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Ed Miliband’s tuition fees policy would favour people on £72k pa

By Julian Harris
September 27th, 2011 at 6:30 am | Comments Off on Ed Miliband’s tuition fees policy would favour people on £72k pa | Posted in education, Government, Labour

Liberal think tank Centre Forum has been busy crunching some numbers, and their findings don’t make happy reading for Labour’s seemingly-doomed leader.

Ed Miliband has made a big socalist play of his alleged plans to force nasty bankers to subsidise cheaper degrees for the bright teenage children of  hard-working families.

Yet through its complexities, Miliband’s plan would typically benefit “graduates in their fifties earning £72,500”.

The study says: “Virtually no one in the bottom half of the earnings distribution, and virtually no one under the age of 35, will stand to gain from Labour’s plan.”

The policy of lumping further taxes on the financial sector “will be harmful during a period of economic recovery”.

It also adds: “Given the way that the student loan system works, the majority of the gains are illusory – what government gives on one hand, it takes back on the other.”

Indeed. Taking with one hand to give back (less) with the other. Nice to know someone else has noticed that.

Anyway, it looks like Our Vince is happy with the report:

“I would urge anyone attracted to Labour’s proposals to read this very informative analysis,” Vince said. “It makes clear that the policy only benefits wealthier, older graduates, and it exposes Labour’s claim that they want to help young people as completely false.”

You can read the report BY CLICKING HERE .

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Green Revolutionaries Hit Capitol Hill

By Julian Harris
April 26th, 2011 at 11:17 am | 8 Comments | Posted in Environment, International Politics

“How liberals argue”

By Julian Harris
November 9th, 2010 at 3:21 pm | 2 Comments | Posted in US Politics

When I appeared as a “witness” on Radio 4’s Moral Maze programme [/self plug], I found Melanie Phillips to be very articulate, persuasive and well-prepared. She may not be the most popular figure around these parts, and I disagreed with some of her angles on the issue in question, but she did earn my respect for her conduct.

However, she’s done herself no favours by linking to this video (below) through the Spectator blog. “Moronic” isn’t the word for this animation. Well, actually, it is. Along with “strawman” and “bang your head against a wall repeatedly”.

I’m no America-basher, but this kind of thing does make our side of the pond look somewhat more attractive. In spite of our “rampant muslim immigration”.  Tsssh. Watch it, but prepare for despair…

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Is Obama a Keynesian?

By Julian Harris
November 5th, 2010 at 4:39 pm | 2 Comments | Posted in Economics, Election, US Politics

Very funny. Hat-tip to Alec van Gelder, who you should follow on Twitter:

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American Professor starts “Coffee Party” movement

By Julian Harris

Ok, he hasn’t actually started a “Coffee Party” movement, but he has written a blog post.

In his hypothetical half-serious 10-point manifesto, the excellent Bill Easterly proposes a tolerant, liberal agenda.

Among their policies and ideals, the Coffee Party…

  • …”likes free trade”
  • …recognises “tax-bloated government”
  • …proposes “ending the War on Drugs”
  • …”hates xenophobia towards immigrants”, specifically when “aimed at particular trading partners, falsely blamed for our economic woes.”
  • …believes that “ALL ‘are by nature equally free and independent,’ and have ‘inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ men and women, blacks and whites, gays and straights, immigrants and natives, Christians and Muslims, citizens and foreigners, rich and poor.”

Surely this is something the LDs should support and emulate. Or at least it would be if it actually existed.

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