Category Archives: Debates

Merit-based Pay

This week the government announced its planned reforms on executive pay, whilst tomorrow we have the first doctors’ strike since the 1970s.

I have written an article for the Financial Times tomorrow, making the case for a more meritocratic approach to both executive pay and public sector remuneration. You can access it here.

Economic Sabotage

I have written an article for The Times tomorrow, on the need for protection from the economic sabotage planned by union hard-liners like Len McCluskey. Targeted strikes against petrol haulage and the Olympics are vindictive and groundless, threatening severe economic damage and disruption for millions.

You can access the article here.

The Vote on 50p Tax Rate

For all the detail of last week’s budget, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls focused almost exclusively on attacking the cut of the 50p rate of income tax.

Now, I’m in favour of cutting it because it deters enterprise, raised little revenue and smacks of the politics of envy. But, I accept that there are reasonable economic and political arguments for and against. And it is healthy to have rambunctious debate.
But, what I don’t get is how – after all that huffing and puffing – when Parliament voted on it (last night), not one of the Labour front-bench bothered to turn up, as reported here. They were there for the debate. I saw them. Some backbench Lab MPs voted against the cut – well just two, in fact: Paul Flynn and Dennis Skinner. But Miliband, Balls et al all abstained.
Sometimes, there are good reasons to abstain. But, having worked themselves into a lather about the 50p tax rate, I am genuinely puzzled that they ended up sitting on the fence en masse.

Standing up to Tyranny

I blogged recently about my campaign for a House of Commons debate on targeted sanctions against the henchmen who carry out torture and assassination on behalf of tyrants and dictators here.

The motion, inspired by the tragic case of Sergei Magnitsky, was debated yesterday. The motion was supported by 5 ex-Foreign Ministers, and it passed unanimously. The BBC report on the debate here. I have now called for the government to reflect on the will of Parliament, and come forward with some concrete proposals in the next Queen’s Speech.

Do we need EU control over Crime and Policing?

This week, on the Week in Westminster, I debated Britain’s choice of whether or not to opt out of 130 EU crime and policing measures with George Parker of the FT and Tom Brake from the Lib Dems.

The government has until 2014 to decide. You can listen to the discussion here (from 17mins), and you can read the letter signed by 102 Conservative MPs in favour of exercising the opt out here.

What Does Quantitative Easing achieve?

The biggest economic lever being pulled to jump start the economy is Quantitative Easing by the Bank of England. I have often wanted someone to set out – in cold, objective terms – the pros and cons of this for our economy. This week, two commentators discuss the implications of QE, including the impact on savers.

Allister Heath criticises it as a blunt measure to tackle a moving target here. Fraser Nelson highlights the surreptitious attack on pensions here.

A Center Right Voice for Women

On Friday, I spoke at the new Esher & Walton branch of the Conservative Women’s Organisation, the first branch set up in the South of England – organised by Councillor Elise Saunders. One of the issues I raised was the dearth of distinctive center-right voices representing women and talking more broadly about equality. The Left seemed to think they have a monopoly on the subject.

In fairness, there are new groups like Women On. And some of the most dynamic female MPs I know – Andrea Leadsom, Liz Truss, Priti Patel to name but three – prefer to let their actions do the talking, rather than dwelling on gender per se.
That said, it was refreshing to read the impressive Ruth Porter (at the Institute for Economic Affairs) fire off a salvo at the terms of trade of the whole equality debate. I won’t try to summarise – but I recommend reading Ruth’s article here.