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Forum responses - 25th September 2007
25/09/2007
Here are my latest responses to topics on the Webcameron forums. Keep your questions coming!
Economic Attack!
Author:
tonymakara
We have been pointing out for a while now some of the worrying imbalances that have been developing in the economy. Tonymakara emphasises in particular the issue of debt. The most important thing for the economy is stability, and if an economy is built on debt then that economic stability is put at risk.
For most of us, the ability to borrow is a good thing – allowing us to buy a home, manage our finances, or start a business. In other words it allows people to realise their dreams. But if debt levels get too high, we become more vulnerable to the unexpected. Alan Greenspan, recently appointed by Gordon Brown as his economic adviser, recently made just this point.
At the moment there is a mountain of debt – both government and household debt. The government deficit is the highest in western Europe, and personal debt as a proportion of income is the highest in the developed world. In terms of personal debt we now owe more than our entire national income.
So what should be done? With government spending, we need to tighten up the Chancellor’s fiscal rules, so they have real bite. No longer should the Chancellor be able to change the definition of the economic cycle, or be judge and jury on whether his own rules have been met.
And with personal debt, lenders should be allowed to talk to each other about a borrowers’ credit history, and they should also explain more clearly to people the costs of any borrowing. Banks have a responsibility to lend responsibly – and government should remind them of this when their lending gets out of hand.
Going Green... Or Raising Tax Revenue?
Author:
lukas
To answer lukas’s main point directly, I can guarantee that, unlike with Gordon Brown, Conservative green taxes will not be about raising tax revenue on the quiet. The reason I can guarantee this is we will use the proceeds from new green taxes to reduce taxes elsewhere.
We are going to set up a family fund into which all of the new taxes on pollution will go. That money will be ring fenced – no civil servants will be able to get their hands on it – and it will be independently audited. The money in the fund will pay for reductions in other taxes.
So we will be using taxes as incentives rather than punishment. That is the right direction for the environment and it's the right direction for our economy.
I agree with lucas that going green should be about social responsibility, which means everyone doing their bit. But government needs to take a lead, and green taxes are a part of that. Carefully and appropriately applied as part of a wider package of measures, green taxes are partly about harnessing the power of the market to deliver progress on the environment. If green taxes are balanced with tax cuts elsewhere, that isn’t an anti-Conservative approach.
Nor is going green about doom and gloom or returning to the Middle Ages. In Germany, for example, 10 times more people are employed in renewable energy than the number in Britain. Those jobs could be over here. And then there are all the things that will improve our quality of life – like lower congestion, cleaner air, warmer homes, cheaper bills and healthier food. To achieve these things we all need to play our part – including individuals, families, businesses and government.
How can we create jobs?
Author:
tonymakara
I agree there is a big problem with so-called hidden unemployment in Britain, with far too many people being left behind. In some places, a quarter of older working men are left on disability benefit year after year. And there are over a million young people not in work, education or training – more than there were when Labour took office promising a more equal society.
But I don’t think the best way to tackle the problem is through a big centralised public works programme. Instead there are three - inter-related - things we can do.
First, there is welfare reform – like reform of Incapacity Benefit, so there are clear incentives to get people into work wherever possible. On welfare reform generally we would place much greater emphasis on the small local organisations and social enterprises that can be so effective in getting people off welfare. This was recommended in the Freud Report, which the Government commissioned. As Chancellor, Gordon Brown said he welcomed the Report, but since he became Prime Minister he’s been watering the proposals down.
Second, there is the need to improve the dynamism and competitiveness of the economy, so new businesses and jobs can be created. That's the thinking behind the work of John Redwood's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group, which published its report in August.
Third, we need to liberate the potential of future generations. That’s why I’ve placed such a big emphasis on education – with rigour brought to the curriculum and testing; head teachers given control over discipline; policies to make it easier to set up new schools so there is more diversity and parents have real choice; and teaching by ability in every subject in every school, so bright pupils are stretched and all pupils are taught at the right level.
I don’t agree with those who say the answer is to start putting up trade barriers. Experience shows these end up hurting the country which puts them up, as well as the countries they are aimed at. Instead, we should be celebrating the benefits of globalisation while also meeting our moral obligation to the people and the places globalisation has left behind.
David Cameron , The NHS must treat all British citizens. Your proposal is unethical.
Author:
canvas
Our position is clear. As has always been the case in the NHS, NHS treatment must be judged by medical professionals on the basis of the clinical need and the best interests of the patient. The NHS will always be universally available to all based on medical need – we will never bring in any kind of blanket ban denying people routine treatments solely based on their lifestyle.
What the Policy Group suggested was a 'NHS Health Miles Card', with 'reward points' for giving up smoking, losing weight, receiving immunisations or attending screening programmes. These points could then be redeemed against things like fresh vegetables, discounted gym membership, or priority within other public services. I would stress that this was a report to the Conservative Party, not a report by the Conservative Party.
As with all of the proposals of the policy groups, we will consider this carefully, along with the comments people have made through our Stand Up, Speak Up consultation.
The Group’s report also made a lot of wider points. It talked about the importance of informed choice, engaging people in considering the implications for their health of the decisions they take but not appearing to tell them how to lead their lives.
We do need to strike a proper balance when it comes to the roles of government and of people in this area. The problem at the moment is that the rates of obesity, sexually transmitted infections, other infectious diseases and substance misuse are all moving in the wrong direction, and past success in tackling smoking rates has stalled. If we allow this to continue, not only will it lead to a lower quality of life for the people concerned, but it will also mean higher costs on the rest of the population and on the NHS. So government can’t just sit back as if it doesn’t matter. That’s why, separately from the Policy Group, Andrew Lansley and the health team launched detailed proposals in June for improving the way we go about delivering public health and the priority it is given in government.
Labour want compulsary voting
Author:
tonymakara
First, in case anyone is wondering, I’m not singling out tonymakara’s questions deliberately – it’s just that I’ve already covered a lot of the other current topics on the forums.
I agree compulsory voting would be wrong. It would of course need enforcing, and some other countries levy fines – which I think would simply be seen as another stealth tax. I’ve described it as being like blackmailing people into attending your birthday party and then believing you were popular because so many people turned up.
The important point is this. It isn’t a fecklessness or lack of public spirit that keeps people away from the polling station – it’s the sense of powerlessness. That is what we need to address.
The state is our servant, not our master, and compulsory voting - like compulsory ID cards in fact - starts to reverse that relationship. It would be a bad move.
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Meeting Angela Merkel in Berlin
17/09/2007
On Friday, I was in Berlin to have a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Party - the sister party of the British Conservatives.
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Launching National Citizen's Service with Amir Khan
06/09/2007
Sorry, big gap with no blog. Holidays, frenetic period of political activity, planning for potential October election – I have a number of excuses, none of them much good.
Today I am launching something I’m really passionate about. Two years ago, in the leadership election I talked about a new scheme of national service – not national
military service, but a universal programme for all young people that was about serving the community, learning about responsibility and being a full adult citizen of the UK.
Things have moved a long way since then, a new charity – the Young Adult Trust – has run pilot schemes and engaged with voluntary sector organisations. Now we’re taking it to the next stage with a clear design for a six week programme that would be for all sixteen year olds in the summer holidays after GCSEs. We’re calling it National Citizen’s Service.
It’s meant a busy day – having coffee at home with Tom Bradby and an ITN crew who are following me from 6.20am this morning. Getting to GMTV (where I tragically failed to meet Keira Knightley, who was also being interviewed). And a trip to Bolton to launch the scheme with boxer Amir Khan, who is not politically involved with the Conservatives but has said he likes the idea.
I really think the time for this idea has come. Mending the broken society cannot just mean changes to Policing and criminal justice, or even the longer term work of strengthening families and communities. It is also about the positive work of inspiring young people, the next generation of British citizens. Making young people feel they are part of something bigger than themselves, that we a re all in it together, that we owe obligations to each other, and doing so in a way that inspires and challenges them – that is what this is all about.
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Forum responses - 3rd September 2007
03/09/2007
Thanks for all your questions on the Webcameron Forums - I have posted
responses to posts on Devolution, Election prospects, televised debates
and the Heathrow protestors.
Scottish Devolution
Author:
dazautomatic
There is no doubt for me that England and Scotland are stronger together than apart. Historically, culturally, economically, and through ties of kinship, our two countries have grown together for the past three centuries and we cannot allow that to be thrown away.
But there is an important point here. Politicians cannot keep on taking the Union for granted. Though polls now suggest that a majority of both Scots and English want to stay in the Union, we cannot ignore the fact that just a few months ago this was not the case, and of course the fact the SNP did win the election.
One of the reasons there is disillusionment south of the border is pointed out in the initial posting. At the moment Gordon Brown can vote on hospitals, schools and housing in my constituency, but I'm not able to vote on hospitals, schools or housing in his constituency or in other parts of Scotland - and nor, in fact, is he. This situation does need to change. It means Scottish MPs can end up having the decisive say in introducing policies which don't affect their own constituents.
That’s why I've asked our commission on democracy, led by Ken Clarke, to look at solutions in detail. But giving MPs in English constituencies the decisive say in Parliament on issues that affect only England would be an effective way to handle this problem.
On the question of scrapping the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament, I have to disagree. We should be trying to get decision-making closer to people, not further away.
That’s why I have been talking so much about making politics more local, so people have real control over their lives, and that’s why we should back devolution heart and soul.
Snap poll. Is Cameron ready? Are the Tories ready for change?
Author:
canvas
Whenever the Prime Minister chooses to call an election, the Conservative Party will be ready. If you want the evidence of that, just look at the all the ideas that are coming out right now. On every major issue that is facing the country, it is us, not Labour, who are doing the serious, long-term thinking and setting the agenda.
Part of this agenda is of course our economy. What John Redwood’s report did was show how the arteries of the British economy are being furred up by Gordon Brown’s excessive regulation and tax rises. Hence his ambitious agenda for tax reform, cutting red tape and improving our transport system so Britain can compete in the globalised economy.
But we haven’t just been talking about how we can be a more economically successful country. We want to combine that with how to be an environmentally and socially healthy one too. That’s why Iain Duncan-Smith’s report was such a landmark in British social policy, showing the way on how we can fix our broken society by, in part, strengthening families. John Gummer’s report on Quality of Life will be coming out soon as well, which will show what can be done to tackle climate change and build strong and inclusive communities. And our recent campaign on the NHS, where we want to save services against Gordon Brown’s cuts shows that once again, our priorities are those of the people of this country.
Cameron Brown Campbell debate?
Author:
tonymakara
I’d like nothing more than to have a televised debate with the Prime Minister at the next election. I suspect that he’d be less keen!
Actually, an important general point is raised here. I disagree with Graham when he says that this kind of stuff puts people off politics. When I was running for the Conservative leadership we had a televised debate and the response to it was great. It engaged people with the process because it allowed participants to set out their ideas and vision. Of course, if you haven’t got a vision for the country and no ideas to set out, it may be less appealing. Hence, as I said, why I think the current Prime Minister may reject a debate.
Anti-Terrorism Laws And Heathrow Protestors
Author:
Mark23
My views on the urgency with which we need to tackle climate change are well-known, so I support wholeheartedly the right for people to protest peacefully, as the vast majority of those who at Heathrow last month did.
Of course, the way the police handled the protests is an operational matter for them. We must remember that Heathrow is the largest airport in the world, and disruption during its busiest time could endanger both the security of the airport and safety of the public. This would have been at the forefront of any decision taken by them to use anti-terror laws. In the end though, the small minority that crossed the boundaries of peaceful protest were charged under public order offences.
Laws that are designed to fight terrorism should be used for this purpose, where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a threat from terrorism exists. Excessive or inappropriate application of such powers does nothing to enhance our security and can actually alienate law abiding citizens.
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