Same Labour, Same Ideas

Following their defeat in May's general election and the subsequent resignation of their leader, you would think that now would be the perfect time for the candidates for the Labour leadership to take stock of the situation, find out what went wrong and to reinvigorate the policies of a failing party.  Or maybe not...

Well, the VAT's out of the bag...

Yesterday saw the confirmation of the worst-kept secret in Westminster since Gordon Brown told the nation that he would be going to the country on 6th May; the main rate of VAT will rise to 20% from 4th January 2011.  The BBC have already been doing their duty to their Lords and Masters by presenting the point of view that everyone is outraged by the decision; but I happen to disagree with them.

A farewell to the Government's longest-serving member

Today George Osborne will present his first Budget; the so-called "Emergency Budget" aimed at setting the UK back on the road to profitability.  However, the occasion of this even will overshadow a far more solemn event; the quiet and humble retirement of one of the Government's longest-serving members.

Where I'd swing the axe - Part 3 (Tax increases)

In the previous two parts of today's trilogy, I have outlined where I would make cuts (if I was George Osborne) in order to cut back on unnecessary Government spending.  In this third and final part, I shall outline the necessary increases in taxation that I would make.

Where I'd swing the axe - Part 2 (More cuts)

In Part 1 I outlined how I would streamline the benefits system in order to ensure that government money doesn't go to those who don't need it.  Here, in Part 2, I shall outline where I would make further cuts in order to ensure the UK's long-term financial stability.

Where I'd swing the axe - Intro and Part 1 (Benefits)

Tomorrow sees the unveiling of what may well prove to be the most important UK Budget in a generation.  Coming as a result of a Conservative manifesto promise (and, let's face it, out of sheer necessity), the "Emergency Budget" will look to make savings in as many places as possible in a bid to cut the massive debt hanging over the head over every man, woman and child in the UK today.

An anachronism in the world's most advanced civilisation

As I write these words Ronnie Lee Gardner has just 45 minutes left to live; by the time you read them he will be dead.  At precisely 0605GMT he will be shot by a five-man firing squad after having been tied to a chair, hooded and having had a target pinned to his chest.

Maggie was right, just misquoted.

The assertion that "there is no such thing as society", has become one of  Margaret Thatcher's best-known quotes and is a staple in the arsenal of her detractors when they seek to justify their claims that she was intent on crushing the working classes.  The problem is that such a quote is taken massively out of context and that the anti-Maggie brigade always use it in isolation. 

In order to understand what was really meant by Thatcher, and why her comments as a whole present a chillingly accurate preview of the current state of 'society', you need to look at the context surrounding the quote.

Is this the end of the 'Elf as we know it?

David Cameron has today announced a review of the myriad health and safety laws, which currently add unbelievable amounts of red tape to even the most simplest of tasks.  Could this move (which could well be one of the fledgling Coalition's most popular announcements) mark the start of a new era of common sense politics?

Those of you who have ever had a passing acquaintance with the Daily Mail will be well versed on the ever-increasing number of ludicrous decrees passed by the Health and Safety executive in recent years.  Its pages carry reports ranging from the banning of the traditional game of conkers from school playgrounds (unless the children wear safety goggles, of course), to the frankly scandalous case of two PCSOs who stood by and watched a ten-year-old boy drown in a lake because "they had not been trained to go into water".

The Emergency Budget - what would you cut?

On 22nd June, just under two weeks away, Chancellor George Osborne will unveil this years second Budget; the so-called Emergency Budget.  In it he will outline Government plans to start tacking the deficit straight away.  Both he and David Cameron have already gone on the record saying that the cuts will be painful for everyone.

Novae Dentes: How do you solve a problem like Germania?

Something I've been trying to get into words over the last week or so has been the current situation in Germany following the shock resignation of President Horst Koehler.  In fact a fellow blogger, Mark Patrick at Novae Dentes, says it much better than I could.

Mark Patrick

Find out more here.

Keeping the Constituency Link

In previous posts I have commented upon electoral reform and the need to adopt a system that is fairer than First Past the Post.  The only real alternative is Proportional Representation.  But as those of you in the know will be aware, PR is not a simple beast; merely an umbrella name for a wealth of increasingly confusing voting methods.


One of the key concessions made by the Conservative Party as part of the Coalition Deal with the Liberal Democrats was to guarantee a referendum on electoral reform within the life of the current Parliament.  Commentators speculate that such a referendum could come as early as next year.

Trades Unions - the new Guy Fawkes?

As various Trades Unions continue to exert their vice-like grip on the country's infrastructure, it is time to consider whether the change in Government could result in a change of attitude from the Unions.

Dave Prentis: The new Arthur Scargill?

It has never been a secret that the Trades Unions are effectively the non-political arm of the Labour Party.  The Unions have enjoyed funding from Labour in the past and in return are the party's main backers, which means that they both enjoy enormous influence over each other whilst sharing a hatred of the Conservative Party.

Why I'm in favour of top-up fees

One of the big themes in modern politics is that of tuition fees.  Ever since their introduction by the last Labour government in 2006, no single issue has caused so much consternation amongst the students of the UK.  Protesting against tuition fees takes up large amounts of Student Union time and resources and their abolition has been a cornerstone of Liberal Democrat policy.

 Students doing what they have become famous for... not studying

Introduced in 2006, tuition fees were aimed at allowing universities across England and Wales to charge students an amount much closer to the actual costs involved in delivering a course.  Prior to this, students were expected to pay anything up to around £1,500 a year for their courses (means-tested according to family income).  This sum was expected to be paid to the university up-front by the student.  Because of the fact that it was means-tested, there was no financial support available for this fee.

With the introduction of the £3,000+ fees, the Student Loans Company incorporated a Tuition Fee Loan into their usual offerings; enabling students to study without having to worry about paying the fees up front.  The idea was that this money would be added to the rest of the loan, which would then be paid off at a favourable rate (9% of gross income above £15,000) once the student was earning over £15,000.  i.e. If a student with such a loan earns £16,000 a year their payments on the loan will total just £90 a year.

Pretty reasonable, eh?  The students get to pay for a service at or below cost-price with a low-interest loan, and then get to pay it back when they can afford to do so.

Strange bedfellows in the Big Tent

A small article on the news the other morning got me thinking.  Apparently the heads of the UK's largest Trades Unions have banded together to demand that their organisations also be invited into the "Big Tent" which he is building for the Conservative Party.  A strange demand if ever there was one.

Never in the history of politics has one movement been as anti-Conservative as that of the Trades Unions.  Ever since the inception of the Labour Party they have been the collective thorn in the Conservative side; using their colossal power to attempt to bring the country to its knees in order to achieve their demands.

Early Promise - Cameron's first PMQs

Parliament was most kind to move David Cameron's first Prime Minister's Questions to a later time yesterday which made it fit in with my lecture schedule and allowed me to watch it.  So here's my take:

So this is where the money goes...

The Eastern Daily Press today reports that a school in Cambridgeshire has spent £500 to reward a pupil for her 100% attendance record.

Given the well publicised financial situation in the UK along with the fact that the Government is working flat-out to cut waste (such as this), one cannot help but think that this money would have been better spent elsewhere.

Heaven help the school should they fall short of money come next March...

Laws oh Lordy

Over the weekend you will no doubt have been made aware (from various different angles) of how evil David Laws is and of how he should be summarily strung up from the nearest tree the moment the press manage to get hold of him.  I personally think that the way he has been treated is disgraceful, and here's why.

Things people are wrong to think about the Conservatives (Part 1)

I'll not hide the fact that this series is lifted from the brilliant Conservative blog at ConservativeHome.  However, it addresses some good points that I feel should be shared with a wider, non-Conservative audience.  I'll add the further parts as they are published.