Why we should get rid of inheritance tax
I am fortunate enough to have attracted an extremely well argued response to my inheritance tax column. It's by Tom Freeman on his blog Freemania.
He accepts my argument that passing money between the generations is a useful activity, and likes my analogy with the environment (our children inherit the earth). But then he makes the entirely reasonable point that while everyone enjoys the environment only some people (a very small number) will enjoy inheriting my estate.
Labour in
Coronations are one thing. A hereditary monarchy is another. The Guardian website follows up a story in the Independent this morning, announcing that John Prescott is likely to step down as MP for Hull East at the next election.
The House of Lords is likely to beckon for Chipolata Boy, a one time trade union militant. But it was the concluding paragraph that caught my eye:
AGW as pseudoscience
It's easy to understand why climate alarmism is attractive to politicians; it represents a complete excuse to save their voters, and interfere with every aspect of their lives in the process. But it might be a mistake to think they buy the arguments. Their support for most things hinges on a perception of what will be a successful electoral strategy, and little else. In Cameron's case at the moment, nothing else.
A model friend
Gordon Brown must be ambitious in building a good relationship between
The real lesson of the Tories' campaign on hospital closures
The Times reports that the Tories' hospital campaign "was in disarray last night". One can pontificate on whether the campaign was the right point of attack (no), whether the mistakes are serious (in credibility terms, yes), and whether the media's reporting is biased (maybe, but it didn't half invite the criticism). But those aren't the main points. The main lesson is that the Tories are sadly lacking in critical faculties.
More blunders over bogus Tory health list
The Tories continue their hilarious attempt to find hospitals which are closing A&E departments. This evening a researcher apologised for claiming the maternity unit at Telford's
SexyBritain: Tory viral marketing... or nothing of the sort?
Have the Conservatives really commissioned a viral marketing campaign which uses mobile footage of a drunken girl falling over to highlight the failings of Labour's
Gordon Brown - Pull Your Finger Out!
Gordon Brown has promised intensive action and tougher enforcement of the law in areas with a gang violence problem. He also promised to crack down on the sale of alcohol to under-18's and that he would put more police on the streets. Well it's about time, but are these just more of Labour's empty gestures? reacting to the newly announced Conservative policy. If Brown had mentioned supporting the family unit, you could have believed that he was reading from David Cameron's notes. Labour have let the country get to this pathetic state. Violent kids own the streets, it's adults who are now afraid to go out alone.
The thin blue line
It was entirely predictable that Gordon Brown would reject the Unions' call for an EU referendum. And indeed he did, predicting with a casual insouciance that a trade union rebellion on the issue would not succeed.
This he did after a cosy love-in with chancellor Angela Merkel at No 10, followed by a happy little interlude as the pair rushed off to Wembley Stadium to watch the
An oil stain on
Ken Livingstone's deal with
Andrew Bridgen: Businesses desperately need Redwood's policies
If John Redwood's recommendations for reducing the regulatory burden on British business are adopted as Conservative policy and enacted in Government, we could expect to hear a collective sigh of relief from the business community. Many politicians have talked about reducing regulation and cutting red tape, and here for the first time we have well thought out, researched measures to actually deliver it.
A tale of two Johns: Redwood good, Gummer less good
After John Redwood’s excellent report on the economy, we move on to John Gummer’s “Quality of Life” report. It threatens to undo all Redwood’s good work and tax reductions, by adding new “green” taxes. Let’s leave aside the growing doubts on the alarmist climate scenario. Even if you buy the CO2/climate story, a few green taxes will have a trivial effect on global CO2 emissions, while doing significant economic damage. As a recent letter-writer to the press put it: the Tories must decide whether they’re low-tax free market economists, or high-tax socio-environmental meddlers.
Gun control - neither the
In the immediate aftermath of another shocking shooting in the
Anarchy in
I have just watched one of the best and most sensible debates I can remember on Newsnight, concerning the topic Anarchy in
“It’s going to take more than a hug to stop the hoodies.”
Arthur Ma takes a look at "Acceptable Behaviour Contracts" and their effect on the
Theresa May MP: Youth crime - our approach
“When stray bullets hit the pram but missed my son, I realised there was a gap in the market for products to protect babies in today's increasingly violent society"
This is a quote taken from an American mother who has set up a company selling bullet proof buggies. The £300 buggy, billed as "the ultimate in style, comfort and extreme combat protection" has already sold out in the
Government by numbers
So how has it been for you? The glorious new dawn. The path to enlightenment. Come on, you know, the first 100 days of the SNP in power.
According to Nationalist Ministers,
I want to dress like Gwen Stefani, says Cameron
That's Samantha, not David.
Samantha Cameron tells Harper’s Bazaar magazine in the
1 comment:
Inheritance tax is an abomination.
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