Will the Tories be forgiven?
The Chancellor is cherpy but is he entitled to be? Jim analyses the Autumn Statement and Labour’s pledge to back the tax cuts.
Chancellor
The Hunt is on
The highest taxes for generations and falling living standards, yet argues Jim in his latest blog, the Chancellor offered stability and some ground breaking measures for the North and Midlands in this week’s Budget.
Go for growth Chancellor
Frank McKenna urges the Chancellor to use his £30 Billion windfall to support business and the economy, and go for growth, when he delivers his budget next month.
Where are we going to get growth?
Frank McKenna fears for small businesses and the hospitality sector following last week’s Autumn Statement.
We do not Truss you
Jim reflects on the spectacular economic implosion of the new Truss government and reports on the level of interest from business in the Labour Party that he noted at their Liverpool conference.
Remember levelling up Rishi?
Jim looks at the implications of the Chancellor’s statement on the Levelling Up agenda and the date of the next General Election.
Cheery defiance to the gathering storm
Jim asks if the Chancellor’s breezy Budget optimism is justified and the difficulty Labour has in opposing a high spending, high taxing government.
Spend, spend, spend – Rishi has traditional Tories scratching their heads
Traditional Tories will see the Chancellor’s budget as heresy. But Sunak and Johnson won’t mind if it delivers them another election victory.
Does Debt Matter?
In his 400th blog for Downtown, Jim asks how the huge bill for Covid-19 is going to be paid for. Some experts say let the deficit take care of itself, but Jim thinks some tax rises are inevitable.
We’re all in this together? Don’t tell that to the self-employed
In his blog this week, Frank McKenna calls for more support for the self-employed; welcomes Keir Starmer’s election as Labour leader; and wishes Boris Johnson a speedy recovery.
There is a magic money tree after all
The Tories have found the magic money tree that Theresa May said didn’t exist. But in his Budget review, Jim asks if there is underlying unease in the Tory Party about this dramatic switch from austerity to a bonanza of spending.
A solid eight out of ten for Sunak budget
Frank McKenna offers his thoughts on the budget and Coronavirus in his latest Downtown blog.