Earlier today, Lord Mandelson thought that he would get away with his usual attacks on George Osborne after 23 leaders of some of the UK's largest companies wrote a letter in favour of the Conservative Party's plans to halt the planned increase in national insurance.However, in stating that these vastly experienced businessmen had been the victims of "cynical deception" by the Conservatives, he has not only seen an instant rebuttal by some of the signatories but has now managed to get the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI and five other organisations to back the Conservative policy on National Insurance.
So whose word would you trust?
The bosses of some of the top companies in the UK, including Kingfisher, Sainsbury's, GlaxoSmithKline, Mothercare, the Virgin Group, Marks and Spencer, Diageo, Harvey Nichols, Next and the easyGroup, or a politician who has already been thrown out of the Cabinet twice for personal and financial irregularities?
Of course, if Lord Mandelson wants to know where further savings on government waste can be found, he could read the excellent document produced by the IOD, which sets out a clear agenda for efficiency savings in the public sector. That demonstrates quite clearly where this government, and any future administration, can stop a tax on jobs and gets its own house in order.
Comments
http://order-order.com/2010/04/02/employers-unite-against-ni-tax-on-jobs/
'The prof' is talking absolute nonsense in my opinion, and I have blogged about it. The report is completely ideological and nonsensical. God help you if you're a poor person and these plans ever get realised.
This was produced by the Institute of Directors in conjunction with the Taxpayers Alliance?
Does Plaid therefore condemn the Institute of Directors for producing such a report?
Is the IOD also a front for the Conservative Party?
Although, YES the IOD clearly has ideological interests and professional interests and are not an independent group- but they don't claim to be neutral or independent. The Taxpayers' Alliance does, in an underhand way.
There is no fuss it's just one of the worst economic reports ever produced and would represent a savage and undeserved assault on ordinary people if it was ever enacted.
It is this thinking that is leading to your party throwing away what would have been a certain victory over a party that has taken us to two illegal and unpopular wars and has limped through at least a dozen political scandals in office, and presided over massive inequality. You can't even beat them and it's ridiculous, because your political ideology is considered awful by a huge amount of people.
For your information, the opinions expressed on this blog are mine and mine alone, in the same way that you purport to be a ‘supporter’ of Plaid Cymru rather than an official mouthpiece.
For you to try and suggest that my views reflect official Conservative Party Policy would be the same as saying that Ieuan Wyn Jones’ opinion on nuclear power is official Plaid policy, wouldn’t it? Indeed, by an extension of your logic, Liverpool Football Club is a front for the Conservative Party because I support them.
However, I must declare an interest in that I am an active member of the IOD and someone who sits on their executive committee in Wales. So for me to support a document that has emerged from the IOD would be not be out the ordinary would it?
Finally, you claim that it is “one of the worst economic reports ever produced and would represent a savage and undeserved assault on ordinary people if it was ever enacted”. Obviously you must have read the report thoroughly last night before posting on it this morning.
Shame you didn't comment on it when it originally came out last September.
Yet, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has stated that Whitehall departments would have to find savings of £25 billion over the next two years, rising to £46 billion by 2014-15; the EU has proposed that additional budget cuts of £20 billion are needed over the next two years in the UK; and the OECD has advised the UK Government to focus on spending cuts rather than trying to raise tax any further.
I know whose judgement I would trust and it isn’t a pseudonym on the Welsh blogosphere.