Conservative Policy Forum is being re-launched shortly with local debates on George Osborne's Budget and the second on Housing policy.

We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Wokingham Conservatives.Our Office in Wokingham will be closed from Wednesday 23 December to Monday 4 January 2016.If you need to contact us, please email Office@WokinghamConservatives.org.uk. 

Last year our equity value of Network Rail fell from £8.18 billion to just £6.39 billion. It is a very small sum for all that land, all those buildings, all that track and signal investment. Worse still, our equity value went down despite the railway spending another £6.47 bn on investment that year. I say our because of course Network Rail is owned by all of us, the taxpayers of the UK.

I do not favour condescension or a triumphant blast of how wrong Labour has been, should Mr Corbyn prove victorious. 

Yesterday saw the release of the June figures for spending, taxing and borrowing. Over the year June 30th total public spending rose by 2.9% in cash terms. 

Yesterday saw the release of the June figures for spending, taxing and borrowing. Over the year June 30th total public spending rose by 2.9% in cash terms. 

The Greek Parliament is now just a rubber stamp. A German led Euro area has dictated to the Greek government. A comprehensive remodelling of Greek administration and justice is demanded, alongside major policy changes, a new wave of large cuts in public spending and tax rises. The lengthy list of requirements from the EFSF, the nominal creditor of Greece, is to be implemented in a hurry, with some of the programme a prerequisite for sitting down to try to reach agreement on new loans. Behind the EFSF lies some angry creditor states.

The Budget reshapes the financial story of the 2015-20 Parliament. Instead of planning a £60 billion a year increase in cash spending by 2019-20 the Budget lifts this to an extra £69 billion, similar to the increase over the last Parliament. 

Some of the most difficult emails or letters I receive tell me we need to nationalise the railways. I write back pointing out that is exactly what Labour did when they took over Railtrack and put it into 100% taxpayer ownership, and strengthened the controls of the state over the contracts of the individual train operating companies that run trains on the nationalised railway. Today’s problems in the railways are the direct result of having a nationalised monopoly railway with access to huge sums of taxpayer cash.

Her Majesty will announce the extra powers for Scotland which Labour and Conservatives offered prior to the referendum. As we have discussed recently, this will need to include a new financial settlement when Parliament comes to debate and approve the detail. She should also announce early progress on English votes for English needs (EVEN) , which I expect to be undertaken by an amendment to Standing Orders of the Commons in the first instance.