Thursday, 17 December 2009

Today's top ConHome features
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Michael Fallon accuses Darling of covering up £60bn of debt interest

FALLON MICHAEL "Michael Fallon, the senior Tory MP on the [Treasury Select] committee, grilled Mr Darling over the fact that last week's Pre-Budget Report had not mentioned that debt interest would hit an estimated £60bn per year by 2013 – roughly double the current amount. Committee members had been told on Monday by the chief economist at HSBC that annual debt interest would grow to £60bn in four years. Mr Fallon said to the Chancellor: "Why are you continuing to conceal these numbers?" - Scotsman

> Yesterday evening's ToryDiary: George Osborne demands truth from Darling over national debt and spending projections

Double dip recession fears after ComRes survey shows a majority of businessmen detect no signs of recovery - Independent

"The move to a 50 per cent top rate of marginal tax was already threatening to take the UK to the top of the league in marginal tax rates of major financial centres. The decision to levy a further 50 per cent tax on all bonus pools takes that marginal tax rate to 70 per cent for 2009 and, if extended, to 75 per cent for years beyond, the highest rates seen since the end of the last Labour government in 1979." - James Barty in the FT

'What Cameron really needs to think about over Christmas is why he wants to be PM'

Forsyth James "The most important thing Cameron should think about over Christmas, though, is why he wants to be Prime Minister. As the Times — normally favourable to Mr Cameron — opined last week, he has not yet conveyed a clear sense of this to the public. This means that the Tories lack a central compelling message, despite having a well-developed policy portfolio. At the moment the plan is for the Tories to make an announcement each day in January. But these announcements will be worth less than the sum of their parts unless they are tied into a bigger argument about what the Tories would do for the country. The electorate ne eds a sense of what Britain would look like after four or five years of a Cameron government." - James Forsyth in The Spectator

Met Chief Paul Stephenson 'panicked' over Damian Green MP's arrest - Times

Damian Green wanted as "much dirt as possible" on Labour says his Home Office mole - Times

Cameron should require Lord Ashcroft to stop coy games about his tax status - Michael White in The Guardian

David Cameron attends The Sun's awards evening for military heroes - The Sun

Brown wants to cut emissions TEN times faster than the US - Daily Mail

Prince Charles faces fresh meddling claim over letters to ministers - Guardian

Liberal Democrat Jeremy Browne is first MP to fight expenses ruling

"A Liberal Democrat economics spokesman has formally lodged an appeal against a demand for repayment of almost £18,000 in parliamentary second home allowances. Jeremy Browne, who represents Taunton, went public immediately after Sir Thomas Legg, the former Whitehall mandarin, submitted his report on the cases of 753 MPs and former MPs whose expenses he reviewed over a five-year period." - Times

And finally... a £270,000 Christmas present for the Camerons

"Samantha Cameron, the wife of the Conservative party leader, is in line for an extra Christmas present this year, after the company at which she is creative director was sold for £18m. Smythson, the luxury leather goods and stationery retailer, has been bought by Greenwill SA, the holding company for Tivoli Group, a leading Italian leather goods manufacturer. Smythson management, including Ms Cameron, are in line to share 1.5 per cent of the £18m, or £270,000, as part of a long-term incentive plan." - FT

Posted by Britannia Radio at 09:19