Thanks for the Recession!

It looks like the current forecasts are for the UK to enter recession in the near future, and as things go, it’s going to be a very deep, very long one. It’s fair to say that this is very unlikely to be a good thing, and it will be used as an excuse by the government for further austerity measures, which in my view will only make things worse.

Why?

When a government spend money on services, that’s not the end of the story. Take the NHS as an example. The immediate benefit of funding it is obvious – a well-funded NHS means that people are generally healthier for longer, which can only be a good thing. However, those same pounds used to fund the NHS are then paid to staff and spent, meaning the effect of the payment is magnified. In essence, this is “trickle up” economics, a way to genuinely introduce capital into the system and have it move gradually to all strata of society. In other words, what the Tories claim to want to achieve, but this way actually works.

It’s impossible to completely attribute the coming economic woes to the Conservative party, but they have done very little to prepare for economic hardship, being much more focused on delivering short-term benefits to the wealthy. In my view, a responsible government should have been:

• Building a sovereign wealth fund that could take some of the burden from the population during times of downturn.
• Reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, particularly foreign-sourced ones.
• Increasing the housing stock so that interest rate increases wouldn’t be so crippling to so many people.
• Ensuring that during times of growth we were making good use of our resources to, for example, educate the next generation of skilled workers.

In my view, the Conservative governments of the last 12 years have wholly failed to meet any of these objectives, let alone all of them.

Would the opposition have done any better? Possibly, but Labour have already been in power a number of times in recent decades and have not left a stable country behind. What we need is a new approach, and that comes back to my favourite topic, namely Electoral Reform. More voices need to be involved at government level, and long-term compromise is essential to achieving the goals above, and Labour’s leadership is as yet officially opposed to proportional representation. Without this change, we are all-but guaranteed to have another Conservative government in future, and that will be another opportunity for them to squander the resources that our country has to hand.

Hazeena A

Ian, thank you once again for your support. It means a lot.

Thank you so much for [creating this petition] and so amazingly quickly!!!

You did a brilliant job on both the blog and petition. Some of the NHS staff were even impressed with the speed at which you addressed this, and I have had varying positive comments from friends who have read your post.

Hazeena A – Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner Resident

Sheena Y

Having worked with Ian I can say that I found him incredibly transparent and honest which I think would be rare and much needed in today political arena. He is also very clever, direct and a great communicator.

Sheena Y, former co-worker

Andy H

Ian is a very smart individual, but more importantly is honest and truly cares about people.

He is an unselfish individual and would absolutely have the public’s best interests at heart.

Andy H, brother

Luca M

I met Ian a few months ago for the first time and straight away I felt confortable with him and I thought: ” Ok I would trust that guy”.

Luca M, fellow speakers’ club member

Francisco V

Throughout the 12 years I have known Ian, he has always demonstrated to be very bright, kind and upright. I’ve seen all of these attributes in his personal life, for instance, in our sport association he volunteered as treasurer where he improved the overall system and costs as well as championing charitable giving & generous donations. He’ll definitely make a difference in a bigger role in politics.

Francisco V, fellow jū jūtsu instructor and friend

Irene H

You have the moral integrity and high standards in all aspects of the requirements of your potential constituents. You will stand up to injustice and defend those deemed to have had injustice against them. You are committed to environmental change and to look after the less well off in society.

Irene H, mother

Graham C

First and foremost, your personal ethos of kindness and care for others is your top qualification. That you are also highly driven with a need to be productive, and understand very complex matters such as financial systems, makes you stand out.

Graham C, fellow jū jūtsu instructor and friend

Anonymous

You are one of the most principled people that I know. You are committed to making changes that support the most vulnerable in our society and you don’t give up when you know you’re fighting for what’s right.

Anonymous

Helen C

Integrity.
Unlike the rest of us who are disillusioned with the lack of honesty, morals, and the unfair and outdated ‘public schoolboy network’ displayed by this government, you have decided to stand up and make a difference.
Your constituents couldn’t have a better candidate.

Helen C, Aunt

Miles H

Having known Ian for a number of years during which we worked closely as Financial Advisers, I am confident that he would make an excellent MP. Ian is an intelligent man who has the ability to absorb, understand and manage complex information quickly; I have, on many occasions, witnessed him do this whilst retaining the ability to explain it, in a manner which is easy to understand.

I have seen Ian display the courage of his convictions on a professional level, where he has put the clients needs before that of the company and have no doubt he would carry this attitude into public life.

Ian and I have disagreed on politics in the past, but he has always listened carefully to any position and taken time to offer a thoughtful response. If he became an MP I am sure his constituents would benefit from an effective and hard working representative.

Miles H, former co-worker