We admire Theresa May for carving a
philosophy out of Brexit. The pollsters never predicted that Britain
would vote to leave the EU; Mrs May could hardly have been ready to
become prime minister ...
Theresa May, U.K.
prime minister, carries a briefing document on article 50 as she walks out of 10 Downing Street ahead of a commons select committee hearing, in
London, U.K., on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Credit:
Chris Ratcliffe
We admire Theresa May for carving
a philosophy out of Brexit. The pollsters never predicted that Britain
would vote to leave the EU; Mrs May could hardly have been ready to
become prime minister. And yet she jumped into office in the midst of a
revolution; ready to serve and to do so with purpose. Britain, she
writes here, must now become “a stronger, fairer” place. Who could
disagree? Brexit has started a necessary conversation about our nation
that, hopefully, will put it on a path to a brighter future. Questions
will be asked, inevitably, about how exactly Mrs May is going to get us
there.
If Theresa May can leave the country richer and freer than she found it, the nation and its historians will judge her a success.
By speaking of “the shared
society”, she obviously seeks to distance herself from her predecessors.
Margaret Thatcher might not have meant what others inferred when she
said “there is no such thing as society” – but there is no denying that
she preferred individualism over collectivism. David Cameron’s Big
Society asked volunteers to fill gaps left by the state. Mrs May, by
contrast, identifies her key constituency as those who are “just
managing” – and argues that they “don’t need a government that will get
out of the way” but, instead, an activist state that will fight their
corner.
Watch | Theresa May's New Year message
04:06
As
Mrs May observes, the Westminster elite is out of touch with the
everyday struggles of those trying to get by on modest incomes. She
astutely identifies stagnating wages and the cost of living; poor
schools; declining social mobility; tragically low life expectancies. In
the coming weeks the Prime Minister will be spelling out what she wants
to do to help, starting with a speech to the Charity Commission that
will address the inadequate provision for mental health disorders. It is
good to see the Government finally recognising that mental health can
be just as important as physical.
Indeed,
it is detail of this specificity that voters will be looking for. If
there is no delivery, slogans can become shorthand for failure. Mr
Cameron struggled to explain what the Big Society was – and allowed the
Left to define it as a cover for austerity cuts. Moreover Mr Cameron’s
photo opportunity on a husky sledge, or his remarks about showering love
on hoodie wearers, proved to be distractions from what really mattered.
Even Mr Cameron eventually turned against the “green crap” – belatedly
but sensibly, given that costly investment in wind power distracted from
the desperate need to increase power generation.
Likewise, what truly matters to
the British people today? Brexit, obviously. But also reform of the NHS.
Pressures on services have been made worse by GPs operating at
inconvenient hours, leading to long queues at A&E, while an ageing
population puts strain on hospitals. Getting social care right is an
enormous challenge. Pressure has to be taken off the NHS; individuals
have to make savings for the future. Families must be encouraged to help
out.
In certain areas, the best thing that government can actually do to let businesses and individuals thrive is withdraw.
Then there are the strikes
crippling parts of the South. This week will see not just one but three:
industrial action on the London Underground, British Airways flights
and Southern Rail. The militancy of Aslef and the RMT in particular has
left hundreds of thousands of Southern commuters stranded – and for
what? The unions’ claim to be standing up for passenger safety has been
shot down by the rail regulator. Pay and conditions are not under threat
either. Rather, this is a political strike designed to intimidate
employers and the Government. It is within the Government’s power to do
something about it, and it might be time to consider legislation to curb
strike action on critical infrastructure.
Cynics would say that tackling union power would not fit with the
shared society – but a recognition that we all rely upon strong
infrastructure demands action by the Government. We also need more
vocational training. And for those who want to go to university, success
lies in improving the quality of schooling. Permitting the foundation
of new grammars is an excellent start.
British
Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet
at Guildhall in London, Britain, 14 November 2016.Credit:
WILL OLIVER
In certain areas, the best thing
that government can actually do to let businesses and individuals thrive
is withdraw. Money is not the answer to everything, but it can help.
Cut taxes and reduce regulations, and the result will be more jobs and
rising incomes. This is critical to mental health and social stability.
Common sense dictates that the best welfare programme is a family with a
steady income.
Mrs May seeks to effect a fundamental shift in the priorities of
government and will probably find a great deal of enthusiasm for this
effort. She will also find old problems that too many prime ministers
have overlooked, thorny issues that require unglamorous hard work and
challenges that demand tough decision making entirely free of romantic
ideology. If she can leave the country richer and freer than she found
it, the nation and its historians will judge her a success.
Profile
| Theresa May
CREDIT: EDDIE MULHOLLAND
Position:Prime Minister Age:59 Constituency:Maidenhead MP since:1997 Education:Geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford Before politics:Born
to an Anglican vicar and his wife in Eastbourne, Sussex, May worked at
the Bank of England and Association for Payment Clearing Services
(APACS) before becoming an MP.
Key quote
“We know that for people in low-paid jobs, wages
are forced down even further (as a result of immigration) while some
people are forced out of work altogether”
Key moments
1999 - 2010:Holds a variety of shadow cabinet posts 2002:Becomes
the first female chair of the Conservatives and says it is seen as the
“nasty party” - while wearing a pair of now-famous leopard print kitten
heels 2010 - 2012:Minister for Women & Equalities 2010:Appointed Home Secretary, and makes it her mission to reform the police service and control immigration 2012:Blocks British computer hacker Gary McKinnon’s extradition to the US saying it would contravene his human rights 2014:Becomes the longest serving Home Secretary for 50 years 2016:Replaces David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister
Position:Prime Minister Age:59 Constituency:Maidenhead MP since:1997 Education:Geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford Before politics:Born
to an Anglican vicar and his wife in Eastbourne, Sussex, May worked at
the Bank of England and Association for Payment Clearing Services
(APACS) before becoming an MP.
Key quote
“We know that for people in low-paid jobs, wages
are forced down even further (as a result of immigration) while some
people are forced out of work altogether”
Key moments
1999 - 2010:Holds a variety of shadow cabinet posts 2002:Becomes
the first female chair of the Conservatives and says it is seen as the
“nasty party” - while wearing a pair of now-famous leopard print kitten
heels 2010 - 2012:Minister for Women & Equalities 2010:Appointed Home Secretary, and makes it her mission to reform the police service and control immigration 2012:Blocks British computer hacker Gary McKinnon’s extradition to the US saying it would contravene his human rights 2014:Becomes the longest serving Home Secretary for 50 years 2016:Replaces David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister
Britain's new "Brexit Ambassador" Tim Barrow is a vast improvement on his Remain-friendly predecessor, Ivan Rogers. The chances of Britain honouring the referendum mandate to get Britain out have definitely gone up
Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to appoint Sir Tim Barrow as Britain’s Ambassador to the EU appears to have achieved the rare distinction of making both ‘Leavers’ and ‘Remainers’ happy.
It’s a move which has been welcomed so widely because, more than anything, it relates to the government’s commitment to getting the best deal from Brexit.
Sir Tim is a definite improvement over the outgoing Ambassador, Sir Ivan Rogers. Sir Ivan was fundamentally unsuited to handling even the first few months of our Brexit negotiations, considering his association with David Cameron’s failed attempt to renegotiate the terms of our EU membership last year.
In Tim Shipman’s All Out War, it’s suggested Sir Ivan behaved high-handedly throughout the renegotiation process, frequently threatening to resign, and being dismissive of efforts within Cameron’s team to get more substantial reforms on the table.
No wonder his resignation this week brought a glowing tribute from staunch European Federalist Guy Verhofstadt, who called Sir Ivan ‘much respected’ and said he ‘knew what he was talking about’.
Rogers’ lack of the necessary ambition to tackle these negotiations and get the best deal for the United Kingdom has only been confirmed by his actions since the EU Referendum vote on June 23rd, from his claim Brexit could take a decade to negotiate to his petulant resignation letter.
Nonetheless, Sir Ivan is to be applauded for stepping aside now rather than leaving, as originally planned, in the middle of the Article 50 negotiations. His resignation means such disruption can now be avoided.
His departure paved the way for May to swiftly appoint Barrow, who is far more suitable for the task which awaits. Sir Tim – an old Foreign Office hand – has a long record of working with the EU, focussing on areas of security and defence policy. While Sir Ivan contributed to the failure of Cameron’s renegotiation project, Sir Tim is credited with helping thwart Brussels plans for an EU army.
Sir Tim’s background in security and defence, and the fact he has served as Ambassador to Russia, gives him a specific focus on issues where the EU is particularly reliant on co-operation with Britain.
The United Kingdom has the second largest military in NATO, and is one of the few NATO states which pays the recommended 2 percent of GDP on defence – as a result, EU Member States will be eager to retain access to British strength and expertise in security and defence after Brexit.
With Sir Tim as our Ambassador to the EU, this is a card the Government will be able to play to its fullest potential during Brexit negotiations.
As far as we at Get Britain Out are concerned, the change in our representation in Brussels this week is, therefore, good news for Brexit.
Theresa May has acted decisively to replace the pessimistic Sir Ivan with someone more suited to the task. Barrow is renowned for his ‘can-do’ attitude and his ability to actually get things done.
We now have a man in Brussels – in charge for the entire Article 50 period – who can and will use our negotiating strengths to their fullest potential.
The chances of Britain honouring the Referendum mandate and getting the best possible deal from Brexit have definitely improved.
THE Bank of England was WRONG about the short-term impact of a Brexit vote - but is sticking by forecasts for a slowdown in the economy in the longer term, according to the top economist at the institution.
In the run-up to the referendum, the central bank warned of a slowdown and said Britain was even at risk of falling into recession if there was a vote to leave the European Union (EU).
Yet a deluge of data has proved these theories were flawed, as the economy continued to boom after the referendum result.
Andy Haldane, the Bank's chief economist and member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), today admitted its models that had predicted the hit had failed.
He today said: "Fair cop, that we'd foreseen a sharper slowdown in the economy than has happened - in common with almost every other mainstream macro forecaster."
Mr Haldane added: "If you look at how the British consumer performed in the course of last year, it's almost as though the referendum had not taken place.
"In terms of many of the real things like pay and jobs, not very much happened during the course of last year, it's pretty much business as usual."
GETTY
Chief economist of the Bank of England Andy Haldane admits Brexit failings
But the economist is still insistent that the economy is set to slow this year.
He said: "It's possible, indeed I’d say likely, that there will be something of a slowing - nothing inevitable about that, but our best guess is that will be a likely outcome."
Speaking to an audience, Mr Haldane added: "Near-term the data, the evidence we've been accumulating since the referendum, has surprised to the upside, there has been greater resilience, in particular among consumers and the housing market, than we had expected.
"Has that led us to fundamentally change our view on the fortunes of the economy looking forward over the next several years? Not really.
"This is more a question I think of timing, than of a fundamental reassessment of the fortunes of the economy."
The bank chief admitted that economists' records over the past decade has been wrong, helping to fuel mistrust in so-called experts.
Alongside Brexit failings, economists also failed to foresee the 2008 financial crisis.
But Mr Haldane claimed the errors could be a good thing for the future.
GETTY
Britain's economy has beaten economic forecasts since Brexit
He said: "It's a fair cop to say that the profession is to some degree in crisis, not the first time it's happened. It happened back in the 1930s at the time of the Great Depression- and out of that something good sprang.
"Out of that came Keynes and the north and the birth of modern macroeconomics.
"And out of this crisis could come a rebirth of economics."
The economist also admitted that Britain's recovery from the financial crisis has been slower than the Great Depression of the 1930s - and vastly uneven.
He said: "Only in London and the South East is real GDP per head materially above what it was back then [prior to the financial crash]."
Productivity is a huge issue for Britain's economy, which affects the pay and income prospects of British households, according to Mr Haldane.
He said: "Productivity has under performed during the course of the past few years, on average."
The central banker said the Government must invest in infrastructure as part of an industrial strategy to beat the scourge of Britain's low productivity.
Adult numeracy in Britain is also a huge problem and damaging to productivity, blasted the expert.
He said: "Core numeracy skills of our population are poor… 17million adults in this country have numeracy no better than a primary school child."
