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Telegraph.co.uk: 1,000 CCTV cameras to solve just one crime, Met Police admits

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Written by Christopher Hope

Eamonn Butler, the director of think tank the Adam Smith Institute, said: “It is obvious that the boom in CCTV cameras is not making us the slightest bit safer.

“There is no evidence that it saves us from gun or knife crime, or for that matter that it stops terrorists – many terrorists are only too glad to advertise their evil deeds."

“Nor are cameras much good in getting convictions. Evidence from them is only allowed in court if the images are securely stored and handled, so that there is no possibility that they have been tampered with."

Published on Telegraph.co.uk here.

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The American: The Parched Wilderness of Socialized Medicine

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There is a near total blindness to the fact that nationalized health systems in other countries are deeply troubled, even deadly. Horror stories about these systems are plentiful in the mainstream media. What about the common good? A 2002 report by the Adam Smith Institute noted the following about Britain’s state-run healthcare monopoly:

The NHS has a severe shortage of capacity, directly costing the lives of tens of thousands of patients a year. We have fewer doctors per head of population than any European country apart from Albania. We import nurses and doctors from the world's poorest countries, and export sick people to some of the richest. More than one million people—one in sixty of the population—are waiting for treatment.

Published in The American here.

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MoneyWeek: Healthcare reform: Is the nhs a socialist nightmare?

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Written by David Stevenson

Although the defenders of the NHS claim it's free, of course it isn't – the 2007/2008 NHS budget added up to £1,500 for every man, woman and child in Britain. As David Rawcliffe on Adamsmith.org points out, although we know that the NHS is paid for by taxation, with a mix of national insurance contributions, stealth taxes, PAYE and government borrowing, it's all too easy for us to forget how much we actually pay. What's more, much of the money goes on administration. Despite a total payroll of over 1.5 million – worldwide, only the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Wal-Mart supermarket chain and Indian Railways directly employ more people – less than 50% are clinically qualified. That makes the NHS "a bureaucratic monstrosity", says Tim Worstall, also on Adamsmith.org.

Published on Moneyweek here.

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Cut business taxes and public spending to stave off UK bankruptcy

Tuesday 4 August 209

Across-the-board cuts in government spending and reductions in business taxes are essential if the UK is to balance its books and stave off bankruptcy, according to a think-tank report published today. The Adam Smith Institute says that an incoming Conservative government will have to draw up a 'Medium Term Financial Strategy' to convince investors that it is serious about bringing the public finances under control and being able to pay off the country's mountain of debt.

Balance the books

The report, by the City analyst Nigel Hawkins, says that the public finances are out of control. The government aims to borrow £175 billion this year, and to continue borrowing, until its total debt reaches £1,370 billion in 2013/14 – some 76% of the nation's income.

But the reality is worse. The government's figures ignore the £37 billion capital injection into the banks, and the £585 billion of bank liabilities now underwritten by taxpayers. And the IMF and other leading economists say the government's growth forecasts are far too optimistic.

The Institute concludes that it is quite possible that Britain could go broke. This year the it hopes to issue an unprecedented £220 billion of gilt-edged securities, and to treble Treasury IOUs up to £65.5 billion. If investors get worried, this financing plan will fail and Britain would be forced to ask the IMF for a bail-out.

The next government should admit that borrowing is far too high, draw up a Medium Term Financial Strategy to restore stability, and focus on retaining the UK's Triple-A credit rating.

Cut public spending

Hawkins points out that the level of public spending has soared, to £671 billion this year. Extra welfare payment because of the recession may push the figure up even more. If the government's books are to be brought back into balance, public spending must be cut. Private-sector employees, who have seen their own wages and pensions cut, resent the privileged position of civil servants, creating political pressure for government thrift.

The next government should aim for real reductions of 3% or more over the medium term. Across-the-board cuts over an extended period would gradually return the public finances to balance.

Commit to lower taxes

Taxes have also risen substantially, and need to be reduced and simplified in order to generate economic growth, says the report. Across-the-board tax cuts will not be feasible until expenditure cuts begin to stabilize the public finances. However, swift cuts in corporate taxes, and reductions in other business burdens, are essential in order to boost the UK's competitiveness.

The next government should pledge to cut taxes once the public finances are under control, reduce corporate taxes in order to promote investment, and reduce and simplify income tax and NI to promote employment.

Other priorities

The next government should also:

  • Closely control the money supply and commit to sound money.
  • Privatize functions such as water utilities, broadcasting, the postal service, and transport.
  • Reduce public sector pension liabilities by closing over-generous schemes to new members.
  • Restore honesty into PFI deals, which are currently not counted on the government's balance sheet.
  • Radically improve the management of public procurement to reduce cost and time over-runs.
  • Overhaul bank supervision, and stress-test the large banks to forestall a future crisis.
  • Progressively reduce government guarantees to the banks and sell its bank shareholdings.
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emily@adamsmith.org

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