Devoting myself to reforming SW1’s culture of failure after a 25 year career in business | Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
West Sussex, United Kingdom
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Ministers claimed they didn’t know the damage their changes to business rates would do.
That’s not an excuse. If you’re a Minister making a decision on tax, you’re given analysis on what it’ll do.
Labour either didn’t listen or didn’t care: full U-turn now.
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This government are fighting a war against small enterprises via HMRC.
Their mantra is Making Tax Difficult!
Difficult for firms and the self employed - but easier for the work-from-home officials at HMRC whose salaries and pensions our taxes pay.
Their latest bad idea: forcing 2.4 million individuals (employers or sole traders) to pay VAT and PAYE only by direct debit.
Money taken directly from your account. No choice of payment means or a final chance to check.
This is wrong. We have the chance to change it but awareness is low so please share so they don’t get away with this.
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Consultation is here. Do get small businesses and self employed to respond:
gov.uk/government/consultati…
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I will say this yet again: the law that Parliament passes most often is the law of unintended consequences.
EXCEPT here, Labour were warned. I warned them again and again before they did this stupid thing of removing any limit. Others too.
‘Workers’ aren’t those getting six or seven figure payouts.
It’s a bonanza for employment lawyers and by the governments own admission the ‘cost’ of those high payouts comes in the form of lower salaries and fewer jobs for everyone else.
Conservatives are going to get Britain working again and fixing labours broken jobs market is part of that.
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Labour are putting Britain's defence at risk.
Their steel tariffs will mean it will be more expensive for British defence companies to manufacture equipment for our Armed Forces.
They've got this badly wrong. They should drop this mad idea.
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Kemi Badenoch was criticised yesterday by some very upset Labour MPs.
But she was right.
Ministers have sent unemployment skyrocketing, cut teacher numbers, pushed excellent schools out of business, brought down shop shutters across the UK... and want us to thank them!
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Dracula is ringing round for support from the blood bank!
Worst chancellor ever.
Jobs for young people crushed.
Borrowing costs at 30 year high.
Can’t find money for defence but billions for net zero and asylum seekers.
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What can we learn from Sweden?
I sat down with @FraserNelson today, following my visit to Stockholm, to discuss what Sweden gets right (and wrong).
Sweden slashed its debt, has no inheritance or wealth tax, and is growing fast. There’s much they can teach us.
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A damning legacy for Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer.
They ignored warnings and from day one, investors have voted with their feet.
Reversing the prejudiced attack on wealth creators would be an easy ‘win’ for the new government.
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The defence of Britain is at risk.
The Government are imposing huge tariffs on steel imports - putting the UK’s defence sector in jeopardy.
James Cartlidge, Shadow Defence Secretary, and I have written to the Prime Minister urging him to, at a minimum, exempt defence 👇
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Here’s my original letter to the Business Secretary sounding the alarm on these tariffs.
I still haven’t had a reply - but my original asks still stand. If he won’t reconsider and delay the tariffs, he must at least exempt defence.
These tariffs are bad news, and the Conservatives don’t support them.
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I’m optimistic as most of the answers we need to save our country are out there elsewhere in the world!
It’s open to all - if he wants ideas, Andy Burnham is welcome to come.
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BREAKING: This is Rachel Reeves’s pick to chair the OBR.
He recognised the damage Labour’s (Un)Employment Rights Act would do. He was right.
Why can’t the Government see this? 👇
The (Un)Employment Rights Bill will slash growth and hurt businesses.
Imperial Econ professor and recent @bankofengland MPC member @HaskelEcon said today this bill should not go ahead.
There is no point in changing employment law if you can’t get a job in the first place.
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Declining business confidence from @SPGlobalRatings - and these figures were before the latest Labour leadership crisis.
Piling on taxes and costs, making it harder to hire and high energy costs were always going to damage confidence and economic growth.
The kindest thing that can be said is that the bar has been set extremely low for the next Prime Minister and Chancellor.
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This amount is not serious.
Our freedom and security are underwritten by critical mineral supplies needed for defence.
It’s a national security issue.
In Whitehall, £25 million is what you announce when the Treasury won’t approve a real spend.
And this from a government that is spending £500 million to purchase private homes to house asylum seekers.
Priorities all wrong.
From smartphones to electric vehicles, critical minerals power everyday life.
That’s why we’re investing £50m to secure UK supply; boosting jobs, cutting reliance on imports and strengthening supply chains.
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