It’s no surprise but it’s still something of a shock: Moody’s have downgraded the UK’s credit-rating from AAA to Aa1. They explain their decision in full here, but, really, it’s just as you’d expect. The UK’s stuttering recovery – and the way it has upset George Osborne’s best-laid plans for reducing the deficit – means that they’ve now got less […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter You’d never have guessed it: petrol prices are set to rise. Thanks to soaring wholesale prices and a weakening pound, the cost of a litre at the pumps has already gone up by 6p over the last month. But according to the President of the AA – whose comments are […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter The biographer, headmaster and all-round political player Anthony Seldon has written a letter to savour for tomorrow's edition of the New Statesman, in which he calls on Ed Balls to stand down as shadow chancellor. Here are some excerpts: “After 20 unbroken years at the heart of politic… quitting in […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter If you believe that David Cameron’s likeliest route back to No.10 in 2015 is another coalition with the Lib Dems, then then the past fortnight may have been rather perturbing. Reason being, there are increasing signs of unity between Labour and the Lib Dems. Of course, the two parties appear […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Another month, another set of encouraging employment figures: From October to December 2012, the headline employment rate was 71.5 per cent – a 0.3 per cent point rise on the previous quarter. A record 29.73 million people were in employment, up by 154,000 from the previous quarter. This also represents […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter The Office for Budget Responsibility, what is it good for? “Absolutely nothing” seems to be the answer in Andrew Alexander’s column for the Daily Mail this morning. It surmises that George Osborne must regret establishing this independent institution for fiscal forecasts as “so far he is the only man it […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Just give me a few minutes while I read Hilary Mantel’s essay on the monarchy—transliterated from a speech she gave two weeks ago—for the London Review of Books… …okay, I’ve done that now. Let’s talk. It’s true that the essay puts the words “Kate Middleton” in close proximity to some […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter The Daily Mail has written up a new opinion poll on drugs policy, conducted by Ipsos MORI. “Just one in seven want drugs laws liberalised and majority say possession should remain criminal offence,” reads their headline – and it’s true. Looking at the full results, only 14 per cent of […]
Looking back on last week, it sure was a significant one for the debate about tax. On Wednesday, we saw David Cameron attacking Labour for abolishing the 10p tax rate – a hint, perhaps, that this coalition government would restore it. But then, on Thursday, when Ed Miliband backed the reinstatement of the 10p tax rate himself, CCHQ suddenly […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter So far, David Cameron’s trip to India has represented one quality above all others – change. And that change has come in two forms, which are: 1) Trade. Of course, it’s not a new Coalition policy to seek out trade with countries that are several time zones away: David Cameron […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Afghanistan is on the agenda as David Cameron sweeps into Mumbai. The Indian Government is, apparently (£), concerned at our PM’s efforts to involve Pakistan in the maintenance of the Afghan state after Western troops have departed. They fear losing whatever influence they currently have in Kabul. But questions about […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter What larks in Eastleigh! As various Tory MPs have tweeted in identikit fashion, the Lib Dem candidate has today ‘fessed up to voting for 5,000 new homes to be built on previously undeveloped green space – and this despite campaign literature which warns that “countryside spaces between our towns and […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter There’s a small item in today’s Sun that ought to make big waves. It concerns the subsidised food and drink in Parliament, and how certain politicians are working to block price rises. Apparently, MPs are insisting that the costs remain frozen, for reasons including that, “breakfast in the Commons would […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Rachel Reeves has an article explaining Labour’s 10p tax policy in today’s Sun. “So what?” you might think, “isn’t this what shadow ministers do?” But there’s still something striking about this article in itself. Consider where it appears: the Sun, a newspaper that might have cause to be unfriendly towards […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Take a run through this morning’s papers, and you’ll clatter into this story in the Mail on Sunday. It details a ‘secret Chequers summit’ that will be attended, later this week, by the ‘Fab four’ of David Cameron, George Osborne, Ed Llewellyn and Lynton Crosby. Apparently, this summit will focus […]