The Oxford Liberal takes issue today with The Times for their headline today announcing the appintment of Julia Goldsworthy as the new LibDem Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. LIBDEMS SPENDING IS IN HANDS OF 27 YEAR OLD WOMAN it screamed. Delete 'woman' and insert 'man'. You'd never see that, would you? Now in case you think I've gone soft, I'll make it clear now that I don't have much time for Miss Goldsworthy. She won her seat in part by taking advantage of the homophobic attacks on the Tory candidate Ashley Crossley. But leaving that aside, two pledges she made during her election campaign will surely now come back to haunt her. Not only did she promise to introduce a tax on second homes, but she also promised to push for a policy where the rest of the country would subsidise the water bills of Cornwall residents. I suspect she's now going to go rather quiet on those. Just a suspicion. Oh for the days when the Liberals were the Party of low taxation. Under the new regime the policy seems to be 'if it moves, tax it'. and if it doesn't move, tax it anyway.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
The Taxing Miss Julia Goldsworthy
The Oxford Liberal takes issue today with The Times for their headline today announcing the appintment of Julia Goldsworthy as the new LibDem Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. LIBDEMS SPENDING IS IN HANDS OF 27 YEAR OLD WOMAN it screamed. Delete 'woman' and insert 'man'. You'd never see that, would you? Now in case you think I've gone soft, I'll make it clear now that I don't have much time for Miss Goldsworthy. She won her seat in part by taking advantage of the homophobic attacks on the Tory candidate Ashley Crossley. But leaving that aside, two pledges she made during her election campaign will surely now come back to haunt her. Not only did she promise to introduce a tax on second homes, but she also promised to push for a policy where the rest of the country would subsidise the water bills of Cornwall residents. I suspect she's now going to go rather quiet on those. Just a suspicion. Oh for the days when the Liberals were the Party of low taxation. Under the new regime the policy seems to be 'if it moves, tax it'. and if it doesn't move, tax it anyway.
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Do they still want a plastic bag tax? Local Income tax? It will be interesting to see what is dropped. I can still see the Libs having a battle between the economic liberals and those more on the left of the party sooner rather than later.
Iain, if you were a Cornish MP, you would believe exactly the same and you know it. Cornwall is one of the poorest counties in England. It also has much more coast per head of population than any other county in England (and water bills to match) and a huge problem with lack of affordable houses - more than most places even. That doesn't make her views on those things right - I don't know the issues well enough and express no opinion. But that's democracy and you know it - to some extent MPs push for what their constituents demand whether or not the argument for it is very strong on a wider level.
When you stood for North Norfolk, you were heavily in favour of expenditure on coastal defences which was totally disproportionate to the value of property at risk and number of people affected. Nobody blames you for that - it is in the job description for any prospective MP for North Norfolk. But you can hardly criticise somebody for espousing similarly "selfish" views on behalf of her own constituents.
You should also declare an interest in relation to second homes, having owned one in Norfolk at one time.
On winning Falmouth, you point me to anything Julia Goldsworthy said or did in her campaign to take advantage of Ashley Crossley's difficulties with his local Tory party. You can't. That his constituency Tory party were disgustingly homophobic and the former Tory MP for the area went so far to stand against Crossley makes me feel enormous sympathy for the poor man, but Goldsworthy can hardly be blamed for it.
Actually the problem in Cornwall is that they voted for low water rates for a long time when water was in the hands of local authorities. Now they are having to pay the price. Tough titties.
1. I have never owned a second home - in North Norfolk or anywhere else. I suggest you withdraw that accusation.
2. How you can compare water bills with coastal erosion I don't know.
3. You didn't read what I said. I didn't accuse her of overtly saying anything. She wouldn't be so stupid. But I know enough of what went on there to know that she took full advantage of Ashley Crossley's situation. Of course sections of the local Tories and UKIP behaved in a disgusting way and I wish the miscreants had been permanently thrown out instead of being given a temporary suspension.
1. You resided at addresses in Tunbridge Wells and Norfolk last year.
2. The point was quite clearly that MPs and prospective MPs quite rightly speak for their constituents even where, on balance, they may well not be right. You know as well as I do that not all coastline is worth defending regardless of cost.
3. What did you want her to do? Refuse to stand against Crossley?! She expressed sympathy for the poor chap and ran a textbook constituency campaign. I just don't understand what you wanted her to do.
I've no doubt Julia benefited from the local tories homophobia towards their own candidate. (you neglect to mention that the homophobia was friendly fire so to speak) but when you use a phrase like "taking advantage" you imply she played an active part which I challenge you to provide any evidence of.
As it happens if any of the 05 intake manage to derail nick cleggs sucession to the leadership it would be her. I wouldn't bet against her been the first female party leader since Thatcher. Cornwall is poor and having visited recently the parallels with my native Cumbria are striking. If she is standing up for people over second homes then perhaps thats one of the reasons that the Countys 5 Mp's are now all lib dems.
Iain, please don't go along with the nut-case concept that the LibDems have a "shadow cabinet". Such titles are reserved for the largest oppoition party. Hence Miss Goldsworthy is in fact the Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman for the office of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
I think Cornwall should have it's water subsidised. From St Ives to the West it's foul. Tastes of rusty bicycle. What's that about?
Now then, lets not get nasty you two. Seems to me that somebody is a little jealous of Miss Goldsworthy's meteoric political rise.
I say all power to her elbow, but let's see if she can count before we give her the keys to number ten!
surely the reason why bills in cornwall are so high is because of the length of coastline, and while cornish people might be the closest beneficiaries, that coast is there for all of us to enjoy... in fact, all in all, the coast is quite a useful part of the country. anyway, my point is that it seems quite sensible there should be some subsidy.
and i live in london and have never lived in cornwall, by the way ;->
In answer to anonymous, I have just had this email from someone in Falmouth. "You are absolutely right that she took political advantage of Ashley's situation when the most honourable course of action would have been not to refer to it in order to demonstrate the irrelevance of someone's sexuality. She published Lib Dem election literature saying the Tories were 'in turmoil' and quoting several of those who were behind the homophobia mentioning Ashley's 'tantrums' amongst other things. She also sent round a leaflet entitled "Who do you want as your next MP?" showing an unflattering picture of Candy Atherton next to a youthful, smiling, Julia - the insinuation clearly that you really don't want someone looking like Candy as your MP."
No further comment necessary.
Were the Tories not in turmoil in Falmouth? Could have fooled me. The constituency chairman didn't back the candidate and a previous Tory MP stood against him.
Is it unreasonable to ask who people wanted as their next MP? Surely that is what an election is about. And for heaven's sake, Iain, what did you want the poor girl to do about looking youthful and smiling? She could have scowled in her election literature and leant on a zimmer frame I suppose.
Really weak and desperate Iain. I'm afraid you can't project your own party's failings onto anyone else, no matter how hard you try. Instead of being bitter about it, learn from it.
A case never very convincing when relying on some anonymous e-mail
"...But I know enough of what went on there to know that she took full advantage of Ashley Crossley's situation. ..."
In other words, you would only be satisfied, if Goldsworthy would have stepped down as a candidate because Crossley had problems with the local Conservatives. Candy Atherton, on the other hand, asked her gay aid to dig up some dirt on Crossley. So it was actually only for the best, that at least Atherton didn't win.
On the taxing second homes, that's already Lib Dem party policy (under LIT, second homes are supposed be considered as businesses and pay rates). And isn't it government policy as well? Local councils now have the power to levy up to 90% council tax on second homes.
As a point of info, the email was from a named person, but I didn't think it was fair to name them on here. They are in a position to know the facts, which is why I reported it. Anonymous, don't try to twist what I have said.
Niles, I understand Miss G is suggesting an extra tax on second homes.
I don't see how I twisted your words. I think you are always accusing the candidates of other parties of taking advantage if the Tory candidate is homosexual or belongs to an ethnic minority, yet it was a Tory candidate you had the catchy slogan "If you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Liberal or Labour", so if there is any spin, it comes from your side.
anonymous, you really are a fool. What do you mean by "always"? I can think of Simon Hughes and Goldsworthy. Hardly amounts to always, does it? And if the best you can do is bring up a slogan from 1964 (which the Tory Party has always disassociated itself from) then you really are desperate. I suggest you retire as gracefully as you can manage.
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