By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter As the BBC reports today, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has written to George Osborne to ask him to consider the plan for re-privatising the public holding of shares in Lloyds and RBS by distributing shares to all British taxpayers – a policy created by the Centre for Policy […]
Matthew Barrett Civitas recently set out some recommendations for George Osborne to boost economic growth: Reduce company taxation Eliminate unnecessary workplace regulations Reduce the cost of energy Cut personal taxes to make it easy to start new businesses Focus on manufacturing for export-led growth Intelligent procurement – give more government tenders to SMEs Reduce imports, […]
By Tim Montgomerie Over at ToryDiary I look at the PX Poll's implications for the Conservative Party but pasted below are some key findings: MOST IMPORTANT VALUES IN A POLITICAL PARTY Economic responsibility: 59% Fairness: 50% Family values: 32% Traditional values: 29% Equality: 21% Liberty: 20% Patriotism: 17% Environmentalism: 11% FAIRNESS IS ABOUT GETTING WHAT […]
Tim Montgomerie The Daily Mail quotes research from the Christian charity Care this morning, noting that Britain's tax system is harder on single earner families than any other major developed country. The numbered list below records the tax burden on a one earner married couple with two children as a percentage of the burden on […]
Tim Montgomerie According to a report from the Resolution Foundation, and covered in the News of the World (£) Britain is facing a decade of squeezed incomes: "Struggling families face a decade of despair from rising prices and wage freezes, a report warned last night. Working couples with children will be up to £4,250 worse […]
Tim Montgomerie Highlights, not verbatim. Ed Balls and George Osborne clashed for the first time as Chancellor and Shadow Chancellor. Mr Balls began by saying it was a privilege to be holding his portfolio at a time of such economic importance. He joked that he was glad he didn’t have a breakfast meeting this morning […]
Tim Montgomerie Justine Greening, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, used an SNP debate on fuel duty to spell out the Coalition's related thinking yesterday: The level of deficit and debt that we have been left as a country costs the British taxpayer £120 million every single day: "To put that in the context of a […]
Tim Montgomerie The Institute of Directors has this morning published an important report on how growth can be boosted without costing the Exchequer a penny. Measures include: Earmarking proceeds from sale of state-owned banks for key infrastructure projects including transport and energy projects that are unlikely to proceed on the basis of private capital alone […]
Tim Montgomerie Four of London's leading think tanks have all attacked today's increase in VAT to 20%; an increase that George Osborne intends to be a permanent rather than emergency fixture. Leading the charge has been Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPapers' Alliance. Speaking to the BBC earlier he pointed out that David Cameron had broken […]
Tim Montgomerie In today's Times (£) Lord Heseltine comes to the timely defence of the City: “My view is a very clear one, the City of London is a vital part of the national economy. It is a world-class industry and brings huge wealth to this country. The politics [of the City] are very difficult, […]
Tim Montgomerie Tax Freedom Day is the day we stop working for the government and start working for ourselves. The Adam Smith Institute has calculated that Tax Freedom Day 2011 will fall on 30th May, three days later than this year. The increase in VAT to 20% is the main explanation for these extra days. […]
In a speech last week Sajid Javid, Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, took on the popular notion that banks were entirely responsible for the financial crash. In his speech, delivered without notes, and republished in full below, he also sets out what should happen next to banking structure and regulation. "I thank the right hon. Member […]
Tim Montgomerie Highlights, not verbatim. In his statement to the Commons on the Irish bailout George Osborne made it clear that Britain had been at the heart of the negotiations with Ireland about the conditionality for the facility agreed for it. He said there should be no requirement for Dublin to change its corporation tax regime. […]
By Tim Montgomerie On Friday the Adam Smith Institute published a report calling on David Cameron to sell the government's stakes in the nationalised banks, Royal Mail, Network Rail, BBC Worldwide, Channel 4 and other state assets. The report – by Nigel Hawkins – estimates that £90 billion could be raised. The privatisation candidates are […]
By Tim Montgomerie A new report from the Reform think tank analyses the bureaucracy-enhancing 'money-go-round' that grew up under Gordon Brown. The appropriately-titled Money-go-round paper notes that middle and higher earners were big welfare gainers under Labour but all gains were lost in higher taxes: Although it gives 'in principle' backing to George Osborne's attempt […]