Dose of reality
In a recent speech, Labour leader Ed Miliband reminded me, once again, why and how the country's been sliding into this financial mess over the past 13 years. As reported in today's Telegraph, he warned his audience that the government's austerity programme would break the "British promise" that living standards would rise with each generation. Well, in my view, the country needs a harsh dose of reality rather than left wing rhetoric. The very fact that he assumes each generation should be better off is a falsehood that inevitably leads a Socialist government to up taxes and penalize the wealth generators who, weary of this partisanship, either relocate to another country or sell their business and retire. The void is filled by the State, which employs more and more people at a cost it simply cannot afford. The fact is that we will have to accept a lower standard of living, lower wages and a cooling of the economy if we are to rebuild and fight another day on an increasingly competitive world stage. A government can help by making bold cuts in taxes, including fuel duty and VAT, warning the country at the same time that with less revenue coming into the Treasury, public services would have to be prioritized. For too long we have been anaesthetized from reality by a profligate Labour government and the EU, whiich consumes increasingly more and more of our hard earned cash to create a false economy where everyone lives happily ever after, or so it's claimed. This is, of course, nonsense, and until this country takes a harsh grip on reality, leaves the EU, works hard and begins to earn the wealth we need, we shall continue to hear Socialist speeches such as Miliband's for decades to come.
Posted on 28 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Defence of the realm
Do we have to look any further at how unstable the world is than the unfurling events in North Africa to remind us how important the defence of the realm and her people is. The answer is clearly, no. Yet, while hard evidence matures before our very eyes, this country continues with its cuts to the armed services, with reports in the Sunday Telegraph (20 February) that the government is considering reducing the army by a further 20,000. I have to say that I think this is madness and that the defence of the United Kingdom is the first duty of any government, let alone a mainly Conservative one. The papers are rightly full of praise for our special forces and their two recent operations to extract British nationals from Libya. Fortunately, the one aircraft carrier that we do still have, and that hasn't been scrapped - the island of Malta - gave our forces the flexibility to mount such a mission. It proves, yet again, how tactically significant that island in the Mediterranean is. I wonder what we would have done without this base? It's no good promising a fully cohesive carrier strike in nine years' time; we need something now. I don't think our enemies are going to wait most conveniently for nine years, do you? There won't always be a Malta in future operations and, unless someone can tells me differently, we don't have the ability to move this island around at will!
Posted on 28 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Tony Blair and Libya
Last October, Tony Blair was forced to deny that he was a paid advisor to the Libyan Investment Authority – the organisation charged with investing Libya’s gigantic sovereign wealth fund on behalf of the socialist jamahirya’s citizens. This week, he was again made to deny any paid involvement with the Libyan regime when Saif al Islam al Gadaffi insisted that Tony Blair was a paid advisor to Libya. Yes, he was a friend too, said Saif, citing numerous visits by Blair to his father in recent months, but Blair was definitely on the payroll. Whether he was paid or not, Blair’s friendliness to one of the region’s more extreme despots seems excessive. And the rumours persist
Posted on 26 February 2011 by Richard Drax
No to AV
There will only be one winner if the Yes vote wins this referendum and that's the Lib Dems. I watch with interest as Mr Clegg claims that AV will somehow make up for the expenses' scandal. This is disingenuous. It wasn't the system that was corrupt, only some of the politicians who tucked into it. The guidelines were perfectly clear. You could only claim for expenses incurred doing your job as an MP. For those who bucked the system - and sadly there were quite a few - there should have been only one path: resignation. But to return to my point on AV, why should we indulge in a system which, through its very mechanics, will give the Lib Dems more seats. The only reason the Lib Dems fare so badly under first past the post is because they stand for nothing, and no one trusts them. There are many reasons I want to stick with what we have, not least because it ensures individual parties have to promote policies which the electorate find attractive. For the Lib Dems to win a greater share of power under first past the post, they've go to actually stand for something. So, vote No in May, if you the electorate want politics to mean something at all.
Posted on 19 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Taxi ride
There's nothing quite like a London cabbie to give it to you from the hip, and that was the case this morning. During a animated chat on my way to the Commons, the driver made three points which have stuck with me and I'd like to share them with you. He asked why MPs like Gordon Brown are not in jail having spent the nation's money so irresponsibly. The cabbie compared Brown's behaviour to that of a motorist who, having filled up his car with petrol, drives off without paying. He has a point. He then went on to ask why people like him, who worked hard, saved and tried to look after their families, were having to reach in their pockets more and more just to stay alive. He added that one day a government would ask one more time for more money in tax and he'd have nothing more to give. Finally, he touched on fuel prices, saying they were crippling him and other cabbies. And, of course, he is right, it is time we reduced fuel prices and did what we keep saying we're going to do and that's re-ignite the economy.
Posted on 16 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Overseas aid
I, like most of my constituents, are baffled why the UK is contributing £8.4 billion to overseas aid this year. This huge sum is set to rise in 2014 to £12.6 billion. We read in today's papers that we give £280 million a year to India, an increasingly wealthy nation which spends 2.6 per cent of its national income on defence - that's more than we do. What on earth are we doing giving all this money away when in our own country we are struggling to maintain our armed services, renovate schools, build roads, hospitals and even keep libraries open. Charity starts at home, the saying goes, so let's stop sending money to these countries. If they want to learn how to farm, let's send a farmer. If they want to build cars, let's send them technicians. I think you get my gist. The cash we need here at home, and badly.
Posted on 15 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Mess on our tracks
Well done author Bill Bryson. As president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, he's launched an verbal assault on Network Rail to remove the litter on and near railway lines and platforms. I could not agree more. Indeed, it is often depressing travelling by rail when litter is strewn all over the place and graffitti stares back at you on virtually every wall, bridge and hard surface as you travel through built-up areas in particular. I would add that this plague curses virtually every road and motorway I travel on and it is the first sign, if one was needed, that our country is rapidly losing her self pride.
Posted on 15 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Marriage and the law
There is talk in judicial circles of extending the rights enjoyed in marriage to cohabiting couples. I disagree. While I believe that marriage is indeed the best environment within which to bring up children, there are many who do not wish to make that commitment for their own very good reasons. I believe we should strengthen marriage, by making a break up less punitive - normally on the wealthier of the two - and prenups are going along way to achieve this. For those who want to remain outside marriage, I say that's their choice, and not the law's. It is a couple's choice whether they marry or not and ultimately for two grown ups to resolve, not the courts.
Posted on 7 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Future of our forests
Certainly, the proposal that the government privatises forests has not gone down well. I've had more mail on this subject than any other, as have many of my colleagues. And I'm not surprised, frankly. I must declare an interest here in that I both manage woodland and also own other areas of forestry currently leased to the Forestry Commission. I only say this to ensure transparency and I hope to indicate I know a little of what I am talking about. When the Commission was established in 1919 its aim was to produce timber after the devastating effects of the First World War. Over the years, that role has changed from timber production to. in effect. managing play areas for the public. They, quite naturally, believe they have a right to access and fear the government's proposal will endanger it. Running a forest is not a simple business and is very capital intensive. Where I see a flaw in this proposal is how are these leases are ever going to fetch a reasonable price when they are bound to come with onerous conditions on access. The alternative is to sell them cheaply, but then the government will stand accused of behaving incoherrently at best. I am not sure this idea has been thought through in quite the detail it should have been and, of course, the devil is always in the detail. A re-think, perhaps?
Posted on 7 February 2011 by Richard Drax
Her Majesty's Coastguard
First, can I pay tribute to all those who serve the Coastguard, whether paid or volunteer. They all do the most incredible job, often placing themselves in danger to help those in trouble on both land and sea. So, is with regret and sadness that I find myself fighting to save our coastguard in Weymouth. The operations centre employs about 30 staff, all of whom face redundancy in 2013. The plan is to have two 24 hour super centres at Aberdeen and Solent, a 24 hour sub-centre at Dover, and five other sub-centres operating during the day only. I applied to speak during at debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday. Regrettably, I was not called - the debate only lasted 90 minutes - but several colleagues covered many of the points I wanted to raise. I do not believe this proposal is a good one at all and by reducing the number of locally manned operations centres there will inevitably be a loss of knowledge and cohesion. I cannot see the Solent super centre beginning to handle the volume of information it will receive during a hot, busy weekend in the summer. This proposal is going to public consultation and I can only urge my constituents in Weymouth and Portland to attend the one at All Saints' School on Wednesday 9 March at 7pm. I shall close this comment piece by re-iterating my thanks and admiration to the men and women who serve this country with such professionalism and courage.
Posted on 4 February 2011 by Richard Drax