Public spending
The report the Department for Education does NOT want you to read
One of the better policies of this government is its offering massive databases up for public scrutiny. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, argues David Cameron, and outsiders can scrutinise what… Continue reading
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Margaret Thatcher in six graphs
With the debate swirling about Margaret Thatcher’s legacy and her government’s record, it’s worth taking a look at what the cold, hard economic data has to say about her time… Continue reading
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Mr Micawber Goes to the Treasury
John Rentoul draws attention to a new ComRes poll that goes some way towards explaining George Osborne’s predicament when it comes to managing government finances. Put simply, the public is… Continue reading
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Austerity latest: spending up, deficit up.
We can all overdo it a little at Christmas, but the government’s monthly overdraft statement — which came in this morning — is of a different order. In December, HM… Continue reading
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UKIP is not a libertarian party - Spectator Blogs
I’m sure, as James says, that the idea of some kind of Tory-UKIP non-aggression pact will not go away. But that’s because many Tory backbenchers are remarkably stupid. Proponents of… Continue reading
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Ed Balls puts off public spending decisions until after the 2015 election
The announcement by Ed Balls today that Labour would conduct a zero-based spending review is a cute piece of political positioning by the shadow Chancellor. It allows him to sound… Continue reading
54 Comments
Increased support for more spending, but also for benefit cuts
‘Support for an increase in public spending rises.’ That’s the headline generated by the latest British Social Attitudes survey results, out today. They show that the proportion of the population… Continue reading
32 CommentsI Think Paul Krugman is Mistaken - Spectator Blogs
The great sage – once described to me by someone who attended a (highly) derivative speech he made on the Scottish economy as Woody Allen with statistics and no jokes… Continue reading
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There are economic reasons to cut the state, irrespective of the deficit
Treasury Select Committee Chairman Andrew Tyrie recently explained he would support cutting back the size of the state even if our public finances were in balance. I doubt whether the… Continue reading
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Cuts or spin?
Writing here on Tuesday, I made two accusations regarding the government’s deficit reduction plan. First, I said that cuts so far had been minimal. Second, I argued that higher taxation,… Continue reading
42 CommentsDinosaur Labour Is Back
Considering the audience to which it was aimed, I suppose one could say that Johann Lamont’s first leaders’ speech to the Scottish Labour party conference was a success. Expectations for… Continue reading
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Osborne owes Darling an apology
Britain’s national debt rose to over £1 trillion last month, and will never return below this threshold. George Osborne is increasing net debt by 61.5 per cent in real terms… Continue reading
43 CommentsA sliver of Christmas comfort for George Osborne
There’s some rare good news for the government in today’s public finance statistics. Public sector net borrowing in November is estimated at £18.1 billion, down from £20.4 billion last year.… Continue reading
20 CommentsLabour is caught on a fork
Listen to John Prescott on the Today programme this morning and you may begin to understand the complexity of the task Labour faces. Prescott was putting the best gloss he… Continue reading
47 CommentsBritish jobs for whom?
“More than 400,000 people have been out of work for more than two years, according to analysis of the latest Government data by think tank IPPR.” So runs its press… Continue reading
21 CommentsWill the defence budget rise, fall or stay constant post-2015?
As British helicopters pound away at Libyan targets, another battle is being waged inside the Ministry of Defence’s fortress-like building. The fight is over the post-2015 budget, and it is… Continue reading
3 CommentsThe OBR warns of a fiscal storm
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s 126-page Fiscal Sustainability Report really oughtn’t make for electrifying reading. But it does. What Robert Chote and his gang of number-crunchers have done is to… Continue reading
36 CommentsHigh-speed rail isn’t about North versus South — it’s about wasting taxpayers’ cash
Yesterday the campaign for high-speed rail, endorsed by the Government, made clear the way they want to frame the debate over the new line. They want to make it about… Continue reading
45 CommentsCameron’s health worries
David Cameron has made the NHS his political mission. “I can do it (explain his priorities) in three letters: NHS,” he once said. It was a reassurance that the NHS… Continue reading
13 CommentsOsborne’s "flexibility" explained
So what does George Osborne mean by "flexibility"? Do we hear the quiet sound of a gear change, prior to a u-turn? No, I’m told, it’s Plan A all the… Continue reading
32 Comments