November 2010
Listening to Migrationwatch would imperil our economy
The problem with politics is it’s complicated. Take the issue raised this week by Sir Andrew Green in his ConervativeHome article on immigration. In making his argument about reducing immigration, Green carelessly glossed over some staggeringly complex arguments about what the current and future shape of the UK economy should be.
George W Bush is wrong – waterboarding only helps our enemies
Of course, Islamists would take any event and try to twist it to fit their narratives, but Bush’s comments hand them a propaganda coup of vast dimensions. Not only did America go against ‘western values’ by torturing prisoners, but now its former President is crowing about it in the media. Islamist recruiters must be rubbing their hands with glee.
IDS should proceed with caution when looking to emulate US welfare reforms
This week we’ve learnt that Number 10 welcomed American welfare gurus for tea to advise on the forthcoming White Paper. Given the all-time high of 43.6 million Americans living in poverty, and a US unemployment rate that is almost double what was considered the norm in better times, what should work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith take as the real lessons of the American welfare reform story?
Clegg under fire over fees as violence mars student protest
Nick Clegg came under renewed pressure over his tuition fees u-turn at Prime Minister's Questions today as 50,000 students marched on parliament in the biggest protest against the government since it came to power. However, violent scenes at Millbank Tower, home of the Conservative party, cast a pall over the demonstration.
Bank of England forecasts lower growth and high inflation
In his opening remarks at the press conference to launch the report, Mervyn King, the Bank’s Governor, highlighted how these uncertainties mean that inflation could turn out higher than forecast (for example if commodity prices continue to increase at a rapid pace or if inflation expectations rise) or lower than forecast (if wage increases remain low and import price inflation fades).
Clegg’s dubious jobs claim
Nick Clegg writes in today's Guardian about welfare reform. But his claims on jobs, incentives for work, the welfare bill, and poverty do not stack up.