Stephen Mold's Blog

Very Good Speech by the Prime Minister

2011-08-11T12:32:00.003+01:00

Very impressed with the Prime Minister & his speech

This was a Prime Minister taking control. He captured the mood of the nation.

2011-01-13T09:37:00.006Z

7pm on Saturday 29th January to 7am on Sunday 30th January

The YMCA Sleep Easy is a national event that will take place over the weekend 28th-30th January. YMCA Derbyshire’s event will be from the Saturday to Sunday and will take place in the grounds of The Campus for Learning and Development in Derby.
Join in, challenge yourself, have fun and help to change the lives of homeless young people.

What is the YMCA Sleep Easy?
The aim is simple: spend a night challenging yourself to sleep rough, raising money to help change lives of vulnerable young people. All the money you raise goes directly to YMCA Derbyshire's youth homelessness prevention work and resettlement to help prevent repeat homelessness - impacting your community and helping disadvantaged young people in your city build a future.

How do I register to take part?
You can register to take part in this event if you are over 18, or 16 to 17 if taking part with a responsible adult. There is a registration fee of £10 for those in employment and £5 for all others.

To register online, please click here. Alternatively, complete the application form available to download further down this page. You might also be interested to visit the national YMCA Sleep Easy website by clicking here.

What else do I need to know?
On site parking is available, and hot drinks and breakfast will be provided. You will even receive a cardboard box to sleep in on the night! If you have any questions or would like to know more, please email us at enquiries@ymcaderbyshire.org.uk

Thank You

2010-06-01T22:48:00.001+01:00

We really are now living in extraordinary times, and what an extraordinary journey we’ve just been through together.

In our city the dust is now beginning to settle, after the relentless activity of the General Election. Nationally, we move forward, towards an uncertain future, with open minds and hopeful hearts.

As we start to consider what the coming months and years might bring, I think it is important to reflect on our time together so far, and for me to offer you all my thanks.

14,283 people voted for a Conservative change in Derby North on May 6th. Despite protestations from certain candidates that the Conservative Party had no chance of winning, we fell short by only 613 votes.

Gaining that level of support in our city is a remarkable achievement for our party
I believe, that those residents who voted Conservative on May 6th, voted for change. Now, although not quite in the form we were expecting, or perhaps hoping for, change is what we have and we should embrace and support it in any way that we can.

I remain incredibly proud of the campaign my party fought during the election. Still, I wholeheartedly congratulate Chris Williamson on being elected as the latest MP for Derby North.

Chris fought a solid and fair campaign, never seeking to engage in the negative personal attacks that both he and I were forced to endure from a candidate who ultimately, came a distant third.
Despite claiming for so long, to know the outcome of the election before it had even happened, their third place finish leaves a damning verdict on the type of negative campaigning that the local Liberal Democrats have been engaged in. I hope we never see that kind of behaviour from a political party in Derby North again, we all deserve better.

Now, we look to the future.

Unfortunately, Derby North will not have a voice in our new Government. One of my real regrets is that we didn’t do enough to ensure that all of you, my friends and neighbours, are able to influence the direction of our new coalition government.

Despite that, Having achieved a massive swing away from Labour to the Conservative Party in Derby North, we have an incredibly strong and solid foundation to build on. To all of our local constituents, we pledge to continue working hard, to put your interests and concerns at the very heart of what we do.

These are extraordinary times, Derby is an extraordinary city and I remain proud to be a part of it

Britain needs new energy and new ideas - and that will only come with a new Conservative government.

2010-03-29T15:00:00.001+01:00

This week Labour showed us they simply have nothing left to offer. We had a completely empty Budget followed by five empty pledges. With each day that passes the choice at this election becomes even more stark and clear: five more years of Gordon Brown's tired government making things worse or change with the Conservatives.

David was in Milton Keynes on Saturday setting out what that change will be.

A Conservative government will take action on the deficit to get the economy moving.
We're going to get Britain working by boosting enterprise.
We're going to make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe.
We'll increase spending on the NHS and improve it for everyone.
We're going to raise standards in schools and give heads control over discipline.
We will completely change our political system, cutting the cost of politics and pushing power out to communities and individuals.

We're impatient to get on with this work. But Gordon Brown can't put off calling the election for too much longer. I say bring it on.
From now until polling day David Cameron will be travelling the country, holding events like the one in Milton Keynes, speaking directly to the voters and telling them this: Britain needs new energy and new ideas - and that will only come with a new Conservative government.

Our country needs a change of course

2010-03-22T12:00:00.001Z

Britain is in serious economic trouble. Not only have we just had the longest and deepest recession on record, but our recovery is one of the weakest in the developed world.

This has all happened on Gordon Brown's watch. But now the man who promised "no more boom and bust" says he's got us through the worst of the storm, and all we need is his hand on the tiller to steer us through the choppy waters.

That is 100% wrong. He didn't steer us safely through the storm - he made it worse for us, by spending and borrowing so much.

So, we've had enough of Gordon Brown's hand on the tiller. We need to change course as David Cameron explains in this video message.

We need to act now to show the world we're serious about paying back our debts. We need to get more for less with government spending - just as families across the country are having to get more out of their money. And we need to make Britain the best place in the world to do business.

That's the big choice on our economy today. Five more years of Gordon Brown - or change with the Conservatives with the energy, leadership and values to get Britain moving again.

Sir Richard Branson backs Conservative economic plans

2010-02-25T12:00:00.002Z

Many of the papers report comments by made by the country's best known entrepreneur, the Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, which are highly supportive of the Conservative medicine being prescribed for the economy.

He gave his backing to the economists who backed George Osborne's strategy for reducing the deficit on Sunday, saying:

"I believe the UK's record budget deficit does pose a serious risk to our recovery. It would be damaging if we lost the confidence of the markets through delayed action, and saw interest rates have to go up steeply."

"We are going to have to cut our spending and I agree with the 20 leading economists who said we need to start this year. The next government, whatever party that is, must set out a plan to reduce the bulk of the deficit over a parliament by cutting wasteful spending and must not put off those tough decisions to next year.

"These factors threaten to undermine the confidence of international and UK businesses, consumers and the global financial markets. That could cost jobs and reduce investment in Britain. We must send a clear signal that we have the issues in hand and a clear strategy for UK plc."

George Osborne naturally welcomed Sir Richard's backing for the economic strategy he is pursuing :

“Sir Richard Branson’s support for our economic policy of early action to deal with Britain’s debts is hugely welcome. As Britain’s best known entrepreneur, he knows more about creating jobs and building an economic recovery than the entire Labour Cabinet put together.

“The whole country will want to pay attention to his warning that Gordon Brown’s approach could mean lost jobs, higher mortgage rates and less investment in Britain. Coming just 48 hours after the country’s 20 leading economists made exactly the same argument, the momentum for change is growing every day.”

What we must do to get our economy back on its feet

2010-02-24T23:00:00.001Z

This evening George Osborne gave the annual Mais lecture, which is a big event in the economic calendar. He recorded the video below just before delivering the lecture.

Our argument is that the debt-fuelled economic model pursued by the Government over the last decade is broken and that we need a new economic model where we save and invest for the future.

Most importantly we need to deal with our debts in order to get our economy back on its feet.

After 13 years, it's clear that Labour have failed on fairness

2010-02-22T12:00:00.001Z

This weekend Gordon Brown presented the Labour choice for the coming election. He claimed that the Labour Party is "for the many, not the few" - but I don't think that's true.

How can he say that with a straight face when it is the many who have suffered from their irresponsible management of the economy? It is the many who have had their taxes blown on pointless programmes and initiatives, and who will be paying back Labour's debts for years to come.

How can Labour be the party of the many when under their watch it has been the many who have been victims of crime? When it is the many who can't get on the housing ladder, or find a good school place for their children?

Brown asks Britain to "take a second look at Labour", but we've been looking at them for thirteen years and this is what we've seen. It's clear that five more years of Gordon Brown won't change anything.

It's the Conservatives who are now the progressive force in British politics, as David Cameron explains in this video. We're not the party of the few - or even of the many. We are the party for everyone.

10 Reasons why you should consider voting Conservative.

2010-02-15T12:00:00.005Z

Millions of people had high hopes when Labour got elected in 1997. But the truth is that this Government hasn’t made Britain a fairer society. The gap between the rich and poor has grown, we’ve still got old people who can’t heat their homes when it’s cold, and the school system is still letting down too many children. We can’t go on like this.

A Conservative government will get to grips with the root causes of our social problems and build a safer, fairer, greener society where opportunity is more equal.

The NHS – our number one priority
We believe in a National Health Service that is free and available to everyone in our society. Unlike Labour, we will increase spending on healthcare every year.
Dealing with Labour’s Debt Crisis
Labour are spending more on debt interest repayments than on tackling child poverty. We will cut the deficit quicker than Labour, and begin sooner, so we can spend your taxes on the things that matter. Conservative plans will help keep mortgage rates lower for longer.
Creating new jobs
Unemployment has gone up under Labour and one in five young people now can’t find a job. We will Get Britain Working by creating 450,000 new apprenticeships, college and training places over two years. As part of our plan to build a more balanced economy, where Britain makes things again, new businesses will pay no tax on the first ten jobs they create.
Protecting the poorest
Under Labour the poor have got poorer, with 900,000 more people living in severe poverty. We will keep the minimum wage, child benefit, tax credits, and other measures to help working families, and take action to deal with the long-term causes of poverty.
Supporting families
Under Labour, we have the highest family breakdown in Europe. We will support marriage in the tax system and end the couple penalty in the tax credit system, extend flexible working to all families with children under the age of 18, and recruit 4,200 more Sure Start health visitors to give families the support they need.
Giving every child a good education
Under Labour, the gap between the exam results of children from rich and poor backgrounds has widened. We will create new schools to raise standards for all children, with extra money for children from the poorest families.
Helping keep bills down & clamping down on consumer rip-offs
The recession has made it more difficult to make ends meet. We will work with local authorities to freeze council tax for two years. Our ‘green deal’ will give people energy-saving equipment to reduce energy bills. We will stop store cards charging excessive interest rates and prevent energy companies from making unfair profits on prepayment meters.
Fairness for pensioners
One in five pensioners are living in poverty under Labour. We will increase the State Pension every year and link it back to earnings, and protect Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. We will keep the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences and free bus passes.
Fighting back against crime
Under Labour you are three times more likely to be a victim of violent crime if you live in a deprived area. We will cut paperwork and get police out on the street, end Labour’s scheme of allowing prisoners out early, and make it clear that anyone caught carrying a knife can expect to be prosecuted and face a prison sentence.
Building more affordable homes
There are 700,000 more on housing waiting lists than when Labour came to office. We will give councils and communities powerful new financial incentives to build more affordable homes. We will also protect and respect the rights and security of social housing tenants.

Gordon Brown's death tax

2010-02-11T12:46:00.002Z

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says that ministers are secretly planning a "death tax" of up to £20,000 per head to pay for their plans for a National Care Service.

"Gordon Brown needs to come clean with the public and say how he will fund his new National Care Service", Lansley said.

"Behind closed doors Ministers are secretly planning a death tax of up to £20,000 per head which would be levied on the estates of grieving families."

Lansley added that even this death tax would not raise enough to pay for this new National Care Service, meaning that Labour are also planning to take away cash disability benefits from the elderly and cut money from the NHS. "It is another top-down, bureaucratic, costly plan from Labour for which every one of us would end up paying the price", he said.

Philip Hammond, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, described the problem this death tax would cause: "When you die, a Labour Government would take £20,000 from what you leave to your children and family. For those with the most modest savings Labour’s plans could leave them with nothing."

In contrast, he said the Conservatives want to help people in old age so that they can "leave as much of their lifetime’s savings as possible to the next generation".

"We will offer people the chance to pay a one off premium of £8,000 into a voluntary scheme to cover the cost of residential care in old age. So under our plans no-one would be forced to sell their home to pay for care."

A Happy, albeit reflective Birthday.

2010-01-14T20:00:00.001Z

Today, my birthday, was a day of mixed emotions. Starting early, I met my two political opponents for an interview on Radio 5 Live. Having an opportunity to speak on a national radio station during their early prime time slot, really was a pleasure. I had the chance to convey my thanks to the people of our city for the growing support we are finding across Derby North.

I was disappointed by the negativity demonstrated by both the Labour, and the Liberal Democrat candidates. It seems the two of them have already decided who is going to win in Derby North at the next General Election, and apparently, they both are. Which should make for an interesting polling day. As I've said before, polls count for little in my opinion. The people of Derby will decide who is most capable of representing our city and that's the only poll that matters.

As enjoyable as it was however, my thoughts today have been with the people of Haiti. The scale of the devastation there grows more traumatic by the day. Death tolls rise and latest media reports tell stories of people singing into the night, consoling each other whilst trying to make sense of something incomprehensible. As I sit down tonight, so incredibly fortunate in my home, with my family, I think not only of the victims of this tragedy, but the rescue teams from across the world who are proving once again that human compassion really is limitless.

A New Year Message

2010-01-01T00:00:00.002Z

The year of 2009 is now behind us and together, we’re looking forward with optimism to the prospect of a positive change for Derby and for Britain in 2010. We have heard at great length throughout the last twelve months of the difficulties we face as a society. Whilst acknowledging that we will inevitably face challenges in the coming months, this will be the year when we all decide which path to set down for future generations.

To this end, 2010 will also be the year when I put myself forward as a candidate to be your next MP. The honour I feel at having such an opportunity is surpassed only by the enormity of the challenges before us, challenges which I am both ready and prepared for.

With the reputation of politics and politicians lower than at any point in living memory, my role will be to help restore faith in the abilities and integrity of our elected officials. As the only Derby North candidate at the next election whose income is not provided for by your taxes, I really do appreciate the anger and frustration people feel at the way in which some MP’s have abused our trust. This abuse must be consigned to the history books and never be allowed to happen again.

Having worked hard this year, I am now spending time with my wife and two boys this Christmas. At such a time, I am reminded of those in our society who face the prospect of another year alone. I wish I could pass on the good fortune I have to all those who need it, but aware of the fact that I can’t, I wish only to work as hard as I can to ensure that such opportunities are there for any person prepared to work for them.

So as we move forward into 2010, I say let this be the year that we reaffirm the importance that family plays in all of our lives. Let this be the year that we protect the institutions and traditions which helped to make our nation great. Let this be the year when we look forward to the future, with open minds and focused determination, to ensure that all people are included in the Britain we look forward to creating. Let this be a new year capable of offering promise to all.

For now, can I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Stephen Mold

Labour have lost the right to govern

2009-12-14T13:29:00.006Z

This was the week Labour lost the right to govern

Their Pre-Budget Report on Wednesday was an opportunity to finally confront the biggest budget deficit in Britain's peacetime history. Instead, they put their own political fortunes ahead of what is right for our country. Not only did they decide to carry on their irresponsible spending, but they're actually increasing it next year.

Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling just don't seem to care about the risks they are running. As David Camerons says in this video, it's as if they're a couple of joy-riders in a car smashing up the neighbourhood, not caring about what is going to happen and not caring about anyone who might have to take over the mess they have created.

It's clear that all they care about now is politics. Just look at the reports about Brown personally overruling the Treasury's advice on the PBR so that he could stick to his wretched political dividing lines.

And look at the speech Darling gave in Parliament. He said he would increase benefits for some of the most vulnerable people in our country, like the disabled - but he didn't mention his plans to cut those same benefits the year after the election. Then he said that he would protect the NHS, but didn't mention the fact that his national insurance increases - a tax on jobs that hits everyone earning over £20,000 - will cost the NHS almost £450 million.

If anyone needed one more reason to believe it's time to get rid of the Labour politicians running our country, this week's behaviour gave every reason that could possibly be needed.

George Osborne's reaction to the 2009 Pre-Budget Report

2009-12-09T19:00:00.001Z

George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, gives his reaction to the 2009 Pre-Budget Report.

The Copenhagen summit is of historic importance

2009-11-27T20:30:00.003Z

In nine days time, representatives from 192 countries will meet in Copenhagen for the UN Conference on climate change. This summit is of historic importance. It is an opportunity for the world to take bold action to deal with the real danger of climate change.

So this week, ahead of the summit, members of the Shadow Cabinet have given a series of speeches setting out plans to help protect the global environment. Each one of these speeches sets out specific steps which need to be taken if we are going to reduce our carbon emissions.

For instance, in his speech, George Osborne set out plans to create a framework which would reward people for recycling. William Hague set out his plans to push for fundamental reform of the EU budget to redirect resources towards addressing climate change and energy security. And Andrew Mitchell set out how we need to end the scandal of taxpayers' money being used to guarantee environmentally damaging energy projects around the world.

Two incredibly powerful ideas lie behind these policies. The first is about the role of the state. Government does have a role to play in helping people to live sustainably. But it is at its best when it enables people to take action for themselves.

The second idea is about international leadership. We believe passionately that just as we are part of One Nation here in Britain, so Britain is itself part of One World. In this century of global threats and challenges, we can't afford to ignore what is happening in other parts of the world. So when it comes to tackling climate change, just as with fighting international terror, Britain must always be a strong force for progressive change in the world.

Shadow Minister Michael Gove sets out Conservative priorities for school reform

2009-11-06T17:50:00.005Z

Last night I went to hear Shadow Children’s Secretary, Michael Gove, set out the five priorities on school reform for a future Conservative Government.

In a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies yesterday, Gove pledged that a Conservative government "will improve standards for all pupils and close the attainment gap between the richest and poorest".

He outlined a five-point plan for change in England’s schools:

Move to a high quality system of teacher recruitment and training similar to those in Finland and Singapore
Give teachers the tools and powers they need to keep order in the classroom.
Deliver more robust examinations and a more rigorous curriculum.
Open a new generation of independently run state schools.
End waste and shift spending to a national per pupil funding formula.

Gove said that he wanted to give every child the kind of education that is currently only available to the well-off: "safe classrooms, talented and specialist teachers, access to the best curriculum and exams, and smaller schools where teachers know the children’s names".

Read the Full Speech

A policy on Europe that people can believe in

2009-11-04T23:07:00.005Z

The Lisbon Treaty has beem signed by the President of the Czech Republic. It is now set to become EU law.

I know from the huge number of letters and emails that I have been receiving how much people will resent the fact we cannot now have the referendum we were promised by Labour.
But I have always been clear that, if this situation came about, I would immediately set out how a Conservative Government would respond.

First, if we win the next election, we will prohibit, by law, the transfer of further power to the EU without a referendum. Never again should it be possible for a British government to transfer power to the EU without the British people’s consent.

Second, we will introduce a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill to make it clear that ultimate authority stays in this country, in our Parliament.

And third, we want to negotiate three specific guarantees with our European partners over powers that we believe should reside with Britain, not the EU. We will negotiate the return of Britain’s opt-out from social and employment legislation in those areas which have proved most damaging to our economy and public services. We also want a complete opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights. And we would negotiate for a return of powers in criminal justice to prevent EU judges gaining steadily greater control over our criminal justice system.

If I am elected Prime Minister, the British Government I lead will be an active member of the European Union. Like every other Member State, we will fight our corner to advance our national interests. But our guiding principles will be that Britain’s interests are best served by a European Union that is an association of its member states – and we must never allow Britain to slide into a federal Europe.

Stephen Asking a Question at the Conservative Party Conference

2009-10-15T13:02:00.005+01:00

Stephen asking a question about Single Mothers & Family at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

David Cameron looks back on his speech to the 2009 Conservative Party Conference

2009-10-12T09:00:00.001+01:00

David Cameron and George Osborne on tackling Labour's debt crisis

2009-10-06T22:00:00.000+01:00

Derby North Pivotal to the Conservatives forming the next Government

2009-09-29T09:00:00.006+01:00

Very Interesting Article in the Times.

Confirming that Derby North will be pivotal in the Conservatives forming the next Government at the general Election.

Landslide win for Conservatives may bury Labour’s big names

Some of Labour’s best-known MPs, including Margaret Beckett and Jacqui Smith as well as ten ministers, are predicted to lose their seats in the event of a landslide election defeat.
Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, has suggested that Labour could lose between 100 and 150 seats.

The most recent Populus poll for The Times reinforces this analysis. It gives the Conservatives a 14 point lead over Labour — equivalent to a 7 per cent swing from Labour to the Tories — which would see them take 143 seats from the Government.

The most prominent names to lose their seats in this case would include Ms Smith, a former Home Secretary, who has a 1,948 majority in Redditch, Mrs Beckett, a former Foreign Secretary, which would take a shift of 2,755 votes in Derby South, Barbara Follett, the Stevenage MP, whose lead is 3,451, and Glenda Jackson, the Hampstead MP, whose majority is 1,134.

Jim Murphy, the Scottish Secretary, is the most vulnerable Cabinet minister, sitting on a 6,657 majority in Renfrewshire East.

Other casualties from ministerial ranks would include Bill Rammell in Harlow, Jim Knight in Dorset South, Michael Wills in Swindon North, Ann Keen in Brentford & Isleworth, Vernon Coaker in Gedling, Shahid Malik in Dewsbury, Ian Austin in Dudley North and Mike O’Brien in Warwickshire North.

Tony McNulty, who is under investigation for his housing allowanceclaims, is also vulnerable in Harrow East, and former Cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly and John Hutton could have lost their seats if they were not already standing down.

John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, said the swing to the Tories was fairly consistent across England and Wales.

“If you look at local election results there aren’t signs of the Tories advancing less in the north than in the south — the change in Tory vote share has been fairly consistent.

“Eric Pickles [Conservative Party chairman] will tell you that he is concentrating on marginal seats in London, the West Midlands and Yorkshire. A decapitation strategy is a waste of time — in the Labour Party, all the Cabinet ministers are now in safe seats.”

A modest increase in the Tory vote over its current polling position would be even worse for Labour.

Those Cabinet ministers and party heavyweights who would be at risk if the Tories gain an eight or nine point swing from Labour include Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, whose Edinburgh South West seat has a 7,242 majority and Jon Cruddas, torchbearer for the Left, who holds on to Dagenham & Rainham. Ben Bradshaw in Exeter and John Denham in Southampton Itchen could be vulnerable in the event of a Tory landslide.

However, Professor Curtice cautioned against expectations that Mr Murphy and Mr Darling could lose their seats.

“The biggest factor is that the Tories aren’t making advances in Scotland. The big, indeed only, regional variation is Scotland versus England and Wales. In Scotland the Tory party has made very little advance. It’s the SNP that are up. The consequence is that Darling and Murphy are safer than they appear.”

The most extensive analysis of the hurdles the Conservative Party need to overcome in order to form the next government has been carried out by Anthony Wells on the political website UK Polling Report.

He says that the Tories need to win Stourbridge, 25 on its target list of Labour seats, to cost Labour its overall majority. They need Dudley South, number 73, to become the largest party and Derby North, number 130, to win an overall majority.

Boundary changes mean that 12 seats already held by Labour have already, notionally, been lost, with 11 going Tory and one going to the Lib Dems. These include the Wirral West seat of Stephen Hesford, the ministerial aide to the Attorney-General who resigned last week during the row over Baroness Scotland of Asthal’s cleaner. Under boundary changes in place at the next election, the Tories already nominally hold his seat with a majority of 283.

The Article is available at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6851739.ece

Thousands of Lib Dems are choosing the Conservative Party

2009-09-21T09:00:00.002+01:00

We have a very simple message for Liberal Democrat voters this week: the Conservative Party is the only party that can bring the change we need.

Of course, we are not expecting them to become card carrying members of the Conservative Party overnight.

Instead, we are asking them to help form a progressive alliance to get rid of this failed Labour Government.

An alliance built on our shared aims of personal freedom, a commitment to the environment, and a desire to protect the most vulnerable at home and in the rest of our world.

Eric Pickles gave a speech on Friday setting out why he believes Lib Dem voters should lend us their vote - you can read the full speech here.

Attending the speech were a number of senior Liberal Democrats who have decided to join us in our movement for change. And in the exclusive video above, you can see David Cameron talking to them about why they did so.

Reality has caught up with Gordon Brown

2009-09-18T22:00:00.005+01:00

On Tuesday, after months of denying it, Gordon Brown finally admitted that spending had to be cut. So at last he is catching up with reality.

The public spending debate can often get bogged down in the language of deficits, forecasts and balance sheets but it really is this simple: Britain's in a debt crisis. We're borrowing far, far too much money. And unless we cut public spending, we're all going to pay the price - with higher taxes, higher interest rates and lower confidence in our economy for the long-term.

So why on earth has it taken the Government so long to realise this? For months, we've been telling them that they need to get a grip on our national finances. And all across the country, families and businesses have been working out how to trim their own costs and live within their means. But the Government seems to have been entirely asleep on the job.

It didn't have to be like this. On Wednesday, the Conservatives were handed leaked documents from the Treasury. These showed that as far back as April, Gordon Brown's officials were drawing up plans to cut public spending by nearly ten per cent. So all the time that Gordon Brown was adamant in public that spending could continue to rise, in private his figures showed otherwise. He was, not for the first but hopefully for the very last time, taking people for fools.

Add that to the election that never was, the bungling over the abolition of the ten pence tax rate, the evasiveness about the release of al-Megrahi, and we have a Prime Minister who can't be straight with people about what he really thinks.

Cutting the cost of politics

2009-09-08T20:00:00.001+01:00

The seasons might be changing but this Groundhog Day Government certainly isn't. Labour came back from their summer holidays promising a fresh approach - more honesty and more realism about the state of the public finances. But after all the spin the most striking thing about Alistair Darling's speech was what he didn't say. He still couldn't bring himself to utter the word 'cuts' and there were no new commitments to reduce spending.

What's more he didn't address the fundamental inconsistency in Labour's argument. He says he'll reduce the deficit once the recession is over, yet his own forecasts expect growth to resume at the end of this year. So why on earth are they still planning to increase spending next year by £30 billion? Simple - there's a general election around the corner and for Labour, doing the right thing lost out long ago to political calculation.

On the same day David Cameron gave a speech that showed our approach is the exact opposite. David was honest about the scale of the challenge, and that cuts have to be made. He said we had to start dealing with the debt as soon as possible, and that the extra £30 billion is simply too much. David also set out new commitments to reduce spending by cutting the cost of politics. The whole pampered, profligate apparatus of modern politics has got to be trimmed back. The chauffeur-driven cars, the subsidised food, the public affairs consultants, Ministers' pay, even the number of MPs - all have to be cut.

People say this is a stunt. When the deficit is £175 billion, saving £120 million isn't going to make a massive difference. We know that. But this isn't just about the money - it's the message it sends out. This country is in a debt crisis. We must all now come together, play our part, carry our burden and pay our fair share. And that starts at the very top - with politicians cutting the cost of politics.

Lessons from the past

2009-09-06T10:00:00.004+01:00

This week was the seventieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. It's a time to remember all those who fought, died and sacrificed for Britain. But it's a time, too, to remember the lessons.

Some of those lessons apply in Afghanistan today. We're fighting a ferocious war and after eight years there still seems to be no end in sight. Our troops lack vital equipment, especially helicopters. Many people want Ministers to explain more clearly what our troops are fighting for. And that anxiety is now really affecting the Government, with the resignation of an aide to the Defence Secretary. It's clear we cannot go on as we are.

We need to make it clear to the British people why we're in Afghanistan. It's simple - to stop terrorism here in Britain. We must help the Afghans to stop their country from once again hosting the world's most dangerous terrorists. So we need to train and equip the Afghan army to root out terrorists, and to support them until they can do this for themselves.

We must make sure our soldiers have the tools they need - more counter-IED capability, more helicopters, more surveillance drones, more heavily armoured vehicles, and more transport aircraft. We must support their families here in Britain, and give every assistance to the injured.

And to do all these things we need one thing more than anything else - leadership. That's something that's been desperately lacking. We've had four defence secretaries in as many years; the last one was part-time and the current one ranks 21st out of 23 in the Cabinet. That's not a great starting point when we're fighting a conflict thousands of miles away. This is a new kind of war, it's a necessary war, and we need strong leadership and relentless focus to explain that to people in Britain.

The lessons of 1939 show that Britain can turn things around in war. Six years of effort later, we won the war. I'm confident we can see success in Afghanistan. I like many know what a tremendous job our servicemen and women do. It's time they got the right kind of support from the Government at home.

We are the Party of the NHS

2009-08-25T09:00:00.001+01:00

In a keynote speech in Bolton this week, David Cameron reaffirmed the Conservative Party's "wholehearted commitment" to the NHS, and explained how it can deliver the rising standards of healthcare people expect in the 21st Century.

David said he was committed to "the principle of a healthcare system that is free at the point of use, based on need and not the ability to pay". He also stressed that improving the NHS will require reform:

"We have to make the supply of healthcare more efficient and we must also do something about the increase in demand for healthcare. The first set of reforms is all about choice, competition, and a focus on outcomes not targets, while the second is all about public health."

The release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi

2009-08-23T09:00:00.003+01:00

I completely support David Cameron's decision to write to Gordon Brown asking him to clarify his views on the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. This man should not have been released.

His release has been widely condemned in Britain and around the world, including by President Obama.

David said it was wrong to release Megrahi: "he was convicted of murdering 270 people - I do not believe he deserved to be released on compassionate grounds, or returned to Libya."

Read David's letter to Gordon Brown

We are proud of the NHS

2009-08-13T23:10:00.003+01:00

A Message from David Cameron & our commitment to the NHS.

I've been enjoying the sun and touring my beautiful constituency of Witney today. But it goes without saying that just because I and most other politicians are not in Westminster at the moment, politics isn't somehow put on hold.

People still care about the issues they care about, and thanks to the internet they can voice their concerns whenever they want. Just look at all the support which the NHS has received on Twitter over the last couple of days. It is a reminder - if one were needed - of how proud we in Britain are of the NHS.

Millions of people are grateful for the care they have received from the NHS - including my own family. One of the wonderful things about living in this country is that the moment you're injured or fall ill - no matter who you are, where you are from, or how much money you've got - you know that the NHS will look after you.

That's why we as a Party are so committed not just to the principles behind the NHS, but to doing all we can to improve the way it works in practice. So yes, we will spend more on the NHS, but we will also improve it so that it is more efficient and responsive to patients. People working on the frontline will actually be able get on with the job they signed up for, without getting tied up in a web of targets. And we will put more power in the hands of patients by giving them better information about the care they can expect to receive.

Underlying these reforms, and our whole approach to the NHS, will be one big ambition - that future generations will be even prouder of the NHS than we are today.

DAVID CAMERON

Supporting our troops in Afghanistan

2009-07-20T10:14:00.002+01:00

There's been a tragic loss of life in our armed forces over the last two weeks. I think they have reminded all of us that over three thousand miles away from our daily lives, several thousand men and women are putting their lives on the line to help keep this country safe.

The very least we can do here at home is make sure everything is done to give them what they need to fulfil their dangerous mission, and to reduce the risks as much as we can. That's why we have been saying for three years that our forces in Helmand desperately need more helicopters.

When he was Chancellor, Gordon Brown cut the helicopter budget by £1.4billion - a bad mistake. The result is that after eight years in Afghanistan our troops have fewer than 30 helicopters in Helmand. This compares to over 100 helicopters that the Americans have for the same number of troops. It's a scandal that the Government has not dealt with this shortage.

It's also important that we remember that the dangers our troops face don't disappear when they leave the battlefield - the battlefield can leave mental as well as physical scars. That's why we held a conference this week to highlight the severe mental health problems that some veterans have.

Liam Fox and ex-SAS man Andy McNab explain the issues in the video above - it's worth watching.

One World Conservatism

2009-07-13T13:05:00.012+01:00

The scale of poverty around the world is an affront to our common humanity, and a direct threat to Britain's national interest.

That's why the Conservative Party has pledged, by 2013, to meet the UN target of spending 0.7% of national income as aid.

But Britain's generosity must be combined with a tough new approach to getting value for money from our aid. We need to make sure every penny does the most good possible.

That's why a Conservative Government will:

Set up an Independent Aid Watchdog to scrutinise the impact and outcomes of British aid

Move towards Results-Based Aid, where money is handed to governments only once development results have been achieved - rather than giving all the money up front based on promises that it will be spent well.

Focus our aid on the countries where it will make the biggest difference

Spend £500 million a year to save lives by tackling malaria

Empower people in poor countries by giving them more control over how aid is spent

Strengthen public support for aid by giving British people a vote over where and how some of their aid is spent

Re-emphasise wealth creation through business development and trade

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Tackling world poverty is a task for everyone - individuals, charities, businesses - not just governments.

These websites help link people in Britian directly to communities in developing countries

Global Giving - enables individuals and companies to find and support high-impact, grassroots social and economic development projects around the world.

Kiva - the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.

Other useful websites:

Millennium Development Goals (United Nations)

International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development) – the membership body for UK NGOs working on international development

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Voices of the Poor (World Bank)

United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009, Copenhagen

Stephen Mold moves into Poll Position to become the New MP for Derby North

2009-06-26T09:00:00.009+01:00

The Conservatives have received the top Votes ahead of both Labour, UKIP and the Liberal Democrats in the European Elections in Derby & the East Midlands.

The Conservatives secured two East Midlands MEP's, Roger Helmer and Emma McClarkin from the five seats available as part of the proportional voting system used in the European Elections.

In Derby City, the Conservatives jumped from third place into first increasing their vote share. In contrast Labour, the Lib Dems and UKIP saw their vote share fall significantly.

The Euro results are the closest indicator of how votes will be cast in Derby during the forthcoming general election, to be held within the next twelve months.

It confirms that Stephen Mold is in Poll position to become the New MP for Derby North at the General election when it comes.

The Liberal Democrats in Derby will be disappointed to have failed to capitalise on Labour's huge fall in support, seeing their vote also drop to just 15% - only just beating UKIP into third place.

The result is a huge blow to the Liberal Democrats' chances in Derby North, which includes Mickleover and Littleover wards. They had previously been optimistic that the area was a target for them in the General Election.

Gordon Brown caught red Handed !

2009-06-25T09:00:00.001+01:00

Today is the day Gordon Brown was caught red-handed.

Last week, he said that his government would be "increasing capital expenditure up to the Olympics" - that means spending on things like building more schools and hospitals. But as this video show - these claims are not just controversial, they just aren't true. His own figures show that he plans to cut capital investment not just from now to the Olympics in 2012, but every single year up to 2014.

At Prime Minister's Questions David Cameron repeatedly gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to correct this false claim - but as usual he just couldn't give a straight answer to a straight question.

He also repeatedly claims that "in every year in the future public spending will continue to rise". But again, the government's own figures show that once you account for the increased cost of unemployment and the rising interest charges we will have to pay on national debt, total spending will be cut.

This means that Labour's current plans involve significant cuts on the budgets of government departments, and spending on public services.

The Prime Minister may say he wants to restore trust in politics. But by trying to take the British people for fools in this way, his actions are speaking louder than his words.

The division in British politics is not - "cuts versus investment" - as Gordon Brown says, but between a Conservative Party telling the truth about the state of the public finances, and Labour who are failing to be straight with people.

Britain can't afford another year of Labour

2009-06-04T00:05:00.005+01:00

We need a radical redistribution of power

2009-05-27T15:05:00.003+01:00

The expenses scandal is still the number one topic of conversation across the country. In offices, on buses, at home, the strength of anger being voiced is like nothing we've heard for a long time. But I don't think that anger begins and ends with expenses. I believe it stems from a long, deep dissatisfaction with the way that politics and power work in our country.

The fact is that people feel they have very little control over the world around them - and they're right. While some areas of our lives offer us choice and control as never before - in media, travel, shopping, entertainment - when it comes to the things we ask from politics and the state, there's a sense that someone else is always pulling the strings, always pulling power away from people.

Today, in a speech to the Open University, David Cameron set out our plans for a radical redistribution of power back to the people: from the state to citizens; from Whitehall to communities; from bureaucracy to democracy. This is a massive, radical change. But we believe that through decentralisation, accountability and transparency we can take power away from the political elite and hand it to the man and woman in the street. You can watch the speech - and look at the live Q&A blog David did afterwards - by clicking below

Sign for Change

2009-05-25T12:00:00.000+01:00

Sign for Change

Join our campaign to force Gordon Brown to hold an election.

David Cameron: "I think the scale of the problems facing Britain today - the recession, the debt crisis, and above all the political crisis - all point in one direction. I think there is now only one way of sorting out the mess, and that is for Parliament to be dissolved and for a General Election to be held right away."

We are turning the campaign we had planned for the local and European elections into the campaign Britain now needs: a campaign for a General Election, to be held as soon as possible after the 4th June.

We want everyone - whether they support Labour, the LibDems, or the Nationalists, or no party - to join in.

Though the power of our collective pressure, we can force Gordon Brown to act.

No - there is no constitutional requirement for a General Election. Yes - this Labour Government could cling on for another year, with or without a new leader.

But we don't think the country wants to wait another year to pass judgment on their politicians, and on this Parliament. We don't think the country wants to wait another year before we start dealing seriously with the debt crisis and this economic crisis.

The political system in Britain today, from the Prime Minister downwards, is quite simply paralysed. And it is now abundantly clear that the country does not want to wait another year to give everyone in Westminster a simple message:

We want change - now get on with it.

Sign our petition for a General Election

Launch of NO2ID in Derby

2009-05-20T23:12:00.005+01:00

Last Night, I was very pleased to attend the inaugural meeting to launch the NO2ID campaign in Derby.

The NO2ID campaign deserves all our support for so many reasons:

This Labour Government’s plan to introduce ID cards will cost billions of pounds at this difficult time, but will not make us safer and could expose the public to an even greater risk of identity fraud. Not to mention the whole issue of Civil Liberties.

ID cards will not make us safer:

They do not prevent terrorist attacks – ID cards are compulsory in Spain, but that did not stop the Madrid bombings in 2004
They will not prevent illegal immigration, as foreign visitors will not have to have an ID card unless they plan to stay for more than three months
They won’t prevent human trafficking – only a dedicated Border Police Force can enforce proper checks on people entering and leaving the country

ID cards are a waste of money:

Everybody will have to pay £100 to get one – this is the official estimated price for a combined ID card and passport package
Implementing the scheme will cost up to £10 billion of taxpayers’ money, according to estimates.

So if you want to know more or get involved please get in touch with Nick Wray who is leading the campaign in Derby.

Nick can be emailed at: derby@no2id.net

Britain needs a General Election

2009-05-18T22:47:00.007+01:00

A Message from David Cameron:

I've been up in Lancashire today launching our campaign for the European elections. These elections matter and only by voting Conservative will we get the changes we all want to see in Europe.

Our candidates are the kind of people Brussels needs more of. And they've all signed our pledge to stand up for the kind of things Brussels needs more of: delivering more for less, cleaning up the political system and, of course, giving us the referendum that we were promised.

So I hope you will give them your full support. But the big election, the election we really need, is still to come - and it can't come soon enough.

I've wanted a General Election for some time but now the sheer scale of the problems facing Britain today - the recession, the debt crisis, and now the political crisis - has changed everything.

They've made having an election not just a "nice to have", but an absolute "must have". Some MPs are calling for a new Speaker, but that alone doesn't get to the heart of the matter.

This political crisis has been caused by the politicians, so I don't think the politicians alone can solve it. The public have got to be involved. They have to be given a chance to voice their anger and approve of a new way forward.

That's why I'm announcing today that we are turning the campaign we had planned for these elections into the campaign Britain now needs: a campaign for a General Election to be held as soon as possible.

Conservative candidates and activists right across the country will be collecting signatures for a petition demanding that Gordon Brown calls a General Election.

You can help kick-start this campaign right now - just click here to sign the petition online, and then send the link to your friends and colleagues.

If we all Sign for Change we can send a message that the government can't ignore.

Party Election Broadcast

2009-05-15T20:15:00.000+01:00

In our latest Party Election Broadcast, David Cameron apologises for the action of some Conservative MPs and explains the measures he is taking to sort out the issue of MPs' expenses.

Shadow Cabinet expense claims published

2009-05-15T20:00:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday, David Cameron announced a series of immediate measures to start to rebuild trust in politics and take action on the issue of expenses.

He banned Conservative MPs from claiming for furniture, other household goods and food shopping; put an end to the practice of 'flipping'; and set up a Scrutiny Panel to review all excessive claims and arrange repayments where appropriate.

In addition, the Shadow Cabinet are publishing online all the expense claims they make to the House of Commons - and you can view all the claims made since Tuesday here.

David Cameron: Action on expenses

2009-05-12T18:37:00.003+01:00

David Cameron has announced a series of immediate measures on expenses to ensure that Conservative MPs live by the values of “responsibility and thrift”.

He said that the issue of expenses had done “much to undermine our whole political process” and apologised for the action of some Conservative MPs and the fact that the issue had "come to this”.

David explained that members of the Shadow Cabinet will pay back expense claims that have caused concern – and he announced that a new Scrutiny Panel will examine every excessive claim by any Conservative MPs and decide if the money should be paid back:

“Conservative MPs who have made excessive expense claims will have to go in front of that Scrutiny Panel and pay back the money agreed or they will no longer be Conservative MPs. It is as simple as that.”

David also announced a number of actions that will apply to Conservative MPs and will be implemented before the launch of Sir Christopher Kelly’s report on expenses:

An immediate ban on all MPs claiming furniture, other household goods and daily subsistence allowance. Only rent, mortgage interest, overnight hotel bills, utility bills, service charges and council taxes can be claimed by Conservative MPs.
Every claim made to the Fees Office will be published immediately online, starting straight away for the Shadow Cabinet and as soon as possible for all MPs.
No Conservative MP will be allowed to re-designate their first and second homes for the purposes of the Additional Cost Allowance (ACA) without approval by the Chief Whip.
From now on, anyone selling a home for which mortgage interest is currently paid for by the ACA must confirm they will pay Capital Gains Tax on it.

David warned that "these actions alone will not fix out broken politics" and that “it will take time and effort to repair a system that has been allowed to deteriorate over many years”.

But he stressed, “If we win the next election, we will be asking the whole country to come together to show social responsibility, personal responsibility and thrift – so the least we can do is ask Parliament to live by those values as well.”

Read the full transcript of David's press conference

A Message from David Cameron

2009-05-08T22:54:00.000+01:00

Labour's Government is falling apart in front of our eyes. The scandals behind the scenes. Humiliating defeats in Parliament. U-turn after U-turn. Cabinet Ministers mocking the Prime Minister. And behind this political pantomime there is no policy, no direction, no vision.

We urgently need change. That's why this year's local elections are so important. We launched our campaign this week with a strong, clear message: a vote for the Conservatives won't just get you more for less - a cleaner, greener, safer place to live for fewer taxpayer pounds. It will also give you the chance to show Gordon Brown just how sick, tired and disappointed you are with his Government.

We've been spreading this message all over the country: Newcastle, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Exeter, Plymouth. I love getting on the road and meeting people. It also gives us a chance to do more Cameron Directs - townhall-style events where people can come along, stick up their hand and ask me anything they like. They don't pull their punches and that's just how I like it. You can see what I mean by watching our latest Party Election Broadcast.

The end of the week has been dominated by expenses stories - and I expect there will be many more over the coming months, from all parties. I understand why people are angry about this. That's why as soon as the problems arose I was first out of the blocks, making sure that our MPs and MEPs set out clearly how they spend public money. This is just the first step to a cleaner, more open system. Slowly and surely we're going to re-build the trust between politicians and the people they serve.

The age of austerity - David Cameron's Spring Forum speech

2009-04-27T17:47:00.001+01:00

What an awful Budget that was.

2009-04-24T16:21:00.006+01:00

This is an excerpt from an article in Money week, the Link is below.

What an awful Budget that was.

Chancellor Alistair Darling's pie-in-the-sky forecasts for a resurgent economy in 2011 are believed by virtually no one. A downgrade to Britain's AAA-credit rating is now increasingly possible. Scores of wealthy people are checking out their emigration options, held back only by the hope that the 50% tax rate will be reversed by a new government come next year's general election.

The Telegraph lists a number of places they might consider going – all the usual suspects including New Zealand, Canada and Australia are there.

But if they're looking for a country that really understands the meaning and importance of fiscal responsibility, they might want to try somewhere a bit off the beaten track.
Chile…

Chile’s enviable fiscal position came to wider notice – certainly in the UK - just last month, due to an embarrassing experience Gordon Brown suffered when he went on a pre-G20 tour of Latin America. At a joint press conference, the Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet, said that “during the good times” her country had “decided to save some of the money for the bad times” which meant they could now afford to splash out on a fiscal stimulus without sinking the country into massive debts.

Back in Britain, rival politicians roared with laughter at Mr Brown taking economic lessons from a Latin American country. But he could do far worse. As Justin Vogler puts it on openDemocracy.net, Bachelet’s policies mean that Chile has “so far weathered the international economic crisis better than most other countries, and this despite plummeting commodity prices.”

Chile’s economy is expected to grow by just 0.1% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Local analysts are more gloomy, predicting a fall of 0.5%. But that’s not bad at all for a country whose main export is copper – particularly when most of the developed world is already deep in recession. And growth is expected to rebound strongly next year – something which actually has a decent chance of happening, unlike Mr Darling’s rose-tinted view of Britain’s future.

Good fiscal management really isn’t that hard

Chilean finance minister, Andres Velasco, is one of the men to thank, reports Bloomberg. He took advantage of soaring copper prices over the past couple of years to build up a fund of nearly $50bn, about a third of the country’s GDP, via the state-owned copper producer, Codelco. In 2007, the country became a net creditor (ie. it was owed more than it borrowed) for the first time since independence from Spain in 1810.

Decent economic management is not brain surgery, any more than running a household budget is hugely complicated. As Mr Valesco tells Bloomberg, “You save in times of abundance, and you invest in lean times.” But there’s a problem. It might be straightforward, but during the good times, it’s not popular. Being tight with public money is not something that voters tend to appreciate, especially not the special interest groups who are always keen to soak the government and other taxpayers for all they can get. As late as last November, reports Bloomberg, government workers were striking for higher wages and burning Velasco’s effigy in the Chilean capital Santiago.

Of course, now that the money is available and being used for “tax cuts, subsidies and cash handouts to poor families,” at a time when the rest of the world is panicking about debt levels, Mr Velasco is very popular indeed. But getting to that point takes the kind of guts, conviction, and elephant-like hide that certain politicians and central bankers seem to lack.

The original Article is available at Money Week.
http://www.moneyweek.com/investment-advice/two-stocks-for-adventurous-investors-14740.aspx

A Dishonest Budget

2009-04-22T17:00:00.000+01:00

G20 Assault

2009-04-09T12:00:00.000+01:00

This footage raises some serious questions that really need to be answered if WE ARE all to have trust in the Police.

There is a very strong case for this officer being arrested, but at least suspended whilst the investigation proceeds.

Gordon Brown Thank You

2009-04-06T08:00:00.000+01:00

I saw this Video and Agree we have so much to thank Gordon Brown for.

2009-04-05T13:00:00.000+01:00

This is copy of my reply to Bob Laxtons letter in the DET http://tinyurl.com/cog4qv

I WOULD like to start by thanking Bob Laxton for his reply to my letter. I do hope he is feeling better after the illness which stopped him attending Parliament for the important Bombardier announcement.

Bob stated in his letter that he wanted to talk about facts. After 10 years of Labour spin, such a request is a pleasant change from any Labour politician

I was pleased to see that Bob met personally with Gordon Brown, in an apparent attempt to fight for the people of Derby. We can safely assume, however, that Gordon chose to ignore him, that this Labour Government will not change its mind and that the Inter City Trains contract will not come to Bombardier.

It just shows how hollow Gordon's words were when he spoke the Derby Evening Telegraph recently saying: "We will not repeat the mistakes of the past, when whole industries, vital to the strength of our country, were left to fend for themselves and whole communities were abandoned. I will not allow that to happen."

Bombardier and Derby have been abandoned by Gordon Brown's Labour Government!
Whilst we are dealing with facts, I want to address the claim that the closure of the post offices was nothing to do with Bob Laxton.

Last year, The Conservative Party put forward a motion that post office closures should be halted. Even Labour MPs Like Diane Abbott, Frank Field, Kate Hoey voted to keep them open. These were Labour MPs who, like Bob, campaigned to do all they could to save their local post offices.

Despite the promises he made locally, however, Bob Laxton voted to continue with the closures. The fight to keep post offices open was lost by only 20 votes.

For the avoidance of doubt, check http://www.postofficeclosure.com/ which shows all these facts to be irrefutable.

Today this was the most watched Video on You tube

2009-03-25T22:00:00.002Z

Today this was the most watched Video on You tube even though it was not mentioned in the mainstream media !

David Cameron: Fiscal responsibility with a social conscience

2009-03-24T12:00:00.000Z

16 Air Assault Brigade on their time in Afghanistan

2009-03-21T08:00:00.001Z

This week I was fortunate to attend a briefing from the 16 Air Assault Brigade on their time in Afghanistan.

I left,with a great feeling of pride for the men & women who are serving our country, a long way from home.

They are working hard to improve the lives of the citizens of Afghanistan, much does not get written in the media about the great work they are doing, such as the construction of schools & hospitals, things that really make a difference, but by some are not seen as glamorous.

Also when each day we hear so much about youth crime and anti social behaviour we would be forgiven for thinking that all youths are lost causes. It is worth remembering that many of our soldiers are youths themselves. But they truly are doing exceptional work.

All I can say is keep up the great work, you have my complete admiration and support.

To find our more about the 16 Air Assault Brigade click below.

http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/12409.aspx

Fiscal responsibility with a social conscience

2009-03-20T08:00:00.001Z

David Cameron outlined our strategy to bring the public finances under control in a keynote speech in London.

He stressed the scale of Labour's Debt Crisis meant "concrete steps" had to be taken to reduce our budget deficit, otherwise the recession would get worse and the recovery would be delayed.

"If we take the keys to the Treasury after the next election we will find there the most red-inked, ruined public accounts in modern British history. The work to restore fiscal sanity will have to start on day one."

David promised to bring spending under control in a way that is consistent with our progressive aims of "a fairer society, an opportunity society, a safer society and a greener society".

He explained that we would use social reform - improving schools, tackling welfare dependency and strengthening families - to reduce demands on the state in the long term.

And he also outlined plans to control public spending in the short term:

Clamping down on "the sky-high advertising budgets, the constant reorganisations, the multi-million pound departmental refurbishments, (and) the massive over-use of external consultants" that are Labour's legacy
Embedding a culture of fiscal discipline across government
Calling time on the large salaries of "quango fat cats"
Stopping "unhelpful" state extension, by, for instance, scrapping the ID scheme
Examining the "confused" system of tax credits

David said, "Let me spell it out very clearly: yes I believe in fiscal responsibility; yes I believe we will have to take some tough decisions to tackle Labour's debt crisis - but I also believe that fiscal responsibility needs a social conscience or it is not responsible at all."

Read David's speech on 'Fiscal responsibility with a social conscience'.

Save the Great British Pub

2009-03-19T15:00:00.000Z

With nearly 6 pubs closing every day of the week, and local pubs under threat, we believe that the Government should be doing more to save the Great British pub.

33% of the price of every pint goes in Beer Tax to the Chancellor. Now the Government plans to increase beer tax further.

We are calling on the Government to help save our pubs and safeguard jobs by:
Cutting taxes on lower alcohol drinks such as low alcohol beers and raising taxes on problem drinks like high strength ciders and alcopops in order to use the tax system to target binge drinking whilst ensuring that responsible drinkers and the traditional British pub are not unfairly penalised
Enforcing existing laws to deal firmly with irresponsible drinkers & premises
Trusting adults to make informed choices, not punish them for the actions of an irresponsible minority

Supporting the British pub as a vital part of local communities

Sign our petition to show your support.

Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary:

"We all have our favourite local pub but up and down the country people have been losing theirs. Not only are they a critical part of our heritage but they are often hubs for local communities helping social groups, sports clubs and often even the village shop."

"For too long the Government has tried to tackle binge drinking by punishing responsible drinkers and landlords. With massive tax hikes and heavy-handed regulation, all Labour will succeed in doing is closing down more pubs. This has to stop. We should be proud of our brewers and proud of our pub industry and do what we can to support them - which is why we are launching this campaign."

Mark Prisk, Shadow Business Minister:

"The future of British pubs are under threat and we must do all we can to save these great British institutions. Pubs are often small, family-run businesses - not only are they the social heart of their communities, they also provide jobs, and support the British brewing industry. Now, in the face of great adversity, we must do all we can to save our local pub."

MPs have failed people of Derby

2009-03-17T08:00:00.003Z

This Labour Government's decision to not award the Inter city trains contract to Bombardier has let down the people of Derby.

It also raises serious questions about the role of the two Derbyshire MP’s we have Geoff Hoon, Derbyshire Born and the son of a Railway man who ignored his roots to choose a company who will not even build the trains in Britain !

Then we have Bob Laxton who is suddenly backing Bombardier. I think we would all like to know where his support was when Bombardier were tendering for the contract?

Is it not the role of a local MP to do all he can to help and support local business?

I am left to question why Bob wasn't present in the Parliamentary Chamber when the announcement was made !

I suspect he had already been made aware of the decision, or that perhaps he didn't even know that the announcement was to be made. Either way, we deserve better from our local MP.

His support now is too little, too late, like shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

We should not be surprised this is the same Bob Laxton who campaigned locally to keep post offices open, then promptly voted for the closure in parliament.

In the past, Bob has been fond of using the slogan "From Derby for Derby," it seems much more appropriate for both Bob and Geoff Hoon to start using “From Derby, but NOT for Derby!”

I would urge everyone to sign the Evening Telegraph petition at:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Bombardier/

What's the difference between Bernard Madoff and Gordon Brown?

2009-03-13T17:00:00.002Z

This just made me laugh.

Jeff Randall compares Gordon Brown and Bernard Madoff

"What's the difference between Bernard Madoff and Gordon Brown?

Answer: one has drained fortunes from gullible victims, plundering their income and savings to create an illusion of prosperity. The other is going to jail." - Jeff Randall in the Daily Telegraph

Sorry seems to be the Hardest word !

2009-03-05T18:30:00.001Z

Interesting speech from Gordon Brown in the US, he is certainly not rushing to say sorry !

But he has changed his tune, I didn’t see him blaming the US for his mistakes !!

I have a couple of questions I would like to ask him:

1: Does he still believe he ended boom & bust ?

2: Does he regret selling Gold at the bottom of the market ?

3: Does he regret robbing from our personal pensions ?

4: What did he do with all the money from his Stealth Taxes over the last 12 years ?

5: Why did the regulatory structure he setup for the banks fail ?

6: Why he wasted our public money over the last 12 years and didn’t save for a rainy day ?

7: If he truly believes failure should not be rewarded, I assume he is going to volunteer to give back his pension when he is voted out of Office ?

If you want to send an apology from Gordon Brown you can do so from
http://www.sorryfromgordon.com/

Derby Conservatives lead the way in keeping the council tax rise under control

2009-03-04T16:00:00.002Z

Whilst the council tax rise is higher than most people would want during these difficult times, the makeup of Derby City council, makes getting an agreement on the budget, a challenge to say the least.

Whilst most of us want to see the council live within its means, as we have too.

The rise of 3.25% was the best deal that could be done under the circumstances and higher than our target of 2.5%, especially as the Conservative group is currently the smallest of the 3 parties on Derby City Council.

But this demonstrated that we are the party with the ideas and are the only ones prepared to make the tough decisions.

A Conservative government would support responsible councils no matter what make up.

A Conservative government would pay the Difference to ensure there was no Tax rise to all councils who keep their increases at or below 2.5%.

This would be paid for by slashing wasteful spending on Government advertising and expensive private sector consultants & with the co-operation of Derby council, use the money to freeze your council tax bill.

Our Hearts go out to David & Samantha

2009-02-25T12:00:00.003Z

Most, will have already heard the very sad news about Ivan Cameron.

Words seem wholly inadequate at moments like this.

I am sure, I speak for everyone when I say “Our hearts go out to David, Samantha, Nancy & Arthur at this time

We wish them all the best and I do hope they take all the time they need. "

Most of us will hug our Children even tighter today.

Conservatives Launch Repossession Advice Pack

2009-02-22T19:00:00.002Z

Conservative Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps has launched a Repossession Advice Pack aimed to help home-owners worried about paying their mortgages.

The Pack gives step-by-step advice to households who are concerned that they may not be able to keep up their monthly mortgage payments, and steers people away from making their situation worse.

The number of homes repossessed in the UK rose by 54% last year to 40,000 - and the Council of Mortgage Lenders have predicted that 75,000 families will lose their home this year. The Government’s schemes to deal with the situation will only help a tiny fraction of those at risk, and haven’t even fully come into action yet.

Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "Tens of thousands of people face the prospect of repossession this year and there will be even more who are privately worried."

And he stressed, "We wanted to do something really practical to help and so got together with housing, mortgage and debt counselling experts to produce the Repossessions Advice Pack which is now available for download."

Giving local people the power to make change happen

2009-02-20T08:00:00.001Z

What do you think about when you think about local politics?

Do you think voting makes any difference? Too often, the answer to this question is no.

We shouldn't be surprised. Over the last century, Britain has become one of the most centralised countries in the developed world.

And over the last decade, the Labour Government has given itself all sorts of extra powers which used to be under local democratic control.

That's why Caroline Spelman and David Cameron launched a new Green Paper Tuesday setting out how we will reverse this control shift - you can see highlights of the launch in the video above.

Under our plans we will not only transfer power from central government and its quangos to local councils, we will also abolish that unaccountable regional tier of government.

And we will give local people themselves more power to make change happen through reforms like giving them the right to have a referendum on any issue they care about.

As Alistair Cooke explained on the Blue Blog yesterday, our party has a long history of decentralising power. It's what we're about. We're not control freaks - we're enablers.

We've always believed in people having more control over their lives - whether through owning their own homes, or having shares in the businesses they work for.

And it will be down to us, once more, to enable people to take that control back.

Join our Honest Food campaign

2009-02-19T15:30:00.000Z

When you buy a 'British' pork pie, you probably assume that the pork comes from Britain.

In fact, meat from abroad can be imported into Britain to be processed into bacon, sausages and pies which can then be labelled to suggest they are British.

We think this is dishonest. People have a right to know where their food comes from. Meat labelled 'British' should be born and bred in Britain, raised to our high welfare standards.

Consumers should be free to choose food from any country, but real choice requires real information.

So the Conservatives are demanding honest 'country of origin' labelling to restore trust and allow people to choose British food with confidence.

- See current examples of
- unclear and misleading labelling

- Read our policy
- Food labelled 'British' should be born and bred in Britain

- View our leaflet
- Food labelled 'British' should be born and bred in Britain

- The text of our
- Food Labelling Regulations (Amendment) Bill
- Explanatory Notes to the Food Labelling Regulations (Amendment) Bill

Why, during a recession, are Labour allowing trains to be built in Japan rather than in Derby?

2009-02-13T09:00:00.000Z

There is growing anger over the government's decision to snub Derby train maker, Bombardier by awarding the £7.5bn contract to build a fleet of inter-city 'super express' trains to Japanese firm Hitachi.

This despite Bombardier, being the only company making trains in Britain, with a factory in Derby employing more than 2,000.

The government has claimed the contract would "create and safeguard" 12,500 UK jobs but the Conservatives and the Unions have raised serious concerns about this claim.

Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers MP said the announcement was 'typical spin' from Gordon Browns government. said she, " We need to clarify what on earth is going on and how much work will be done in this country.

Only around 500, at most of the 12,500 jobs, announced today will be created in the UK by the train builder Hitachi and Labour have produced no convincing evidence to back up the rest of their claims on jobs.

Geoff Hoon needs to stop the spin and tell the UK's hard pressed train manufacturing industry the real truth about his decision on replacing intercity trains."

It is also interesting our Labour MP is upset, I think we would rather he had supported Bombardier first, rather than complain after the fact about what his own colleagues and friends descided. Was he asleep at the wheel ?

All of this after Gordon Brown said only two weeks ago '"We will not abandon the people of Derby" I suppose this has gone the same way of "British Jobs for British workers"

Our campaign, is to try and get the Government to reconsider their decision, we know they don't have a great record of listening, but it is worth a try.

Support Bombardier and sign our petition at:

http://www.train4britain.com/

Gordon Brown & Nicolas Sarkosy friends no more ?

2009-02-10T14:00:00.001Z

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised last night not to repeat Britain's economic "mistakes" and Gordon Brown's VAT cut had "absolutely not worked"...

Prisoners demand right to be fathers

2009-02-09T14:00:00.002Z

This story raises serious questions about how the well meaning Human Rights Act is being used.

European court ruling will force the government to consider artificial insemination requests

Six prisoners in British jails are applying to give sperm to their wives and partners after a landmark European court ruling concluded that their human rights were breached if they were stopped from having children.

The inmates, all serving long terms, are basing their applications on claims they will be too old to become fathers once they have finished their sentences.

The revelation is likely to spark further debate about the use of Britain's European-inspired Human Rights Act and the rights of prisoners.

The applications follow a landmark case in which a serving British prisoner, Kirk Dickson, and his wife, Lorraine, requested access to artificial insemination services. Dickson, who is serving a minimum of 15 years for kicking a man to death, met his wife through a pen pal scheme while she was in prison for benefits fraud. The pair's original request, brought under the Human Rights Act, was blocked by the government. The European court of human rights in Strasbourg also turned down the claim.

But the final appeal court of the Strasbourg human rights tribunal, the Grand Chamber, said blocking the couple's request was a denial of their right to become parents. The chamber ruled the government breached Article 8 of the European convention on human rights, the right to a private and family life.

The chamber concluded that the government's policy, which was to refuse permission unless there were exceptional circumstances, set the bar "too high to allow proper consideration of the proportionality of any such decision".

The government must now consider each application on a case-by-case basis. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice confirmed that applications from six prisoners requesting access to artificial insemination services were pending a decision by the justice secretary, Jack Straw.

The ruling is one of several involving prisoners originally brought under Britain's Human Rights Act that has proved controversial. There was anger in some quarters when Strasbourg ruled that prisoners must be allowed to vote.

The government is compelled to implement the ruling, but has yet to set a date for when it will do so.

There was also widespread outrage when the killer of head teacher Philip Lawrence, Italian-born Learco Chindamo, used the act to appeal against being sent back to Italy once released from prison. The UK's Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruled that Chindamo should not be deported because it would breach his right to family life under the Human Rights Act.

Last year the Conservative leader David Cameron said the act should be replaced with a new British Bill of Rights. Straw has also admitted being "frustrated" by the way the act has been interpreted by some judges. He said it needed to be "rebalanced". "There is a sense that it is a villains' charter or that it stops terrorists being deported," Straw said last year.

Parliament's joint committee on human rights - the body that monitors whether the government is complying with key European legal rulings - has been critical of the Ministry of Justice's original policy to refuse all applications from prisoners for artificial insemination services.

A report by the committee into the Dickson legal challenge concluded: "It is clear that the government must change its policy in response to this case. Any new policy will need to strike a fair balance between a legitimate public interest and the private interest of individual applicants."

This Article was orginally published in the Guardian today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/08/prisoners-artificial-insemination-human-rights

Rolls-Royce to cut up to 240 jobs in Derby

2009-01-30T18:02:00.004Z

It has been announced today that the leading AERO engine maker Rolls-Royce, is to cut up to 240 shop floor workers at its Derby factory.

This despite them being one of our few Manufacturers we have left in the UK.

Unite, confirmed this afternoon that the bulk of the cuts would take place at the firm’s turbines business, which will lose 149 people.

The company’s parts factory, known as rotatives, is also set to shed 69 people.

In November, Rolls-Royce said it was axing 140 jobs at its civil aerospace division at Sinfin as part of a plan to axe up to 2,000 jobs from its global workforce of 39,000. At the time it blamed “economic uncertainties” for the cuts.

The 240 jobs to go at Derby are on top of the 140 already announced – and are part of the 2,000 originally revealed in November.

But I like many, are left wondering why our government can support the Car industry and banks, but not one of our global leading manufacturer?

These are skills and jobs we cannot afford to lose.

IMF predicts UK set for worst recession in the world

2009-01-30T00:01:00.000Z

Projections released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicate that the UK will see its economy shrink by 2.8% next year.

If their forecasts are accurate, Britain will endure the worst downturn of any major country and the worst year for the economy since 1948.

George Osborne challenged the Prime Minister to answer the “simplest question of all”:

“If Britain is well prepared as he claims, why are we facing the worst recession in the world?”

The Shadow Chancellor slammed Labour’s handling of the British economy – and warned:

“Without a change of direction we will be living with Labour’s debt crisis for a generation.”

Is this a Step too Far in State interference?

2009-01-29T08:00:00.001Z

Edinburgh city council, of which Alistair Darling is one of its MP’s have decided to put up two children for adoption despite the Grand Parents wanting so much, to love and care for these Children.

They have fought for two years for the right to care for the Children whose 26-year- old mother is a recovering heroin addict.

They have been forced to agree to an adoption only after they faced being financially crippled by legal bills.

The final blow came when they were told the children were going to a gay household, even though several heterosexual couples wanted them.

When the grandfather protested, he was told: 'You can either accept it, and there's a chance you'll see the children twice a year, or you can take that stance and never see them again.'

The man said last night: 'It breaks my heart to think that our grandchildren are being forced to grow up in an environment without a mother figure. We are not prejudiced, but I defy anyone to explain to us how this can be in their best interests.'

The case, in Edinburgh, raises worrying issues about state interference in family life.

Social workers themselves have admitted that the little girl is 'more wary' of men than women.

With a little boy ourselves I know should anything happen to us we would want our little boy to be cared for by Family, even if they were older !

Read more about this story below.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1130066/They-say-old-care-grandchildren-Social-workers-hand-siblings-gay-men-adoption.html

Tories regain lost ground as ICM poll shows faith in Gordon Brown waning

2009-01-28T08:00:00.002Z

Voters think that Gordon Brown's high-profile battle to turn around the economy is doomed, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. Only 31% think the prime minister's strategy will make things better. Most, 64%, think it will either achieve nothing or even make the situation worse.
Even Labour's supporters are doubtful: only 48% of people who voted for the party in 2005 believe that the government's measures will work.

The deepening crisis has left the party facing heavy defeat. Overall Conservative support is up six points since last month's Guardian/ICM survey. At 44% it is only one point below its 25-year ICM high. Labour is on 32% and the Liberal Democrats are on 16%.

Today's poll, carried out after last week's second round of bank bail-outs and subsequent sharp falls in the share value of those banks, shows that public attitudes are hardening against the government. The Conservatives, advancing strongly, have regained their lead as the most trusted party on the economy.

A Guardian/ICM poll published today gives the Conservatives a 12-point lead over Labour and says the Tories are now the most trusted party on the economy. Julian Glover says it's grim reading for Gordon Brown.

A key factor seems to be public opposition to bank bail-outs. There is strong support for some recession-beating measures such as the VAT cut and a programme of new public works. But only 43% back the government's decision to purchase large stakes in some banks, and only 40% think outright nationalisation would be a good idea.

Voters are only slightly more enthusiastic about attempts by the government to underwrite bank lending, supported by 52%.

By contrast, backing for a job-creating scheme of public construction is near universal, at 85%, and 63% approve of the VAT cut.

The result is that public confidence in Labour's economic team has dropped by 11% since November.

Across the poll, Labour is flatlining – the charge once thrown at struggling Conservative leaders who could not lift their party's support below the low 30s. Labour has been on 31%, plus or minus two points, since August in ICM polls.

The prime minister can draw comfort from the fact that this new support has come almost entirely from the Lib Dems and smaller parties. Labour support is down only one point, and at 32% is well above the low points in the mid-20s it hit in the early summer last year.

But that simply suggests the party is on course for a big defeat rather than a calamity. One estimate suggests that the Conservatives would win around 360 seats on today's figures, a majority of about 70. Labour could expect to win around 240, 30 more than it did at its nadir under Michael Foot in 1983.

Meanwhile the Lib Dems will be disturbed by their sharp fall in support of three points. Today's 16% is the lowest in any ICM poll since August. The Lib Dems, who normally perform better in ICM polls than in those from some other companies, enter 2009 four points below their rating at the start of 2008, when Nick Clegg had just become leader.

Support for other parties, at 8%, is down by two points.

Asked who they trust most on the economy – Brown and Alistair Darling, or David Cameron and George Osborne – voters now give the Conservatives a narrow two point lead.

The big shift involves Labour, down 11 points in two months to 35%. The Conservatives have not been making headway at the government's expense: 37% of voters think the Tory team is best, unchanged from November.

Confidence in the Conservative team is still three points lower than it was in March last year, just after the budget and the 10p tax row. Labour is still five points up on that spring Tory high point.

Over the year as a whole, however, Labour is the loser. In January 2008 it led by seven points as the best party on the economy, against today's deficit of two.

• ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,003 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 23 and 25 January 2009. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

This Article is reproduced from the Guardian Newspaper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/26/icm-poll

'What I did in my Summer Holidays' by Gordon Brown

2009-01-27T14:00:00.001Z

This would be funny, if it was not so true !

Victory for Campaigners on MP's Expenses

2009-01-22T12:30:00.003Z

I welcome this U-turn by the Labour Government. MPs should be treated the same as everybody else.

To exempt them from the FOI Act would be completely wrong. MPs are given taxpayers' money to help them represent voters, and taxpayers have a right to know how their money is spent.

That's why last year Conservative MPs published a 'Right to Know' form providing a detailed breakdown of their allowances.

We would go further and stop MPs voting on their own pay and introduce spot checks on their accounts.

No-one will ever take lectures from politicians about responsibility unless they put their own house in order.

Link to join the facebook group for change.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619047065&pc=1#/group.php?gid=50061011231

Link to BBC Story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7843787.stm

2009-01-19T19:00:00.003Z

This is an interesing article I read, from Dominic Frisby of Money week, titled "Lying governments are good news for gold" (A Link is provided at the end of this post)

Last month, political blogger Guido Fawkes, who’s usually well worth reading
(http://www.order-order.com), made a telling observation regarding an apparently insignificant amendment in the Government’s new Banking Bill (http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/banking.html)

It abolishes a law that has been in place since 1844 which obliges the Bank of England to publish a weekly account of its balance sheet. This might not seem that important – but the law has worked perfectly well for 165 years. So why change it? What are they up to now?

Why would the government want to hide how much money it's printing?

The Government plans to scrap the requirement that the Bank of England publish a weekly copy of its balance sheet. The given reason for the reform, says Edmund Conway in The Telegraph, “is to allow the Bank more power to overhaul troubled financial institutions in the future, under its Special Resolution Authority”.

But given the statements that we’ve heard from the Government that it is contemplating “quantitative easing” – injecting billions more into the financial system and buying assets ranging from commercial and government debt to potentially private equities – the timing of the amendment does seem rather suspicious.

“Surely it can’t be,” suggests Guido, “that they don’t want us to know how fast the Bank of England’s printing presses are going to be running?”

But why would the Government try to hide the amount of money it is printing? For one thing, even if it wanted to, it can’t. The data will eventually be published, though not until at least a month after the event (so the negative impact of any public outrage might be diminished). And any enquiring mind will find much of the necessary information elsewhere on the Bank website.

Just as in the US many have found ways of accurately calculating M3 (money supply figures) after the Fed stopped reporting it in March 2006, so over here it will be simple to calculate UK government rates of money printing. If the Bank is to buy any assets from commercial banks, as Chris Dillow says on his blog, Stumbling and Mumbling: “it must announce its intentions to do so to the banks and therefore to the rest of us.” The same will apply to any equity purchase they make.

Indeed, if they are trying to raise inflation expectations and get people spending again - which they clearly are – then surely, as Stumbling and Mumbling argues, they should “make a song and dance” about their printing, to make people worry about rising prices.

However, I think this underestimates the strength of the Government’s basic desire to hide what it’s doing. As Simon Ward at New Star puts it, although the data will be attainable by other means, “this will make it much more difficult to track what the bank is doing.” Indeed, the reforms will make the Bank “by far the most secretive major central bank in the world,” says The Telegraph.

The general consensus may be (wrongly, I add) on the side of the money printers at the moment. But that won’t last forever. And when the idea of inflating the money supply is no longer seen as acceptable, the Government will be quite keen to hide the extent of its money printing – particularly as the Bank’s balance sheet has already doubled in size since September.

This move means further falls for sterling

Lord James of Blackheath, a Conservative peer, goes a lot further. “Remove control and there is nothing to stop an unreported and unmonitored flooding of the money market by the undisciplined use of the printing presses. If we went down that path we would be following a road which starts in Weimar, goes on through Harare and must not end in Westminster and London. That is the great fear that the abolition of that section will bring about – but the Bill abolishes it.”

Now I’m not sure that this move heralds money printing on quite such a scale, but it does make it that much easier. And even if we don’t go into Zimbabwe territory, this means further debasement of the currency (ultimately, the more pounds there are, the less each one can buy) and further falls for sterling - as does the recent cut in interest rates.

And the trouble is, all these moves to attempt to keep things hidden from the electorate merely erode trust and belief – which are the keys to the success of the modern monetary system. My dad always used to say to me: “People only ever lie for two reasons. Either because they are ashamed of the truth. Or because they don’t think you are fit to know the truth. Or both.”

Full article available at:
http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/precious-metals-and-gems/why-lying-governments-are-good-news-for-gold-14452.aspx

Derby Lib Dems proposing council 4.9% tax increase

2009-01-17T19:00:00.003Z

Many of us, are quite rightly concerned about the proposed 33% salary increase for Derby’s Lib Dem Council Leader, Hillary Jones, at the same time as the Lib Dems propose to give us a 4.9% council Tax increase.

I would hope that Derby’s Lib Dem’s have more sense !

A 33% salary increase at a time when we Derby tax payers are worried about our jobs and making ends meet during these difficult times is just plain WRONG.

Even more so when one sees the Lib Dem leader in action in the recent video featured in the Derby Evening telegraph.

I am sure a case could be made for performance related pay, based around getting value for money with great frontline services in a cost effective way for us local tax payers, None of us would want to see bonuses for slash & burn strategy.

But in all areas of government whether it be Labour at a national or the Lib Dems at a local level we want top flight services, but we want value for money.

We need to see more of the waste in Local & national government cut, to help with the Tax burden, but whilst maintain the frontline services.

Links to the Article in the Derby Evening Telegraph.

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Lib-Dems-proposing-4-9-tax-increase/article-611942-detail/article.html
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/LEADER-LINE-10K-RISE/article-615875-detail/article.html

Labour's Debt Crisis

2009-01-16T09:00:00.004Z

This week we launched our national campaign on Labour's Debt Crisis.

Gordon Brown's borrowing is undermining our economy and threatening our children's future.

Every baby born in Britain this year will be burdened with his debt - £17,000 each, to be precise.

It will take them decades to pay off.

The worst of it is that Labour aren't achieving anything with their extra borrowing for the pointless VAT cut - which has now been criticised even by leading retailers.

They are sacrificing tomorrow purely for the political convenience of today.

That's why this is so urgent. We've got to stop this Government before their next borrowing binge, their next spending splurge - before they do any more damage to our children's future.

I think the next generation deserves better. An economy built on savings, not debt. A country and a government that lives within its means, not beyond it. A future where tax cuts are for life, not just for headlines. A future of hope, not despair.

Click on the video on the above to watch a video of the campaign and to show your support.

Labour's Debt Crisis

2009-01-15T19:00:00.000Z

Creating a world which is safe and free is the duty of everyone

2009-01-07T19:00:00.001Z

Creating a world which is safe and free is the duty of all people, whatever their nationality or religion. It was with horror that I today heard the reports of artillery shells hitting a school in Gaza. No child is born deserving of such a fate, and as the infant mortality rate from the conflict reaches 200, we are all left to wonder what divide, what feud, what battle could be so great as to warrant such an unjustifiable price.

In a school, a building which should be sacred for it's necessity in creating a future generation of citizens, with the knowledge and wisdom to avoid such bloodshed, Hamas militants are accused of attacking their invaders under the cover of a child's innocence. These reports come from an Israeli Government who are enforcing an almost total media blackout on the conflict, keeping the world in the dark as to the horrors within everyday Gaza.

Does Israel not have a right to defend itself against daily attacks from Palestinian Militia? Should Palestinians not expect the world to act in stopping the deaths of hundreds of innocent people? These are serious times, serious questions and it will take every ounce of the worlds courage to answer them.

Peace efforts continue. Input and solutions are offered from around the world, yet still Israeli forces continue their offensive as militant rockets litter the skies above the middle east on their way to Israel.

A two state solution is the only way forward, two viable nations living in peace side by side. For now, all my hopes go with the global efforts for a sustainable ceasefire, may it be implemented swiftly for the good of us all, but more immediately, for the innocent children.

Clough is coming to Derby !

2009-01-06T17:59:00.004Z

Nigel Clough has followed in his father's footsteps and become the new manager of Derby.

Clough, whose late father Brian took the club from the old Second Division to become champions of England and European Cup semi-finalists during his spell in charge between 1967 and 1973, had been heavily tipped to succeed Paul Jewell who resigned last week.

Clough, 42, makes the step into league management for the first time following a decade in charge of non-league Burton Albion.

Clough junior impressed in his first job as a manager. After taking charge initially as player-manager in October 1998 with Burton in the Southern League, he leaves the Brewers on course to get promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history.

Burton lead the way in the Blue Square Premier League with a 13-point cushion between themselves and nearest rivals Histon.

Brian Clough was football`s most celebrated maverick manager. He joined Derby in 1967 from Hartlepool and, a year later, the Rams were promoted to the old First Division.

They won the title in 1972 and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup the following year, beaten by Juventus amid uproar over allegations of match-fixing.

In spite of Clough`s departure from the club after a row with the board - and subsequent success with fierce rivals Nottingham Forest - he remained a hero to Derby fans. When he died in 2004, aged 69, the memorial service had to be held at Pride Park to accommodate 14,000 mourners.

Clough junior`s approach will be much more low-key. He has resisted offers from league clubs in the past, happy to serve his apprenticeship out of the spotlight, but the lure of Derby - and the chance to write another chapter in the Clough family`s footballing history - proved too great to resist.

We look forward to beatin Forest on January 23th.

Grayling slams benefit culture as 140,000 households get £20k from state

2009-01-03T15:06:00.002Z

Chris Grayling has slammed Labour for presiding over a culture of benefit dependency as new figures reveal 140,000 households in Britain receive more than £20,000 a year in benefits.

Information released to the Conservatives also shows that around 70,000 households receive benefits worth £25,000 or more a year, and 20,000 households receive over £30,000 of benefits a year.

The average gross wage in Britain is £25,100.

Chris Grayling, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, stressed the Government must get a grip on Britain's benefits culture:

“It's hardly surprising that so many people live a life on benefits when in some cases it is possible to be paid as much money as someone in work on a typical average income. Things really have to change.”

Mothers & Midwifes need more support.

2008-12-22T15:15:00.005Z

The government's plans for an overhaul of maternity services are in disarray because hospitals have not received tens of millions of pounds of extra funding for urgently needed improvements, the country's top midwife warns today.

Widespread failure to pass on the money means the NHS will not be able to honour ministerial pledges to give women in England world-class, personalised care – such as a dedicated midwife during pregnancy and labour, and the choice of having their baby at home instead of in hospital – by the deadline in a year's time, according to Professor Cathy Warwick.

In her first interview since becoming general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Warwick told the Guardian that the health of mothers and babies was being put at risk because hospitals denied the money from their primary care trust (PCT) have not been able to hire the number of midwives needed to ensure every woman gets high quality care.

In January, Alan Johnson, the health secretary, pledged £330m of extra funding to PCTs between 2008 and 2011 to improve maternity care and ensure the delivery of the Maternity Matters strategy, which guarantees pregnant women choice and quality of care.

"It looks to us like in many parts of the country the money has gone to PCTs but not been released to heads of midwifery. If we speak to the Department of Health they say the money is there, and if we speak to midwives they're saying that their PCTs are saying they haven't got the money, so there's a disconnect," said Warwick."

On the very busy labour wards that are struggling to cope with the rising birthrate, midwives are having to look after sometimes two or three women in labour and that's when the woman ends up being left alone. That's not only unacceptable, it's not safe. It's potentially dangerous because if a midwife is not there, she can't be listening to the baby's heart, she can't be observing how the woman is coping with her labour, and something might happen that she misses," said Warwick. Even a woman whose birth goes smoothly despite being left unattended goes home feeling she had a bad experience, she added.

The Healthcare Commission's recent finding that 25% of women were left alone during labour underlined the risks to safety posed by the chronic shortage of midwives, she said.

Maternity Matters promises that by the end of 2009 every woman will receive one-on-one support from a midwife throughout her labour. But the RCM says the NHS urgently needs 5,000 more midwives than the 25,000 it already employs. Warwick said that, given the cash shortage, lack of midwives and rising birth rate, Maternity Matters would be at least two years late being implemented.

Her comments come after a series of reports exposing serious failings in the quality of maternity care in some hospitals, especially in London.

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said she shared Warwick's concerns. "They will struggle enormously to fulfil these pledges. It was very laudable to make these promises, and the promises are right. The policy is great. But it's just not happening."

This was published today in the Guardian Newspaper.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/22/maternity-funding-failure

Not Saving the world after all !

2008-12-17T09:00:00.002Z

The German Finance Minister, Peer Steinbruck, has attacked Gordon Brown’s borrowing plans. In an interview with Newsweek magazine, he said: “Our British friends are now cutting their value-added tax. We have no idea how much of that stores will pass on to customers. Are you really going to buy a DVD player because it now costs £39.10 instead of £39.90?

All this will do is raise Britain's debt to a level that will take a whole generation to work off. The same people who would never touch deficit spending are now tossing around billions. The switch from decades of supply-side politics all the way to a crass Keynesianism is breathtaking”

When Labour claimed that Mr Steinbruck’s comments were motivated by the internal politics of the German coalition government, Steffen Kampeter, the CDU Budget Spokesman, said: “Peer Steinbrück’s comments have nothing whatsoever to do with internal German politics as Prime Minister Brown has suggested. In questioning the British Government's approach, Peer Steinbrück is exactly expressing the views of the German Grand Coalition.

After years of lecturing us on how we need to share in the gains of uncontrolled financial markets, the Labour politicians can't now expect us to share in its losses.

The tremendous amount of debt being offered by Britain shows a complete failure of Labour policy.”

Britain to join the Euro ?

2008-12-13T10:00:00.000Z

We have seen first hand the seismic currency moves in recent months, with a decline from 2 Dollars a pound to today 1.45 dollars to a pound and also the decline against the Euro (Although good for anyone who a purchased a property in Euro’s in recent years).

If the decline continues, there are rumours that the Labour Government’s is going to join the Euro to stop the decline.

This is backed up from several sources, in an interview on a French radio show, José Manuel Barroso said “that Labour politicians and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about membership of the single currency.”
Lord Mandelson also said “I hold to the view that our aim, our goal, should be to enter the single currency”I cannot think of a more terrible reason or a worse time to consider this doomed endeavour.

The only way to stop the decline of the pound is the government to get a grip on the Public finances.
This does not mean there should be cuts in frontline services. But it does mean we need to see a big decline in the waste of this government. A great place to start would be the Quangos and stop the reward for failure in public service.

It is “extraordinary” that Labour politicians are whispering about joining the euro behind the British people’s backs. If Labour ministers still want to get Britain into the euro they should come out and say so. There are questions for the Government to answer to find out what conversations have been going on.

The pound is vital for Britain’s economic future.

There are no circumstances in which the next Conservative Government will propose joining the Euro.

ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY SHOULD BE SET BY WESTMINSTER, NOT BRUSSELS

2008-12-10T15:30:00.003Z

I read this article from fellow Conservative George Lee and he rightly raises serious concerns.

Euro Candidate George Lee is warning of further loss of border controls. Labour's decision to sign up to an EU-wide common asylum system could result in Westminster further losing control of Britain's borders.

George Lee said: “ Decisions over the detention of asylum seekers and protection of our borders must be made in Westminster, not Brussels.

One of the key responsibilities of any government is to control its borders, yet Labour has given this power away.

There is a real immigration crisis on the borders of the EU. It will not be dealt with by Brussels forcing us to accept asylum seekers who have travelled to the UK for economic reasons, rather than for their safety.”

Reaction to the debate in Parliament Yesterday

2008-12-04T09:30:00.005Z

I watched Harriet Harmens interview with Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight. She was asked on three occasion to show confidence the speaker of the house Michael Martin and she declined each time.
It raises an interesting question if she as the leader of the house does not have confidence in the speaker, how can the rest of us?

Risk on Government debt reaches record high

2008-12-03T15:30:00.001Z

The rest of the world has serious concerns about UK Government debt after the market view of the UK’s default risk reached a record high.

Analysis of the latest credit default swap spreads shows the markets believe the UK Government is more likely to default on its debt than the governments of Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Germany and Norway.

George, the Shadow Chancellor, said “Just a week after the Pre-Budget report, the markets are delivering their own verdict on Gordon Brown’s plans to double the national debt to over £1 trillion pounds.

“And he stressed, “Thanks to the Labour Government, many European countries, including Portugal and Belgium, are seen as safer investments than the UK.”

Over the last year, the perceived default risk for the UK has increased almost fifteen-fold.

Real Concern about the Arrest of an Opposition MP for Immigration

2008-11-28T18:00:00.002Z

These are very concerning times, for the police to arrest a member of parliament for releasing information that the Government does not want in the public domain is of profound and real concern.

It is hard to believe that ministers of the government would not know, especially when the speaker of the House of Commons, has to give permission for a search to take place.

Maybe Gordon was hurt by Vince Cables’ jibe about going from Stalin to Mr Bean. The arrest of an opposition MP is very “Stalinesque” and something we do not expect to see in Britain.

Someone very high up would have to have authorised this kind of action.
If, as has been claimed they did not know, I am sure we would all be interested to know what they think of it.

I have raised concerns about the misuse of anti terror laws before, no matter how well meaning. But to have nine counter-terror officers rifling through the private office of an MP sets a very serious precedence.

There has been condemnation from across the political spectrum with Nick Clegg proclaiming “this is a mayday warning for democracy”.

Also Civil liberties group Liberty condemned the way the arrest was orchestrated.
Director Shami Chakrabarti said: "The fundamental duty of the Metropolitan police is to protect Londoners from harm, not the government from political embarrassment.
"Sending nine counter-terror officers to search and arrest an opposition politician who poses no flight risk leaves the Met with a great deal of explaining to do in due course."
Liberty wanted to know why criminal law was being used to deal with the issue in the absence of a national security or official secrets implication.

It queried why a sitting MP was arrested, rather than being invited to attend an interview like former prime minister Tony Blair. It also questioned whether the use of criminal justice tools to investigate an elected representative was in the public interest.

"Liberty has no intention in siding with any political party, still less of interfering with an ongoing police investigation, but we feel duty bound to raise important operational, legal and constitutional questions about this incident," Ms Chakrabarti added.

On this basis Churchill would have been arrested during World War 2.

The opposition’s mandate is to hold the government to account, something Damian Green has done on the subject of Immigration.

It is the following leaks which are thought to be at the centre of the investigation

• The November 2007 revelation that the home secretary knew the Security Industry Authority had granted licences to 5,000 illegal workers, but decided not to publicise it.
• The February 2008 news that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the House of Commons.
• A whips' list of potential Labour rebels in the vote on plans to increase the pre-charge terror detention limit to 42 days.
• A letter from the home secretary warning that a recession could lead to a rise in crime.

The pieces of information are very much in the public interest. This is a very worrying development

Gordon is selling our Childrens Future down the drain, to save himself !

2008-11-26T10:00:00.000Z

Gordon Brown claims these are extraordinary times and we need not be prudent and keep debt under control, we need special measures.

So more borrowing and more spending, but at some point the bill has to be paid, so in turn Tax increases.

Labour claim that this was not their problem it started somewhere else in the USA, this does not hold any water. Even if it is a global Crisis, the Labour government should have been prepared for it.

But what is really scary is the level of debt! Below is a table from the Pre Budget report which show the level of borrowing growing to more than 1 Trillion over the next couple of years.

This level of debt is also on the basis that growth returns and the OECD have forecasted that Britain’s growth is going to be lower than that claimed in Labours Pre-Budget report.

Money should have been saved for a rainy day, it wasn’t and now the 12 billion on Vat will make very little difference, so better not to borrow it in the first place.

Our Children including my 1 year old son will be paying for this fiasco, when they start work in 20 years time.

Click to Enlarge:

Highest borrowing in History ! The Real Cost.

2008-11-25T21:00:00.002Z

A £1 trillion national debt and £40 billion tax bombshell for all British families

• This is a massive Tax Bombshell Budget aimed at the pockets of Britain’s families.
• It’s a £20 billion temporary tax giveaway, then almost £40 billion of announced permanent tax rises – that’s almost £1,500 for every family. And buried in the small print is another £100 billion of unspecified tax rises to come.
• The Chancellor, in one move, has doubled the national debt to more than £1 trillion, and borrowed more than at any time in our history. We now know that Britain will be paying off Gordon Brown’s debt for decades to come.
• With this Budget, Gordon Brown has mortgaged the country's future to try and safeguard his own.

Massive permanent tax rises
• £20 billion on National Insurance
• £10 billion on income tax
• £5 billion on alcohol and cigarettes
• £2 billion on pensions

That is nearly £1,500 for every family over the next Parliament.
By 2012/13, anyone earning more than £20,000 will be paying more tax. So the majority of earners will be permanently worse off by April 2011, even before the alcohol and tobacco tax rises.

Those hit by Labour’s Tax Bombshell Budget include most teachers, journalists, social workers, police officers, paramedics, firemen, office managers and professionals.

What the Chancellor didn’t say in his speech
• The national debt as a proportion of GDP will be the highest on record.
• The Government’s growth forecasts are much more optimistic than those of independent forecasters. If the recession is in line with external forecasters, and therefore worse than the Treasury forecasts, borrowing will be catastrophically high.
• The Government is borrowing more than the entire debt it inherited from all previous Governments put together.
• £295 billion more borrowing than was forecast just eight months ago – more than £11,000 per family.
• The temporary tax cuts announced today are worth £20 billion – half of the announced £40 billion permanent tax rises over the next Parliament.
• What’s more, buried in the small-print is a £100 billion black hole in tax receipts over the next Parliament. These extra taxes are buried in the small print.

• The Chancellor has cut the NHS budget by £1.4 billion in 2010/11.

Bad for business
• £2.8 billion tax rise on business through NIC tax rise.
• Corporation tax rise, business rate relief and income shifting tax rises not cancelled but deferred by 12 months.
• No costing for help for business.
• Loss relief represents only 0.4 per cent of total business tax receipts.
• £300 million cost of temporary VAT measure.

Internet "Embarrassment" for Lib Dem council leader

2008-11-25T14:00:00.006Z

Reproduced from the Derby Evening Telegraph 25th of November.

THE performance of Derby City Council leader Hilary Jones at a meeting has been ridiculed in a compilation video broadcast on a website.

Clips of Mrs Jones getting into heated debates and being rebuked by the Mayor of Derby during the last full council meeting have been posted on YouTube.
The creator of the piece, calling themselves LimpDimsinDerby, has used the council's webcam coverage of last Wednesday's meeting to put together the piece to the backdrop of a song called Madness.

Quotes used include Lib Dem councillor Mrs Jones saying: "For those unfortunate enough to have nothing to do but watch this on the internet..." and "I don't need to justify myself to anybody".

It also shows Lib Dem councillor Joe Naitta passing a note to a fellow councillor in the meeting. The creator of the clip then makes it look as if the note reads: "I fink she shud resign."

Labour and Conservative leaders said Mrs Jones' performance and the montage of clips were an embarrassment for her and the city.

Tory group leader Philip Hickson, said: "I think the attitude of the leader of the council brings the whole system of local government into disrepute. Saying things like "I'm not accountable to anyone" is disgraceful. If she thinks that, she is deluded. All of us are accountable no matter what office we hold."

But Mrs Jones said she did not feel she was accountable to the other councillors and had gone on to say at the meeting that she was accountable to the electorate.

She said: "As Liberal Democrats we suffer from the fact that, if we sit there meekly, we get complaints we are too meek. I if we are robust, like last time, we get complaints about that. In the heat of debate, things are said but it is quite right that I'm not accountable to the council as such – it is the ballot box."

She said she felt it shameful that focus had fallen on the issue and felt it had been done by a supporter of one of the opposition groups to score political points.

She added: "We have all the economic problems, we have people who are really struggling to pay their mortgages and people losing their jobs and worrying about what's going to happen in the next few weeks, particularly those who work for some of the bigger employers. So whoever put these clips together really needs to get a life and wake up to what's really going on."

Labour leader Chris Williamson called for Mrs Jones to apologise and said: "I think her words smacked of arrogance and I was pretty surprised by her outburst. It is an indication that she is not up to the job of leading the city council, let alone the city. To suggest she's not accountable to anybody is a dreadful remark for anyone who relies on local people to put them in the position they are currently occupying to make. She ought to apologise at the next full council meeting."

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/politics/Internet-embarrassment-Derby-council-leader/article-498302-detail/article.html

The day after the borrowing bombshell

2008-11-25T09:00:00.002Z

Yesterday Labour dropped a borrowing bombshell on our economy and today things look even worse. Official Treasury documents show that Labour plan to increase VAT permanently to 18.5% after the next election.

This comes after the news that everyone earning over £20,000 - nurses, teachers, doctors, police officers - will be clobbered with higher taxes thanks to Labour.

2008-11-22T09:00:00.003Z

Despite yet another Government promise to cut immigration, new figures show overall net immigration has increased fivefold since 1997 to hit 237,000 last year.

This mean the despite the large numbers of British born citizens leaving the country for the warmer climates of France and Spain, the population has increased by more than 1.85 million in the last decade, purely from Immigration.

These figures raise serious concerns about Labours claim of controlling immigration and the promise not to let the population go above 70 million.

A report published by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee in July warned that the pressure on resources as a result of immigration ‘increases the risk of community tensions escalating’ and that the pace of change in some areas has resulted in migration becoming ‘the single greatest public concern in Britain, overtaking concerns on crime and terrorism’

Immigration can be of real benefit to the country but only if it is properly controlled.

These figures betray a Government that has completely lost control over the last 10 years. This chaos is likely to increase as the Home Secretary and new Immigration Minister continue to be at loggerheads over Government policy.

The Government should stop squabbling and adopt Conservative policies of an annual limit on non-EU immigration, transitional controls on future EU immigration and establishing a dedicated UK border police force.

Euro Candidates hit out as Auditors are Unable to Account for 80% of EU Spending

2008-11-19T12:00:00.001Z

This year, for the first time, the auditors have been able to provide an clean opinion of the accounts of the EU Commission, but that still leaves 80% of spending unaccounted for as it falls into spending schemes and programmes that the auditors were unable to inspect.

National governments entered into an agreement with the European Commission and MEPs during negotiations over the 2007-13 budget round, pledging to introduce a system of self-certification for the EU monies they spend. So far, only five countries have done so - including the UK.

East Midlands candidate Emma McClarkin is now calling on the Commission to name and shame the others, and even hold back on monies until those governments have fulfilled their pledge. Last month, Conservatives supported an unsuccessful effort to withhold five percent of the 2009 budget until the remaining countries met the requirements of the Court of Auditors.

Emma said: “The European Commission has finally put in place basic financial measures, such as a new accounting system and a growing recognition that whistleblowers are to be encouraged; but there is a distinct lack of urgency from an unacceptably large number of national governments. This is unacceptable. We must get a grip and withhold monies they need such as for Common Foreign and Security Policy actions.”

Labour Government admits that Taxes will have to RISE

2008-11-18T09:00:00.000Z

Well the Truth is finally out. "Taxes will have to RISE !"

The employment minister Tony McNulty admitted that immediate tax cuts would have to be followed by increases in the medium term, something Brown was reluctant to admit at his monthly press conference.

We are in the midst of an Economic tsunami, it is time for responsible government, not reckless Tax & Spend.

Rather than just borrow more & more we should start by cutting wasteful government spending.

The truth is, we are in for tough times, we need responsible government, not Tax & spend, we don’t want to see front line public services cut, but saving need to be made, let’s get rid of some the Quango’s and Government PR people of which there are over 3000 !

It is our hard earned tax money they are spending.

There can be no tax cut, it is a loan and will need to be re-paid in the future as Tony McNulty said there will need to Tax rises in the medium term.

We don’t want to leave the bill for future generations, we need a clear plan on how to repay the debt Gordon has run up over recent years.

Real Reason for the collapes of the Pound

2008-11-17T08:00:00.004Z

It comes to something when Gordon Brown & Alistair Darling accuse George Osborne of talking down the pound.

Working for a US based company, I monitor the Pounds Dollar exchange rates very carefully.

Above is graph of the Dollar v Pound from 2006, it speaks for itelf, as UK borrowing and the economy got into trouble it has collaped this year some 25%.

The is a reflection of "economic fundamentals" rather than the consequences of statements by politicians.

This is the world’s judgement the health of the UK Economy, and they do not like what they see.

So Gordon & Alistair stop blaming other people for the mess you created !

I think the world's view is “beware the Emperor with No Clothes!”

Who's to blame? Look in the mirror, Mr Brown

2008-11-15T09:00:00.006Z

A former Prime Minister accuses Labour of squandering the golden economic legacy that it was bequeathed :
John Major

Sixteen years ago an economic gale blew away a vital part of my economic strategy; now, a more comprehensive storm has undone the entire economic strategy of the Labour Government.

In the days of the late-lamented Prudence, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, promised an end to “boom and bust”. As Prime Minister that promise must haunt Gordon Brown, for he knows that - as Chancellor - he was culpable for the domestic circumstances that contribute to our dire economic plight.

Who ignored the debt spiral as it built up? Who weakened regulation and allowed Northern Rock to offer 125 per cent mortgages? Who diminished Bank of England control over our banking system? Who wrecked final-salary pensions with a £5 billion-a-year tax levy? Who ignored the risks of the house price and equity boom? A glance in the mirror shows him the culprit.

The Prime Minister admits to none of this but asserts that our present woes are due entirely to “an international crisis begun in America”. He repeats this mantra so often that he may have come to believe it. But no one else should. A large part of the crisis now engulfing us is home-grown in the Treasury and No10. The UK would be facing recession and a house price collapse without any international dimension. New Labour has as much financial blood on its hands as any erring banker on either side of the Atlantic.

Last year, at the Mansion House, the Prime Minister spoke of “an era that history will record as the beginning of a new golden age for the City of London”. Nemesis must have smirked. Within months there was the first run on a UK bank for 100 years, and the collapse of Northern Rock. Since then, the taxpayer has been called upon repeatedly to rescue our once-secure banking system.

Yet ministers foresaw nothing of what was building up and, to judge by their inaction, understood even less. Their failure to do so is one reason the future is bleak for so many who did not profit from the boom, but will surely suffer from the bust.

House prices are falling at the fastest rate since records began. Every home is losing value, but the plight of the elderly is especially heart-rending. Many who planned to boost their retirement income by trading down to release a cash nest egg have had their hopes dashed. The soon-to-retire face a double whammy: not only has the value of property fallen, but their pension funds - already weakened by tax levies - have also been cut in value by 30 per cent or more.

Hundreds of thousands of elderly people did everything possible - without state benefits - to secure their future. Now, the crisis cut in interest rates is likely to reduce their income even further.

At the heart of the troubles is debt. Debt has been this Government's biggest growth industry. Annual borrowing - even at the beginning of the recession - is at record levels: no comparable country is in a worse position.

When Mr Brown claims that national debt is lower than many such countries, he is being less than candid. He knows he is excluding long-term liabilities such as £100 billion of private finance debt, our unfunded public sector pensions and the debts of Network Rail and Bradford & Bingley. Once these are taken into account, our true debt is nearly three times higher - at a shocking £76,000 for every household. The figures the Government uses to reject the charge of financial incontinence are as bogus as a fourpenny bit.

Personal debt, too, has risen to levels never before seen - up by 70 per cent in a single decade. It is now the highest of any leading economy: higher as a proportion of income than any G7 country has seen. The Labour Government wallowed in the feel-good factor of this easy money: it made it popular, won elections, so Labour let it rip. The IMF tried - repeatedly - to warn Tony Blair and Mr Brown of the dangers ahead, only to be told it was “mistaken” and “wrong”. It was not.

Mr Brown glosses over these errors. The UK, he claims, is better placed than most to deal with the crisis. But, if the IMF is correct, that is yet another juicy piece of fiction: it believes the UK will suffer the deepest recession of any leading nation. The collapsing value of sterling suggests it is not alone in that view.

Faced with a blizzard of debt and a recession, the Government summons the ghost of J.M. Keynes and hints at further mega-borrowing, although whether this is for spending or tax cuts is not yet clear.

This would be folly. Some distress borrowing is inevitable - recession will cut tax revenue and increase social expenditure - but if the Government appropriates Keynes to justify further massive public spending, it will be making a fatal error.

What, then, to do? Most importantly, monetary policy has been eased. Beyond that, experience of the last recession makes me cautious. There is no pain-free way forward from the mess we are in. My heart says “yes” to tax cuts; yet my head tells me that, if we pile debt upon debt, there will be a painful day of reckoning. Today's unfunded tax cut is tomorrow's tax increase. We are not in a 1930s-style slump, nor do I believe we will be. It may be unpopular to say so, but we should be wary of mortgaging the future with even more debt.

For 11 years Mr Brown has claimed personal credit for the economy that Labour inherited but the Conservatives created: “We have had the longest period of growth in the history of this country,” he says, conveniently forgetting that the first five years of this growth came under the last Conservative Government.

As Mr Brown heads towards Washington, in his self-appointed role as economic czar to the wider world, there will no doubt be a spring in his step. But come the next general election the public will not be so easily fooled, or forgiving.

As with every Labour Government we have known, its legacy will be a wrecked economy that - yet again - will take years to mend.

This Article was first produced for the Times in November 2008

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5141436.ece

Bring back the Pay as You Use school bus service !

2008-11-13T10:00:00.002Z

As I said in my post on the 23rd of September, I still believe the Lib Dem’s City Council have lost the plot in respect of their plan to make families pay up front for their children to use the school bus.

In hard times like these, families need all the support they can get. Not upfront bills for the school bus service.

As if proof was needed that this was a really bad idea, only 13 pupils now use the Littleover service rather than the 130 prior to the move to up front charges.

This is not supporting the environment with more congestion as parents drive their children to school.

There is now talk of a U turn in respect of some of the schools. But this is only after the number of buses has already been cut!

What we need is the scrapping of the up front charges and all pupils to pay as they use the service, is this too much to ask?

It might be tough, but don’t work too hard say Labour MEP’s !

2008-11-12T14:00:00.001Z

Labour MEP’s have voted in the European Parliament to restrict British workers to a maximum 48 hours.

So with Labour support the European Parliament has voted to ban UK employees from working more than 48 hours per week.

This will affect about 3 million UK workers and means employees cannot work more than 48 hours a week regardless of their personal circumstances and this could have an impact on companies struggling because of the economic downturn.

It also means those working more than 48 hours currently will have to cut back their working hours.

Even Sir Digby Jones former member of the Labour Government criticized the move: “The vote shows the European Parliament has learnt nothing about the challenge of globalisation. Presumably these are the same MEPs who will be complaining about employers relocating to China and India in the years to come.”

In difficult times, many hard working people quite rightly want to work extra hours to boost earnings to support their family.

At the moment employees have the choice, but not if the Labour Mep’s have their way!

EU Lunacy Reaches New Heights

2008-11-04T13:30:00.005Z

I have to agree with Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, who has hit out at plans to promote next June's euro-elections by launching a ballot box into space - part of a £21 million PR campaign.

Roger said that on hearing about ballot boxes in space, his first thought was "Pigs in Space", until he remembered that that was on the Muppet Show. He pointed out that while firms are closing and family budgets are squeezed, the European Parliament can find millions of pounds for pointless political gestures.

“If they have some spare ballot boxes, they should organise a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty”, says Helmer. “There is no point in sending the symbols of democracy into space while denying democracy to people on the ground”

www.stephenmold.com

Proud to Support the Have a Heart Appeal

2008-11-03T15:00:00.002Z

On Tuesday I was kindly invited to the launch of the Have a heart Appeal on behalf of the Derbyshire Housing aid.

This wonderful Charity situated on Phoenix Street in Derby, tackles the underlying causes of homelessness and provides assistance when problems arise.

They run the only emergency night shelter in Derbyshire, give community and legal advice, help with debt problems, and provide next step projects & also life skills training

13,979 Lives Changed 2007/08 Real People, Real Lives, Real Change …

11,855 people received high quality specialist legal advice to tackle their housing and financial problems

134 street homeless people used the dedicated emergency support service of our Night Shelter

210 homeless or vulnerably housed people and families have moved into safe, secure private rented accommodation

251 homelessness people and prison leavers received specialist support and assistance to enable them to live independently

1,290 young people now understand the realities of homelessness and are better equipped to successful manage a home in the future

239 people with a range of complex needs have received access skills development, accredited training and work placement.

This is a great example of a local Charity making a real difference to people’s lives without the bureaucracy of government.

If want to support the Have a Heart Campaign click the Campaign link on the left.

www.stephenmold.com

What about the Equitable Life Pensioners ?

2008-10-28T15:00:00.002Z

It is interesting Gordon Brown quickly used Anti Terrorism powers to seize the assets of another sovereign nation in a populist move. This in itself, is something that should cause concern to law abiding citizens about the misuse of new anti terror laws, even if the intention was well meaning.

He now guarantees 100% of the monies that have been put into foreign bank accounts to earn high levels of interest (that now look too good to be true).
It raises the important question, there are some high risks that have been taken and the government has stepped in to protect these interests.

So I find it very difficult to understand why when hard working savers were putting their money into Equitable life (which the Labour Government supported) they are currently being left high & dry.

Even now are after the Parliamentary Ombudsman recently issued a damning indictment of the Government’s handling of Equitable Life.
The report concludes that there was a series of regulatory failures that led to many policyholders suffering losses and that the Government should make payments to them because of this.
Still nothing has been done, while Gordon Brown drags his feet.

www.stephenmold.com

Give Money back to the people

2008-10-27T09:00:00.003Z

Now the banking system has been stabilised, government need to help us, the tax payers.
It is a real shame the Labour Government spent all the money in the good times or we like the USA could have had a tax rebate, after all, is it our money.
But given this is not the case, we need an interest rate cut, not a half of a percent but a full 1 percent, to really get things moving.
Then the Government needs to make sure that this is passed on to the people, not used to help Banks repair their balance sheets.
This will not have an immediate effect, most of us will not run out and start spending, but will pay down debt, this will take time, but it means our economy of the future will be built on a much more solid foundation.
But above all, this will have a real positive effect on improving the every day lives of ordinary hard working people.

www.stephenmold.com

Come the next Election we will not Forget !

2008-10-26T16:00:00.005Z

In a Poll on this site we asked the question:

Do you feel Gordon Brown's handling of the financial crisis makes up for his mistakes over the last 10 years ?

88% said No

12% said Yes

The result sends a resounding message, whilst it is great he is playing an important role in sorting out the mess he helped to create.

We the people will not be taken in by Spin, Gordon you took our pensions, failed to save for a rainy day and created the regulatory structure that was supposed to regulate the banks.

Come the next General Election we will not forget.

www.stephenmold.com

Greenspan admits he was wrong! can Brown ?

2008-10-24T13:30:00.002+01:00

Alan Greenspan yesterday admitted to a congressional committee that he had been "partially wrong" in his approach to the regulation of the banking industry when head of the Federal Reserve in the US.

Gordon Brown a long time friend & admirer of Alan Greenspan, is not as likely to be so open or even honest when talking about his role in the Governance of our banks & economy!