By trying to remove a popular presenter from his job for speaking out on a political issue, the right is unnecessarily weakening itself in an argument it needs to win.
A pro-science and technology agenda requires political decisions no-one is currently pursuing. Taking on some public sector trade unions. Engaging constructively with the EU. Reforming planning law. Embracing the Oxford to Cambridge arc.
Merely “looking at” such measures as raising the pension age and reforming the benefits system will not be enough to demonstrate fiscal credibility.
There is next to no support among its ranks in the Commons for more immigration, liberalising planning law and improving access to European markets.
It isn’t clear how Labour can meet Jeremy Hunt’s fiscal rules whilst still promising a huge investment to deliver” a green economy”.
Over this period, the UK’s economic growth was level with the US’s and exceeded the other five members of the G7. In other words, on international comparisons, we did well.
It may be possible to be in favour of upholding the GFA and maintaining Northern Ireland’s place in the union whilst also favouring withdrawing from the Convention, but I am struggling to see how.
A party in office for fourteen at the likely time of the general election will find it hard to escape being held responsible for all that’s gone wrong. This can result in a vicious circle of unpopularity leading to division leading to greater unpopularity.
There is a limit to what can fairly and sensibly be achieved by raising other taxes and cutting public spending – especially when it comes to pay.
The recent history of the Conservative Party and the country is the ultras have had their way on both policy and personnel. The result – for both party and country – is now clear to see.
The ineptitude of its start has contaminated voter views of centre-right values as well as the Conservatives’ opinion poll ratings.
The risks of an adverse market reaction were obvious in advance of Kwarteng’s statement, and a wise Chancellor would have taken heed of it. Unfortunately, the Permanent Secretary had been dismissed and he ploughed on apparently oblivious to the risks.
The risk is that the Truss approach to business taxes will be that it is seen as being so out of touch with the public mood that she will provide a vulnerable target for the Government’s opponents.
My guess is that she is too smart to allow the worst case scenario to happen. To do that, however, she is going to have to move swiftly from focusing on winning the confidence of Conservative MPs and party members to winning the confidence of the markets.