Margaret hodge

Tuesday

Peter Hoskin

Another fine mess at HMRC

Today’s report by the Public Accounts Committee hasn’t so much been released as detonated onto the Westminster scene. The Exchequer is owed around £25 billion, it suggests, from major companies that have been handled too leniently, or just plain wrongly, by HM Revenue & Customs. And much of the blame is attached to Dave Hartnett, the outgoing civil servant in charge of revenue collection. Interviewed on the Today Programme earlier, the chair of the committee, Margaret Hodge, implied that Hartnett had too ‘cosy’ a relationship with big business. She went on to add that, ‘you’re left feeling that the sort of deals that are made with big business — “sweetheart”

Tuesday

David Blackburn

MPs turn on PFI

There is nothing like being wise after the event. The Public Accounts Committee has turned on the private finance initiative, saying there is ‘no clear evidence’ that PFI delivers more value for money and no evidence that taxpayers have shared the profits. The committee reported: ‘There were instances where PFI may have been used where there was no evidence that it was the best procurement route. Local authorities and health trusts used PFI because there was no realistic alternative, not because it represented best value for money. The use of PFI and its alternatives should now be robustly evaluated. Looking back at PFI procurements, the government should also do more to

Thursday

David Blackburn

Select committee chairmen in full

Courtesy of PoliticsHome, here is the full list of the new chairmen of select committees: ‘The following candidates have been elected unopposed as select committee chairs: – Culture, Media and Sport: Mr John Whittingdale – International Development: Malcolm Bruce – Justice: Sir Alan Beith – Northern Ireland: Mr Laurence Robertson – Procedure: Mr Greg Knight – Scottish Affairs: Mr Ian Davidson – Transport: Mrs Louise Ellman – Welsh Affairs: David T. C. Davies The following candidates have been elected as select committee chairs by secret ballot, under the Alternative Vote system: – Business, Innovation and Skills: Mr Adrian Bailey – Children, Schools and Families (Education): Mr Graham Stuart – Communities

Thursday

Martin Bright

The Battle Against the Extremists in East London

I have written about the battle against the neo-Nazis and radical Islam in this week’s Jewish Chronicle. This is such an important issue that I am cross-posting the two pieces. The JC’s splash this week is the news that Barking and Dagenham Council could fall to the BNP next year. This follows the news that the party’s leader will take on Margaret Hodge at the next general election. I also wrote a comment piece arguing that there should be a new anti-fascist alliance in east London to tackle the twin threat of the Islamist extreme right and the BNP.  We already have Britain’s first neo-Nazi MEP and the first London Assembly member