I have reluctantly concluded that there needs to be greater regulation of the veracity of claims made by registered participants in political campaigns.
It’s not hard to find reasons to be frustrated with the Government, but we are still delivering for the British people.
Security, cohesion, integration, solidarity: all are intangible. But we pay – literally – to gain them. Why single out self-government?
Remainers and Brexiteers alike must recognise the politicians are stuck in an ever-decreasing circle of fervour, hyperbole and hysteria.
There is a fundamental human need and desire to know more about the universe, to engage with it, to play our part and explore and achieve.
What is needed is professional, third party review and analysis of expenditure, department by department, cutting out duplication and waste.
It’s a politically sensitive subject and the Government has a lot on its plate, but the Treasury is right to be concerned with ensuring value for money.
Perhaps, against all the odds, we will find a way of muddling through and preserve our broad church for a time after the era of Brexit has passed.
But it could take the ruling out of all other options before we get there. And if MPs ends up reaching a consensus view, then the Government will have to adopt it.
The long-term dividends for individuals, local services, employers, and the Exchequer can far outweigh initial costs.
There is no evidence of funding cuts reducing school standards. But Ofsted does need enough staff to thoroughly assess the performance of classroom teachers.
The Chancellor has been fortunate that the public finances have improved substantially at a particularly convenient time.
At the moment, we are treading water and appear to be relying on popular support for Brexit, and the threat of Corbyn, to keep us in office.
The Treasury should not simply accept the growth figures given by the OBR, but seek to raise them.
For councils – unlike others in the public sector – austerity has been real. It is ending. But planning powers are being diminished.