Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
How David Cameron is behaving like Henry VIII
January 22nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
A cull of quangos might superficially sound attractive but, as someone who sits on two of those to be abolished, I know that many of them do excellent work, fulfilling vital roles in a cost-effective manner that is independent of political prejudice and whims. The Public Bodies Bill, the chosen instrument of the Coalition Government […]
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Tony Blair’s “A Journey” (2)
January 21st, 2011 by Roger Darlington
On the day on which former Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a second appearance before the Chilcot inquiry into the invasion of Iraq, let me offer you a few more, brief quotes from “A Journey” by Tony Blair which I am currently reading. “She ran the diary with a grip of iron and was quite […]
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Tony Blair’s “A Journey” (1)
January 14th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
At Christmas, I received six books as presents and I’m now starting to read one of them: “A Journey” by Tony Blair which runs to almost 700 pages. The book begins with the entry of Tony Blair to 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister in 1997, the first time that he had held any ministerial […]
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Young and happy in Old and Sad
January 14th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Three and a half months ago, I did a posting suggesting that what British politics now needed was a by-election. I pointed out: “In the ‘old days’ of British politics, typically there used to be three or four by-elections a year. These days, Members of Parliament tend to be younger and healthier so there is […]
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Will culling quangos work?
January 7th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I declare an interest: I sit on three bodies – the Communications Consumer Panel, the Ofcom Advisory Committee for England and the Consumer Focus Board – that are to be abolished under the terms of the Coalition Government’s so-called cull of the quangos which is to be given effect by the Public Bodies Bill that […]
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Ed Miliband’s first 100 days
January 4th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
So how is Ed Miliband doing as Labour leader three months into the job? It’s not been an outstanding period but conversely, at the same point in Gordon Brown’s leadership, most people misjudged the man (the other way of course). Given the electoral arithmetic, this is a marathon and not a sprint. In this assesment […]
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The rise in VAT
January 4th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Eight months ago, I did a posting on why value added tax (VAT) would go up whoever won the then impending General Election. Today VAT rose from 17.5% to 20% – the highest ever level. The tax is regressive and will hit hardest low income families and it comes at a time when the economy […]
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How much do you give?
December 29th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
It’s easy to be cynical about the Coalition Government’s idea of the Big Society, but it’s hard to disagree with the main themes behind the Cabinet Office Green Paper on “Giving” which is published today. Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “Big Society is about creating a country in which people are in […]
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What a difference an hour makes …
December 21st, 2010 by Roger Darlington
Today is the shortest day of the year and officially the start of winter (that’s a laugh this year for those of us who live in Britain). Once again, one has to think why we actually use the time system that we do in the UK and whether it would not be much more sensible […]
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The Government’s Plan B
December 14th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
It is reported today that the Coalition Government has prepared an alternative economic strategy to be activated if the economy does not recover fast enough. Elements of the Plan B are further quantitative easing, purchase of commercial bonds, infrastructure investment and tax cuts. It would not surprise me if a Plan B proves necessary, but […]
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