Microeconomic Reform in Britain: Delivering Opportunities for All (Hm Treasury)
Lobbydog (Free subscription) | yesterday
Sorry for being distant over the last few days, I was busy preparing copy for Brown’s visit to the East Midlands. Oh, and there was the Queen’s Speech too – it’s amazing the amount you can find to write about an event with nothing in it. Anyhoo, to start the day I notice that Baroness Ashton is the British contribution to the ‘big two’ EU jobs. This is a woman who...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | yesterday
After a turbulent 500 years it is understandable – I sometimes feel like putting my feet up too – but it is a mistake It's not true that last night's appointments at the EU's Brussels conclave are without historic precedence. When the Italian politician Signor Caligula was president of the European commission during one of the continent's more dynamic phases he appointed his horse to negotiate...
The Irish Times (Free subscription) | yesterday
STILL VIRTUALLY unknown in international politics, EU trade commissioner Baroness Catherine Ashton took a unexpected leap forward last night when she was made foreign policy chief of the EU.
BLANKNEY JOURNAL (Free subscription) | yesterday
On the 20 January 2009, I published, in the Journal, a poem entitled Blankney Masquerade. It recounts an evening in January 1749 when a masquerade ball was held in Blankney Hall to mark a family wedding. One of the principal guests was Sir Francis Dashwood, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Today's leading article, Hellfire Club, features among others the same Sir Francis Dashwood, hence the Blankney...
The Independent (Free subscription) | yesterday
Cathy Ashton has a lucky habit of being in the right place at the right time. The 53-year-old Labour peer rose quietly up the Government's ranks to join the Cabinet as Leader of the House of Lords even though she had a low profile in her own party.
Reflections (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Dear Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, We call on you to draw up a plan for a windfall tax on banks The tax-payer spent billions saving the banks, placing a major strain on public finances If banks can now make billions in profit and award huge bonuses they can afford to start paying back the money spent to save the sector The entire banking sector benefited from the Government propping...
Is there more to life than shoes? (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
So the latest poll results give a clear indication of what you think our Prime Minister thinks of the Armed Forces Lots came in at 17% Not as much as they hate him romped home at 68% Oh, he wishes they didn't have weapons came a weak third at 9% I don't know but has he claimed them on expenses came in last at 4%. Presumably because he actually has already. Earlier today, that vile beast Harriet Harman...
The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Alistair Darling is losing the argument over how to deal with Britain's terrifying public debt almost as quickly as the deficit itself is widening. The fact that our public finances deteriorated nearly twice as fast as expected last month means we can't wait any longer for the Government to take action.
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Richard Lambert says even the Conservatives are not ambitious enough about cutting the Britain's deficit Richard Lambert can see for himself the hole into which public money is being poured. Outside the CBI's offices in London's Centre Point, excavation work is under way on the £16bn Crossrail project to link Heathrow to the City and Canary Wharf. The leader of Britain's premier employers' organisation...
Devon and Cornwall Viewpoint (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
I had no real interest in watching the Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament; as most commentators are pointing out it is nakedly political and, no doubt, the Tories would similarly play politics if they were in Labour's position and close to a General Election. What particularly made me write the headline above though was the inclusion in the Government's new programme of a 'Fiscal Responsibility...
Paul Owen (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
By and large the media has given a resounding thumbs down to the Queen's Speech yesterday. Most have seen it for what it is: a desperate last gamble by a cynical and hapless Prime Minister who is out of ideas and nearly out of time. And its getting worse for Brown. Labour's own peers are savaging one of the key policies on care home provision. Watch while the government slowly and not very imperceptibly...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
Companies are still having trouble getting finance, and that represents a big handicap to a strong and sustained recovery Dire public finances. A fresh contraction in lending to hard-pressed businesses. And a warning to Alistair Darling from the west's leading think tank that he should avoid pre-election giveaways in next month's pre-budget report. But cheer up. It's not all bad news. In the high...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
As budget deficit hits £11.4bn, economic thinktank expects a weaker upturn for Britain over next two years The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development today warned Alistair Darling that he has no scope to afford pre-election giveaways, as official figures revealed that last month was the worst October on record for the public finances. With the chancellor putting the finishing...
Financial Times (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
October's public borrowing figures will make dismal reading for Alistair Darling ahead of next month's pre-Budget report, as debt soars by £11.4bn in the month
The Economist (Free subscription) | 19/11/2009
An exercise in bank-bashing which may just please consumers CRACKING down on financial services was always likely to be a highlight of the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the government’s legislative priorities until the general election next year. With the cost of bailing out banks approaching GBP90 billion so far, lending to businesses still anaemic and bonuses once more rising, bank-bashing...
Videos