Conservative politics, economic policy, and Brexit analysis by John Redwood
John Redwood: HS2 head earns £600,000 salary amid overspending concerns
John Redwood raises concerns over the high salary of the Head of HS2, which he states is £600,000 plus possible bonuses. He also points to the project’s large expenditures and being over ...
Repeated economic failures show lack of learning, John Redwood notes
John Redwood criticizes the establishment for failing to learn from repeated financial mistakes. He points to a pattern of costly errors, including the Treasury and Bank boom-bust of 1972-6, ERM ...
John Redwood: Higher taxes on wealth and investment could harm growth
John Redwood argues that increasing taxes on wealth, investment, and enterprise risks undermining economic growth. He highlights that higher tax measures could lead to a reduction in overall tax ...
U.K. borrowing surpasses forecast by £7.7 billion, John Redwood warns
John Redwood highlights new figures showing U.K. government borrowing has exceeded the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast by £7.7 billion over two months. He asserts that excessive and ...
John Redwood: Bank of England should halt bond sales at a loss
John Redwood criticizes the Bank of England for continuing to sell bonds at a loss, stating this practice negatively impacts taxpayers. He suggests the central bank is likely to keep its base ...
Deep discounted fees for EU students could impact university revenue, John Redwood warns
John Redwood raises speculation that the government could permit a significantly discounted fee for EU students attending UK universities. He questions how universities would compensate for the ...
John Redwood: OBR lowers 2026 UK GDP growth forecast after Labour tax rises
John Redwood highlights changes in the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts for the United Kingdom. According to Redwood, the OBR previously projected 2% UK GDP growth, a 4.2% ...
Nationalizing water adds pressure to U.K. fiscal rules, John Redwood warns
John Redwood emphasizes that the U.K. cannot afford to nationalize the water industry in addition to steel and rail, while maintaining current fiscal rules. He notes that steel and rail sector ...
John Redwood: U.K. borrowing costs rise to 5.8 percent, higher than 2022 levels
John Redwood highlights the sharp increase in the U.K. government's 30-year borrowing rate, which surged to 5.8 percent. He contrasts this with 2022, noting that while the rate briefly spiked to ...
Gordon Brown's financial decisions and economic impact questioned, John Redwood notes
John Redwood raises concerns about past financial decisions made by Gordon Brown. Redwood questions why the prime minister would seek financial advice from Brown, referencing the sale of U.K. gold ...
John Redwood: UK prime minister urged to avoid Gordon Brown financial strategy mistakes
John Redwood, industry influencer, criticizes the financial decisions of former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, urging the current prime minister to do the opposite of Brown's approach. Redwood ...
Forecasts of high inflation and interest rates hurt confidence, John Redwood argues
John Redwood, industry influencer, criticizes the Bank of England's approach to managing inflation, citing forecasts of high inflation and higher interest rates as damaging to market confidence. ...
MG Investment: Bank of England’s stance could impact share prices and investor confidence
MG Investment, industry influencer, questions the approach of the Bank of England regarding its potential impact on market sentiment. The influencer raises concerns about the central bank's ...
UK could boost North Sea oil output at £20 cost per barrel, John Redwood argues
John Redwood suggests that North Sea oil reserves remain substantial and more discoveries are possible. He proposes increasing United Kingdom oil production to 1 million barrels per day, noting an ...
John Redwood: U.S. leads globally in income per head, UK trails with slower growth
Countries with the highest incomes are led by the U.S., which has a GDP per head of $92,000, according to John Redwood. He observes that several small countries with low tax rates also rank ...
Rising fuel bills reduce consumer spending, John Redwood warns
Consumer confidence is declining as households face the prospect of higher fuel bills, according to John Redwood. The increased cost at fuel pumps is affecting other areas of spending, raising ...
John Redwood: Government urged to reassure bond markets and lower UK borrowing rates
John Redwood called on the government to focus on calming bond markets and reducing UK borrowing rates. He suggested that the target should be to bring rates back down to the highest levels seen ...
Cobra meeting urged to address soaring UK borrowing and energy costs, John Redwood states
John Redwood has questioned the decision to delay a Cobra meeting until next week to discuss rising costs related to U.K. state borrowing and energy. He argues that immediate action could have ...
John Redwood: Higher energy prices deflationary and impact UK payments to foreign suppliers
John Redwood highlighted that while higher energy prices initially increase inflation, they ultimately have a deflationary effect similar to significant tax rises. He emphasized that large sums ...
UK could save factories by using more piped gas over LNG imports, John Redwood argues
John Redwood highlights significant cost differences between U.S. domestic gas and imported LNG, emphasizing the need for action to protect UK industry. Redwood calls for increased use of UK ...
John Redwood: UK economy shows no growth in January as taxes and borrowing rise
UK economic activity recorded no growth in January. John Redwood notes that this outcome is unsurprising, attributing the stagnation to net zero bans, rising taxes, and excessive government ...
