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You do not get much for £75,000The most striking feature of this week’s government announcement of new ways to tackle problem families was the figure work. Apparently the 120,000 worst problem families in the country cost taxpayers on average £75,000 a year. That is the cost of benefits, housing, social work, police time and the rest, as a small army of state emoloyees... |
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Choirs, carols and candlelight
Wokingham is in good voice this festive season. Last weekend I went to the Loddon Valley concert, given by the Maestros youth orchestra and the massed primary schools choirs. James Baker led it well, getting a strong sound from the singers, and a great performance from the instrumentalists....
When is a veto not a veto?
We say an emphatic "no" to a new European Fiscal Union treaty. If the others want to go ahead with one, we wish them well - but they'll have to do it separately from the European Union.But then we agree to remain part of the on-going negotiations. "Our Foreign Office people think we ought to remain...
2 B or not 2 B – the Rating Agency row
The French attack upon the UK’s debts, deficits, inflation and growth rate looked like an attempt to deflect attention from France’s plunging rating. There have been two big differences so far between France and the UK. The first is the UK can print and devalue to keep its debt afloat,...
The Failure to teach pupils to read is criminal
One of the most inspiring educational community visits I have done recently was to go to Burnt Mill School for the opening of the new Library. I met some wonderful pupils who were passionate about books and were reading voraciously. The Head has also brought large numbers of Kindles which encourage...
Saif Gadaffi and his British PhD
Regular readers will know that I have campaigned for many months on the issue of Colonel Gadaffi's funding of some British universities, and the fact that his son Saif Gadaffi (above) was awarded a PhD in Britain.I raised this again recently in Parliament HERE, and the Press Association have reported...
How’s the decision to back Christine Lagarde as head of the IMF worked out?
"Ms Lagarde" says the Telegraph's Jeremy Warner "was always the wrong choice as managing director of the IMF, if only because she is not impartial. She's a European cuckoo in the nest, and therefore as incapable of seeing what needs to be done as the rest of the eurozone policy elite." So why...
No time for AAA-rated smugness
French finance ministers might not agree, but it is a great relief Britain will be staying clear of Europe’s mutual suicide pact, also known as European Fiscal Union. But don't let's get smug. Euroland is in a mess for all sorts of reasons; a lack of competitiveness, one-size-fits-all...
John Redwood – Video of Long Finance Autumn Conference Speech 04/11/11
Keynote note presentation entitled ‘Does Bursting One Bubble Lead to Another?’ delivered by the Rt Hon John Redwood MP to the Long Finance Autumn Conference on 4 November 2011. The event was sponsored and hosted by HSBC. Supported by the City of London Corporation, Gresham College, Chartered Institute...
The Bow Group and a topical fairy story
Last night I was the guest speaker at the Bow Group’s Christmas drinks. I told them a short European fairy story about countries that wanted to share a currency with each other. I will write it out nearer Christmas for this blog. It has either a happy or an unhappy...
M.A.D. – Mutually assured deflation – the new pact
It is intriguing to hear how popular the draft new treaty for the 17 is proving with admirers of more EU government. They are often the kind of people who think more government spending and borrowing are a good idea. This pact recommends the opposite. It proposes big cuts...
Iran: the new Soviet Union of the Middle East
Yesterday in Parliament, there was an urgent debate, about the serious threat of Iran building a secret nuclear weapon. This is deeply worrying: not only for the Iranian people, who are denied their basic democratic rights and freedoms, but for the entire world. I made a short speech about this, which...
Home Heat Helpline launched
Last week saw the Parliamentary launch of the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99). It is a free, not-for-profit advice service to help people who are struggling to pay their energy bills and stay warm this Christmas. In October 2006, the Helpline was initially launched by the Energy Retail Association...
John Redwood’s Christmas Message for 2011
The Rt Hon John Redwood MP has released his Christmas Message for 2011: “We need some mid winter magic this year. There is a warming familiarity as the tinsel and the trees, the holly and the baubles appear in shops and homes. For children there is instant wonder as they see these things for the first...
Women in Sport
On Thursday I joined the Us Girls project sponsored by Sport England. It was an opportunity to showcase the world class female sportswomen Britain has. It was a great turnout, with a staggering array of British team captains turning up in support, including: Charlotte Edwards MBE, (Cricket), Faye White...
