Defence Review This has been touched on in the election campaign, mainly in connection with Trident, but it is not really a campaign issue, not least because each party plans to hold one if in government. This blog is now going to look at some of the considerations which ought to be on the table […]
Education One of the greatest mysteries of the Tory campaign (the weakness of which is itself a mystery) is the element of the education policy proposing parents and charities set up their own schools with public money. This is a deeply flawed concept now causing controversy even among the Tories themselves. We already have Academies, […]
Recovery The UK economy has continued to grow in the first quarter, but by a tiddly amount, confirming the dampened state of economic activity and the remaining threat of another dip. There are encouraging signs of a revival of British manufacturing and the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Washington think that worldwide recovery is moving […]
Good Tory Move I support the Cameron proposal to require an incoming leader of a governing party who becomes Prime Minister to go to the country within six months. I put this forward in my book, especially as today all the parties give their membership outside parliament (in Labour’s case the trade unions as well) […]
Two Down, One to Go The general view is that the second debate between the party leaders was more closely matched. Brown did better and so did Cameron. They both went for Clegg but he held on. Polls show them very even, but with most giving Clegg the narrow lead and Brown in the rear […]
Counting the Cost Already there are recriminations over the blanket nature and length of the flight ban over the UK and EU. Part of the trouble is the rule requiring airlines to pay hotel and other costs of stranded passengers. This regulation was established to deal with the practice of over booking. It was never […]
Things Turn Nasty It is not just the political establishment which has been turned on its collective head by the dramatic emergence of the Lib Dems as real contenders in the election. So strong is the surge thus far that if it advances further the Lib Dems will become the front runners. If not they […]
Financial Education I have just learned that a casualty of the so called wash up process in the last days of the now dissolved Parliament was the provision to provide financial education to children. One would find it difficult to identify a more pressing educational need in a country, the public finances of which are at […]