Dr Andrew Lilico is Managing Director of Europe Economics, a member of the IEA/Sunday Times Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, and author of more than forty articles, pamphlets and reports on political and economic questions. Andrew submitted this article before last night’s Commons vote to have a 100% elected Lords. Yesterday, Theresa May posted an article […]
FACT 1: Tower Hamlets – one of the poorest boroughs in the country – employs over 27 people earning more than £100,000pa. FACT 2: The number of local government workers earning fat cat salaries is rising fast. 429 people were on over £100,000 last year. 578 people get over £100,000 this year. FACT 3: The […]
Liam Fox and George Osborne (and David Davis)* were among 57 Tory MPs who voted for a fully-elected Lords tonight. David Cameron wasn’t one of them. The 57 are all listed below: Richard Bacon (Norfolk South) John Bercow (Buckingham) Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West) James Brokenshire (Hornchurch) Douglas Carswell (Harwich) James Clappison (Hertsmere) Greg […]
Earlier today Theresa May MP wrote for ConservativeHome about her support for a largely elected House of Lords. The Commons has just voted for the Lords to be 80% elected, 20% appointed but then by a larger majority for 100% elected. This puts the two parliamentary Conservative parties on a collision course. The MPs may […]
Cameron used his first three questions to ask Blair if he thought British soldiers in south Afghanistan had adequate equipment, and sufficient support from other NATO countries. Blair said he wanted more NATO support but also that it was only the British forces that can make a difference in south Afghanistan, and that they are […]
"After spending the first year building the Conservative party’s appeal to voters at the centre of the political spectrum, David Cameron has spent the last three months reassuring Conservative voters that he is "one of them". In something that Margaret Thatcher would never have felt necessary, he wrote an article for the Telegraph declaring "I […]
Trust in Labour’s management of the economy has taken another knock. In a Populus poll undertaken over the weekend – the same one which gave the Conservatives an 8% overall lead – the Conservatives and LibDems are both up on overall economic management, fairness of taxes and long-termism. The fall in trust in Labour to […]
Gordon Brown will today follow Alan Johnson’s lead of last week and challenge David Cameron’s commitment to marriage and the family. The Chancellor will insist that government policy on the family should not be based on "ideological judgments". That, of course, is a deliberate misrepresentation of Tory policy. As David Cameron made clear on Sunday, […]
Theresa May is MP for Maidenhead and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. How much people trust politicians is a well-rehearsed debate. How much politicians trust people receives less attention, although it matters just as much. Tonight, we’ll find out just how much MPs trust the people, when they vote on the future of […]
A press release from bookmakers William Hill has cut the odds on the Tories being the largest party after the next General Election from 4/7 to 8/15. Labour are now at 11/8 and the LibDems on 80/1. Graham Sharpe of William Hill said: "There has been no serious money for Labour to win the next […]
Boris Johnson, shadow minister for higher education, writes an extended piece for today’s Guardian and insists that the Tories are now passionate about creating the world’s best higher education system. In classic Johnson style, he writes: "We have junked the old Tory opposition to the variable fee. We have jettisoned our sour, mealy-mouthed and intellectually […]
Paul Goodman MP is Shadow Minister for Childcare and MP for Wycombe. I’m tempted to cover Sir* Menzies Campbell’s face with kisses. Thank you, Sir Menzies! By setting out five tests for Gordon Brown – and confirming that the Chancellor, if he meets them, “will have changed direction, and embraced Liberal Democracy” – Sir Menzies […]
"RECORD TORY POLL LEAD, AND IT’S LIKELY TO GROW." That’s the headline in this morning’s Times above a Populus opinion poll that puts the Conservatives in a 38% to 30% lead over Labour. The LibDems are down 1% on 18%. The Tory lead in the ConservativeHome poll of polls is now a record 8.25% with […]
"There should be not a penny more state funding without a single, comprehensive cap on donations – including companies, the unions and individuals. The public will be highly cynical if political parties award themselves lump-sum handouts without fundamental reform. Any additional state funding should be there to assist and encourage parties to re-engage with the […]
Nick Wood is former Head of Media at the Conservative Party and is now Director of Media Intelligence Partners. Bamboo huts roofed with tea tree leaves perch on the thickly wooded hillsides above a gorge leading to the wide, muddy waters of the Salween River marking the border. Scores of small, smiling children play in […]