Brexit myths debunked: The Leave campaign shouldn’t fear arguing that leaving the EU would be good for the economy April 26, 2016 Conventional commentariat wisdom has it that the EU referendum pits those concerned about economics versus those concerned about immigration. But a quick perusal of the leading intellectual voices supporting Leave shows this is nonsense. Many have long thought the UK outside the EU would not only be more free and democratic, but more prosperous too. That’s [...]
Osborne’s pensions tax relief shake-up explained: What could happen and what should you do about it? February 18, 2016 Former pensions minister Steve Webb made headlines earlier in the month by claiming that abolishing Britain’s current system of pension tax relief could be George Osborne’s “’Gordon Brown’ moment” (referring to the latter’s notorious tax raid on occupational pensions in 1997). Now a director at Royal London, Webb pulled few punches in outlining what he [...]
Iain Duncan Smith: Full resignation letter March 19, 2016 I am incredibly proud of the welfare reforms that the Government has delivered over the last five years. Those reforms have helped to generate record rates of employment and in particular a substantial reduction in workless households. As you know, the advancement of social justice was my driving reason for becoming part of your ministerial team and [...]
Prime Minister David Cameron is “acting like a school boy bully” by not listening to the Lords on tax credit cuts says Liberal Democrat Lord Newby October 23, 2015 The government's controversial decision to cut tax credits has come under renewed pressure as Lord Newby said the House of Lords will obstruct the legislation, and Prime Minister David Cameron would face a "constitutional crisis of his own making" if he took measures against the Lords in response. The government no longer has a majority in the House [...]
Lord Grabiner quits Labour party whip over Corbyn leadership October 24, 2015 Lord Grabiner has become the second Labour peer to leave the party whip in a week. In a letter to The Times this morning, he said he left at the end of September due to his differences with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. “I can't square staying with my conscience,” he said. “I have nothing in [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: Play George Osborne’s interactive buzzword bingo game November 25, 2015 George Osborne is preparing for a "knock at the door" fiscal update in the space of just a year (that's number four) , and that means we get to play another round of buzzword bingo. The chancellor is really spoiling us. Be prepared for the "long-term economic plan" – again – but will he make a dig at [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: Tax credit changes off the table, George Osborne announces November 25, 2015 George Osborne has taken controversial changes to the tax credits system off the table in one of his first major announcements during today's Autumn Statement. The chancellor said he had "listened to the concerns" about changes previously proposed, with many urging that changes should be phased in to ease the transition. "However, given the improvement [...]
Labour’s John McDonnell promises no “political capital” if George Osborne U-turns on tax credits October 25, 2015 Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said the Labour party will not make "political capital" from a U-turn on tax credits. McDonnell said the issue was becoming "above politics" and revealed he has written to chancellor George Osborne to say that a U-turn is needed, but that Labour would not use it for political point scoring. Osborne is [...]
George Osborne bags a Blairite: Lord Adonis quits Labour benches in blow to Jeremy Corbyn October 5, 2015 In a major blow to Labour, one of its most influential peers has left the parliamentary party to chair a new infrastructure commission spearheaded by chancellor George Osborne. Osborne will use his speech at the Conservative party conference in Manchester today to announce that Lord Andrew Adonis, a former minister under Prime Minister Tony [...]
Treasury says senior civil servant will be chief executive of National Infrastructure Commission December 21, 2015 A senior civil servant has been tapped to lead the government’s efforts to deliver more infrastructure projects. Phil Graham, a longtime civil servant in the department for transport, will be chief executive of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), a new independent body chancellor George Osborne first announced at this year’s Conservative Party Conference. At the [...]