Founder & Chair, Bright Blue | Senior Visiting Fellow, King’s College London & Uni of Bath | Trustee, TASO | Commissioner, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
Rory Stewart in GQ: “There is a pretence in politics in Britain that what you need are grand ideas, but actually people want to be governed justly and well. They want to feel sensible, fair decisions are being made and people are getting on with things quickly”
@RoryStewartUK
Oliver Letwin may not get everything right, like everybody else, but it is clear that he is motivated by principles and decency, not game-playing and doing people over
"The real frustration for this government is not that some external system is thwarting their agenda, but that they are the system and complaining about being thwarted is the only agenda they know"
Astute by
@rafaelbehr
@HadleyFreeman
I don't know the truth about Michael Jackson; I haven't scrutinised the evidence sufficiently. But I am surprised that people confidently conclude that he was an abuser, considering an extensive criminal trial and comprehensive FBI investigation found no wrongdoing.
"Many people will argue that correcting falsity or insisting on accuracy are fool’s errands. What matters now is how people feel.
This way lies disaster. False information kills, from polio epidemics to trashed reputations."
Spot on from
@DAaronovitch
Fuel Duty *has* been cut, in real terms, since 2011
Those on modest incomes urgently need more support, via tax cuts & cash transfers
But fairest way to do this is through broad taxes (NI/Income Tax/VAT) or benefits (UC)
Under half of households in bottom quintile have a car
Just because you personally haven’t seen something, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
There can sometimes be a frustrating denialism, especially from some on the Right, to the severity of some profound problems:
Coronavirus, climate change, discrimination
"The central problem with ‘no deal’ is that it is being heavily (mis)sold as providing certainty, finality – a ‘clean break’ – when it would manifestly do nothing of the sort."
EXCL w/
@ChrisMasonBBC
Rishi Sunak is considering changing some of the government's key green commitments.
Could include:
- Delaying ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035
- Softening plans to phase out gas boilers.
Speech in coming days
There is an assumption that Inheritance Tax of 40% is payable on homes being passed to children worth >£325,000
This is overwhelmingly not the case. Once both married parents die, they can pass on to their children the property they lived in with tax-free allowance of £1m
Centre-right celebrates building up & passing on of wealth
But cutting IHT now gives even more money to families who already have plenty of it
Focus should be on helping those with little/none of it to acquire wealth
See
@WeAreBrightBlue
’s new project
@NJ_Timothy
Think you’re over-interpreting it. Seems highly likely she meant she was excited by fast-changing news. Sometimes we don’t always choose exactly the right words live on TV
We’re still in depths of pandemic & recession. Gov needs- in fact has strategy- to prioritise borrowing & spending billions to sustain incomes & activity. People in poverty spend almost all what’s given to them. Cutting UC doesn’t make sense - economically, politically, morally
If there is fiscal headroom, this is totally the wrong priority.
It is younger generations that need and deserve more fiscal support - with the cost of living, housing and family life
🚨EXC: Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are on the brink of approving plans to cut inheritance tax next week
Discussing cut to 40% rate. Treasury’s deemed it’s not inflationary so✔️
Final decision comes next week…but source familiar says “likely”. Let’s see
Utterly the wrong priority for tax cuts. There is already a £1 million exemption from IHT if someone inherits the family home from their married parents.
Young, working-aged people desperately need a government that will support them.
A properly diverse Cabinet, at last, with the numbers from modest backgrounds impressively high.
Now the Labour Government needs to help smash the class ceiling across the whole economy.
In 2030s, there will be an overwhelming case & the political space for UK to join a reformed Single Market and try and be a leader of EFTA, returning to the originally envisaged economic union in Europe to sit alongside the political union that is the EU
Me on
@LBC
last night…
🗣️ Bright Blue's Chief Executive,
@RyanShorthouse
, on
@LBC
with
@BenKentish
.
"In 10 years' time, we'll be in a different place and Britain should join and try and lead an economic union rather than be part of the political union."
Full clip here:
Illegal Migration Bill is disappointing legislation
Its wrong in principle. Its effectively trying to ban people seeking sanctuary in UK, unless you come from 3 countries & in what will be capped resettlement schemes. Its not fair since it fails to give people a fair hearing
Excellent report from
@ukonward
An avalanche is coming to the centre-right
Tories should know not to hold aspirational people back
Best institutions in life - good homes, schools, jobs, families - cannot be preserve of upper middle classes
BREAKING:
New Zealand to become the first country in the world to put assisted dying to a binding public vote.
As ever more jurisdictions around the world take this important step towards compassion, the UK’s lack of progress is becoming more apparent.
Interesting data from
@ONS
today on employment
* Almost all employees (99%) across the UK had a contract they were satisfied with
* 80% of people in England report working satisfactory hours
The appointment of
@David_Cameron
by
@RishiSunak
is impressive and significant.
This could help buoy disillusioned Tory parliamentarians and voters.
And liberal conservatism means good government - not just good politics.
'Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position - unique position in the entire world - in having privileged access not just to the UK market… but also the EU single market'
'Nobody else has that. No one. Only you guys, only here’
Rishi Sunak hails his Brexit deal
I have high hopes that Starmer will make ministerial conduct and decision-making much more professional.
People who experience social mobility believe strongly in formal rules and assessment - in doing things properly. They are how we ever stood a chance.
This is dreadful.
Average life expectancy, especially for millennials, now falling in the UK. And not just because of Covid-19. This should not be happening in a developed country.
But, yes, carry on with the woke war nonsense.
Is there any evidence that processing asylum claims offshore a) deters applicants from making dangerous journeys and b) improves outcomes for the UK (eg reduced state expenditure, better integration)?
If not, the policy is purely performative.
House of Lords should be full of successful entrepreneurs, academics, clinicians, politicians, creatives, businesspeople, activists etc - all of them having built & delivered something consequential, as judged and voted for by public. A properly meritocratic & democratic chamber
Perhaps the worst policy of this decade is the net migration target, cooked up by the Conservatives without scientific and extensive consultation: it has distorted and damaged both public discourse and public policy. It should be abandoned; the sooner the better.
....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....
There are alternatives to Rwanda plan to reduce dangerous journeys, which could be more effective & cheaper
Pilot a humanitarian visa scheme, where applicants have claims processed overseas near to key origin countries
Increase numbers through global resettlement scheme
Millennials are getting very mad. And it won’t be pretty for the Conservatives.
@RishiSunak
needs to act urgently, for the next election and many to come
I see people are citing fiscal discipline & other priorities for resisting extension of the £20 UC uplift.
Did people cite these when wanting Stamp holiday, =c£4bn? Eat out to Help Out =£1bn?
They were last year, of course. But v similar economic situation atm
Excellent column, as ever, from
@matthewsyed
ahead of the
#England
game tonight
The big lesson from it: whether around a football game or Westminster politics, try avoid and ignore those people looking for trouble. And stop giving them so much airtime.
A EU-wide returns agreement is, ultimately, the most sensible way to reduce the number of asylum seekers coming to the UK
A deal will be difficult, but I think this will be more achievable & effective than a plan to detain and deport all asylum seekers
Journalism should be about holding the wealthy and powerful to account, but that's dying. So Labour's plans to strengthen Freedom of Information, give charitable status to local and investigative journalism, and tax digital giants to fund the BBC is a big deal.
#ChangeTheMedia
Home Secretary right to show clear evidence that deficit reduction has not led to an increase in crime. The idea that ‘cuts’ are to blame for every social problem is a myth propagated by those on the Left & vested interests wanting more money from govt
Apparently, following time is something that certain races prize and succeed at more than others...
Why is this offensive nonsense being treated seriously?
NYTimes: "White culture is obsessed with 'mechanical time' -- clock time -- and punishes students for lateness. This is but one example of how whiteness undercuts Black kids." 🙈
The Republican Party
@GOP
needs to stand up for democracy this morning.
Tell that man that he needs to wait in line.
No man is bigger than the traditions and rules of that great nation.
Every word
Cut in aid to 0.5% is
- Unnecessary: our contributions already fall when GNI does
- Inconsistent: where are other cuts this yr if we face a fiscal emergency now?
- Damaging: To our reputation & - most of all - to people who need it most
If people cannot make amends for and move on from past mistakes, instead just be shamed and stopped because of it, then I’m afraid we create a repressive society, not a liberal one
Alongside
@jrf_uk
& more,
@WeAreBrightBlue
calling to
#KeepTheLifeline
- the £20 uplift in UC
Why?
- Majority who would see cut in UC are in work
- No evidence I’ve seen current uplift harming work incentives
- Govt has not presented an alternative
📢 Today
@WeAreBrightBlue
launches our new Community - a collection of people inside & outside Parliament who will work to ensure the centre-right in the UK prioritises liberal, meritocratic, pro-market, institutionalist & internationalist policies
A very intelligent conversation between
@BTrenowden
,
@KateAndrs
and
@EvanHD
on the gender pay gap last night. I would urge people to watch it to make sure the gender pay gap statistics are interpreted correctly
#PayMeToo
Utterly unacceptable that homosexuality still criminalised in 37 Commonwealth countries. UK must use its 2-year chairing of the Commonwealth to press for - and use key levers (including trade and aid) it has to push for - decriminalisation
#CHOGM2018
Chancellor
@RishiSunak
v sensibly raising min wage in line with LPC & ending public sector pay freeze. Reassuringly evidence-led.
But end of UC uplift, combined with NI rise & rising bills, will wipe out wage gains for many & reduce overall household incomes for others
Interesting: “The biggest meta-study of anxiety and depression in the world, from 1990 to 2010, found no evidence that the prevalence of mental disorder was increasing compared with earlier generations”
Worse, the Augar Review is suggesting reducing the salary repayment threshold and increasing the repayment period, both of which means low- and middle-income graduates paying more for higher education. Terrible suggestions.
Looks like Augar (as predicted) will destabilise uni finances, imperil many courses & reverse progress in widening access. Reducing fees to £7.5k will leave funding hole HMT won't fill + benefit only highest earning grads at expense of general taxpayer. Bad policy, bad politics.
“It’s worth remembering that in 2019, 26,000 people died from influenza and pneumonia, despite having an effective vaccination programme in place for the flu in the UK.”
@DrBenSpencer
in
@CharlotteCGill
’s article
Agree with
@stevewebb1
here. Raising pensions annual and lifetime allowance only benefits v affluent earners; and is likely to lead them retiring earlier, as a result of achieving their retirement savings goals earlier
The PM
@RishiSunak
needs to elevate competent Ministers from across the party to Cabinet for the first time: Lucy Frazer, Victoria Atkins, Chris Philp, Jesse Norman, Tom Tugendhat, James Heappey, Neil O’Brien etc.
Same old faces a mistake, both in terms of politics and policy
If Tories cut Inheritance Tax, they’d be giving something for nothing, rewarding people who do nothing to earn that money they receive
Likely to marginally reduce growth & social mobility
You can already pass on a £1m home tax free
Bizarre priority
Important intervention by UK & German Governments
Israel, a liberal democracy, cannot be expected to endure terrorists running a territory right next to it
But it cannot continue in Gaza the way it has. Too many civilians have been killed
My amazing sister-in-law is quickly approaching the French coast, after swimming the English Channel for nearly 12 hours
She’s swimming for
@ProstateUK
&
@mssocietyuk
Here she is halfway - at the crack of dawn
Pls donate if you can
#hanswimsthechan
Sir Kevan Collins right to resign. The package today woeful.
There is inadequate funding, but also insufficient urgency; the catch-up teaching needs to happen *this* academic year, not over several years
Providing extra funding for grammar schools to expand is a mistake by
@DamianHinds
. This will harm, not help, social mobility. The evidence is quite clear:
These possible childcare policies from
@Jeremy_Hunt
look very positive 👍
- Upfront & upgraded payment of childcare element of UC
- Extension of Early Years Free Entitlement
- Relaxation of staff-to-child ratios
- Sign-up bonus to work in childcare
Tory MPs are voting for someone for the task in hand: not extensive renegotiation with the EU, but winning an election. Because that’s where we’re heading. And sooner then people think. If Boris wins, likely to be an election very quickly
If EEA/EFTA had been starting point nearly 2yrs ago, that time could have been spent negotiating freedom of movement, & reforming immigration system. If the UK went for it now after parliamentary votes, still desirable, but less room & time for FoM reform
We have too many minsters in this country who have zero to minimal interest in or experience of meaningful organisational management, just media management. The consequences are increasingly and profoundly problematic.
Today,
@WeAreBrightBlue
launches new cross-party, cross-sector commission to guide thinking on what our social security system should look like after
#COVID19
Covered in The Guardian:
Read more here:
The Tory defeat has little to do with their political positioning or philosophy.
It is to do with not delivering on the primary issues the public care about.
There are 4 main things people can do to improve their lives *and* contribute to the greater good:
- Work more
- Raise children
- Help out in their local community
- Build up assets
A Conservative Government’s Budget should be focussed on supporting people to do them
This graph says it all: overall, very welcome and impressive progressive package of measures from
@RishiSunak
to support households with the rising cost of living. Finally turning to cash transfers to help. The pragmatic Chancellor we need 👏
UK Govt is now willing to essentially ignore our rule of law & international reputation to enable some asylum seekers to be immediately deported to Rwanda, without evidence this exceptional policy will be effective as a deterrent.
A grave mistake.
How about adapting a scheme Gov already has to support both employers & employees with temporary absence of labour? Statutory Maternity Pay
90% of salary paid for 6 wks, followed by a flat rate of c£150 weekly, all subsidised by state
Time for Coronavirus Pay for some sectors?
One of the biggest lessons for Starmer from the Tory defeat is that he needs to deliver, quickly.
That means appointing people to government who have created and run organisations, rather than those who are good at PR.
The Tories did too much of the latter.