Balls in your pocket

Most people I have spoken to have a grudging respect for Alastair Darling. he was dealt a bad hand and has done his best even while having the thumbscrews put on him by the madman next door. Now apparently he is to be given the chop so that Ed Balls ("widely respected in the city" according to the Sunday Times) can assume the job.

Hold on a minute! I don't know much about the city but it stretches even my copious imagination that he would be welcomed by the economic movers and shakers. This is surely the same man who advised Gordon Brown on his various tax-raising sleights of hand and helped him deliver budgets that increased public borrowing as well as taxes. Widely respected in the city?!!

Mr Balls' record is hardly stellar. As a scholls minister he has precipitated and presided over examination fiascos, declining standarda, and various half-baked schemes like making cooking compulsory in all schools. Mr Darling by contrast has been a steady, if unimaginative, pair of hands in all his portfolios.

It does say something of Brown's bunker mentality that he can actually believe that the media-unfriendly Mr Balls will bring sunshine to his decaying government.

I meet an MP

Today I met Mark Hoban, my MP, who was out campaigning with one of our local councillors. My first impression is that he is intelligent, personable, probably hard-working and CLEAN. Nothing has emerged about any irregularities in his expense claims and it may be fair to assume that after this time there is nothing to worry about.

So I was very good; I didn't raise the issue of MP's expense claims. Instead we talked about the business climate and his work in committee on the Finance Bill. This latter surprised me a little because I assumed that had been done and dusted some time ago.

Anyway it is a little reassuring to know that there are some MPs out there who are trying to do their best without abusing the voters.

Brown but not dull

At the beginning of Brown's reign I was prepared, like most people, to accept that he could do a useful job. He was not particularly likable but as long as he introduced some competence into government I told people that I would be content. It would have suited me if he was dull and effective like Major or Attlee so that I could get on with my life.

Instead we have had an extraordinary two years. The only period without headlines was last summer when Brown took a holiday; otherwise it has been a succession of catastrophic mismanagement. He may be the worst Prime Minister in a century but his term of office has not been dull.

It has been obvious since September 2007 that this man does not have the skills to be an effective PM. There are even now some doubts as to his effectiveness as a Chancellor of the Exchequer, but plainly now, Blair masked his weaknesses from view. Other than the "psychologically flawed" comment that emerged during one of the 10-11 battles Brown managed to keep his head down during every difficult moment yet maintain this fiction that he was a superior candidate for the job than Blair. How empty that boast appears today. It is not enough to wannabe, you actually do have to have talent.

Sir Humphrey must go!

David Cameron's proposed reforms are worth considering. In fact any reform of our governance is worth considering. But between the idea and the reality falls the shadow, and the shadow is often those who have the strongest interest in the status quo.y

Tony Blair complained of the "forces of conservatism" and Iain Dale alluded to this today. It is a reality. George (not Gordon) tried to effect some civil service reforms in 1964 but even that old battler had to retire defeated. The Sir Humphreys of this world are very powerful and exercise great skill in preventing reform.

Tony Blair tried to work around the problem by hiring political whiz kids to work at number ten in order to work around the civil service. Plainly that gambit failed.

There is a solution. Make the Permanent Secretary NON- Permanent. The Canadians have a system which is obviously modelled on our but with some important reforms. One is to ensure that they are able to hire chief Civil servants who are disposed to their mind-set. They call them Deputy Ministers, nd often they will not survive a change of government.

I didn't always think so but now I see thisas a good system. The Permanent Secretary was devised to guarantee continuity but in modern times it guarantees ossification.

So if David Cameron is truly interested in effecting change he should first open up all the departmental top jobs. At a stroke change would become possible.

They surely won't be missed

Nicholas and Anne Winterton announce their retirement. They won't be missed.

"I have a little list. I have a little list...................."

Tax return costs should be a tax credit

Even the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to call in professional help to complete his tax return. He can thank his mobile-phone-throwing, laser-printer-chucking neighbour for spending a decade developing the most complicated and opaque tax system in the history of mankind. If he needs help, fair enough! But if this guidance is supplied at taxpayer's expense, then the privilege should be extended to the rest of us.

It's time to extend the "rules" to the rest of us.

Archbishop of Deep Space 9

Some people have a talent for being on the wrong side of every issue. Gordon Brown is one example and Rowan Williams another. The last time the Archbishop of Deep Space 9 came to earth he was advocating Sharia law in this country. Now he feels that the exposure of MPs should come to an end. This would be fine if we had achieved anything out of this. Ministers are still parroting the line that they have done nothing wrong and the PM continues to try to kick this issue into the long grass of a committee report. No appeasement! Reform!