The proposals reportedly under consideration at the Treasury is for an annual percentage levy on the sale value of a house – but all existing housing wealth would be grandfathered in.
The policy agenda should not be about how to increase welfare spending, but how it can be brought under control.
Public spending is set to rise to a record high of £1.27 trillion in 2025-26, £23.2 billion more than spending at the peak of the pandemic in 2020-21.
One of the biggest myths propagated by public sector unions is that it’s cheaper to employ a council officer – complete with a gold-plated final salary pension and a hugely generous set of terms and conditions – than a fixed-term interim on a higher annual salary.
Germany has come closer to managing it – but take a look at the bill: an average of £71 billion between 1990 and 2014. That’s a little more than the £2 billion Sunak was sharing out yesterday.
The Chancellor extolled principles that point to the possibility of meaningful pro-growth reform of how revenues are raised.
The role of strong local leadership here cannot be underestimated in galvanizing place prosperity.
The local plan process must remain at the heart of planning, so we must find a way to work within the existing framework.
There’s huge scope to enhance the City, and the British economy – especially if we learn the right lessons from Thatcher-era reforms.
From January 1, no longer will anyone be able to say: “you can’t – EU rules”. We have jumped from the passenger seat to the pilot seat. So what should we do?
While it’s important to focus on the ‘R’ rate in tackling covid, we must also balance health concerns against two other Rs – recovery versus recession.
The pandemic has huge geopolitical implications. Britain can better its aspirations by joining the CPTPP.
Ministers can carry on trying, through the British Business Bank or directly, to push on this Gordian Knot – or slice through it.
My answer would be “maybe, provided the spending or tax cuts significantly improved our growth potential.”
Conservatives must reach out, listen and engage much more with young people.