The Guardian is running with the ‘Labour’s spending spree’ story for all its worth, but no-one seems to be asking some rather obvious questions.
First, the story alleges that an unusually high number of Whitehall ‘accounting officers’ (usually permanent secretaries) lodged formal objections to spending decisions in the last year of the Labour government. So much appears to be the, rather thin, factual basis of the story. Continue reading “Who guards The Guardian?”
A lot of media analysts and city commentators have been loosely talking about the forthcoming Budget ‘spelling out the cuts’ that were so obviously absent from the election campaign. It won’t.
David Cameron has just confirmed in an interview on the Andrew Marr show that the Budget will only spell out the spending envelope for the whole of government for the next three years (April 2011 to March 2014). It will not contain any details of Departmental Expenditure Limits (DELs) – that will have to wait until the Spending Review in the Autumn. Continue reading “Cuts – you’ll have to ‘watch this space’ quite a bit longer…”
Are we entering a new era of British politics? All the signs are that we are. The Big Battalions of the post-WWII political wars of position have shrunk – ironically it was the Thatcherite reforms of the 1980s that shattered both the historic coalitions that the Conservatives and Labour represented. Continue reading “The New Politics: from ‘wars of position’ to ‘wars of manoeuvre’?”
I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again
The Who’s lyrics seem especially aposite as the “new politics” starts off by resorting to some very old, 19th century, politics – rigging electoral and political systems to suit those in power. Continue reading “Gerry Mander MP is back in the House”
As we move into the era of pluralist, multi-party, government it is clear that a lot of people are going to have problems getting used to the new world. Some are deliberately sticking to old formulae, whilst others clearly just haven’t caught up yet. Continue reading “Getting Used to Multi-Party Government is not going to be easy”
If a minority Tory or Con-Lib dem government comes to power next week the worst possible thing they could do is deploy the infamous “it’s worse than we thought” ploy. Continue reading “Please don’t deploy the “its worse than we thought” ploy”
Labour has clearly lost, but the Tories also clearly did not win either, however much they want to pretend otherwise. The verdict of the electors is that they do not want one-party rule anymore. The issue is not whether we have a smash and grab Tory government or a clinging on Labour one, but what Coalition Government will form? Continue reading “They all lost, but we could all win.”
The old anarchist slogan (above) always had a grain of truth in it – especially in Britain where our permanent civil service is very permanent indeed. As “Yes, Minister” so brilliantly satirised, Ministers come and go, but Sir Humphrey remains, immovable, unflappable and very much in charge – or at least a powerful force in shaping what governments actually do once in office. Continue reading “Whoever you vote for, the Government will get in”
Mervyn King – Governor of the Bank of England – has reportedly said that this would be a good election to lose. Glad to see he’s caught up – I first said this in a column for Public Finance in February 2009 entitled ‘Losing is the new winning’. What is surprising is it has taken this idea so long to surface.
Both Brown and Clegg have done well in the debate tonight on the public finances and the economy. Brown demonstrated his mastery and experience of the global economic issues whilst Clegg played his ‘anti-politics’ card well (although it is getting a little tired) and his ‘fairness’ pitch was well presented. Clegg is clearly the master of the TV debate format. Continue reading “Leaders Last Chance – and Cameron blew it”
Colin Talbot - my blog 