
Matthew Oakley: Earnings can solve Osborne’s Spending Review and tax credits conundrum
By helping in-work tax credits claimants work just an hour a day more…the savings to the Exchequer would come to a staggering £4.1 billion.
By helping in-work tax credits claimants work just an hour a day more…the savings to the Exchequer would come to a staggering £4.1 billion.
Tax rises are not the only other way to find £4.4 billion. Here are two spending cuts that Osborne could do instead.
Friedman and Hayek’s beloved policy would help the poor, make work pay and fulfil the surplus target.
The savings still need to be made. The Government still struggles to judge Parliament’s mood. And why aren’t Bishops this angry about other injustices?
Those opposing the step must specify their alternative proposals – £4.4 billion of extra taxes or debt would be unacceptable.
There must be special measures and exemptions for the self-employed so not to harm the ‘self-employment miracle’.
Yes, changes could be made to his plans – and probably will be. But the Chancellor is on the right side of a big, vital argument.
A former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate goes to find out what the anti-Tory protesters at the party’s annual conference really have to say for themselves.
Also: Nationalists under fire over second MP; Cameron increases pressure for Ulster deal; Crabb claims slim chance of reaching Welsh devolution agreement; and more.
We don’t need the Government to make us compassionate in private life – and public policy challenges seldom have straightforwardly kind solutions.
The province’s institutions are in critical condition because sharing power has totally failed to forge a sense of common purpose between unionists and nationalists.
By rewarding work more than 200,000 people have come off Housing Benefits altogether.
Often the reforms are going further than anything that Margaret Thatcher achieved.
It is obscene that people have been left in limbo and handed cash rather than given help for their problems.
Also: New welfare reforms could collapse Northern Irish government; Salmond accused of ignoring the Scottish Parliament; and SNP fears infiltration by the far left.