Tax Cuts and Balls

The report from the Forsyth Commission is providing some very reassuring coverage for the Conservative Party. Once again we are leading the National debate on tax and have taken the initiative from New Labour who, through Ed balls, simply persist with their "all tax is good" philosophy - the same one that started the slide in the German economy.

Whatever the Conservatives come out with the public will remember that we led the debate and that the Forsyth Commission provided a real stimulus for debate and for identifying options for the Conservatives and the Nation to discuss.

There can be little doubt that the scope for efficiency savings in Government is huge and there is a case for the Conservatives to make about this (again - we did it with the James report before). I would start with two organisations; the Transport Commission whose only job is not to regulate buses; and Strategic Health Authorities. I mention these because I was at a Health Scrutiny meeting yesterday looking at the future of Hinchinbrooke Hospital and was (once again) totally baffled as to what their role is, apart from to pass on Government mantra. Cutting out the middle man in supply chains provides huge cost savings, that is also how it would prove with Government.

I feel the urge to finish this rant by endorsing Iain Dale's comments this morning. We should not go into an election with the dull mantra of "sharing the proceeds of growth" as our tax policy. We need to be imaginative to keep the initiative that we have successfully stolen from Government. My instinct is that this is exactly what will happen.