Of course, mistakes are made, and governments get things wrong – but there is also a duty to make sure that the good gets out into the public sphere too.
Opportunists will try to lay it all at the door of Brexit. But the truth is more complex – not least given rising wages and the knock-on effects of Trump’s tax cuts.
No council has ever held a referendum on tax rises over five per cent. Javid’s decision to raise the cap means taxpayers will be hit without the democratic chance to object.
Also: Bradley admits that she is obliged to call an Ulster election (but won’t say when); Tories attack SNP’s ‘double-dip’ tax hike; and more.
Basically, we need to undercut the world. We can do so if we slash red tape and tax. Within a very short period there would be a pronounced Laffer Effect.
The debate has come to symbolise much of what differentiates us from the Left: robust policy based on evidence that supports free markets, versus dogma based on statism.
The electorate have never had the chance to vote on whether the Assembly should have tax powers, and local politicians fought hard to prevent it. It’s no mystery why.
Also: Tories say data proves Sturgeon should abandon tax plans; Jones joins Scottish Conservatives to menace the Withdrawal Bill; and DUP may back boundary review.
Even the hard Left now admit that the claim that people are happy to pay more is hollow. Their answer? Harness the politics of envy and division.
The Conservatives need to support genuine allies – such as savers, home owners, small businesses, and the armed forces.
Too often it seems as though our perimeters are seen as a problem to be patched-up rather than an asset to be fully modernised.
Both of the national parties are built around different attitudes to economic policy, and the Scottish Parliament’s new responsibilities will force tough choices on the SNP.
Doing so would reduce crime, improve tax revenues and boost productivity.
There needs to be a paradigm shift in policy and culture. Our state should work to keep us healthy and allow us as individuals to be responsible for our actions.