Sunak might be teetotal – but he needs to sober up from his super-spending The definition of addiction is the serious, chronic dependence on a substance or activity. After watching the Chancellor spend almost an hour trumpeting eye-watering increases in public spending, we now have every reason to believe that this government is hooked on splashing taxpayers’ money. The next immediate hit – securing a headline about another couple [...]
Pay no attention to the left-wing brigade, a Covid wealth tax would be a disaster It is incredible how, in the 12 years since the financial crisis, the position of so many organisations has changed. In 2008/9, think tanks like the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) argued that the British day-to-day deficit required prudent reforms to public spending, while those on the left claimed that there wasn’t a problem and [...]
The chancellor should deliver tax cuts, not more spending Chancellor Sajid Javid should stop turning on the spending taps Sajid Javid used his major conference speech yesterday to announce a raft of new spending pledges. The chancellor’s focus was infrastructure and rural areas, with money promised for bus networks, roads, and the rollout of 5G. This sits alongside the strapline of this year’s Conservative party conference itself, which focuses on spending more on the [...]
Cowardice over the housing crisis is pushing young Brits towards the spectre of 1970s socialism July 23, 2018 As the government creaks alarmingly under the weight of Brexit, it may seem odd – if not downright contrarian – to kickstart a discussion about the housing crisis. For many Brexiteers such as myself, Brexit is not a moment in time or a destination in itself. It is not a chance to relive the past, [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne’s wizard wheezes don’t mask his total failure to eliminate the deficit December 3, 2014 I said that I would eliminate the budget deficit in this Parliament. I have failed to do so. It’s actually going to take me about 10 years rather than five. So, I’d be most grateful if you could re-elect me next May to let me finish the job at the snail’s pace I have now [...]
Truly radical devolution of powers could banish big government in the UK forever September 21, 2014 If necessity is the mother of invention, politicians of all stripes will have to be spectacularly inventive in dealing with the fallout from the Scottish referendum result. And we may yet stumble upon a new constitutional settlement that will go some way to encouraging both innovation and constraint in the bloated public sector both north [...]
