Jesse Norman

New Statesman op-ed: Despite the rebellion over the EU, the Tories remain united

The EU Referendum debate on Monday was all set to be one of those great parliamentary occasions.  The Commons chamber, deliberately designed to be on the small side in order to maximise proximity and conflict, heaved as MPs of all parties thronged the gangways.  On the green benches the big beasts of the past anxiously pawed the ground, eager for the off, while younger colleagues sniffed the air expectantly. 

ConHome: The fate of the Eurozone hangs on leadership from Mrs Merkel

Five weeks ago I wrote in rather apocalyptic terms that we were very close to a renewal of the secondary banking crisis.  Money markets were seizing up, credit default swap spreads were widening sharply, the US dollar-denominated debt markets were closed to banks, and a much larger number of banks were being directly funded by the European Central Bank than ever originally contemplated.  I predicted that events would move far faster than the next anticipated deadline, the Greek sovereign debt repayment in March 2012.

Guardian op-ed: The taxman must account

15 October 2011

Last Tuesday The Guardian published a memo of a meeting at HM Revenue and Customs suggesting that Dave Hartnett, its top tax official, had “shaken hands” with executives at Goldman Sachs over a longstanding tax dispute.  The memo made clear that the Revenue’s lawyers had little information about the deal, and were ignorant of key details such as the actual principal amount owing, and whether interest had been charged.  It has been speculated that as much as £10 million was not collected as a result.

The Goldman Sachs tax case: Dave Hartnett should resign

Calls for resignation are a serious matter.   Nevertheless, if the revelations about Goldman Sachs in The Guardian today are true, then Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary at HM Revenue, should resign.

Reply to Andrew Haldenby on PFI

Andrew Haldenby of Reform has taken a mild pop at yours truly in the Telegraph, arguing that it is wrong for my PFI Rebate campaign to seek savings on the Private Finance Initiative.