Sometimes the reforming radicals are those
who also seek to conserve.

I spoke today to the Young Briton’s Foundation, setting out the social, political and economic factors behind our present crisis and what might be done about it.

Via About Us | The Young Britons’ Foundation:

The Young Britons’ Foundation is a non-partisan, not-for-profit educational, research and training organisation that promotes conservatism in schools, colleges and universities. YBF identifies, trains, mentors and places philosophically sound activists in politics, academia and the media.

My primary message was support for the Coalition, as of course you would expect.

I hope to produce a short video setting out the economic aspects, which were very well received, hopefully by the New Year…

Brought forward. I was challenged last night to advocate flat taxes. Here’s one of my previous posts which does so. Another is here (you will have to forgive the oversize graphs).

The Georgian recipe for “an amazing transformation”:

• Low and flat taxes
• Legislative commitment to reducing the government’s fiscal footprint (IE spend less!)
• Deregulation and cutting red tape
• And thereby suppressing corruption
• Unilateral free trade: no import tariffs or barriers of any kind
• Very flexible labour legislation
• No sector or industrial policy of any kind
• No subsidies, no preferences, no exemptions – no market-distorting practices
• No currency and capital controls
• Sound monetary policy with hawkish anti-inflationary stance

See also: Tory conference: Georgia’s Prime Minister makes surprise appearance.

Hat tip to Dr Tim Evans

Via The Conservative Party | Policy | Our Contract With You:

We go into the general election on 6 May with trust in politics and politicians at an all-time low. And I can understand why: the years of broken promises, the expenses scandal, the feeling that politicians have become too remote from the people – they’ve all taken their toll.

That’s why I’m making this contract with you.

For too long, you’ve been lied to by politicians saying they can sort out all your problems. But it doesn’t work like that. Real change is not just about what the government does. Real change only comes when we understand that we are all in this together; that we all have a responsibility to help make our country better. This contract sets out my side of the bargain: the things I want to do to change Britain. But it also makes clear that I cannot do it on my own. We will only get our economy moving, mend our broken society and reform our rotten political system if we all get involved, take responsibility, and work together.

So this is our contract with you. I want you to read it and – if we win the election – use it to hold us to account. If we don’t deliver our side of the bargain, vote us out in five years’ time.

Read more about how the Conservatives will change politics, the economy and society here.

The BBC reports Gordon Brown’s clumsy remarks on the US rescue plan:

“America and Britain have always stood together as one in times of difficulty and challenging times, and I have told President Bush today that facing global turbulence Britain supports the US plan,” he said.

“Whatever the details of it, it is the right thing to do.”

But aren’t the details rather important? We can and should do better.

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