1981 Budget
When 364 economists wrote to denounce the Conservative government's 1981 budget, Hopper defended the government by arguing that the group "had 364 different opinions" on an alternative policy, and that their call would lead to "fiscal stimulation which will end in renewed inflation and yet higher unemployment". Later that year he criticised Edward Heath for advocating a "ringfence" of exchange controls across the European Community, which Hopper described as "beguiling nonsense".
At the 1984 European Parliament election, Hopper's constituency underwent unwelcome boundary changes which removed Altrincham and added Bury. In addition, he was opposed by Barbara Castle, the sitting Labour member for Greater Manchester North who was a very well known figure. Hopper was defeated for re-election by 37,698 votes.
Read more about this topic: William Hopper (politician)
Famous quotes containing the word budget:
“The United States is the only great nation whose government is operated without a budget. The fact is to be the more striking when it is considered that budgets and budget procedures are the outgrowth of democratic doctrines and have an important part in developing the modern constitutional rights.... The constitutional purpose of a budget is to make government responsive to public opinion and responsible for its acts.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)