From Australia The headlong dash to the fiscal cliff has shuddered to a messy compromise at the very edge. America’s dysfunctional system of federal government has managed to cobble together a deal which has brought relief to the markets. Politicians of all sides preen themselves for behaving like statesmen and women in the national interest. But what […]
From Australia The shocking killings of children, teachers and fire fighters which have traumatised America, are not unique to that country. A crazed attack by a rampaging gunman can happen anywhere, even in the best ordered and most enlightened societies, as Norwegians know to their terrible cost. The difference is that in America these numbing assaults on […]
From Australia Many commentators, including this blog, did not expect the euro to end 2012 in one piece. It seemed likely that some major re-configuration would be required to set the single currency onto a secure path and that might include some weaker members dropping out. Instead what has happened is that just enough has […]
This blog is visiting family in Australia for the Christmas period and will not be posting regularly.
To those who live on the mainland of Britain, the sectarian tensions of Northern Ireland are hard to understand, not because of their complexity, but because of their ability to inflame. This is Westminster’s, rather than Belfast’s, fault. For far too many decades successive British governments have been unwilling to face down the loyalists in […]
George Osborne did well in the Commons yesterday and Ed Balls did badly. That, however, is not that. Those who have time to unpick who said what, may find that in Ball’s halting and at times confused delivery, there was an element of truth. They may also find in Osborne’s polished and confident performance a […]
When Osborne stands up in the House of Commons today, three realities will be in play. The first is that although it is not working out as planned, the UK economy is under better control than most others laid low by the crisis. The second is the plan can never solve the underlying problem, although […]
It is not all bad news. There is a significant shift of jobs from the public to the private sector and the economy is just growing, but only just. Whatever the spin, things have not gone according to Plan A. Unfortunately only Ed Balls has undiminished confidence that Plan B would have fared better. The truth is […]
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Lord justice Leveson has given his verdict. It has created something of a problem for the Tory party. The majority backs Cameron in opposing the idea of voluntary regulation enshrined in a suitable statute; a minority of Tory MPs back Leveson. Add those pro Leveson Tories to all the Lib Dems and Labour, who also […]