Tag archive for ‘Economy’
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Single figure poll lead again as Tory austerity message bites
Two excellent articles from today’s Guardian that are well worth a read, whilst another poll sees the Tory lead down to single figures.
First, Polly Toynbee’s piece This is class war – carried out by Cameron against the poor. Brown’s reference to Cameron’s tax policies being dreamt up on the playing fields of Eton clearly got under the Tory leader’s skin, as his performance on the Politics Show demonstrated. Though Cameron complains that Brown’s attack was spiteful, Toynbee rightly points out: “background becomes significant [...] -
Inheritance tax cut – “a promise to privilege those already privileged”
Andrew Rawnsley’s article today discussing the implications of the Tories’ pledge to cut inheritance tax for the richest estates in Britain perfectly encapsulates the problem that the Conservative party has with this policy.
As discussed here in the past, it represents a tax cut for the few, whilst the many face austerity measures – a longer working life, pay freezes, attacks on their pensions, and cuts to their services.
Though many find Cameron to be likeable they still harbour doubts about his [...] -
Be careful with polls…but the Tories have cause for concern
One poll in the Observer today, showing Labour only six points behind the Tories, does not – as Kevin Maguire points out – make a Labour spring. Moreover, it’s not always the best policy to provide running commentary on opinion polls. So we should be careful. But, still, as this blog has previously argued, the Tories are not really where they ought to be to justify their apparent confidence.
We have seen polling over the last period that has put the [...] -
Conservatives vulnerable over ‘government by the rich, for the rich’
Two articles today put a view of the Conservative party that refuses to go away and which Labour clearly belives has potentially deep resonance with the electorate – that Cameron’s Tories represent government by the rich for the rich. Whilst Cameron himself has made inroads with the electorate the same cannot be said of his party as a whole.
Kevin Maguire in the Mirror reports Denis MacShane being pulled up by the Deputy Speaker for calling Tory front bencher a millionaire. “Highlighting how out-of-touch the [...] -
China and the US – a turning point in financial history
An article from China that readers of this blog may find of interest.
Some days you can’t move for argument about when or whether China will overtake the USA as the biggest economy on the planet. But a key moment has passed this year – China outstripped the US for the first time in terms of a being a generator of finance available for investment. “As China has overturned a lead that the US has enjoyed for a century and a [...] -
TUC’s intervention in the economy debate – cuts will hit private sector jobs
The terms of the national debate about the economy are still stuck in a framework of cutting public spending and services to improve the state of the public finances. Yet the problem the economy faces is not spending on public services or public sector pensions, but the combination of the recession and the scale of the bailout of bankers and bank shareholders.
The TUC has published a new Touchstone pamphlet, Speaking Up For Public Services [pdf], ahead of tomorrow’s unemployment figures, [...] -
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” – Steve Earle on Britain’s political choice
I was at the Barbican for Steve Earle’s solo acoustic concert last night, dominated by his recent album of Townes Van Zandt songs. This isn’t a review, merely a mention of Earle’s comments about US and British politics.
Earle talked about the problem of American citizens who have no health insurance, and what happens to them when they lose their jobs. “Think about that the next time you’re bitching about the NHS,” was his well-received advice. The anti-Dan Hannan, with better [...] -
Kevin Maguire on the “biggest wrong call since Iraq”
The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire has been updating the links on his blog, including – I’m pleased to say – with a link to this blog.
Thanks to Kevin for the link. To return the favour, here he is yesterday on PMQs and how Cameron’s mistakes on the economy are “the biggest wrong call since Iraq.” -
Armando Iannucci and the knee operation
Via Paul Waugh I came across this interview with The Thick Of It creator Armando Iannucci, whose comments on the state of the two main parties perfectly summarise the issues facing both of them.
Who will Iannucci vote for? He lets out an exasperated sigh. “I really don’t know. I am honestly at a loss. My natural instinct is to waver between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but I just worry that politics is failing. And I think people are baffled [...] -
Post dispute – the Business, Innovation and Skills Department risks damaging the whole government
Yesterday I wrote here that management’s refusal to go to ACAS unless the possibility of a national strike is first lifted indicated what was wrong with the way the Royal Mail is handling industrial relations in the industry.
I have just caught the end of Peter Mandelson’s statement to the House of Lords on the postal dispute. Rather than step in to try to get management to ACAS, Lord Mandelson unfortunately echoed the management line over ACAS.
The BBC’s reporter from Parliament, [...]
