Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today’s issues and tomorrow’s problems
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Dodgy figures in the Autumn Statement
The Treasury keeps changing the figures it shows and withholds. I feel when reading Budget and Financial Statement books now I am being pushed into a view or judgement they want Ministers to make and readers to accept.
Let’s take the case of debt interest. They have decided to alarm everyone...Read More »
A Minister in office is not always in power
The events of recent weeks have shown that it is possible to be a Minister in office unable to see through changes of policy or enforcement of laws in ways the public and Ministers wish.
At the Home Office successive Ministers have made clear their wish to end people trafficking across...Read More »
More money for Wokingham social care
I put the case to the Chancellor before the Autumn Statement for more money for Councils like Wokingham where social service demand has been exceeding available grant aid and tax revenue. I was pleased to see he has agreed and provided £2.8bn more for next year and £4.7bn the following...Read More »
The OBR run the Autumn Statement
I said the OBR deficit forecast this spring for this year was likely to prove an underestimate. Yesterday the OBR put it up by 75%.
I said all summer we would go into recession unless they changed policy. The OBR did not forecast that in the spring. Now they are forecasting...Read More »
Letter to Wokingham Borough Council
Dear Councillor Jones
I am very willing to represent the Council to government where it has a good case, and think we would serve Wokingham better if the Council consulted me before sending letters to Ministers. Ministers are busy people who do not have continuing conversations with every Council in the...Read More »