New Conservative NI policy - Sheryll Murray doesn't agree

Today the Conservatives announced their new policy pledging to reverse the planned 1p rise in National Insurance contributions from both employers and workers. See here for my previous post on this subject.

This time we got his ideas about how this would be paid for.

The big idea is that the Tories in government would seek to renogotiate contracts with companies to try to get a better deal for the taxpayer. The argument is that many contracts were signed when interest rates were much higher and there was a booming economy which allowed companies to charge more (and the government to pay more) than is possible now.

The trouble is that Cornwall Conservatives, particularly SE Cornwall candidate Sheryll Murray, have been shrilly opposed to such a move in Cornwall.

A month ago, there was an Any Questions style debate at County Hall featuring representatives from the different groups on the Council. Sheryll Murray was in the front row and was very vocal in her opposition to (almost) anything that Lib Dem Robin Teverson said. She was particularly opposed to the idea put forward by Robin that Cornwall Council ought to seek to negotiate with SITA over the waste contract given the change in circumstances noted above and the refusal of planning permission fot he St Dennis incinerator.

'Oh no', shouted Ms Murray. 'You can't possibly consider negotiating over a deal that has already been signed. That's a ridculous idea that will never work.' (I paraphrase slightly, but that was the intent of her shrieks.)

Well the chickens have now come home to roost as her Shadow Chancellor is proposing exactly the same course of action to pay the NI bill. I presume that she will be mentioning her opposition to this 'ridiculous' policy in her election leaflets... but I won't hold my breath.