I had a note from Mauvais Garçon asking: "So, are you happy with the progress thus far?" I replied....
What progress?
I'm relatively unimpressed with the token paperclips stuff. I believe that it will sometimes be appropriate for senior Civil Servants and even MPs to travel first class and they should be trusted not to when there is no need. In any case, much greater savings would probably be made by smarter rather than meaner procurement. As for the "I'm not flash, call me Dave" stuff, cutting his bodyguards and walking to the Palace of Westminster, one suspects that a car will always be 20 seconds away, whilst any cost reduction in overt protection might be surpassed by a coresponding increase for covert work.
I suspect that David Cameron has always viewed the Party, both grassroots and Parliamentary, as a problem to be managed. Although, to be fair, few of the free world democratic leaders seem enthusiastic about freedom or democracy in their own parties. If I were an MP, I would have voted against Ministers taking part in elections to the 1922 Committee Executive and would not support the 55per cent requirement for Dissolution.
As to the Queen's Speech. Personally I can probably wait a little longer for a free vote on the repeal of the fox hunting ban, provided they get on with cutting the deficit, repealing some other anti-liberal laws and stopping all those expensive preachy campaigns telling us how to live our lives.
When it comes to inheritance tax I am completely off message anyway, as I believe it to be entirely avoidable. It is my humble opinion that people should shove any important assets, which they 'steward for future generations', into a family trust, with the rest being spent and given away whilst they are living, or bequeathed to charities when they die.
Regards
Greg
