola
    December 4, 2008

    …and, Mr Brown, if I might add my two’pennorth, cut Government spending as well.

  3. StevenL
    December 4, 2008

    Hi Gordon,

    Since you’re dishing money around left, right and centre, how come you never raise the repayment threshold on student loans like you do the tax thresholds and your tax credits?

    Your PBR did nothing for me or any other single twenty-something renter on average income so all next year I’m hoarding every penny I can.

    Merry Xmas to you, Mrs Brown and the kids.

    Regards,

    StevenL

  4. Adrian Peirson
    December 4, 2008

    Did he Read Lisbon before signing it,

    most didn’t.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml%3Bjsessionid%3D2V4OJ542O2YSDQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2008/01/20/nbooker120.xml

    Death Penalty for civil unrest hidden in a footnote of a footnote.
    Presumably for when the Proletariat realise that we are now merely a province of their EUSSR.

    http://secretperson.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/the-eu-reintroduces-death-penalty-full-details/

    1. adam
      December 6, 2008

      we already have it in the (unfortunate death of the Brazilian-ed)

      but without, trial, without investigation

      look at De Menezes

      no human rights for him.
      just the convicted terrorists/criminals get human rights.

      it was probably authorised for the arrest of terrorist Green

  5. Patrick
    December 4, 2008

    Dear Mr. Brown (if you are reading this),

    In the longer term, assuming Labour can keep winning elections, how will you resolve the national debt?

    It seems to me the choice is basically more tax or less spending. I don’t think the public will is there for more tax and the economy can’t handle it. I don’t think the Labour party is ideologically capable of spending less.

  6. mikestallard
    December 4, 2008

    What everyone is saying seems to me to be this:
    “If only, Mr Brown, you would listen to commonsense!”
    But, no, instead he is out to win an election: the great economist knows better than anyone else. And – be honest – his chances are actually improving.
    And let there be no mistake: if he wins, we can probably look forward to Icelandic melt-down.
    A hopeful note: quite a lot of Tax Offices (full of bureaucrats?) were closed in our “Eastern Region” today, involving a lot of (government?) jobs. A man in a toupe appeared, though, to tell us that it was a “consolidation” with fewer and better centralised offices set to replace smaller inefficient ones………

    1. Sarah
      December 6, 2008

      Let’s put it this way, its his and Mandelson’s spin that is trying to win the election. I was feeling like you a few days ago that their chances, most surprisingly were looking better. However when you get a poll one day showing Tories 11 points ahead and another the very next day showing only 1 you start to realise that these polls become a nonsense. But I am now thinking that the tide is turning as the Economists are very gradually starting to speak out. Yesterday we had a Directror from the Institute of Business, or something similar -(sorry so many I forget!), talking on Channel 4 on what’s gone wrong and another useful person is Fraser Nelson. Even looking at Question Time on Thursday from N.Ireland, it was interesting to see the responses from the audience and the panel, though not, of course Alan Johnston. How sad I have become is that I avidly read all the Political Comments online and more and more are now speaking out that Brown’s tenure is indeed coming home to roost.

  7. Derek
    December 4, 2008

    He might not be following the advice on your blog, but on the plus side that means, while reading it, he’s distracted from buying another overpriced bank to add to his portfolio of brands

    Brown mentions comments from your blog and The Daily Mail run a story on it. Coincidence? (Obviously I’m not expecting you to reply)

  8. Alan Wheatley
    December 5, 2008

    Watching News Night tonight, the report by Robert Preston seemed to me to be saying that JR has got it right. So perhaps someone is listening!

    1. Alan Wheatley
      December 5, 2008

      For Robert Preston read Paul Mason.

  9. Labour Matters
    December 5, 2008

    Check your logs of reader’s IP addresses. When the PM’s office reads your blog it’s quite clear because a lookup shows “Prime Minister’s Office”. I know this to be true from experience. I bet if you check your logs you’ll find you’re mistaken on both accounts (that he reads it but doesn’t understand it). Remember “the surest cure for vanity is loneliness”!

    Reply: I know he reads it because he refers to it in the House. Or are you suggesting he quotes from and comments on things he hasn’t read?

  10. DennisA
    December 5, 2008

    I fully understand why people would like to borrow at 2% but I cannot understand why anyone would want to lend money at that rate.

    If they wanted to properly help people and business they should pull back from the ridiculous carbon taxes which have recently pulled in £54 million via the energy companies and our energy bills with billions more to come in the future. Has anyone looked out of the window lately and seen the effects of CO2?

    Reducing energy cost would benefit everyone whereas low interest rates punish the thrifty and reward the profligate.

Comments are closed.