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Latest news and blogs

Hodge Hill’s public services summit

Blog February 19, 2010

Scores of people from across the constituency joined me tonight at the Blue Cross Church in Hodge Hill, for the first of my three community summits on the big issues for the election campaign.
Tonight’s debate was on public services – and some very, very clear themes emerged. First, contrary to the Tory plan to cut [...]

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Don’t slam on the brakes

Blog February 19, 2010

A lot of economists have written to the FT today to back the government’s timetable for halving the deficit – and oppose the Tories’ notion that now is the right time to slam on the brakes, just as the recovery is starting. Here’s Alistair Darling said in response;
“Once again George Osborne has jumped on the [...]

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Mr Osborne this morning: Confused? You should be..

Blog February 14, 2010

George Osborne or his deputy are either completely misleading us on axing middle-earners’ tax credits, or they’re each pursuing different policies.
Philip Hammond has promised to save £400 million from cutting back tax credits. But George Osborne said this morning, Tory plans won’t affect families on incomes of as little as £31,000.  Given its impossible for [...]

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Happy new year!

Blog February 14, 2010

A very happy Chinese New Year! Good to Birmingham’s Chinatown packed out this afternoon. (below a dragon takes a rest during this morning’s celebrations….)

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This week’s economic news

Blog February 12, 2010

Two new bits of new today.
First, some strong Index of Production figures, which surprised on the upside. The ONS reported; ‘Total production output increased by 0.5 per cent between November and December’.
The other big news was the Governor of the Bank of England’s press conference setting out the Bank’s Inflation Report. The Governor said it [...]

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Osborne’s attack on the middle class

Blog February 5, 2010

It has just come out that George Osborne’s plans to take away Child Tax Credits from households earning over £50,000 has fallen apart. It looks like the Tories are going to take tax credits away from families with a combined income of £31,000. We think 1.3 million families are going to be on the receiving [...]

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Today’s growth

Blog January 26, 2010

As Alistair Darling predicted, we got the news today that the UK exited recession at the end of last year.
But, what today’s figures also show is that we were right to be cautious about the pace of growth – and that now is absolutely the wrong time to slam on the brakes as the Tories [...]

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The Tories marriage tax con

Blog January 25, 2010

So there’s been a bit of interest in the Tories’ latest marriage tax plan (version 6? I’m losing count).
The idea is for a Transferable allowance for all married couples with kids aged 0-3.
On closer inspection however it turns out that the policy would cost £0.8bn in 2009-10 prices – and wait for it – would [...]

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Question Time and marriage tax

Blog January 23, 2010

I was out and about in Hodge Hill yesterday, so didn’t get time to blog about Question Time, broadcast from the Milton Keynes shopping centre (where the centre manager was telling me they had an absolutely bumper Christmas). Here’s the link if you want to watch it. You’ll forgive for me saying this, but I [...]

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Cadbury

Blog January 20, 2010

Gutted. That sums up the way I feel about Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury. So many of my friends, constituents and party members work there that today could never be anything other than a very, very sad day.
Today I spoke Todd Stitzer, Cadbury’s chief executive about Kraft – and, crucially, the future. I wanted to know [...]

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