Month: February 2010

Bank Shares Tory activists must be getting anxious. At the beginning it all made sense. Cut the size of government, re-energise local government, cut spending, regulation and quangos, increase personal responsibility and authority. Set the financial house in order and set the people free.  Miles ahead in the polls, Labour might even be knocked into […]

Statecraft This is a good moment to consider the nature of the appropriate foreign policy of the new government, when it finally arrives. If we get a hung parliament it may be a government of many different colours.  The key issue now is not the war on terror or Afghanistan, nor is it the Palestinians […]

Gordon Brown This blog affirms once more its independence of political parties, whilst commenting in robust terms on political issues. The latest excitement revolves round allegations in a new book that Gordon is a bully, to which is added the mysterious claim from an anti-bullying charity which is itself not without controversy and  apparently endorsed […]

The Deficit There is a rather entertaining exchange of letters in the papers with scores of economists taking opposing views as to whether to cut the deficit this year with immediate action (or at least halt its rise) or to go on borrowing. Ordinary people find this a bit unnerving  as they suppose economists know […]

China and the U.S. Twenty nine years ago, having moved to a new office in Regent Street (London W.1), I wanted to hang up some pictures and found we had no hammer. I asked a colleague who was on his way out to buy a sandwich to pop into the ironmongers (we were just on the […]

The Banks There is hardly a current affairs programme these days with a financial section which does not feature some discussion over banking profits and bonuses. There is a point which is central to the discussion but which there is often not time in these sandwiched interviews to develop. It is this. Nobody minds people […]

Workers Co-operatives The Tories have just unveiled a weird plan to turn welfare services and schools into workers co-operatives. Labour has plans not wholly dissimilar. This blog will not comment on the efficacy of these proposals until more is known. It does hasten to remind its readers of the complete fiasco of the NHS internal […]

Civilian Casualties The deaths of twelve civilians on the second day of the NATO offensive is tragic news. Built into the profuse aplogies and regrets from the military top brass is the caveat that accidents happen in war. This is the nub. Indeed they do. Which is why war cannot any longer reasonably be used as […]

Afghanistan and America The new offensive in the south is going well for NATO so far. In military terms it may well work but it cannot succeed in the long term as a civil solution. There is not a single instance in modern history when an outside power, backing one side in civil war, has […]

Working Hours The New Economics Foundation, an out of the box Think Tank, has just issued a report to say the quality of life, especially for children, would be hugely improved if people worked earned and spent less and had more time for family, children, civic contributions and leisure. This is bold and worthwhile thinking. […]