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 | Infallible GordonHard on the heels of my post of yesterday (showing that, contrary to Gordon Brown’s assertion that defence spending is rising year on year, it has in fact drastically declined as a share of GDP), come the findings of an inquiry by Channel 4’s FactCheck. These reveal that in real terms – taking inflation into account – defence spending has... |
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High Speed (6)
I have just come off the phone after a ten minute conversation with the Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis. He accepted straight away that the route he has proposed for HS2 would have a damaging impact on my constituency and the lives of many local residents. He told me that he had personally travelled...
Drafting the manifesto
Regular readers will know that I do rather like to contribute when it comes to policy suggestions. I'm therefore especially pleased to have been allowed to write a section of the manifesto. The Spectator magazine manifesto,...
High Speed Two (5)
The Department of Transport has now published most of the key documents on its website here. There is also information on the Exceptional Hardship Scheme Consultation, which will look at ways to compensate those constituents whose homes may be affected by High Speed Rail. More information about the...
Association AGM
It's really nice to have an evening to say 'well done' to people. ......
Back to the Balkans
Straight from the transport statement in the Chamber to a meeting (in my Shadow Foreign Minister role) with the President of Bosnia. Let no-one say that this job lacks variety! ...
High Speed rail (4)
Just left the Chamber after statement. Said would be devastating news for many constituents and asked what were the environmental benefits that outweighed the costs people’s quality of life and to landscape. Proposed route would mean tunnel under Old Amersham, line running near Gt Missenden church...
High Speed Two (3)
Lord Adonis on his feet in the Lords. Government is plumping for A413 corridor: Amersham, Missenden, Wendover, west of Aylesbury. Promise of public consultation and “mitigation measures” though no details. To read Lord Adonis’ statement on High Speed Rail in full please click here. ...
High Speed Two (2)
There’s now a bit more news on timings. Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, is scheduled to make a statement in the Lords at 11.30 am. His Commons Minister, Sadiq Khan, has just twittered that he expects to be repeating that statement in the Commons at 12.15 pm. The actual White Paper, with all...
High Speed Two (1)
Today we’re due to get the Government’s announcement about plans for a new high-speed rail route from London to Birmingham. I’m expecting an oral statement in the Commons in either the late morning or very early afternoon. A lot of countries are building high-speed rail lines to link...
The Conservative message
Yesterday the Conservative message for the next couple of months was unveiled to some of us. It is: “We can’t go on like this. Vote for change” Change includes: “Change the economy. Back aspiration and opportunity for all. Gordon Brown’s debt, waste and taxes are holding...
No balance in the payments
This week’s poor balance of payments figures for last month revealed two worrying facts. Despite the sharp falls in the pound, there has been no surge in exports to show us gaining market share as we become more price competitive. At the same time, imports have increased sharply as destocking...
Superfast broadband: Labour vs Tory
There was a suggestion on the BBC this morning that Labour and Conservative broadband policies are similar. It is true that Labour have promised superfast broadband by 2017 - but short of a vacuous promise, they have not given any details of how they will get there. We have. Here are 3 reasons why...
Insulting our armed forces
For the first time, there was a flash of real anger from David Cameron at Prime Minister’s Questions today. Cameron was questioning Gordon Brown about his evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war: Mr. Cameron: Following his evidence, one former Chief of the Defence Staff said that he was...
