In the new year I'm planning a special series of features on effective aid spending. Just because too much aid goes to the wrong people (as Sajid Javid argued last week) we should not say that all aid fails. Much aid – given publicly and privately by the British people – is preventing very poor […]
Former Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson has today outlined a 'Plan B' for the world on climate change (although it was always his 'Plan A'). His Global Warming Policy Foundation outlined four themes for this 'Plan B': A switch from trying to avoid climate change to one that adapts to change. The GWPF […]
Greg Clark MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has issued this statement in response to the outcome of the Copenhagen talks: "Although some progress has been made, it is clear that the Copenhagen accord has fallen short of what we hoped it could achieve. The accord is not legally binding, is […]
10.45am update: The party has revealed that aside from the Mayor of London, the following fourteen authorities have agreed to pilot the scheme being called the "Green Deal": Broadland, East Sussex, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hyndburn, Kensington & Chelsea, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, North Tyneside, South Holland, Suffolk, Westminster, and West Sussex. — David Cameron has […]
Speaking on Andrew Marr this morning, Boris Johnson said that he doubted that Alistair Darling's supertax on bankers' bonuses could work without "super-penalising London". The Mayor of London said that he shared anger at the idea of taxpayer-funded bonuses but that any attempt to tax these bonuses should have been agreed internationally. He began his […]
During this morning's Week in Westminster programme (11am), presented by Steve Richards, I discuss the politics of climate change with Will Straw of Left Foot Forward. I make the case that the issue of climate change has the potential to divide the Conservative Party in the same way that Europe has divided us in the […]
Gordon Brown's scorched earth policy continued apace this morning. A week ago he found £800m to spend on helping developing nations combat climate change. Today he doubled that, announcing that Britain will be committing £1.5bn to the same ends. By the time the Copenhagen circus has ended who knows how much he will have pledged. […]