My Life, Our Times
Page 63
‘sofa government’, 117, 199, 225
soft power, 136
South Africa, 1–2, 44, 47–8, 53, 137, 199, 338, 391, 392
South Korea, 124, 293, 328, 336
South Sudan, 392
Soviet Union, 291
Spain, 59, 242, 257, 301, 324, 326, 327–8, 321, 332, 346
Special Drawing Rights, 335
Special Liquidity Scheme, 302, 303
Spence, Laura, 237
Sports Personality of the Year, 38
Springboks, 2, 47
St Andrew’s Day, 403
St Andrews, Fife, 340
St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, 93
St George’s Hospital, London, 422
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, 44
St Paul’s Cathedral, London, 424
stamp collection, 34–5
stamp duty, 306, 349
Standard Chartered, 224
Standing Committee on Euro Preparations, 181
steel industry, 15, 34
Stein, Jock, 59
Stern Review (2006), 443
Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, 195
Stewart, John ‘Jackie’, 308
Stirrup, Graham Eric ‘Jock’, 262, 272, 273, 277, 282, 287, 288
Stoddart, David, 61
Stoltenberg, Jens, 244, 324
‘Storm Warning’ (Darling), 305–6
Stormont, Belfast, 212, 367–8
Straw, Jack, 102, 202, 240, 250, 253
Straw, Will, 413
Streatham, London, 372
Stubbs, Derek, 61
Student, 44, 47
Subbuteo, 38
subprime mortgage crisis (2007–2010), 298–321
Sudan, 214
Suez conflict (1956), 11, 196, 249
Suffolk, England, 218, 373
Sugar, Alan Michael, Baron Sugar, 204
Summers, Larry, 92, 103, 341
Sun, 189–90, 438
and Afghanistan, 190, 267, 288–90
Blair’s third term story (2004), 185
and European Union, 176, 178, 179, 190, 220, 368
and general election (2010), 368–9, 377
and Iraq, 256
Labour leadership election (1994), 95
Leveson Inquiry (2011–12), 393–4
and Obama, 329
Sunday Times, 96, 189–90
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, 240, 372
Supreme Court, 416
Sure Start, 8, 15, 235, 367, 441–2, 460
surgeries, 4, 180, 390
Surrey, England, 211, 215
Surtees, John, 38
sustainable investment rule, 131
Sutherland, Graham 459
Swansea, West Glamorgan, 99
Swindon, Wiltshire, 92
Switzerland, 175, 321
Syria, 200, 244, 390, 392, 403
T
‘Take Back Control’ movement, 30, 408, 412, 450
Taliban, 10, 269, 270, 273–5, 278–9, 281, 286, 287, 288, 292
Tambo, Oliver, 216
Tanzania, 245, 324, 392
Tata, Ratan, 347
‘Tax Bombshell’, 82
tax credits, 4, 8, 106, 112, 129, 133, 139, 142, 146–52, 155, 346, 351, 371, 453
taxation, 80, 82, 84, 88–9, 139–56, 349, 350
air passenger duty, 152
avoidance, 125, 153–4, 330
on bankers’ bonuses, 340
banking levy, 340–43
basic rate, 101, 104, 110, 145, 149–51, 165
Budgets, see under Budgets
capital gains tax, 104, 110, 440
charities, 152
on children’s sweets, 40
climate change levy, 152
corporation tax, 134, 153, 440
dementia tax, 142
and devolution, 57, 399
environmental taxes, 152
fuel tax, 142–3, 152
graduate tax, 206, 236–9
havens, 125, 153–4, 330
income tax, 104, 107, 109, 141, 147, 149–51, 453–4
inheritance tax, 104, 167, 221
on land deals, 59
landfill tax, 152
married couple’s allowance, 139, 140, 143, 144, 147, 167
mortgage tax relief, 139, 140, 143–4, 147, 167
and National Health Service (NHS), 4, 83, 101, 102, 112, 154, 155, 156, 162–8
pan-European savings tax, 174
of pensions, 134
poll tax, 80, 84, 141
stamp duty, 306, 349
‘Tax Bombshell’ poster (1992), 82
tax-and-spend, 81, 82, 84, 87, 89, 108–11
tax credits, 4, 8, 106, 112, 129, 133, 139, 142, 146–52, 155, 346, 351, 371, 453
Tobin tax, 341
top rate, 101–2, 109–10, 111, 149, 155, 165
value-added tax (VAT), 84, 103, 110, 123, 127, 141, 153, 346, 347–8, 349
windfall tax, 25, 88–9, 102, 105–7, 127, 155
window tax, 141
Taylor, Alan John Percivale, 196
Taylor, Charles, 428
Taylor, Matthew, 224
Teach First, 234
Tebbit, Norman, 60, 69, 105
technological progress, 443–4
telecommunications, 25, 80, 81, 105, 132, 153
Telegraph Media Group, 368
Telford, Shropshire, 373
Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, 216
ten-year science plan, 133
Tendulkar, Sachin, 308
tennis, 48, 49
terrorism, 207–8, 209, 284
Glasgow attack (2007), 205, 214
July 7 attacks (2005), 191, 248
September 11 attacks (2001), 182, 247–8, 269
test-tube babies, 26
Tewson, Jane, 422
textile industry, 37, 133
Thackeray, William Makepeace, 20
Thailand, 124, 137
That Was the Week That Was, 41
Thatcher, Margaret, 7, 22, 100, 424
on Balmoral, 217
and Bank of England independence, 115
Blair, relationship with, 75
Brown, relationship with, 73, 79
and European Union, 408
Falklands War (1982), 250
leadership election (1990), 31, 80–81
and married couple’s allowance, 139
and mortgage tax relief, 139, 143
and pensions, 107
poll tax (1989–90), 80
and public spending, 350, 358
Theory of Moral Sentiments, The (Smith), 36, 424
‘Think Positively’, 67
Third Way Conference (2009), 327
Third World debt, 8, 124, 137–8, 190–91, 367, 390, 393
Thomas, Gareth, 373
Thomas, Rachael, 401
three-day week (1974), 53
Tibet, 245, 334
Times, The, 20, 62, 99, 169, 178–80, 219–20, 237, 369, 394, 427, 438
Tobin, James, 341
Today, 89, 95, 109, 438
Tom Fletcher, 200–201
Tomlinson, Ian, 330
Tooting, London, 372, 373
Top Gear, 49
Torrance, Sam, 59
Tottenham Court Road, London, 34
Tower Hamlets, London, 234
Tower of London, 35
trade unions, 27, 28, 53, 60, 61, 68, 86
Amalgamated Engineering Union, 91
GMB (General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied), 95
levy payers, 76
miners’ strike (1974), 53
miners’ strike (1984–1985), 71–3
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), 62
and ‘one member, one vote’, 87–8, 91
Scottish Mineworkers’ Union, 73
Trades Union Congress (TUC), 87, 110, 182, 214, 237, 247
UNISON, 110
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, 62
Trades Union Congress (TUC), 87, 110, 182, 214, 237, 247
‘Train to Gain’, 235
transistor radios, 34
travel bans, 207
Treasury, 9, 17, 76, 91, 93, 107, 111
and Afghanistan, 271–2, 276–8
and Asian financial crisis (1997), 124
bank failure simulation exercise (2006–2007), 296
Bank of England independence, 113–24, 351
and debt/deficit, 350–63, 379, 385
Enterprise Act (2002), 134
Enterprise and Growth Unit, 133
and euro, 173–84
and financial crisis (2007–2009), 295, 302, 305–6, 312–21, 345, 351
and international development, 138
and Iraq, 251, 259–60
and minimum wage, 133
and National Health Service funding, 162–8
New Deal, 8, 25, 88, 92, 105, 127–31, 133
Northern Rock rescue plan (2007), 295
Office of Management and Budget proposal, 186, 188
and public expenditure, 131–6, 186, 350
and public-private partnerships (PPPs), 81, 92, 104, 135–6, 185, 440
and public sector pay rises, 350
tax credits, 4, 8, 106, 112, 129, 133, 139, 142, 146–52, 155, 346, 351
and tuition fees, 236
Treasury Asian financial crisis (1997), 124
Treasury Bank of England independence, 113–24
Treasury New Deal, 8, 25, 88, 92, 105, 127–31
Tribune Group, 69, 86, 89
Trichet, Jean-Claude, 318
Trinidad and Tobago, 286
Trollope, Anthony, 20, 69
Trotskyism, 53, 74
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), 311, 313, 319
Trump, Donald, 5, 220, 390
tuition fees, 206, 236–9, 365, 440
Turing, Alan, 426–7
Turkey, 255, 256, 293, 392
Twain, Mark, 44
Twitter, 7, 361, 362
Two Concepts of Liberty (Berlin), 450
U
UBS, 298
Uganda, 224, 392
UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party), 68, 327, 407, 416
Ulster Unionist Party, 368
unemployment, 2, 3, 8, 19, 40, 51, 54–5, 104, 115, 444
and austerity, 358, 360
and automation, 444
of graduates, 51
and inflation, 25
and laziness, 69
Major ministry, First (1990–1992), 82, 83, 128
in mining industry, 36–7, 72
New Deal, 8, 25, 88, 92, 105, 127–31
and recession (2008–2009), 348
in Scotland, 36–7, 50
structural, 346
Thatcher ministry, First (1979–1983), 128
Union Jack, 394
UNISON, 110
United Arab Emirates (UAE), 243, 301, 317
United Nations, 199, 203, 214, 241, 336, 339
and Afghanistan, 282
and education, 245, 392
and financial crisis (2007–2009), 18, 312, 324
and G20 London summit (2009), 331, 332
and Iraq, 250, 252, 253, 256–7, 258, 259, 265
responsibility to protect, 291
United States, 27–8
1933 launch of New Deal, 28, 361
1941 Churchill begins stay at White House, 20
1960 Kennedy’s New Frontier speech, 28
1962 Kennedy visits Cape Canaveral, 7–8; Cuban missile crisis, 247
1963 Kennedy visits UK, 20; assassination of Kennedy, 41–2, 247
1964 Wilson declines to send troops to Vietnam, 249
1976 presidential election, 92
1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, 451–2
1991 Clinton outlines New Covenant, 28
1992 presidential election, 5, 82
1993 formation of Clinton administration, 92
1998 Brown’s Harvard speech, 124
1999 establishment of G20 group, 125; agreement on Third World debt, 138
2001 Blair gifts Bush bust of Churchill, 328; September 11 attacks, 182, 247–8, 269; tech-boom crisis begins, 122; invasion of Afghanistan, 248; Bush discusses Iraq with Blair, 251
2002 Bush–Blair meeting in Crawford, 251; Bush–Blair meeting at Camp David, 252; report on Iraqi WMDs, 253–4
2003 Bush–Blair meeting at White House, 257; invasion of Iraq, 31, 173, 182, 258–9; launch of de-Ba’athification in Iraq, 259
2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal breaks, 184
2005 Gleneagles G8 meeting, 191
2006 bank failure simulation exercise launched, 297
2007 troop surge in Iraq, 261; Brown makes visit, 209, 213–14, 260; subprime crisis begins, 298
2008 Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, 300; collapse of Bear Stearns, 301, 305; Brown makes visit, 302; collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, 303; Lehman Brothers collapse, 306–7; AIG bailout, 307; troop surge in Afghanistan, 279; creation of TARP, 311; Bush meets with Brown, 312–13, 325; congress passes TARP, 319; recapitalisation, 319, 320
2009 formation of Obama administration, 278, 279; Riedel Review, 279; fiscal stimulus announced, 328; Brown makes visit, 326; G20 London summit, 2, 18, 280, 328–31, 334; D-Day anniversary, 11; McChrystal submits report on Afghanistan, 282–3; G20 Pittsburgh summit, 19, 336; surge and drawdown announced in Afghanistan, 12, 285, 286; demand for Pakistani action against terrorism, 284; Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, 337, 338
2010 new division of responsibilities in Afghanistan, 287; London conference on Afghanistan, 286–7; takeover from UK in Helmand, 287; South Korean initiative on trade deficit, 336; discussions on banking levy, 341–2
2012 presidential election, 371
2015 drafting of Paris Agreement, 338
2016 presidential election, 414
2017 Trump announces withdrawal from Paris Agreement, 338, 390
universal basic income, 147
universal education, 391
University College London, 232
University of Rhodesia, 53
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, 62
uranium, 256
Urenco, 185
Urgent Operational Requirements system, 276
Usque conabor, 198, 344
V
Vadera, Shriti
and bank lending, 347
and debt relief, 137
and financial crisis (2007–2009), 298, 302, 304, 305, 311–16, 320
and G20 London summit (2009), 323, 332
Vallance, Iain, 106–7
value-added tax (VAT), 84, 103, 110, 123, 127, 141, 153, 346, 347–8, 349
Values, Visions and Voices (Wright and Brown), 105
van Fleet, Justin, 392
Vass, Ken, 59
Vaughan, Nick, 92
Vector vehicles, 276
Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, 217
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 328
Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, 43
Vietnam War (1955–1975), 44, 249, 280, 293
Vine, Jeremy, 372
Virgin, 296
Vodafone, 153
Volunteers’ Green, Kirkcaldy, 35
voting reform, 375, 378, 380
Vow (2014), 403, 405–6
W
Waddell, Bruce, 403, 404
Wade, Rebekah, see Brooks, Rebekah
Wages Councils, 133
Wales, 23, 29, 30, 57, 165, 374, 395, 397
Walker, Peter, 105
Wallace, Moira, 117, 118
Wallis, James, 258, 432
Walton, Liverpool, 74
Wanless, Derek, 164, 166, 168
Wartime Courage (Brown), 15
Washington Consensus, 124–5, 339, 449
Watkins, Kevin, 391
Watson, Tom, 190
Watt, Peter, 224
Watts, George Frederic, 2, 328
‘Ways to Fix the World’s Financial System’ (Brown), 300
Wealth of Nations, The (Smith), 36, 424
weapons of m
ass destruction (WMDs), 250–59, 265
Webb, Beatrice, 436
Webster, Philip, 178
welfare state, 34, 69–70, 72, 76
child benefit, 83, 145–6, 224, 235, 346
Child Trust Fund, 148
Cowdenbeath scheme (1984), 70
family credit, 145
means testing, 69
National Insurance, 12–14, 82, 102–3, 155, 163–8, 233, 349, 354, 453
pension credit, 140, 148, 152
reforms (1985), 70
‘snooper squads’ affair (1985), 70
Social Work (Scotland) Act (1968), 72
universal basic income, 147
welfare-to-work, 80, 124, 129
Winter Fuel Allowance, 73, 148
welfare-to-work, 80, 124, 129
Welsh Labour Party, 99
Wembley conference (1981), 68
Wen Jiabao, 18, 199, 242, 324, 334, 338
West Primary School, Kirkcaldy, 38
West, Alan, 204
Wester Ross, Highland, 204
Wexham Hospital, Slough, 229
Weymouth, Dorset, 215
What’s Your Problem?, 59
Whelan, Charles, 91, 109, 179–80
Where There is Greed (Brown), 79
White House, Washington, DC, 20, 213, 247, 257, 258, 302, 312–13, 325–6
gifts from UK, 328–9
Whyte, Annmarie, 405
Wicks, Nigel, 114
Williams, Rowan, 152–3, 423, 429
Williams, Shirley, 403–4
Williams, Ted, 19
Wills, Jonathan, 51
Wills, Michael, 92, 202
Wilson, Harold, 197, 201, 223
on Balmoral, 217
Bank of England, relations with, 352
‘Battle Against Poverty, The’ (1963), 40
Brighton Cabinet meeting (1966), 204
Brown, relations with, 65, 208
death (1995), 104
Department of Economic Affairs, creation of (1964), 133
devaluation of pound (1976), 90–91
elections (1964, 1966), 41
and European Union, 409
resignation (1976), 31, 65
and Values, Visions and Voices, 104
and Vietnam War, 249
‘white heat’ speech (1963), 41
Wilson, Samuel, 17
windfall tax, 25, 88–9, 102, 105–7, 127, 155
window tax, 141
Windsor Castle, Berkshire, 107
Winter Fuel Allowance, 73, 148
Wolfensohn, James, 245, 390
Women’s Land Army, 15
women’s rights, 30, 391
Woodward, Shaun, 16
Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, 268
Workers’ Educational Association, 54
World Bank, 138, 169, 186, 245, 318, 323, 331, 336, 339, 390
World Cup, 59–60, 332
World Economic Forum, 300
World Trade Agreement, 325
World Trade Organization, 199, 344
World War I (1914–1918), 3, 15, 20, 140, 249
World War II (1939–1945), 11, 15, 20, 34, 249–50, 291, 409, 414
World Wide Web, see Internet