Politics

Political round-up Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher Anger at lack of action on immigration

Anger, resentment and frustration at the failure of the Government to take effective action against the vast numbers of people crossing the Channel in small boats from France continues unabated. I asked two oral questions on this subject in the House of Commons. The new Immigration Minister refused to answer my question as to ‘what is the target date for ending this farce?’. Nor did he accept my invitation to agree that ‘Conditions in Manston, although far from ideal, are a heck of a sight better than conditions in squatter camps in Calais or on those overcrowded, dangerous boats crossing the Channel’. It was encouraging, therefore, to hear the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, answering directly my point about the large number of asylum seekers from Albania who are exploiting our laws against modern slavery. She replied by saying: ‘There is absolutely no reason why an Albanian cannot claim modern slavery protection in Albania as it is a signatory to the originating international convention which underlines modern slavery laws’. In the light of that response, I am confident that the Home Secretary is going to address the modern slavery loophole. Let us hope it is soon.

n I also asked two oral questions about the Cop27 conference. I received no response to my question as to why ‘the United Kingdom is still importing vast quantities of liquified natural gas from the United States, especially when two thirds of that gas is produced by fracking’. Nor did I receive a response to my suggestion that ‘When Ministers go to the Cop27 conference, will they give the cold shoulder to Germany to show our country’s disapproval and disgust at it continuing a massive expansion in its use of lignite, which is the dirtiest way of generating electricity’. It is a great disappointment that the Government seems unwilling to call out the humbug and hypocrisy which is evident in so much of the climate change debate. China and Germany are rapidly expanding coal production while we are nervous about even producing coal for steam trains! We seem happy to allow the United States to use fracking for the gas which we use but are unwilling to countenance it as a method of exploiting our own natural resource.

n Although my Anonymity of Suspects Bill could only be debated for about 15 minutes, I hope I will be able to meet the Minister to discuss it. The Bill would prevent people giving publicity to accusations against individuals prior to those individuals being charged. Too many , including Sir Cliff Richard and Paul Gambaccini, have been falsely accused, found innocent and yet had their lives completely wrecked as a result of the publicity given to their case.

Christchurch & East Dorset CHRIS CHOPE MP

This round of austerity will be much harder

The news is full of proposed tax increases. The Government does this to spook you, before then making you feel grateful when not all of the tax increases come to pass. Hunt will have to have followed through on some of the Treasury ‘leaks’ by the time his budget is published. The Tories were running an ‘underlying’ budget deficit of approximately £15bn prior to ‘Kami-Kwasi’ Kwarteng. Once he’d collapsed the UK’s credibility in the bond markets, borrowing costs soared and now Hunt contemplates nearly £40bn of cuts in order to return borrowing to a level consistent with debt falling as a share of GDP in the medium term. To put that figure into perspective, the NHS’s yearly budget is £176bn; Defence is £48bn. The magnitude of George Osborne’s austerity program was £110bn. What we are about to go through is a sequel to the Cameron/Osborne era. The cuts required may look lower, but bear in mind that pubic services were relatively well funded under Brown, and inflation was low. Another round of Tory austerity will be much harder than the first. Attention inevitably moves to tax rises instead. The Conservatives have already pushed taxes to their highest level since the Second World War. Their decade of mismanagement means they have put them up even further, because they cannot risk the NHS and other public services collapsing. Their calculus is the public would never forgive them for that, but with tax rises, the public believe Labour would put them up too. Indeed, a trap can be created for Labour. If Labour opposes tax rises, the

Dorset Labour GREG WILLIAMS

Tories will say Labour voted against funding for the NHS – like they did with the now scrapped NI increase. Labour shouldn’t have to play this game. The reason taxes have to go up is because the Tories have tanked the economy. But that causality will get lost in reporters’ desire to whittle every issue down to a binary question. Labour should differentiate by which taxes it would raise instead. It has been mooted for years now that the taxes on capital should be equalised with those levied on work. Aligning Capital Gains Tax with Income Tax would bring in £14bn for the Treasury. A further £6bn per year would be raised if dividend income were taxed at the same rate as employment income. The UK could follow the US and introduce taxes on share buy-backs. FTSE 100 companies – particularly oil and gas ones – are generating so much cash from trading and other nonwindfall tax revenues. A 1% tax wouldn’t raise much, but would help incentive companies to invest their profits instead of handing it to shareholders, thereby helping with the UK’s productivity problem.

STOUR GATE – THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR LUXURY RETIREMENT LIVING IN BLANDFORD

McCarthy Stone’s forthcoming Stour Gate Retirement Living development on Barley Place in Blandford Forum is set to offer a unique brand of living for over 60s who are seeking a fulfilling and independent retirement. Construction work on the old brewery site is well under way, where, once complete, 45 luxurious one and twobedroom, luxurious, low-maintenance apartments will be available. The development will also have plenty to offer the most discerning retirees, with stylish fixtures and fittings, including top of the range built-in appliances, set to be in every apartment. A House Manager will oversee the day-to-day running of the development, with a 24-hour emergency call system providing added peace of mind. A communal lounge will host regular events, ideal for forging new friendships, and homeowners will also be able to enjoy beautifully landscaped gardens. Local retirees are now being given the exciting opportunity to find out more about the forthcoming Stour Gate development at an exclusive Discovery Day at Crown Hotel on West Street, Blandford, which is taking place on Wednesday 30th November between 11am and 4pm. Retirees who attend the event will be able to find out more about the development, look at plans and apartment specifications, as well as discover more about the range of flexible purchasing opportunities which will be available. Local retirees can also book in to speak to the experienced sales team and ask any questions about living at Stour Gate. For further information or to book a place at the Discovery Day, call 0800 153 3076 or visit: www. mccarthystone.co.uk/stour-gate.

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