Is next week's contest in Oldham and Saddleworth a "coupon election" in all but name? David Cameron may not have offered the LibDem candidate a formal endorsement, but it is clear he would not be unhappy with a LibDem victory. So perhaps this is a good moment to draw a few comparisons with the 1918 […]
We want government to be accountable, you believe in transparency, they are putting all the data online – I want my privacy back. Could this be the new conjugation for the Coalition's project to float out government data on the internet? The more information is published, the narrower the divide between the public and the […]
Word in the Times today is that Andrew Sentance will remain a lone voice calling for an interest rate rise at this Wednesday's meeting of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee. Yet signals of inflationary pressure continue to accumulate, suggesting that Sentance's view deserves serious consideration. Last week the OBR sounded confident that the […]
Jill Kirby is Director of the Centre for Policy Studies. In its 1997 Manifesto, New Labour promised to “decrease the bills of economic and social failure” It has failed to do so. The Treasury expects total social security payments in 2009/10 to be £186 billion. That’s more than the government will receive in income tax […]
One of the most interesting weekend stories appeared in Saturday’s Telegraph. In yet another example of Copycat Labour we learnt that Chief Secretary to the Treasury Andy Burnham conceded that there were moral arguments for using the tax system to encourage marriage. Had he cleared this with Harriet Harman, I wonder? The feminist Ms Harman […]
We didn’t say what the Chief Secretary says we said about raising thresholds. Instead, Jill Kirby was making the point that the idea was originally a Tory one
UK arrivals could be asked to take ‘post-quarantine’ test in bid to block new variants, minister says “All international arrivals will be made to take two tests during their 10-day quarantine period, the Government will announce today – as a minister admitted the process could be bolstered further. Matt Hancock is expected to announce that […]
Brexit 1) Johnson in last ditch push for Brexit deal “A trade agreement with the European Union will be possible only if Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen can find a new political will to break the deadlock in talks tonight, Downing Street has warned. The prime minister is to meet the president of […]
Coronavirus 1) Restrictions “to be eased over Christmas” “Families will be allowed to meet for up to a week at Christmas – but tough restrictions could remain in place until then under Government plans to be announced early next week. Boris Johnson is preparing to announce a UK-wide relaxation of rules from December 22 to […]
The new Tory rift over the North-South divide “With Brexit all but done and the biggest Tory majority since the days of Margaret Thatcher, Boris Johnson should be the master of all he surveys… But nature abhors a vacuum, and the void that has been left by the civil war over Europe is rapidly being […]
Trump gives video message to say he is “much better” as he takes experimental drugs “Donald Trump is entrusting his recovery from Covid-19 to an experimental drug amid claims that his “vital signs” were impaired by the virus and his recovery hangs in the balance. There were conflicting messages about the president’s condition last night. […]
Quarantine to be cut to 10 days for people arriving from Spain… “Quarantine for people arriving from Spain and other countries with high levels of Covid-19 will be cut to 10 days under plans being finalised by ministers, The Telegraph has learnt. The Government hopes to announce this week a new policy of testing arrivals from […]
UK offers Hong Kong residents escape from China crackdown “Britain will give greater visa rights to the people of Hong Kong unless China suspends new security laws in the territory, the foreign secretary has said. The National People’s Congress of China yesterday formally announced its decision to impose the legislation, which makes it a crime to […]
Evidence from Europe indicates reopening schools is safe “Reopening schools across Europe has not caused a spike in coronavirus cases. Evidence from 22 EU states that have restored classes suggests little or no risk to pupils, teachers or families. The revelation piles pressure on unions resisting plans to send younger children back from June 1. […]
Welcome news in the Telegraph today of a Government announcement on employment law promised later this week. Responding to widespread complaints from businesses and persistent campaigning by employers' organisations, the Coalition is to make some modest but important changes to ease the burden of complying with a massive, complex – and still growing – list […]