Thursday October 30

New poll: Voters blame overspending for recession, and see tax cuts as best way to recover

Graphic from the Daily Express.

Blogs

2.45pm, Better Government
Matthew Sinclair:
NICE gets sued

Via Tim Worstall, the Telegraph reports that NICE, the body that decides which drugs the NHS will provide, is insisting that it shouldn't be made to pay costs having lost a legal case to keep the details of how it reaches its decisions secret... - Read More

10.30am, Campaign
Tim Aker:
Despite a budget black hole, councillor pay soars

The Lib Dem controlled Northampton Borough councillors this week voted to pass themselves a 7.7% pay increase for all councillors.  The leader of the council voted himself a 43% pay increase.  Yes, you read that right, a forty-three-per-cent pay increase.  The deputy leader gets a 64% increase.  All cabinet members get a 55% pay increase.  By a vote of 23 to 15, this egregious pay deal was passed and represents a big slap in the face to taxpayers’ who, in the current economic climate, can only dream of such a pay increase... - Read More

9.30am, West Midlands
Fiona McEvoy:
Suspended Sandwell exec given £375,000 retirement package

This morning The Stirrer website has revealed that Steve Gregory, the Executive Director of Urban Regeneration at Sandwell Council, has been given early retirement at 50 as well as a bumper retirement package of £375,000 just weeks after being suspended in suspicious circumstances... - Read More

Daily Express, What voters really think of you, Brown
Spectator Coffee House, Mark Wallace: Poll suggests the public are against Brown's spending splurge
PublicService.co.uk, 'Government has caused recession'
Daily Express, Things only get better on Blair's gravy train
Daily Telegraph, Immigration officials spend £10.5 million on expenses
Daily Express, Fury at immigration staff's £10m expenses
Daily Mail, Border staff rack up £10.5m travel and hotel bill hunting illegal immigrants
Yorkshire Evening Post, £28,000 Beijing Olympics trip defended
Bridport and Lyme Regis News, Pay as you go plans for Lyme Regis loos
Tory Bear, The Eric Forth Award
Bloomberg TV, TPA Policy Analyst Matthew Sinclair discussed the findings of a TPA/ComRes opinion poll that shows overwhelming public support for lower taxes as a response to the recession, not higher spending
TalkSport, TPA Campaign Director Mark Wallace argued that the taxpaying public want lower taxes to help them through the recession, and that Gordon Brown should take a 10% pay cut to show his sympathy with the public