Iain Macwhirter
austerity
It’s not even jam tomorrow. But at least we now know austerity was nonsense.
JUST as the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, was approaching peak boredom after speaking for more than an hour and a quarter, the nation suddenly woke up. “I am going to abolish the Autumn Statement”, he announced. Great! An end to the annual exercise in self-serving public relations that was turned into an alternative Budget by the … Continue reading
Brexit vote is there for the taking, but the shambolic Leave campaign can’t stop people leaving.
“WHO will speak for England?” asked the Daily Mail in a front page editorial last week. Well, so far only a politician who complains about foreigners with HIV coming to Britain, and an 83-year-old, climate change sceptic who lives in France. That would be the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, and the former Tory chancellor, Nigel … Continue reading
The cosy cliches of austerity economic.
READ IAIN ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS IN THE HERALD AND SUNDAY HERALD Live within your means. Balance the books. Fix the roof while the sun is shining. If these cosy household financial cliches have an antiquated ring to them that’s because they refer to an essentially Victorian approach to personal and public finance. We … Continue reading
Tory spending cuts? Barnett scrapped? English votes? Vow broken? Can’t say we weren’t warned.
Scottish voters can’t say they weren’t warned about George Osborne’s £25 billion austerity programme. But even I’m shocked that Britain’s already paltry benefits are to be cut in real terms for two years. Forget the bedroom tax; this is the austerity tax, and it’s hitting the poorest. But that’s the Union we’ve voted to remain … Continue reading
Iain Macwhirter 