Dreaming of job creation

Much as I applaud the sentiment behind David Cameron’s plan to help employment by cutting taxes, did he have to claim he’d “create 350,000 jobs” that way? He may answer: yes, the media want such a figure, and just you see they’ll put it high up the story tomorrow. Plus we’re not in power, so we’ll never have to prove it. But to my nerdy eye, this figure spoils it. I mean, there are 940,000 on Jobseekers’ Allowance – is Cameron really proposing to reduce that that by a third? In a downturn?

...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend  |   Permalink  |   Comments (23)

90 years since the end of WWI

Today marks the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day and the formal end of World War One.  I quote from the climax of Norman Stone's stunning work, WWI - A Short History:

"Meanwhile, as German morale was collapsing, the final crisis was precipitated by another act of desperation. In a weird descant upon the navy-army rivalry that had done so much to weaken the [German] war effort, the naval authorities resolved on a last, mad move. Captain von Levetzow, chief of staff of the navy, could see the likelihood that Germany's great

Continue reading...

Email to a friend  |   Permalink  |   Comments (9)

Always honest?

“I’m always honest with the British public” said Gordon Brown at his monthly press conference. Then, this: “There can be no argument about where we’ve been over the last few years on debt. Debt was reduced from 44% of national income to 37% at the latest count. And that is a fact.” No, Prime Minister, that is a lie. The latest count was in September, when the ONS said net national debt is 43.4% of GDP.

“Whatever else we want to argue about, let us be clear that we start from a low...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend  |   Permalink  |   Comments (26)

The Tory tax cut: first impressions

I haven't seen all the numbers yet - or, indeed, many details at all - so consider the following as very loose, first impressions of the tax cut Cameron's just announced (details here):

What is it? Companies which employ workers who have been jobless for three months will get a cut in the amount of national insurance they pay.  The cut will be worth £2,500 for every such worker taken on.  According to Cameron, that could reduce the overall tax burden on companies by up to £2.6 billion, and create up to 350,000...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend  |   Permalink  |   Comments (14)

Labour close the gap

Today's Populus poll in the Times - the first to be conducted in the aftermath of the interest rate cut and the Glenrothes byelection - has the Tories on 41 percent (down 4 since early October); Labour on 35 percent (up 5); and the Lib Dems on 16 percent (up 1).  That's Labour's highest level of support since March.

I doubt Team Cameron will be unduly worried by those headline numbers - after all, they are still 6 points ahead; solidly in the 40s; and all after several weeks of positive coverage for...

Continue reading...

Email to a friend  |   Permalink  |   Comments (14)