Whilst at the supermarket a few days' ago, I bought a bottle of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. The cost was £2.09. Around three months ago it was 30p cheaper. We all know the cost of eggs, butter, bread and milk has increased dramatically over the last year. According to a report I read today, the cost of food has risen by over 10%. Although inflation went down by 0.7% in the last month, it was largely due to the reduction in the price of oil, meaning cheaper petrol and diesel.Today, I was waiting for my car to be repaired at the local Vauxhall Dealer's workshop. I know most of the sales staff, the service manager, the workshop foreman and the mechanics, so I can get an accurate picture of what is happening in the motor trade. Unsurprisingly, they are not selling cars and the...

Gordon Brown has been thrusting himself about the world stage as he tries, unsuccessfully in my opinion, to appear like a sort of financial guru. I honestly believe that many world leaders are laughing at him behind his back. Only someone as naive and self-obsessed as Gordon could run around having virtually single-handedly destroyed the UK economy and think he is King Economy. The man is a fool, but then most objective British citizens already know that. Anyway, let me get to my point. As we all know, the Labour government spin machine always leaks its own announcements early so that they can guage ‘public opinion’, normally expressed by what the newspapers say (rather than the public), before making any final tweaks to their policy announcements. However, if the leaks are...

One of the less baleful consequences of the financial crisis is that every political pundit, columnist, and indeed blogger, has become an amateur economist, whether economics were previously his/her ‘specialist subject’ or not. Economics’ centrality, as the pivotal issue on which politics turns, might be disputed but its importance is not. Therefore it does no-one any harm whatsoever to start thinking a lot harder about how money and markets interact with government.The truth is, however, that we are dealing with a theoretical rather than an exact science, dismalness not withstanding. National economies are staggeringly complex, that complexity is multiplied infinitely for the world economy, and its workings are hotly disputed. Yesterday I suggested that David Cameron is...

The Tory base and its newspaper supporters are ecstatic. David Cameron has abandoned his commitment to match Labour's spending pledges, so that he can get out of the self-imposed strictures that would prevent him supporting any tax cuts in Monday's Pre-Budget Report. Meanwhile, a new poll shows that the Tory lead is down to a mere three points, placing it well within margins of error, and confirming the trend of most recent polling.The consensus among Tory commentators seems to be that Cameron has executed a terribly clever move which will pay dividends in the coming months as voters tire of the Labour government. Maybe. But isn't it just as likely that swing voters, having been persuaded that the Tories had shown real signs of change, might conclude that the earlier Cameron strategy was...

All is confusion. The political landscape of a world roiled by recession is all but unrecognisable. Voters stagger around like the cast of the now-revived TV drama Survivors, bewildered figures trying to make sense of a political geography where nothing stands where it used to be and nothing is as it was. In this new topsy-turvy land, Labour earns Conservative disapproval for wanting to cut taxes, probably in next week's pre-budget report. For those who grew up understanding tax as perhaps the clearest dividing line between our two main parties - tax-and-spend Labour v tax-slashing Tories - this is truly baffling. What on earth is going on? Gordon Brown says he is doing no more than following the basic Keynesian principle that the most useful tool for digging your way out of a recession...

Labour backbenchers last night began to forecast a general election next summer after a day when the effects of the economic crisis slashed the Tory poll lead to three points and led David Cameron to abandon his commitment to match Labour spending plans if the Tories win power.Cameron's move liberates him to offer tax or spending cuts, but left him isolated in opposition to the government's plans to use short-term financial help to boost consumer spending and help the economy. The Tory leader claimed: "We cannot afford a massive tax giveaway." But his position was undermined as the Institute of Directors came out in favour of a £20bn stimulus, including a 3p cut in income tax, and the CBI also gave its support. The Mori survey yesterday showed Cameron's advantage had collapsed to...

David Cameron is getting angry. He held out the olive branch of a bi-partisan approach to the financial crisis and it has been used as a stick by Brown to beat him. Cameron was foolish and naive to think Brown would treat him in any other way. We have a very tribal and partisan prime minister, who has no intention of giving up his power. If he could somehow postpone the next general election on the grounds of national importance, I am sure he would.There now has to be a complete rethink of the Conservative strategy. As a party, Conservatives have to put clear, blue water between themselves and Labour. Anyone who read my post from yesterday will see how angry I am with Brown. The only time I have seen him happy is when he is striding around the stage trying to solve problems he helped...

What an unthinkable thought just a short while ago, but after the events this week I'm not so sure. Today the Tory MEPs selected as Leader, Deputy Leader and Chief Whip, three MEPs who are all opposed to David Cameron's pledge to withdraw the Tory MEPs from the centre-right EPP - and all with, as I understand, large majorities. Indeed, while they elected fellow Yorkshire MEP Timothy...

A while ago, I argued that the 'advantage' that the Tories had over Labour in the blogging stakes was not an advantage at all.If you...

Latest poll shows Labour closing the gap on the Tories to just three points. According to Mori, Cameron's Conservatives are down five over the past month, while Labour are up seven. Bring it...

After Labour excoriated shadow chancellor, George Osborne, for ‘irresponsibility’ and ‘talking down’ the pound, over the weekend, the Tories have launched what has every appearance of an effective comeback on economic issues. In the Telegraph, Boris Johnson defends his colleague’s right to offer a prognosis on the economy. Although this contention might appear self-evident, the government has reacted with increasing petulance on each occasion that an opposition politician dares to question the wisdom of Gordon Brown’s economic plans. Labour chose to interpret Conservative support for its bank bail-out as an open ended commitment to support all of its anti-recessionary measures. As Brown’s spending pledges become increasingly extravagant, and as tax cutting initiatives...

Doing a little keeping up with the opposition I see that Labour in West Lothian are still encouraging people to vote for them on 3rd May....2007. Sadly this is not the first time Labour websites in the area have been way behind. Mind you seeing as Tam Smith the Linlithgow and Falkirk East SNP Westminster PPC's own site is currently not available which at least is better that not updated...

I don’t want to get into a debate as to the rights and wrongs of whether people should agree to donate their organs, although I am willing to state, for the record, that I support the organ donor programme. What concerns me is when government, in spite of advice to the contrary, determines that it knows best. The UK Organ Donation Taskforce have stated that they do not believe that ‘presumed consent’ would boost organ donation rates. In fact chair of the taskforce, Elisabeth Buggins said: “We found from recipient families and donor families that the concept of gift was very important to them and presumed consent would undermine that concept.” This was not what the government wanted to hear and Alan Johnson was said to be disappointed by their findings,...

David Cameron today abandoned his commitment to matching Labour's spending plans as he warned of a future "tax bombshell" if Gordon Brown presses ahead with plans to borrow £30bn to boost Britain's ailing economy.In a keynote speech on the economy in London, the Conservative leader insisted increased borrowing today would mean higher taxes tomorrow as he ripped up his pledge to follow the government's spending commitment in 2010.Cameron predicted tax rises equivalent to an 8% increase in income tax, if the government goes ahead with a "borrowing binge"."We can't afford a spending splurge," the Tory chief said."Gordon Brown knows that borrowing today means higher taxes tomorrow and if he doesn't tell you that he's misleading you."The Tory leader rejected suggestions the announcement...

The return of Mandelson to British politics has certainly increased the shrillness factor. Despite pledges of bi-partisanship in "facing this grave crisis", within a few weeks we are back to business as usual. Despite the blatant culpability of Gordon Brown- "no return to boom and bust" now sounds like a slightly off-colour Carry-On joke- the Conservatives have struggled to inflict further damage on the Labour government.There has been much discussion- not least amongst Conservatives- about why this could be. Some have pointed the finger at George Osborne. Certainly he has been guilty of some serious personal misjudgements- not least over the Corfu affair. It is also true that the timbre of his voice and his rather effete demeanour bring out the worst in even the least sensitive class...

In quite the reverse to those magnificent men in their flying machines, that self proclaimed custodian of the world's economic future Gordon Brown has said that while taxes will be cut next week expect them to rise again after. David Cameron in response did come out with the rather good line: "Tax cuts should be for life, not just for Christmas." For it does seem that despite calls from the...

Asks Iain Dale's Diary. A literal answer might be, alignment with a regional party. For how much longer will that be a valid...

Hang on a minute. Could somebody please have a word with whoever's in charge? They've got the story wrong again. It's the Labour party that is supposed to be fighting like furious ferrets in a bag and the Tories who hang together. Suddenly, as the extraordinary politics of the economic crash unfold, it seems the other way around. Tory front-benchers are bitching. Tory fundraisers are in revolt. And Tory activists are spitting with hostility at one of their own.I don't turn on the telly or open the papers to watch Labour people being grownup and sensible about each other. I don't expect the Conservatives to sound panicky and lost, particularly when the country is hurting so badly. Even the polls show the gap between Labour and the Conservatives is closing. You would almost have thought the...

In some circles, the fashion among politicians for pinching Barack Obama's magical rhetoric is now known as the Yes We Can-wagon. Last week it was Harriet Harman's turn to climb aboard - though in fairness, there was at least some superficial logic in her use of Obama's name. In the wake of the election of the first black president, she announced a decisive move on the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people at Westminster, and a year-long Speaker's conference inquiry into the issue of representation. The initiative came with a flurry of speculation about building on the legal status of all-women shortlists with new laws allowing all-ethnic minority candidate selection, a pledge to look at gay and lesbian representation, and the obligatory reference to the...

After several weeks of worrying silence, during which time Gordon Brown was able to pose as saviour of the world financial system, improving his position in the opinion polls, George Osborne has at last come out fighting. In an interview with the Times on Saturday, he drew attention to the perilous position of the currency, as the national credit comes increasingly to resemble that of Iceland or Northern Rock. "The more you borrow as a government the more you have to sell that debt and the less attractive your currency seems," he commented. "Sterling has devalued rapidly against the euro and the dollar. We are in danger, if the Government is not careful, of having a proper sterling collapse, a run on the pound."With the pound now at a record low against the Euro and a steadily falling...

I share Iain's disdain for some of the sillier Sunday newspaper stories, and had raised an eyebrow when reading Isabel Oakeshott's piece in the Sunday Times. But the Sunday papers are ever thus. And they only publish such stories when they give a wider sense of what is undoubtedly a political truth. The truth is that George Osborne is flailing.Watching his interview this morning's Andrew Marr show showed why. It was not that Osborne lacked fluency or made any obvious gaffes. Rather it was his inability to speak in a language beyond the cliched soundbite. Instead of trying to provide a coherent explanation of the Tory opposition to Brown's planned tax cuts and spending, we got rhetorical slogans about 'tax cons' versus 'tax cuts'.Whatever an Eton education provides, it surely teaches good...

Much has been made in the British press of the comments by George Osborne on a future British currency crisis, what he called "having a proper sterling collapse, a run on the pound". Leaving aside- for the moment- the convention which Osborne has broken that opposition politicians do not talk down the British economy, let us examine what George Osborne is saying.On Friday, Sterling hit a a six and a half year low against the US Dollar and a record low against the Euro. The immediate cause was a series of extremely gloomy predictions for the UK economy and the expectations, that despite the 150 basis point rate cut, there could still be further reductions in British interest rates. None of this, you note has much to do with UK government borrowing. However the risk of a run on the Pound...

George Osbourne today dismissed criticism that he lacked judgment in predicting a run on the pound, insisting it was his job to tell "the truth about the British economy".The shadow Chancellor was forced to defend himself after Labour aides and small business organisations accused him of talking down sterling despite a convention that politicians do not predict currency collapses. Kenneth Clarke, the man some MPs now want to replace Osborne, had to ride to his rescue, insisting his words were "perfectly sensible".In an interview in yesterday's Times, Osborne warned that excessive government borrowing to shore up the economy meant there was a risk of "a proper sterling collapse, a run on the pound".Labour officials said it was "unbelievable" that Osborne would discuss the weakness of...

George Osbourne was at the centre of a political storm last night after being accused of lacking judgment in predicting a 'run on the pound' amid Britain's gravest financial crisis since the Thirties.The shadow Chancellor was forced to defend himself after Labour aides and small business organisations accused him of talking down sterling despite a convention that politicians do not predict currency collapses. Kenneth Clarke, the man some MPs now want to replace Osborne, had to ride to his rescue, insisting his words were 'perfectly sensible'.As Gordon Brown used his appearance at an international economic summit in Washington to showcase what is expected to be a multi-billion-pound package of tax cuts for low and middle earners, coupled with public spending to kick-start the economy, a...

Politicians are ready to introduce league tables naming and shaming the speed with which internet service providers take down offensive material.The culture minister, Barbara Follett, and her Tory shadow, Ed Vaizey, have backed the idea that web providers must be embarrassed into dealing with violent, sexually explicit web content.Follett said she wants to see the pre-screening of material on sites such as YouTube, as occurs at present on MySpace. She admitted there was growing chaos out there on the internet, and order needed to be brought. She has also admitted barriers aimed at preventing children from accessing over-age material on the internet are not just porous but leak like a sieve. "People can get straight through it, or straight by it." Follett warned: "We must teach children...

I've been a bit mean about the Daily Mail these past few days, since Paul Dacre claimed that indulging his own neo-Victorian brand of puritanical prurience constituted a vital democratic principle. Still, we mustn't forget all the good they do, so I'm delighted to note that Richard Littlejohn is in top form with a splendid rant about all the Guardian-advertised non-jobs that, he predicts, will prove strangely recession-proof:Yes, Britain's five-a- day coordinators, diversity managers, equality officers, elf 'n'safety enforcers and carbon-footprint campaigners can all sleep easily in their beds.While private companies are either contracting or going to the wall, the public sector continues to party like it's 1999. There'll be no shake-out in the Town Halls, no Christmas parties cancelled...

MICHAEL Gove, the Wind In The Willows’ extra who went it alone, is the Conservative Party’s schools spokesman. Gove is using his Telegraph column to consider all things Obama. Gove salutes the Daily Kos, “a place of very articulate, widely dispersed and highly motivated activists”. That’s the place where they speak Obami, or Obarmy, and praise the Obamessiah, spam internet polls, spread bigotry and smear the opposition with lies. Hurrah! And then, Gove allies the Conservatives with Obama: The Opposition in this country have an advantage, like the Democrats in America, in that we are the principal vehicle for change, and the liveliest, most engaged and passionate voices on the internet are arrayed, broadly, on our side against the establishment. Yeah. Yaaaaay! The non-elitist...