Ever since it first surfaced during the 1992 US presidential campaign, the claim that all elections are essentially about “the economy, stupid” has become something of a political cliché.Like most clichés though, this one contains more than a grain of truth.MPs expenses, the Iraq Inquiry, antisocial behaviour, the personalities of the party leaders – all will doubtless play a part in helping to shape the forthcoming election battle.But when all is said and done, it is the state of the British economy which will be uppermost in most peoples’ minds when, as now seems certain, they come to cast their votes on 6 May.One of the many reasons for this is that there is an unusual degree of unanimity between the two main parties that it should be so.It is more often the case in politics...

Nothing against this in itself, but why the sudden interest in propelling her onto the main stage after five years? Are there wobbles in Team Dave after Ashcroft and YBF news coverage? Are they trying to copy the Browns?Just some...

Commenting on the decision by Labour’s biggest financial backer, the Unite union, to hold strikes at BA later this month, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond said: “These strikes will cause misery for millions of travellers but the Government is looking the other way. Maybe it’s because Gordon Brown’s spin doctor is channelling millions from the striking union into Labour’s election coffers. Once again, the Prime Minister is putting his own narrow political interests of above those of the British people.”The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman this morning refused to condemn the strikes:"The Prime Minister would not want to comment on individual strikes. We hope a negotiated settlement is reached so that people do not have to go on strike. The Prime Minister has...

A print magazine cover image on what the 2010 general Election is all about. Reading: Simon Jenkins in The Guardian on how in hock we are to the debts of the insolvent banks Reading: CityWire on Lehmann Bros and how to cook the books Reading: What Ernst and Young – the auditors of Lehmann Bros – and who signed off their books say Related Posts:Money does the bullyingCoincidences – infographicParty political donorsChristmas Baby – cartoonAspirational politicsPowered by Contextual Related...

• Former chief Dick Fuld and accountants Ernst & Young criticised in 2,200-page report• Claims that buyer Barclays received assets it was not entitled to• Fuld tried to involve Gordon Brown to fast-track Barclays rescueA court-appointed US bankruptcy examiner has concluded that there are grounds for legal claims against top Lehman Brothers bosses and auditor Ernst & Young for signing off misleading accounting statements in the run-up to the collapse of the Wall Street bank in 2008 which sparked the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.A judge last night unsealed a 2,200-page forensic report by expert Anton Valukis into Lehman's collapse which includes scathing criticism of accounting "gimmicks" used by the failing bank to buy itself time. These included a contentious...

“I find it quite unusual for people to criticise me for doing what I consider to be my duty. …This was nothing to do with partisan politics.” - Gordon Brown, who said today that the criticism he received for visiting Afghanistan a day after giving evidence to the Iraq war inquiry was “incredibly unfair”. During his Chilcot inquiry appearance, Brown had mounted a robust defence of his record as chancellor, saying he had never refused a request from the armed forces for equipment or resources.  However, within hours, two former chiefs of the defence staff, Lord Guthrie and his successor Lord Boyce, had challenged that view.  (full story HERE)...

Another Porkie exposed.h/t: Steve...

Now we have the truth. Our Generals have said that Gordon Brown cut defence spending, a former head of the MOD said that Gordon Brown had cut defence spending. The only person claiming that Gordon Brown did not cut defence spending - is Gordon Brown himself. And guess what? Gordon is lying again. Here is a video made by the "fact check" team at C4 News:Don't forget that these cuts took place while our troops were fighting two wars.Hat tip Iain...

Commenting on Sir John Chilcot’s response to his letter asking for Brown to be recalled to the Iraq Inquiry, Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:“I am pleased that Sir John Chilcot has not ruled out recalling the Prime Minister to the Iraq Inquiry. In line with his Chilcot appearance last week, this week we have repeatedly seen disingenuous Brown dissembling again. “He told David Cameron yesterday that “on defence, the right hon. Gentleman cannot deny the fact that the budget is rising every year in real terms”, and this morning he repeated this claim on BFBS. Yet we now know that this is not true. Gordon Brown has been caught out using fantasy defence figures.“Not only should Gordon Brown return to the Chilcot Inquiry, he must also apologise for misleading Parliament,...

Sometimes Gordon Brown's brass neck literally makes the jaw drop. His latest spat with former soldiers comes smartly on the heals of the prime minister's appearance at the Chilcot Inquiry, during which he claimed that military commanders were always provided with the equipment they requested in Iraq and Afghanistan.The chronology is instructive, and tells us all we need to know about the veracity of Brown's statements. First the prime minister makes his claim. Lord Guthrie and Admiral Lord Boyce accuse Brown of disingenuous answers. At PM's questions Gordon reacts with the equanimity we have come to expect and rants about Tory officers. Soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq have persistently complained about the inadequacy of their equipment. Should we suppose that they too...

Labour governments are excellent at throwing money at problems, but they are worse than incompetent when it comes to managing what that money has been spent on. And don't forget that the economic genius Gordon Brown sold our gold off at rock bottom prices - a quarter of its current...

Thee BBC are reporting that Gordon Brown thinks the criticism of his Afghanistan visit is "unfair". As they say in the Army "dry your eyes princess!"Brown knew that he would have to spin like a top to come out of the Chilcot enquiry with any dignity and he know the defence chiefs that he'd been screwing over for the last decade would kick off. The Afghan trip was a blatant attempt to...

Harry Cohen has benefited from Guido’s attention in the past.   The chippy left-wing MP who disgraces the Leyton parliamentary seat once held by Winston Churchill claimed substantially more for his second home  and expenses than any other MP in London, in fact his annual expense claims of £123,718 are £30,000 higher than neighbouring Walthamstow Labour MP Neil Gerrard’s claim of £92,228 and greater than Chingford Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith’s allowance of £104,222. He claimed “I am almost certainly the most professional MP Leyton and Wanstead has ever had, and that includes Winston Churchill.” Despite Leyton being a mere half an hour from Westminster on the Central Line tube, Harry Cohen claimed the maximum tax free second home subsidy of £21,63.  The...

In his speech today, William Hague said:“Our ability to undertake economic modernisation will be critical to Britain’s future influence. When capital, labour and technology are increasingly mobile we cannot stand still. That is why James Dyson’s report about how we can give more weight to science and technology in our economy is so welcome. That is why our proposals on business taxation are oriented towards attracting and maintaining investment, why our programme of education reform explicitly draws from best practice across the globe, from Alberta to Sweden to Singapore, to ensure we make the most of every young person’s talent in the future.“But the change, the modernisation, our economy needs is not guaranteed. If our opponents’ mistaken arguments and mistaken principles...

Gordon Brown has hit out at claims that he struck the singer Rihanna, according to reports. The Prime Minister’s office has rubbished suggestions that he struck the Barbadian as ‘pure fantasy’, and rejected allegations that they had a violent disagreement over economic policy.‘It’s utterly ridiculous,’ said Tommy McNick, chief aide to Mr Brown. ‘Gordon and Rihanna are close friends and colleagues, and have been for years. Speculation to the contrary is not only harmful, it is entirely misplaced and completely without foundation.’Mr McNick later conceded that the Mr Brown and the Umbrella singer had a ‘heated exchange’ over plans to expand the G8, with the Prime Minister coming down firmly in favour of the status quo. Rihanna insisted...

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured above) warned today that Britain’s economy is “still in choppy waters”  but he declared he had the character to lead the country to economic recovery. The PM stressed that the country was at a “crossroads” and faced “crucial decisions”, not least with regard to the impending general election, in the months ahead. He warned that “ideologically-driven” opposition Conservative party plans for spending cuts risked tipping the country back into recession. So presumably HIS spending cuts after the election wouldn’t be idealogically driven – though doubtless his tax rises after the election would be. And it also appears that New Labour doesn’t mind being idealogically driven...

So we are to have a budget in two weeks time, or at least we are to have Alistair Darling on TV in two weeks time telling us how he is going to spent yet more borrowed cash on swing voters in order to buy Labour another election. Here is some of what Gordon Brown said today:"We are weathering the storm; now is no time to turn back."We will hold to our course. And we will complete this mission. We have got through this storm together but there are still substantial risks ahead. "There will be bumps in the road. And I believe the only way to overcome them is by displaying the same strength and resolve as we did during the crisis." He then (with a straight face) declared that he had the “character” to lead Britain to economic recovery and attacked the Tories for planning to cut spending...

Prime minister also announces pay freeze for doctors, dentists and hospital consultants as well as senior managers across most of the public sectorGordon Brown warned today that Britain's economy is still in "choppy waters" but declared he had the "character" to lead the country to recovery. The prime minister announced a pay freeze affecting doctors, dentists, and hospital consultants as well as senior managers across most of the public sector.Brown stressed the country was at a "crossroads" and faced "crucial decisions" in the months ahead. He warned that "ideologically-driven" Tory plans for cuts risked tipping the country back into recession.Brown also used his address to confirm that the budget will be in two weeks' time, on 24 March, leading to speculation that the prime minister...

Dominic...

Dear David Cameron, It’s been a rocky few weeks to say the least, although you seem to be just about keeping your head above water in the national and marginals polls.  Today Gordon Brown will make a speech about the economy at the same time as more bad news pours in.  I’m not a fan of negative campaigning at the best of times, but I wonder whether stoking (fully justified) fear amongst the public is the best tactic that you have available. In a major speech in London today, Brown is expected to outline the action that he thinks is necessary to secure the recovery, focusing on job creation in the UK and further reforms to global economic governance.  ”We are at a turning point, a crossroads, for our domestic economic recovery,” he is expected to say. ...

At a time when Councils are trying to help their residents out by keeping council tax bills down (my local Conservative council has frozen it), Gordon Brown wants to saddle them with a £250m burden to pay for extra social care. If Gordon Brown wants this scheme to happen, then why isn't he funding it, instead of passing the burden onto local councils? Inevitably we will pay for this scheme through our council tax.During DCLG Parliamentary questions today, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Caroline Spelman confronted the Government further over their social care scheme, accusing Ministers of Living in “cloud cuckoo Land”Extracts from the debate: “Councils are "feeling furious" after being warned they could have to contribute GBP250 million towards a...

Dodgy tenner cartoon featuring Alastair Darling drawn for Channel 4 News © Matt Buck Hack cartoons More rumblings from some of the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England – as reported by CityWire. The MPC is the committee which decides how well the national economy is doing and which recently approved the policy of Quantitative Easing (video explainer). This process invented £225Bn of new UK money (or credit) which was then used to buy government debt, much of which was undertaken to support the insolvent banks and financial institutions including HBOS and RBS. QE in the UK started on March 5th 2009 and ended during February of 2010. The following chart is a screenshot of the BBC twelve-month tracker for the value of the UK’s currency –...

Southern voters might be surprised to learn that the Labour heartlands are not the romanticised ‘green valleys’  surrounding the far from romantic pit villages of the Rhonda Valley that the wind-bag Neil Kinnock liked to promote as the seat of Labour Power. Nor are they the teeming back alleys of Liverpool surrounding the now redundant Mersey...

Labour would have you believe that to remove the "stimulus" from the economy would put in jepoardy the recovery. That is unless debt-funded spending is continued, this country will slip back into recession.Let's think about what this means, here in the real world for a minute.This recovery is about spending in the economy and it has been funded until recently by freshly printed money. This source of funding has run out, and the UK is reliant now on the debt markets to provide the "investment in public services" that the taxpayer for the moment is unable to. Or to put it another way, the Chinese tax-payer is funding Gordon's spending spree.The other people who are funding the spending spree are the banks, who are forced, by law to buy more government debt as capital against which they...

This article in this morning's Independent is pretty damning ... and it is accompanied by the cartoon that I reproduce from the same newspaper.The conclusion reached by Bruce Anderson mirrors a conclusion that I reached some time ago - that the Labour Government is responsible for a breach of the covenant that exists between the Government and those that serve in the Armed Forces and in particular in the Army - what is referred to as the Military Covenant.  More alarming still for Gordon Brown is the fact that his evidence before the Chilcott enquiry has been condemned as 'dissembling' and 'disingenuous' by a former Chief of Defence Staff - see the report in the Times last week here.  Look up those words and you will find that the synonyms include 'concealed' and...

There has been a gradual change in the tone of support for David Cameron's Conservatives, I would say it traces back to the dropping of a particular cast-iron pledge, others may care to trace it back further.  However, there is a consistent change in tone right before one gives up all together the Cameron project, I have been through it, loads of other bloggers have, Fraser has, Gerald Warner and Simon Heffer probably went about 20 minutes after Cameron assumed the leadership.  The change in tone though is important as it is about consistent through everyone who has exhibited it.So, having noticed this, I am deducing that it is again not going to be a good week for Dave nor, his top team (if you will excuse me calling them that) as I am now detecting the same wobble from one of...

Ten million people bought Make Poverty History campaign armbands in 2005. Some would hold that voters give development issues a low priority. But those armbands showed that a lot of voters care. More and better aid, debt relief and trade justice were the demands of campaigners. Five years later, how is the government doing? Brilliantly if you fall for Labour’s spin. Mediocre if you analyse the facts. An OECD report says that Britain is expected to devote 0.56% of national income to development aid this year. That hides a few things. The government arrives at this figure by including money for debt relief. Yet those of us who campaigned for debt cancellation expected that it would be additional to aid spending, not part of it. Taking from the poor to give to the poor is not aid....

It’s Sunday. It’s 9am. It’s time for the best pothole photo, ever. FACT. But first, some other stuff. 2 Must-Read Blog Posts What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: Fraser Macpherson has the party’s latest Scottish TV broadcast The Futility Monster ponders how many friends we can have Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all. 2 Big Stories Brown ‘disingenuous over war funds’ The Press Association reports: The head of the Armed Forces at the time of the 2003 invasion accused the Prime Minister of being “disingenuous” in saying that he provided...

Downing Street denies Helmand visit was an attempt to divert focus from prime minister's testimony at the Chilcot inquiryGordon Brown was embroiled in a furious row when former prime minister John Major accused him of using British troops as a "party political prop" on a surprise visit to thank soldiers in Afghanistan. Major condemned Brown's decision and said he had orchestrated a "cynically-timed political stunt".Giving a speech in Ipswich, he drew parallels with Brown's 2007 visit to Iraq, when he was considering calling a snap election. "Once again, the prime minister is using the armed forces as a party political prop," Major said. "Two years ago, he did so on the eve of the election that never was, and is now doing so again on the eve of the election that he cannot...

In the comments section of this post, Braveheart stated that defence spending has increased above inflation year after year as a response to my criticism of Gordon Brown. While true it hides a number of important facts. Standard inflation isn't a relevant measure in the defence sector as the increasingly technological nature of military equipment means that defence inflation runs well above...

As I said yesterday, Brown's statements to the Chilcot enquiry were full of holes and, as this report shows, is coming apart...

“The truth is that [Gordon Brown] is to reforming public services what Nero was to fire safety; or Tiger Woods to marital fidelity.” - David Cameron, speaking at the Welsh Conservatives’ annual conference...

Prime minister pledges support to UK troops as senior army figures accuse government of starving MoD of funds for Iraq warGordon Brown visited British troops in Afghanistan today and pledged to provide them with all possible support and equipment as he faced criticism from senior military figures over his evidence at the Iraq war inquiry.The prime minister attracted the wrath of military top brass and bereaved families by using his appearance at the Chilcot inquiry yesterday to reject criticism that he deprived the armed forces of equipment."The one fundamental truth," he said, was "that every requirement made to us by military commanders was answered; no request was ever turned down".Former senior military figures have taken issue with those comments. Admiral Lord Boyce, the chief of...

STV reports: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says that the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War has provided enough information to suggest that the war was illegal. Speaking on Radio Tay on Friday morning at the same time Prime Minister Gordon Brown was facing questions at the inquiry in London, he said: “I’m not a lawyer, but my view is that now there is sufficient evidence to sustain the claim that this was illegal.” “A Dutch inquiry into the Iraq war came to the conclusion that it was indeed illegal, and flew in the face of international law… “It is not a court of law, the Chilcot Inquiry, it was explicitly set up not to determine whether it was illegal or not so that is going to have to happen elsewhere by the lawyers, by the court, but my view is...

All elections leave a lasting legacy, but if there was one election in modern times which has influenced more or less everything that has happened in British politics since then, it is surely 1983.The catastrophic defeat suffered by Michael Foot’s Labour Party in that year began the process of self-examination and reform which eventually begat New Labour in the 1990s and shaped the politics of today.In the wake of Mr Foot’s death aged 96 this week, the most intriguing tribute came from the lips of Tony Blair - “he was as far removed from the techniques of modern politics as it was possible to be.”Only Mr Blair with his silken charm could have made this sound like a compliment. In truth, he dedicated moreorless the whole of his career to wiping out all trace of the Labour Party...

Prime minister tells Chilcot inquiry Tony Blair did 'everything properly' and rejects criticisms over equipmentGordon Brown took a major political gamble today by describing Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq as "the right decision for the right reasons" and insisting that "everything that Mr Blair did during this period, he did properly".Dogged by a reputation for disowning unpopular decisions, Brown used his appearance at the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war to deliver a firm defence of Britain joining the US-led invasion, a decision taken and executed when Blair was prime minister and Brown was chancellor.In his most prolonged inquisition on Iraq since the invasion seven years ago, Brown accepted he had been fully involved in the run-up to the invasion, underlined the gravity...

Brown's attempt to be all things to all people just doesn't cut it. He tried to make out that he was at the heart of government but the failure of planning and lack of equipment wasn't his fault, claiming to have been fully "informed". INFORMED!!!!!! He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was the one who had to write the...

Prime minister tells Chilcot inquiry of frustration with US over issues of postwar planningGordon Brown today defended the invasion of Iraq but said he regretted he had not been able to persuade the US to take postwar planning "seriously enough" to ensure a "just peace".The prime minister revealed his frustration with US politicians in the build-up to the war when he told the Chilcot inquiry about his involvement in planning, discussions and decision-making while serving as chancellor.In the first hour of his evidence, Brown said the US-led invasion was the "right decision made for the right reasons".Saddam Hussein was a "serial violator" of UN resolutions and a clear message had to be sent to "rogue states" that international law could not be flouted, he said.He told the inquiry he...

Minute-by-minute coverage as prime minister gives evidence to investigation into Iraq war. To start the live video stream, press the 'play' button under the picture below10.09am: Lady Prashar asks about Brown's views in the pre-war period.Brown says the international community has to be prepared to take action against aggressor states.Prashar says Blair argued in the Commons on March 18 2003 that the threat posed by the possible link between Iraq and terrorism was a real danger. Did Brown perceive this threat?Brown says after the end of the cold war a number of post-state terrorists were threatening instabliity around the world.In my view the international community was justified in taking action ... where international obligations were not being honoured.The international community has...

PM must clarify 2003 role at today's session, as military and former allies say vital funding was slashedGordon Brown will today face one of the toughest challenges of his premiership when he faces charges at the Chilcot inquiry that he slashed the defence budget, leading to equipment shortages and British casualties in Iraq and a lack of vital helicopters in Afghanistan.Brown set up the Iraq war inquiry in what has been described as "a risk-free gesture to history and public opinion". But he had not initially intended to give personal testimony until after the election.Today's session, which will see him give evidence for four and a half hours, will be the first time he has faced a sustained grilling over his elusive attitude to the war, and he may find that his emotional response to the...