Read my latest news and views…
Is there anything they won’t tax?
Death and taxes. The two things that we all know are guaranteed in life; and there seems to be a growing feeling that there is not much that governments would not slap a tax on.
The Chancellor has set the date for her next budget - 26th November - almost as late as she possibly could. Undoubtedly Rachel Reeves has plenty of challenges ahead, many of her own creation, and she will need every day between now and then to try to balance the books.
The headline debate is always of course about how much tax we pay. I would certainly be in the “we pay too much camp”. As a Conservative I believe in a strong, effective, but small state. Recognising that individuals, families, businesses and communities have the ability to get on with doing most of the things that we want in society. That the solution to every problem is not necessarily more government.
Government bans ninja swords
We should not lose sight of the fact that most weapons used by criminals are normal household knives. Dealing with individual types of weapons is helpful, but there is no substitute for a robust policing response and continued work to prevent people carrying knives in the first place.
MP asked to back call for continued funding for victims of domestic abuse
Last year I warned about the impact of cuts to victims funding by the Ministry of Justice. Follow comments by Bracknell’s MP I have written to him today asking him to back my calls for a better funding settlement for victims services.
Starmer’s narrow victory is a problem for all of us
Everyone has lost. There are no winners. That is the reality of the vote on the Government’s Welfare Bill, or the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, as it is properly known.
There has been parliamentary drama certainly, but there are no actual beneficiaries. For those who have only picked up the occasional headline, here’s my take on recent events.
Spending review leaves Government’s Safer Streets Mission in tatters
It is clear that with cuts to policing budgets and the government’s determination to max out the bill for local council tax payers, there will simply be no way the Government can deliver on their promises.