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Monday News Review

17/01/2011, 06:50:22 AM

Miliband: ‘Our plans involved cuts’

Mr Miliband, a former adviser to Mr Brown, yesterday became the latest Labour figure to say that he had been wrong to “pretend” that cuts were avoidable. “We should have acknowledged earlier, after the financial crisis happened, that eventually there would have to be cuts under Labour,” Mr Miliband said. “Our plans involved cuts and we should have acknowledged that. The problem we faced was that we sometimes looked like we were pretending there weren’t going to be cuts under Labour, when there were.” The Labour leader also said that the party should “take our responsibility for not having regulated the banks sufficiently, along with governments around the world.” The UK economy was over-reliant on the financial sector and “too exposed” the financial crisis, he said. – the Telegraph

British Medical Association: ‘NHS reforms hugely risky’

Health reforms planned by the Government are “extraordinarily risky” and could lead to lower standards of care, a report from the NHS Confederation is expected to warn. The organisation, which represents hospitals and primary care trusts, agrees reform is needed but will criticise Health Secretary Andrew Lansley for failing to explain how the changes will benefit patients, the Observer reported. Mr Lansley is expected to publish the Health and Social Care Bill on Wednesday. His reforms will hand GPs responsibility for around 80% of the NHS budget and abolish primary care trusts. “Price competition”, which will allow hospitals to undercut each other to attract patients, could risk standards of care, the NHS Confederation is set to warn. – Sky

Miliband condemns strike action for Royal wedding

Ed Miliband yesterday condemned the prospect of unions timing industrial action to coincide with the Royal Wedding in April or next year’s Olympic Games. The Labour leader urged them against organising co-ordinated strikes to protest against cuts, warning them the tactic would be a return to the “heroic failures” of the 1980s. His comments marked his latest effort to rebut Tory accusations that he is “Red Ed”, with an agenda dictated by the large unions that bankroll his party. Some union officials have suggested that London Underground workers could strike on 29 April, the day of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton. Mr Miliband told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show: “I am appalled at the idea of strikes to disrupt people going to the Royal Wedding. It alienates the public, and it is not the way to make the political argument we need to make.” Aides said he would be delivering the same message in a meeting with union leaders this week. – the Independent

News Corporation braces itself for further lawsuits

News Corporation executives have been considering how to draw a line under the News of the World phone-hacking affair as the Rupert Murdoch-controlled publisher of the tabloid – via its News GroupNewspapers subsidiary – braces itself for further celebrity lawsuits in the coming weeks. This weekend it emerged that former England footballer Paul Gascoigneis planning to sue the paper, claiming his phone was hacked, while others are poised to act after being told that they were referred to in the notebooks of Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator employed by the tabloid who was jailed for his part in hacking into phones belonging to aides of Princes William and Harry. The drip-drip of accusations has left News Corp wondering how much more it has to endure, at a time when the company is already quietly softening its legal approach when it is being sued. Previously News Corp had sought to settle cases, paying Gordon Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers’ Association, and publicist Max Clifford, about £1m each. Now it is letting the cases run, partly to see what evidence there is of hacking by NoW reporters, and also because it does not want to be treated as a “piggy bank” by high-profile claimants. – the Guardian

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Sunday News Review

16/01/2011, 09:22:50 AM

Ed says Labour made mistakes

Ed Miliband yesterday urged unhappy Lib Dems to work with him to fight the Government’s cuts. He condemned Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg’s decision to sign up to the coalition as a “tragic mistake”. The Labour leader said he was pleased many Lib Dems “now see Labour as the main vehicle for their hopes”. He admitted Labour made “serious mistakes” in Government, losing voters’ trust by being too slow by being too slow to admit the need for cuts or regulate the banks. – the Mirror

Ed Miliband tore into Labour‘s style of government under Tony Blair andGordon Brown today as he promised to rebuild a grassroots movement that would go beyond “the bureaucratic state” and look to local people for answers. Seeking to sustain momentum after the party’s success in last week’s Oldham East and Saddleworth byelection, the Labour leader insisted the party would only move forward if it understood how and why it “lost touch with people’s daily struggle” during 13 years in power. Miliband told the Fabian Society that he was proud of much that Labour did in office, but that its failure to regulate the markets and, latterly, its belief that the state knew best, left it remote from the people it existed to serve. – the Observer

The Labour leader appealed to disaffected Lib Dems to work with him to oppose the spending cuts being implemented by the Coalition Government. Mr Miliband said the decision by Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, to enter government with the Conservatives was a “tragic mistake” and he declared himself ready to co-operate with the Lib Dems “in Parliament and outside it”. Mr Miliband, who has been faced accusations of a lacklustre performance since becoming leader, admitted his party had made mistakes and needed to change course. In a speech to the Fabian Society, Mr Miliband acknowledged that Labour had lost voters’ trust by failing to regulate banks, seeming “in thrall” to the markets and remote from ordinary people’s values. – Telegraph

Lansley under fire

Hospitals will have to close, patient care could be hit and treatment rationed by GPs because of the government’s controversial shake-up of the NHS, health bosses and medical leaders have warned. The biggest restructuring of the service since its creation in 1948 is described as “extraordinarily risky” by NHS leaders and medical groups in a new report. The analysis by the NHS Confederation – comprising the British Medical Association, the Faculty of Public Health and the royal colleges representing GPs, surgeons and hospital doctors – comes ahead of publication of the government’s flagship Health and Social Care Bill on Wednesday. The report accepts the need for reform but criticises the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, for failing to persuade patients and health professionals that his radical proposals to hand the power to commission services to GPs will improve the NHS, and for not doing enough to boost patient power. – the Observer

Cameron turns down Coulson resignation

David Cameron refused to accept the resignation of his communications chief, Andy Coulson, over the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, it was reported last night. Tensions inside Number 10 have mounted over the potential damage caused to the government’s reputation by allegations of voice-mail hacking and mobile phone interception at the Sunday red-top when Mr Coulson was its editor. After a series of rows with Downing Street policy chief Steve Hilton, Mr Coulson offered to quit, according to The Mail on Sunday. However, both Mr Cameron and George Osborne, the Chancellor, are said to have refused to accept the resignation and vowed to stand by Mr Coulson, who has played a key role in overseeing the coalition’s media strategy. “Andy has said sorry to the PM for the embarrassment caused by the phone-bugging saga,” a source, described as a “well placed insider”, told The MoS. “He said it was making it difficult to do his job properly but he was doing his best.” – the Independent

Yes vs. No

The battle to overhaul Britain’s voting system is wide open, with almost two-thirds of people amenable to ditching first past the post. An exclusive poll for The Independent on Sunday says a third (34 per cent) have already decided to back the alternative vote in the referendum planned for 5 May, a vote which Labour peers are seeking to delay. But the ComRes survey reveals 61 per cent could be persuaded to support changing the voting system when they have heard more of the arguments for and against. Surprisingly, 54 per cent of Conservative voters are open to persuasion. It comes as the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said he would honour his pledge to campaign in favour of AV. “The reason politics is discredited is because politicians always break their promises,” he said. In a speech to a Fabian Society, he also made a direct appeal to Liberal Democrats unhappy at their party’s “tragic mistake” in joining the Tories in government. – the Independent

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Saturday News Review

15/01/2011, 09:29:29 AM

Oldham round-up

DAVID Cameron is under pressure from the Tory ranks to take a stronger stance at by-elections after the party finished a distant third in Oldham East and Saddleworth. But the Conservative high command continued to deny giving the second-placed Lib Dems an easy ride in order to give Nick Clegg the best chance of a morale-boosting victory. Aides insisted a collapse in the Tory vote since last May’s General Election was due to Conservatives voting Lib Dem in a tactical bid to stop Labour. The contest was called after a court case unseated Labour MP Phil Woolas for telling lies about his Lib Dem rival. Yesterday Lib Dem Elwyn Watkins, who came within 103 votes of winning last May, finished 3,558 votes behind Labour winner Debbie Abrahams. Tory Kashif Ali was third with 4,481. – the Express

Cameron under fire for soft peddling

The Prime Minister is facing growing attacks from restless backbenchers – 27 of whom rebelled against the party whip over Europe this week – complaining that he is conceding too much influence to Mr Clegg’s party. Some even fear Mr Cameron is considering a Con-Lib Dem electoral pact at the next general election. The former party chairman Lord Tebbit described the Oldham East performance as “dreadful” and added: “Mr Cameron may be pleased that his decision to run a half-hearted campaign and offer good wishes to their candidate helped save the Liberals, but Conservatives will be downcast. “The Liberals fought an excellent campaign and with the help of Mr Cameron they avoided total disaster.” He claimed that the Tory tactics had played into the hands of the UK Independence Party, who came fourth with more than 2,000 votes. The MP Douglas Carswell protested that the Tory candidate, Kashif Ali, had been “let down” by the leadership. “It is usually a good idea if you want to do well as a party to make it clear that you are serious about trying to win. We have paid the price on the doorstep and our leaders should reflect on that,” he said. Bernard Jenkin, the MP for North Essex, said: “The Conservative candidate did well, considering there was such ambivalence from the leadership about whether they wanted to the Conservative Party to do well.” – Independent

THE people have spoken and their voices will reverberate along the corridors of power at Westminster. Voters in the constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth sent Labour’s Debbie Abrahams to Parliament with a thumping majority – 30 times greater than at the general election. That is an unmistakably popular verdict on the ConDem government and its policies: “No thanks!” It can’t be dismissed. The FibDems wanted this poll. They moved heaven and earth to get it, ousting a Labour MP through an unprecedented election court action. They poured all their resources into nominating their egregious candidate Elwyn Watkins. And they failed. Thousands of Tories then switched their votes to the LibDems in the hope of stopping Ed Miliband’s bandwagon. That failed, too. Tetchy Baroness Warsi, who ran the Tories’ non-campaign, claimed yesterday: “Nothing much has changed.” Oh yes it has! The first real votes cast since the general election that nobody won have given fresh momentum to Labour. – the Mirror

If David Cameron and Nick Clegg think that Oldham East and Saddleworth is a bad result, it’s time they thought again. The next few months will propel the Coalition government into a terrifying new dimension of electoral horror. This May, the Liberal Democrats and the Tories face the certain prospect of a bloodbath in the local elections, added to humiliation in the polls for the Welsh assembly. Meanwhile, Labour look set to romp to victory in the Scottish parliamentary elections – once again leaving Lib Dems and Tories devastated. Nor is that all. The national referendum on the alternative vote, also set for May, is bound to open up fresh rancour in Coalition ranks. Defeat looks inevitable, meaning Nick Clegg’s dream of electoral reform – one of his key reasons for entering into a Tory-led government – will be squashed. Afterwards, his hard-pressed troops will naturally ask what is the point of unpopularity if there’s no reward at the end of it. – the Telegraph

Miliband: Still work to do

The first real electoral test for this Conservative-led government has revealed people’s deep sense of unease about the direction in which our country is being led, and their anger at promises so solemnly made and yet so casually broken. I believe that unease stems from misgivings shared right across Britain on the three arguments that will dominate the year ahead: the economy; the damage being done to the next generation; and the way we conduct politics. From the trebling of student debt, to capitulation on bankers’ bonuses and a VAT rise squeezing working families, this government is showing it shares neither their values nor their hopes for the future. But Labour would be wrong if we thought the result in Oldham meant that the next election will somehow fall into our lap. Across Britain I know there are many who need to be convinced that Labour can offer Britain the progressive future they want. But I am also confident that Labour can again be the standard bearer for the progressive majority at the heart of British society. – Ed Miliband, the Guardian

DAVID Cameron suffered a furious backlash from Tory MPs after the party’s dismal showing in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. The Prime Minister and party chairman Baroness Warsi were slated as Labour easily won the seat. Seething Tory backbenchers said Mr Cameron deliberately ran a low-key campaign to give the Lib Dems more chance of winning. And Baroness Warsi was branded “Baroness Bonkers” after she lashed out at her colleagues. Tory MP Douglas Carswell said Conservative candidate Kashif Ali was “let down” by party leaders as he came in a distant third behind Labour’s Debbie Abrahams. – the Mirror

David Cameron came under attack last night for failing properly to back the Conservative candidate in the Oldham by-election. The Prime Minister was accused of letting down his man and party in order to help his Liberal Democrat Coalition partners. Baroness Warsi, the Tory chairman, meanwhile attempted to blame the party’s “Right wing” after Kashif Ali finished a poor third in the first proper test of public opinion since last year’s general election. Mr Ali, who had come within 2,000 votes of taking the seat last May, was comprehensively beaten by the victorious Labour candidate and the Liberal Democrats. Mr Cameron, despite visiting the constituency during the campaign, was accused of “soft-pedalling” to spare a further humiliation for Nick Clegg, the leader of the Lib Dems, who is already under pressure on tuition fees. – the Telegraph

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Friday News Review

14/01/2011, 06:56:44 AM

NHS meltdown

Labour has accused Andrew Lansley of “disgraceful secrecy” for refusing to reveal what risks his officials believe the NHS shakeup poses to the health system. The Department of Health has admitted it has identified things that could go wrong as a direct result of its radical restructuring of the NHS in England. But it has rejected Labour’s request for details to be released under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing that such disclosure would impede ministers. Experts have warned that the reorganisation could hit the quality of care, lead to financial problems and make local NHS organisations less accountable. Many major NHS and medical organisations identified a large number of risks, in both the changes themselves and the period before they take effect in April 2013, when they responded to the recent government consultation on the controversial plans. John Healey, the shadow health secretary, began pursuing details of what risk assessment the health department or its advisers had undertaken to identify potential hazards caused by the biggest changes to the NHS since its creation in 1948. – Guardian

The coalition’s big idea for health is that while the government would still pay for NHS treatment, all commissioning will be carried out by private GP consortiums and service provision will be further opened up to private companies, with the odd sprinkling of not-for-profits. Market competition will drive up standards and lower costs, bringing value for money for taxpayers. So why not say so? In health secretary Andrew Lansley’s consultation on the reforms, due to close tomorrow, there is no use of the words ‘private’, ‘market’ or ‘commercial’. The issue is clouded over with the words “any willing provider” and “independent providers”. – Left Foot Forward

Was it ever in doubt

Debbie Abrahams secured a 3,558 majority – higher than their 1997 landslide – to give a boost to Ed Miliband’s leadership. The Liberal Democrats, who came within 100 votes of taking the seat in May, held on to second place. The Conservatives, who were accused of “soft-pedalling” in the contest in order to try and help their Coalition partners, came a distant third. Nick Clegg insisted the Lib Dems remained a “strong, united” party, despite the heavy loss. Leaving his London home this morning, the party leader insisted that it had been a good showing at what was a “challenging time” for the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. “I think the strong result in this by-election for the Liberal Democrats shows that whether we are in government or in opposition we remain a strong, united independent party whose values continue to attract support,” the Deputy Prime MInister said. – Telegraph

Labour’s Debbie Abrahams took 14,718 votes, over 3,500 more than the Liberal Democrats’ candidate, Elwyn Watkins, who was beaten by just 113 votes last May by Labour’s Phil Woolas, though Woolas was later ejected from his seat by court judges. However, the disappointing result for the Conservative candidate, Rashif Ali, who received just 4,481 votes, will strengthen Mr Cameron’s party critics, who have argued that the Conservatives failed to throw their weight behind Mr Ali because they wanted the Liberal Democrats to win. In her victory speech, Ms Abrahams said Oldham East and Saddleworth had delivered a message to Mr Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Nick Clegg that they had “cutting too much and too fast”. The Labour victory came less than 12 hours after Greater Manchester Council, which is responsible for Oldham, announced that it would cut nearly 20 per cent of its staff over the next year, in an attempt to keep inside reduced Whitehall spending pledges. Delighted by the victory, Labour’s shadow education secretary, Mr Andy Burnham, said it marked “the first step” in rebuilding the party after last year’s election defeat: “I know it is going to be a long road, but it is the first step,” he told The Irish Times . – Irish Times

There was another election last night

Labour has secured its only seat on Cornwall Council after winning a by-election. Labour soared from fifth place at the last by-election in 2009 to win Camborne North. Jude Robinson, who stood as a Labour candidate in the general election in 2010, won 230 votes, a 15% swing from the Conservatives who came second. She called it a “turning point” for Labour, which also won Oldham East and Saddleworth parliamentary by-election. Ms Robinson said: “I am very pleased. “I worked hard and people have been told for a long time they can’t vote Labour here because that would let the Conservatives in. “But this has proved Labour is the opposition to the Conservatives. This is a turning point for us.” – bbc.co.uk

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Thursday News Review

13/01/2011, 04:52:11 AM

Here we go again

At their first shouting match of 2011 Mr Cameron called Mr Miliband “the nothing man”, while Mr Miliband accused Mr Cameron of making “pathetic excuses”. How heartening to find two statesmen so dedicated to upholding the tradition of vulgar personal abuse. Mr Cameron is a great master of gibes and flouts and jeers, while the Leader of the Opposition has quickly learned how to reciprocate the Prime Minister’s expressions of genuine personal contempt. But even those of us who revel in Punch and Judy politics cannot help feeling that this kind of thing might become a bit wearing if it happens every time the two men set eyes on each other. We could find ourselves in the position of neighbours who can hear the next door couple screaming at each other at every hour of the day and night. The Prime Minister is in danger of surrendering the moral high ground. It would perhaps be a good idea sometimes to speak in sorrow of Mr Miliband’s limitations, and sometimes to perplex him with offers of bipartisan action. Many at Westminster are ready to see in Mr Cameron an objectionably rich and arrogant friend to the bankers. This is very much the impression Mr Miliband wishes to foment, and by treating the Leader of the Opposition in such a dismissive fashion, Mr Cameron could start contributing to it. – Telegraph

Voters are headed to the polls in Oldham East and Saddleworth in the first by-election test of the new parliament. Polls in the marginal have suggested Labour is on course to win comfortably in what would be a major electoral setback for the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. However, anecdotal evidence points to a closer race and much may come down to turnout after polling stations open. The by-election was called after an election court declared last year’s contest void after finding that Labour victor Phil Woolas had made false statements about the Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins. There were expectations of a local backlash against Labour because of the circumstances of the by-election, but the Lib Dems have also slumped dramatically in the polls since last May. Despite finishing just 103 votes behind Labour in last May’s general election, polls last weekend found Mr Watkins trailing by a massive 17 points. Prime Minister David Cameron has been repeatedly forced to deny that the Tories have run a half-hearted campaign in the by-election in a bid to bolster their Lib Dem coalition partners. Mr Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, and other Lib Dem ministers have paid numerous visits to the constituency to try to shore up their vote. The Deputy Prime Minister insisted this week that the result would be “pretty close”. – Press Association

The Oldham East & Saddleworth by-election descended into acrimony last night as Labour accused the Liberal Democrats of launching personal attacks on their candidate in a last ditch attempt to win the seat. Labour condemned Liberal Democrat leaflets suggesting that Labour’s candidate, Debbie Abrahams, had misled voters at the last general election about where she lived. The Liberal Democrats responded that they were merely highlighting the fact that Ms Abrahams had given two “obviously contradictory” statements at different elections. There was also concern within the Labour camp that Jack Straw’s criticism of the Pakistani community at the weekend for not being “more open” about the sexual grooming of young white girls had become an electoral factor among Muslim voters. Labour canvassers said they had overheard a Liberal Democrat supporter highlighting Mr Straw’s remarks to voters. The issue was also raised at a hustings held at a community centre in the Glodwick area of the former mill town, which is home to many voters of Pakistani descent and was the scene of severe rioting in 2001. – Independent

Illsley on his way

Eric Illsley yesterday bowed to pressure and said he would quit as an MP. The ex-Labour politician tried to cling to his seat despite being convicted of fiddling £14,500 expenses. But he agreed to clear his desk after being told he faced a cross-party motion ordering his expulsion from the Commons. He said he “deeply regretted” his actions and would resign before his sentencing next month. This would spark a by-election in his Barnsley Central seat. – Daily Mirror

The disgraced MP Eric Illsley today bowed to pressure and confirmed that he would resign his Commons seat, triggering a second potentially troublesome byelection for the coalition. The ex-Labour MP for Barnsley Central, currently sitting as an independent, pleaded guilty to defrauding the expenses system of £14,500 yesterday and is likely to face a spell in prison when he is sentenced next month. There was intense pressure on him to resign after it emerged that, if he receives a sentence of less than 12 months, he could have kept his seat, collecting his salary from prison. David Cameron and Ed Miliband had both called on him to go, describing his position as “untenable”. There was also cross-party pressure from his colleagues who wanted to avoid the House of Commons having to resort to procedures to eject an MP that are untested in recent times. The speaker refused to answer questions in the Commons earlier today after the possibility of a motion to expel Illsley was raised, saying that the issue remained sub judice until sentencing. It would have been the first time in 35 years that an MP had been expelled from the house by his colleagues. Illsley issued a statement apologising to his constituents, family and friends, saying he “deeply, deeply” regrets his actions. “I have begun to wind down my parliamentary office,” he confirmed, saying he would formally resign ahead of his sentencing. “I would like to apologise to my constituents, family and friends, following my court appearance, for the distress and embarrassment caused by my actions that I deeply, deeply regret,” he said. – Guardian (more…)

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Wednesday News Review

12/01/2011, 06:55:40 AM

Labour turns up the heat over bonuses

Labour today stepped up the pressure on the government over City bonuses as the new chief executive of Barclays, Bob Diamond, stood firm against demands that he give up his potential £8m payout for 2010. Forcing George Osborne to the House of Commons dispatch box to defend his attempts to crack down on bankers’ bonuses, the shadow chancellor, Alan Johnson, said the coalition had gone “from the scent of rose garden to the stench of broken promises” since the election. The chancellor, who says we are all in this together, bows to the rich and powerful whilst bearing down on everyone else. His sneering arrogance will not get him out of this one,” Johnson said. – Guardian

George Osborne warned of stiff penalties yesterday unless banks cut bonuses and increase lending. The Chancellor said “nothing is off the table” if they do not comply. His emergency Commons statement to a packed chamber came after reports that the Government had given up trying to curb banks’ estimated £7BILLION bonuses. It was sparked by Barclays chief Bob Diamond, believed to be in line for an £8million payout, telling MPs that neither the Chancellor nor PM had asked him to limit his bonus. The Government appeared to be in disarray as officials refused to say what limits it would allow on bonuses. Mr Osborne said the Treasury is talking to banks about smaller bonuses, greater transparency and a fairer deal to customers. He added: “If the banks cannot commit to that I’ve made it very clear to them that nothing is off the table.” Mr Osborne was forced into his statement by Labour shadow Alan Johnson, who accused him of breaking a coalition vow to bring forward “robust” banking legislation. – The Sun

The coalition was in disarray over bank bonuses last night after Nick Clegg publicly demanded that the Treasury do more to slash sky-high payouts. Chancellor George Osborne responded by reviving a threat to hit the banks with new taxes unless they raise lending by £20billion this year and open their books to publish more details of bonuses. He told MPs ‘nothing is off the table’ if the banks are not more ‘responsible’. Mr Osborne intervened in an apparent attempt to placate Liberal Democrats furious at suggestions that the Government has abandoned hope of slashing the £7billion bonus pot to be paid by the big banks this year. Senior Lib Dems accused Downing Street of ‘waving the white flag’ over bonuses after months of tough talk. – Daily Mail

By-election number two

The Labour MP admitted dishonestly claiming more than £14,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses after being exposed by The Daily Telegraph. He is now expected to become the second MP to be sent to prison when he is sentenced until next month. The MP faces spending up to seven years in prison. However, Illsley will not automatically be banned from the House of Commons unless he is imprisoned for more than 12 months. There was growing pressure for the MP to resign his seat or for the Speaker to intervene to force him out of Parliament. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, called on the MP to step aside. Illsley was suspended from the Labour Party when he was charged but still sits in Parliament as an independent MP representing Barnsley Central. Mr Miliband said: “Eric Illsley has been found guilty of a very serious charge. He is no longer a Labour MP and I think he should now do the right thing and resign as an MP. I do not think he can be a credible voice for his constituents having pleaded guilty to such a serious offence.” – Daily Telegraph (more…)

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Tuesday News Review

11/01/2011, 06:30:18 AM

Europe set to haunt the Tories again

David Cameron faces a serious rebellion from his backbenchers tonight when a bill on the referendum lock goes before the Commons. MPs will debate amendments to the bill, with veteran eurosceptic Bill Cash putting forward a series of radical changes. Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell branded the bill, which would ensure a referendum in the case of a “significant” EU treaty, “smoke and mirrors”. “This bogus EU bill is no substitute for the referendum we were promised. Nothing in this bill will cause the permanent British representatives in Brussels, who really decide Europe policy, to change course,” he wrote on his blog. Mr Cameron originally promised the referendum lock in opposition, when it became clear that his promise of a referendum on the Lisbon treaty would not be possible. But Tory backbenchers have been dismayed by the moderate tone adopted towards the EU from the prime minister and his foreign secretary, William Hague, since they arrived in office.
Combined with the unconcealed pro-European credentials of the Conservatives’ Lib Dem coalition partners, many eurosceptic backbenchers are intensely uncomfortable with the way Britain’s relationship with the EU is being managed. Labour is unimpressed by the law, especially the judicial review aspect, which they say hands power to judges which should be in the hands of elected representatives. “Even the foreign secretary must know this bill is a dogs dinner,” said shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper. “This bill is about failed Tory party management not the issues that matter for Britain in Europe. Instead of concentrating on things like growth, exports or cross border crime, William Hague is wasting time trying and failing to keep his eurosceptics happy.” – politics.co.uk

Angry Conservatives last night intensified their revolt over Britain’s membership of the European Union ahead of crucial Commons votes tonight. MPs are due to debate the full details of the Government’s European Union Bill. It is designed to prevent any further surrender of power from Westminster to Brussels without a national referendum. But Eurosceptic Tories are threatening to side with Labour in a bid to make the measures far tougher. Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, Staffordshire, last night added an amendment to the Bill seeking to make clear that Britain’s sovereignty lies with Parliament. Despite the growing discontent on Tory backbenches, Government whips were last night relaxed about the debate. One Tory source said: “It does not feel as if this rebellion has really caught alight.” The European Union Bill includes a “sovereignty clause” introducing the so-called “referendum lock” promised in the Conservative election manifesto. This would oblige any future government to hold a referendum before agreeing to a treaty that transfers sovereignty to Brussels. – Daily Express

Cameron defeated over bank bonuses

Downing Street has accepted that it cannot halt large bonuses for bankers and is instead negotiating to make employers disclose how many are given more than £1 million. Despite public anger at the prospect, it admits it holds little sway with banks which are not partly stated-owned. A No 10 source said last night: “Whatever the bonuses are – if they are £7 billion or £3 billion – they will be too big. We are going to get flak and we accept that.” Some Liberal Democrats in the Coalition, including Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, had hoped that the Treasury would look at another bank tax to discourage the bonus culture. But No 10 regards last year’s levy as “a one-off”. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, accused the Coalition of giving banks a tax cut by not renewing the levy imposed by the last government. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that, while the Government wanted restraint, David Cameron would not “micromanage” the banks. “We are not going to set bonus pools for individual banks. We are not going to set pay policy for individual members of staff,” he said. – Daily Telegraph

David Cameron was humiliated yesterday by bank chiefs who insisted he does NOT have a veto over their pay. The PM threatened to torpedo a £2.5million bonus for Stephen Hester, head of Royal Bank of Scotland – a bank saved with £20billion of taxpayers’ cash. The PM boasted in a weekend TV interview that he ¬“absolutely” had a veto over RBS bonuses. But 24 hours later, the bank insisted he does not have the power to stop Mr Hester ¬pocketing the bonus. An RBS spokesman said: “There isn’t a formal veto.” He added that RBS agreed to let the body set up to run the nationalised banks decide the total bonuses paid to its workforce last year in return for extra government support. But the arrangement was a “one-off”, he stressed. Shadow treasury minister Chris Leslie said Mr Cameron had landed himself in an “embarrassing muddle”. – Daily Mirror

Miliband is forced to defend Johnson

Ed Miliband insisted yesterday that Alan Johnson DOES know what he’s talking about – as a furious bank bonus row erupted. The Labour leader’s vote of confidence in his bungling Shadow Chancellor came as it emerged ministers are thrashing out a deal with bankers to be more open. Mr Johnson said employers paid National Insurance at 21 per cent. The figure is 12.8. He has also admitted needing an “economics for beginners” primer, seemed confused about when Labour’s cuts were due to start and unsure how long it will take to reduce the deficit. With Mr Johnson at his side, Mr Miliband told a press conference: “Alan clearly knows about these things. It’s the big things that matter in politics. The things that matter are your instincts.” – The Sun

Ed Miliband yesterday backed Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson despite his National Insurance gaffe. The Labour leader said he would trust Mr Johnson’s judgment “any day” over George Osborne’s. He was speaking after Mr Johnson was caught out on TV wrongly saying the rate of NI contributions was 20% when it is 12.8%. It was his second slip-up in a week, prompting questions about whether he is the right man for the job. Last week Mr Johnson had to correct himself after he forgot the date by which Labour hoped to halve the deficit. Asked about the comments, Mr Milband said: “Alan clearly knows about these things. It’s the big things that matter.” – Daily Mirror

Labour lead by eight points

Labour has opened up an eight-point lead in the latest ComRes survey for The Independent as the Conservatives start to feel a backlash over spending cuts and the rise in VAT. It shows Labour on 42 per cent, up three points since the most recent ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday three weeks ago, the Conservatives on 34 per cent (down three), the Liberal Democrats on 12 per cent (up one point) and other parties 12 per cent (down one). This is the biggest Labour lead, and the Tories’ lowest share of the vote, in any poll since last May’s general election and the largest Labour lead since ComRes began polling for The Independent in 2006. The figures would give Labour an overall majority of 102 at the next election if it were fought in the current first-past-the-post system. According to ComRes, the Tories trail Labour among voters in every age group below 55 and in every region of Britain except the Midlands. Labour enjoys a narrow one-point lead among the AB top social group. – Independent

Minister in fishy embarrassment

Fisheries minister Richard Benyon has been caught out by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall after the politician revealed his lack of knowledge about Britain’s most common fish. Benyon was able to pick out only cod and monkfish from 12 of the most obvious fish and, after a second chance, managed to identify pollock too. However, he was unable to identify favourites such as halibut, haddock and plaice. Fisheries minister Richard Benyon could identify only three of 12 common fish. The minister makes the gaffe on the TV quiz show Hugh’s Fish Fight, which screens on Channel 4 tomorrow. He was clearly nervous about his level of knowledge when presented with the task. ‘Oh God, this is so cruel. I’m a landlubber,’ says Mr Benyon. – Daily Mail

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Monday News Review

10/01/2011, 06:25:39 AM

Leaders clash over youth jobs

David Cameron has betrayed a generation of young people by denying them help to get a job, Labour leader EdMiliband will say today. The Prime Minister has summoned businesses chiefs to talks today on boosting employment. But Mr Miliband accused the him of ignoring the problem of youth joblessness, which is at its highest level for a quarter of a century. In March the Tory-led Government will end the Future Jobs Fund, which provides 100,000 places for under 25s, but the “work programme” which replaces it will not start until June. Speaking at a press conference in London, Mr Miliband will warn that Mr Cameron is repeating Margaret Thatcher’s mistakes, which led to the creation of a “lost generation” in the 1980s. Mr Miliband will say: “The first thing Mr Cameron should be addressing at his meeting today is the risk of a lost generation of young people in this country. “There will be a looming gap in the help given to unemployed young people. “This decision to betray young people is not just unfair it is the wrong long-term economic judgement.” – The Mirror

The key political battleground of employment will flare up today as David Cameron meets 20 leading multinational companies which have pledged to create jobs in Britain, and Labour mounts a campaign attacking the Coalition on youth unemployment. Ed Miliband is warning that thousands of young people face a “looming gap” when they look for help to find work because of the Coalition’s plans to scrap the Future Jobs Fund.But Mr Cameron counters that 300,000 private-sector jobs have been created in the past six months and he has plans to unveil more job pledges today. He hopes that by enlisting the support of large companies, such as McDonald’s, Shell and Toyota, the Government will appear pro-active in delivering jobs. The Prime Minister also gave warning yesterday that trade unions that strike over public-sector job cuts would find they would not be able to “push anyone around”. Speaking on the BBC, he said the Government was ready to talk about the impact of cuts but would not be forced into changing tack. “Striking is not going to achieve anything and the trade unions need to know they are not going to be able to push anyone around by holding this strike or that strike or even a whole lot of strikes together – they can forget it,” he said. – The Independent

Johnson jibes

Alan Johnson has been dogged by claims that he is not knowledgeable enough to be an effective opponent to George Osborne in times of economic hardship.His latest slip was seized upon by both Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats as an example of his lightweight ability. Mr Johnson appeared on Sky News on Sunday to criticise the Coalition Government’s announcement that VAT will rise to 20 per cent, a move he described as “fiscal fundamentalism”. Labour wants to increase national insurance as a way of tackling the deficit. Accused of being an economic “novice”, Mr Johnson said: “The accusation of economic novice is that when you take over a new job, you have to ensure that you bone up on these things.” A few seconds later, presenter Dermot Murnaghan asked the shadow minister to give the current rate of employers’ national insurance contributions. Mr Johnson tried to avoid the question before he said it would increase by one per cent, rising from 20 per cent to 21 per cent. Mr Murnaghan interrupted, to say: “Sorry, National Insurance, employers’ secondary class one-rate for employers, stands at the moment at …?” There was an awkward pause where Mr Johnson appeared unable to answer before the presenter came to his rescue, telling him the figure of 12.8 per cent. Mr Murnaghan went on: “Right, OK, I helped you out there. Just out of interest, there is still a lot to learn for you in terms of the job.” – The Telegraph (more…)

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Sunday News Review

09/01/2011, 07:50:04 AM

Straw comments spark race row amongst Labour MPs

A row around race and sexual exploitation flared last night as opponents and supporters reacted to a suggestion by Jack Straw that Pakistani men were grooming white girls for sexual abuse. The former home secretary was accused of attempting to “stereotype a whole community” after he suggested that some Pakistani men in Britain see white girls as “easy meat”. He was also criticised for not speaking out on the issue when his party was in power. – Independent on Sunday

Straw suggested young Pakistanis deliberately look for white girls and urged the Pakistani community to be “more open” about the issue. The Blackburn Labour MP said: “Pakistanis, let’s be clear, are not the only people who commit sexual offences, and overwhelmingly the sex offenders wings of prisons are full of white sex offenders. But there is a specific problem which involves Pakistani-heritage men … who target vulnerable young white girls. He claimed there is a “specific problem” after two Asians were jailed for targeting vulnerable teenagers. The issue of Pakistani men in the north of England allegedly grooming underage girls for sex also dominated headlines throughout the week. – Sunday Herald

However, Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said Mr Straw was wrong to accuse British Pakistani men of targeting white girls. “To generalise in this stereotypical manner and castigate a whole community is not becoming of him,” said Mr Mahmood. Mr Mahmood’s criticism was echoed by Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, who said: “I don’t think this is a cultural problem … I don’t think you can stereotype an entire community.” Mr Vaz added: “Why didn’t Jack Straw say something about this? He has represented Blackburn for 31 years, he has been the home secretary.” However, Ann Cryer, the former Labour MP for Keighley, West Yorkshire, said Mr Straw should be commended for highlighting a problem that, she said, Muslim MPs were not prepared to confront. “The vast majority of young Asian men are fine, but there’s a minority who do not behave properly towards white women and sweeping it under the carpet will only make matters worse,” she said. – Sunday Telegraph

Polls point to Labour win

Labour is on course for a thumping win in next week’s Oldham East and Saddleworth byelection, according to opinion polls, in what would be a devastating blow to the Liberal Democrats. Despite losing the seat by just 103 votes at last year’s general election and although the Tories are allegedly holding back their campaign at David Cameron’s request, Nick Clegg’s party trails by 17 points in two separate surveys of voters in the key marginal. It will be seen as a resounding thumbs-down to the Lib Dems’ role in the Conservative-led coalition government. Labour blitzed the constituency with 500 campaigners yesterday as Ed Miliband made a new overture to disgruntled Lib Dems. The Labour leader urged people to “send a message about the betrayal on fees”. Portraying the Lib Dems as locked into a Tory agenda that many do not support, he added: “For the first time since this Conservative-led government was formed, voters will have their chance to pass judgment on David Cameron and Nick Clegg. They can show the government what they feel about police cuts both here and across the country. And they can make clear their anger about a VAT rise that is the wrong tax at the wrong time.” – Observer

The first out of the stocks (with changes from the General Election) are the ICM and Populus polls
ICM have CON 18%(-8), LAB 44%(+12), LDEM 27%(-5)
Populus have CON 15%(-11), LAB 46%(+14), LDEM 29(-3)
So both have Labour substantially up on their general election support and the Lib Dems dropping less than the third placed Conservatives. Rumour has it that the third poll, from Survation, has a bigger squeeze on the Conservative vote with them pushed down to single figures. The Labour and Lib Dem campaigns seem broadly equal – just over 70% recall getting leaflets from the two parties, about 20% have been doorstepped by them, about 20% have been phoned by them. In comparison only 57% have had a Conservative leaflet, 7% had them on their doorstep and 5% been phoned by them. Populus also asked how people would have voted had there been a joint Con-LD candidate – I make the repercentaged figures for that Lab 47%, Con/LD 38% – so it would have been a little closer – UK Polling Report

David Miliband to do a Portillo?

David Miliband is considering a role in television, in a surprise move that appears to dash his brother Ed’s hopes that he can be persuaded to join the shadow cabinet. The Labour leadership candidate has approached the BBC with a number of programme ideas. It is unclear whether Miliband wants to front one-off documentaries or a series of shows, but it is thought all his proposals would involve him taking a starring role on screen. In a statement, a spokesman for Miliband said: “David is talking to a range of organisations about his interest in foreign and environmental policy.” A BBC spokesman confirmed: “David Miliband has approached the BBC with some programme ideas. The BBC receives suggestions from a wide variety of sources and these will be considered in the same way as any others.” Industry sources believe he has held informal talks with executives at the corporation, however. – Observer

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Saturday News Review

08/01/2011, 09:31:57 AM

Government plans to help poorer students “unworkable”

Government plans for poorer students to get two years’ university tuition free of charge will “not be workable” across the board, the BBC has been told. Ministers proposed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds could have one year paid by the state, matched by another from their university. Universities UK chief executive Nicola Dandridge said such a scheme would hit some institutions harder than others. MPs have voted to raise tuition fees in England to up to £9,000 a year. Three days before MPs decided on the government’s controversial plans, ministers announced they were looking to use a £150m fund to provide a year’s free tuition for poorer students. This would then be matched by the university to provide another year’s study free of charge. The proposal was thought to have helped persuade some Lib Dem MPs to support the government. – The BBC

Chaytor jailed

David Chaytor, the first former MP to be convicted over the expenses scandal, was today sentenced to 18 months in prison. The former Labour MP for Bury North last month pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three charges of false accounting, days before he had been due to stand trial. He faced a maximum sentence of seven years. Chaytor had admitted false accounting involving a total of £18,350. He had agreed to pay back the sum before today’s hearing at Southwark crown court. Mr Justice Saunders said a significant penalty for the 61-year-old was “the only way public faith in the system can be restored and maintained”. “The whole expenses scandal has shaken public confidence in the legislature, it has angered the public,” he said. “Chaytor only bears a small part of responsibility for that erosion of confidence and the public anger. But it is important because he has accepted his conduct was dishonest.” – The Guardian

Law-BREAKING law-maker David Chaytor is the author of his downfall, an MP brought down by greed. There’ll be little public sympathy for the Dishonourable former Member for Bury North, who was jailed for 18 months after he admitted fraudulently claiming more than £20,000 in expenses. Submitting false invoices and claims for rent he never paid on homes owned by his relatives were calculated deceptions, not the accounting errors of a busy MP. Chaytor is the first former MP to be jailed since Jeffrey Archer’s imprisonment for perjury a decade ago, and a number of further prosecutions are in the pipeline, including three ex-MPs and two peers. But there are a significant number of other MPs and ex-MPs who are very fortunate not to be in the dock. The new system of expenses is far from perfect yet it’s certainly better than what went before. The legal hangover from the last Parliament is still tainting this House of Commons but every MP has a vested interest in restoring the trust in politics. – The Mirror

New questions raised over hacking

Scotland Yard has told the News of the World to supply any new information it might have on illegal interception of mobile phones by its journalists following the suspension of a senior editor at the Sunday newspaper. The police made the request as the Crown Prosecution Service was urged to explain what kind of evidence of phone hacking the police had given it when the scandal broke in 2006. Tom Watson, a Labour MP, asked the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, whether the police had been in possession of a contract between a private investigator and the newspaper, in which the investigator agreed to conduct illegal eavesdropping and phone interception aimed at celebrities and politicians. The Metropolitan Police said on Friday it had sent a letter to the tabloid newspaper asking for any additional information about phone hacking relating to the case of Ian Edmondson, its assistant editor. Mr Edmondson was suspended just before Christmas following allegations in a statement to the High Court by lawyers acting for Sienna Miller, the actress. – FT

Cameron will do no such thing. He is determined to retain the services of his press adviser Andy Coulson, former editor of the News of the World. But the scandal, which involves not only Cameron but also Rupert Murdoch and the Metropolitan Police, will rumble on, threatening to tarnish the Tory leader’s carefully cultivated gentleman-of-the-old-school image. It is in keeping with this image for Cameron to be seen to stick by his loyal henchman, insisting like a bishop with a wayward priest that he deserves to be given a second chance. But is that all there is to it? Coulson didn’t get where he is today without amassing a huge amount of inside information about public figures. He could well cause trouble if once sent outside the tent. For the same reason, Cameron, like all politicians, will be most reluctant to do anything to upset the police. Like Coulson, they know where a lot of bodies are buried and they to need to be kept well inside the tent. – Independent (more…)

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