Author Archives: Gordon Hector

If council tax goes up, will voters blame local or central government?

Posted on Thursday March 28th 2013 by Gordon Hector

Next week, Council Tax Benefit (CTB) is being reformed. It means that more people will pay more tax – but it’s unclear who’s going to be blamed. At the moment, CTB is a single system administered from the DWP. From … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

5 things the Tories need to do to win the moral high ground on welfare

Posted on Friday January 11th 2013 by Gordon Hector

Fraser Nelson’s column this morning looked at the Tories’ moral mission in Government, arguing Cameron should emphasise reforms that save lives, not just money. It’s a great article, but I think we need to temper it a bit – especially … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Even if it’s a joke, Kelvin MacKenzie’s idea for a southern party is worrying

Posted on Tuesday December 4th 2012 by Gordon Hector

I hope Kelvin MacKenzie’s call for a ‘Southern Party’ is a joke. If it’s not, and it’s at all indicative of wider centre-right thinking about the future of the UK, we should be nervous: because it’s deeply worrying, utterly wrong, and profoundly … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The ‘strivers and shirkers’ distinction is counterproductive

Posted on Monday October 29th 2012 by Gordon Hector

Both David Cameron and George Osborne used language of strivers and shirkers in their conference speeches. It’s been nagging me ever since – as I think it might end up being counterproductive. The rationale is clear: unite the broad group … Continue reading →

Posted in Party Politics | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Magna Carta and Letterman – it wouldn’t have happened to Maggie

Posted on Thursday September 27th 2012 by Gordon Hector

A postscript on Dave’s letterman appearance: it wouldn’t have happened to Thatcher. Back in 2010 I wrote an article for the Conservative History Journal looking at the way Lady T used (and abused) history in her speeches. Based on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Party Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments