1.
The Tories lost the 2010
General Election. I know we all knew this before – but Cameron actually said it
on Marr, which is, I think, the first time he has ever said it publicly (I
stand to be corrected but no one has yet).
2.
The most successful policy this
government has enacted so far (at least, I imagine, in Tory focus groups) is…
taking 2 million people out of tax altogether and reducing taxes for 25 million
others. I know this because Cameron said it twice in the Marr interview,
Hammond said it on WATO and it’s on the front page of the Tory Website – in fact it’s the first thing.
Pity Cameron said it was impossible in the leaders debates…
3.
Philip Hammond on the World at
One refused to deny the Marriage Tax allowance would be paid for by tax rises
elsewhere. It does increasingly look like a very badly thought through piece of
nonsense.
4.
David Cameron didn’t deny he
had worked out weeks before the last general election, through a seat by seat
analysis, that they were not going to win an overall majority. When asked the
question he said ‘that’s not how I remember it’. A non-denial denial. Damien
Mcbride must have smiling approvingly.
5.
The Tories are taking up my suggestion
of renaming HS2; however I said that as the main argument was shifting from
speed to capacity, it should now be called HC2 (or perhaps HC1, as HS1 – the
line from St Pancras to Paris – has always been about speed and nothing else).
However it seems they are to rechristen it the North South Line – which is
ironic as, if the North is SO important to them you would have thought they
would have started building it there. Or else they have so little concept of
what constitutes the North that they think Birmingham is part of it.
6.
Cameron also committed to HS2–
so no backing down from the Tories going forward. Although Cameron did say
there was a choice here – between HS2 or building a Victorian type railway
instead. He appears to think we still have steam engines. Maybe they do in
Chipping Norton.
7.
Michael Gove and William Hague
both unequivocally ruled out ever standing for the leadership of the Tory party
today. Which means there is still a lot of talk about the leadership – and
presumably their names are being mentioned. Wait for the line “I have no desire
to do this, but I have been persuaded by colleagues that it is my duty, for the
good of the country, yada yada yada…”
8.
Want more proof? Andrew
Mitchell started talking up George Osborne today, saying his share price was
very underpriced (and channeling Stephen
Tall in the process). So Osborne vs. Boris pre 2015? It’ll happen – if
Labour maintain an 11 point lead in the polls
9.
Cameron also came out against
not just the Mansion tax – but wealth taxes per se. As one person on Twitter
put it to me… He seemed to be making a Mansion Tax a red line issue going
forward. A marker for future negotiations me thinks.
10. They still don’t seem to see there’s a contradiction in saying that they
are incentivising hard work over not working – and incentivizing one person in a
marriage to stay at home through the Marriage Tax Allowance. (However paltry an
incentive that is). It’s clumsy thinking. As well as a really stupid idea
anyway
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