Janet Daley - A Voice Of Reason

In her comment piece in tomorrows edition of the Daily Telegraph, Janet Daley highlights all that is wrong with the present Conservative Party and its Leader.

A few quotes from her article:

"....instead of being a clear and decisive launch of a fresh Tory approach to the economic future, last week's events have unravelled into yet another argument about the political direction of the leadership."

Homing in on the mixed message from Conservative Shadow spokesman on the question of the 45p tax rate and with William Hague saying one thing and Ken Clarke another:

"Quite apart from the economic unsoundness of raising tax on the investing and wealth-creating classes at a time when the economy needs their enthusiastic participation..........more confusion has been thrown into the Conservative message. The question, "What do the Tories really stand for?" is even more difficult to answer with any clear conviction."

When one thinks of 'wealth-creators' it is worth remembering, as was pointed out by Mark Wadsworth in a comment on one of my posts, that we are all - each in our own little way - wealth-creators and therefore it is pointless increasing the taxes at the top of the wage-scale without decreasing the taxes at the bottom - strange, no mention of the latter. Did I not hear something in the dim and distant past about 'lower taxes for all' and 'we are a tax-cutting party', or words to that effect?

Midway through the article Janet Daley suggests that David Cameron and the Conservative Party need to forget about 'nice vs nasty' and think 'honest', 'clear' and 'principled'. Janet, Janet, Janet - I admire your idea but I think you have forgotten one important point - this is David Cameron and the Conservative Party we are talking about here. (I should perhaps, in fairness, say that there are one or two (figuratively speaking) members of the Conservative Party to whom those remarks do not apply)

It is obvious that there needs to be a 'surgical' cull in the quangocracy field, however Janet Daley's suggestion of enrolling state employees in the Conservative Plans would seem to be doomed to failure on the basis that turkeys do not vote for Christmas.

Much has been written and spoken about the economic situation in our country and the methods required to rectify our ills.

Put very simply, the following is required now:

1. We inform the EU we no longer wish to be a member of their political club but that we are however perfectly willing to trade with them - the choice is theirs.
2. We 'surgically operate' on the 'quango industry'.
3. We go 'cap in hand and on bended knee' to those markets that we have 'ignored', for example the Commonwealth, and tell them we have, or will produce, the goods they want.
4. We legislate so that banks cannot lend more than they have.
5. We 'reconfigure' our parliamentary system not only so that power is really devolved to local authorities, but also to include a 'true accountability factor' of MPs to their constituents.
6. We 'help' ourselves first before we 'help' others.
7. Those who cannot, or will not, accept our culture, way of life and who will not work for the good of this country are 'invited' to leave.

Strong and xenophobic it may be, but that will do for 'starters' - comments?