The Treasury keeps changing the figures it shows and withholds. I feel when reading Budget and Financial Statement books now I am being pushed into a view or judgement they want Ministers to make and readers to accept. Let’s take the case of debt inte… read more
The events of recent weeks have shown that it is possible to be a Minister in office unable to see through changes of policy or enforcement of laws in ways the public and Ministers wish. At the Home Office successive Ministers have made clear their wi… read more
I put the case to the Chancellor before the Autumn Statement for more money for Councils like Wokingham where social service demand has been exceeding available grant aid and tax revenue. I was pleased to see he has agreed and provided £2.8bn more for… read more
I said the OBR deficit forecast this spring for this year was likely to prove an underestimate. Yesterday the OBR put it up by 75%. I said all summer we would go into recession unless they changed policy. The OBR did not forecast that in the spring. … read more
Dear Councillor Jones I am very willing to represent the Council to government where it has a good case, and think we would serve Wokingham better if the Council consulted me before sending letters to Ministers. Ministers are busy people who do not ha… read more