Cameron to make desperate bid to convince public to trust him on NHS

David Cameron will commit to “five guarantees” on the future of the National Health Service in a speech on Tuesday designed to reassure critics of his controversial health reforms, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. The Prime Minister will promise to keep waiting lists low, maintain spending, not to privatise the NHS, to keep care integrated and to remain committed to the “national” part of the health service. Such is the concern in Downing Street at the damage the issue of NHS reform is causing the Government, that Mr Cameron will put his reputation on the line with a personal pledge to protect its core values. It represents his boldest attempt yet to assuage criticism from his Liberal Democrat Coalition partners and from many health professionals over the impact of the reforms. In his speech, the Prime Minister will admit that he is willing to act on their concerns after listening to the “profession and patients” during a two-month exercise which was held after Mr Cameron called for a “pause” in the Health Bill’s passage. His “five guarantees” are designed to show the Prime Minister is committed to the NHS, and “he is hearing what is being said”, according to one source. Mr Cameron’s promise on integrated care is designed to ensure patients receive continuity of treatment, without having to explain their condition from scratch each time to different doctors. – the Telegraph

We are told that he is in part moved by the polling evidence put before him by Andrew Cooper which shows the public losing confidence in the Coalition’s reliability on the NHS. Hence the panic in No10, where along with the economy and keeping the Lib Dems on board, keeping credible on health is considered an existential pre-requisite. Which explains tomorrow’s announcement, even if the detail is underwhelming. The pledges amount to the same message – the NHS is safe with us – but said with more words. The one about waiting lists has implications for spending, as the four per cent efficiency squeeze imposed by new spending realities are predicted to have dire consequences for what patients will experience. Last week, amid the quiet of the recess, it was evident in conversations with No10 that this issue remains the big preoccupation. Andrew Lansley’s ‘reform or die’ warning, with its prediction of £20bn a year shortfalls, underscored the anxiety (and not just about his job). Health still has the potential to derail all George Osborne’s election plans. Which is why Mr Cameron is wasting no time on his return to address the issue. He’s that worried. – the Telegraph

Lib Dems face wipe out

The Liberal Democrats face losing up to a quarter of their seats when a Tory-imposed plan to redraw the entire electoral map comes into force from September, figures seen by the Guardian suggest. The boundary review to equalise constituencies and reduce their number by 50, agreed by Nick Clegg in exchange for the AV referendum in the coalition agreement, is threatening the biggest upheaval to the Commons of this parliament. MPs have been warned that almost no seat is safe. The issue could force a mutiny in the coalition amid mounting evidence that the Liberal Democrats will fare far worse than predicted and withDavid Cameron facing further tensions with his backbenchers, some of whom are certain to lose their seats. The four Boundary Commissions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are preparing to announce the new electoral map in September. But the most detailed analysis yet of what those new seats might look like, conducted by academics based at Liverpool University and published by the Guardian, suggests the Liberal Democrats will lose the greatest proportion of their seats. Fourteen out of 57 could be wiped off the electoral map. – the Guardian

The Liberal Democrats could lose a quarter of their seats under boundary changes currently being drawn up by the Government, more than four times that of Labour, according to a new study. Academics at Liverpool University found that the Liberal Democrats would lose 14 of their 57 seats, or 24.6 per cent, under the proposed changes. Labour would lose 17 (6.6 per cent), while the Tories would be least harmed, losing 16 seats, or 5.5 per cent. The current review on constituency boundaries was agreed by the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in return for a referendum on the Alternative Vote, and aims to reduce the number of MPs by 50. The study, published in The Guardian, was conducted by Democratic Audit, a research group working out of Liverpool University. It is the most detailed of its kind, and paints a much bleaker picture for the Liberal Democrats than previous studies. – the Independent

Cable warning to Unions

Union chiefs will be warned by a cabinet minister today that a concerted programme of industrial action against the Government’s austerity measures could result in anti-strike laws. Up to one million workers are expected to walk out on 30 June in protest against the spending cuts, and further shows of union strength are planned for the autumn. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, will tell a union conference that such moves could backfire by playing into the hands of senior Tories pressing for fresh controls on industrial action. Speaking at the conference of the GMB union in Brighton, he will acknowledge that “feelings are running high” in the union movement, but call for “cool heads” on all sides. He will say: “The usual suspects will call for general strikes and widespread disruption. This will excite the usual media comments about ‘a summer’ or ‘an autumn’ of discontent. And another group of the usual suspects will exploit the situation to call for the tightening of strike law. “We are undoubtedly entering a difficult period. Cool heads will be required all round. Despite occasional blips, I know that strike levels remain historically low, especially in the private sector. On that basis, and assuming this pattern continues, the case for changing strike law is not compelling.” – the Independent

Campaigners warn council soup ran ban human rights breach

A proposal to outlaw soup runs for homeless people in one of the country’s most affluent areas would breach human rights laws, campaigners have warned. Westminster council has become embroiled in the row after threatening the crackdown on the service around Westminster Cathedral Piazza, central London, in an effort to discourage rough sleeping. The Conservative-run council is considering criminalising free food for the homeless amid claims it causes litter problems and creates disturbance to local residents throughout the area, one of the capital’s most affluent. Officials claim up to seven soup runs feed about 150 homeless people outside the cathedral each night, giving out hot drinks and making it a “no-go area” for residents and businesses. But human rights campaigners them as “wholly unacceptable in a civilised society”. Volunteers have also accused the council of being anti-Christian. The claim is denied by officials. – the Telegraph

Cameron backs plans to protect children from sexualised imagery

David Cameron is to back a plan to stop retailers selling inappropriate clothes for pre-teens and shield children from sexualised imagery across all media, including selling “lads magazines” in brown covers and making the watchdog Ofcom more answerable to the views of parents. Retailers would be required to sign up to a new code preventing the sale of items for pre-teens with suggestive slogans, which the prime minister has repeatedly criticised. The proposals come in a long-awaited report, leaked to the Guardian, on the commercialisation of childhood. It was commissioned by Cameron and is due to be published on Monday with strong support from Downing Street. The report, which was prepared by Reg Bailey, the chief executive of the Christian charity Mothers’ Union, finds “sexualised and gender stereotyped clothing, products and services for children are the biggest concerns for parents and many non-commercial organisations”. In response to his recommendations on clothing, it is expected that the British Retail Consortium, following consultation with Mumsnet, the web-based parents’ forum, will announce a new code next week. – the Guardian

Shops should have to display “lads’ mags” in plain covers and stop selling suggestive clothes to pre-teens under a range of measures backed by David Cameron to protect children from sexualised imagery. Music videos should carry cinema-style certificates, advertisers should be discouraged from putting up raunchy posters near schools and broadcasting regulators should be instructed to clamp down on explicit programmes before the 9pm watershed. The plans will be set out next week in a report commissioned by the Prime Minister on combating the sexualisation of young children. The report, Let Children Be Children, was drawn up by Reg Bailey, the chief executive of the Mothers’ Union. It warns: “Sexualised and gender-stereotyped clothing, products and services for children are the biggest concerns for parents.” – the Independent

Vocational training should start earlier

At least 40 per cent of pupils should take high-quality vocational training that leads directly to a job to cut the youth unemployment rate and boost economic competitiveness, according to Tim Oates, director of research at the Cambridge Assessment exam board. He suggested the Government should also consider giving children more job-based tuition at the age of 14 or even as young as 11. The recommendations are likely to form part of a wide-ranging review of the National Curriculum to be published later this year. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Oates said England risks being left behind other developed nations because the country fails to offer students the chance to go down a “rigorous vocational route” at the end of secondary education. – the Telegraph

Crack down on high earning council tenants

Tenants who earn more than £100,000 a year could be removed from their council houses under plans being examined by the Government. Housing Minister Grant Shapps complained that some wealthy people were living in properties that should be kept for the least well off. “With so many people in housing need languishing on the waiting lists which doubled under Labour, it’s right to consider whether people on £100,000-plus salaries should get their rent subsidised by the taxpayer,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “Social housing is an expensive and scarce resource which should be targeted on supporting those in real need.” Up to 6,000 people could be affected, according to figures prepared by officials, and ministers are ready to change the law if necessary to ensure local councils and social landlords can evict those who refuse to leave, the newspaper reported. The lower rents charged by social housing meant people in some parts of London could save as much as £70,000 a year compared with the price of a similar property in the private-rented sector, it said. – the Independent

Government fails to get to grip on immigration

Labour have hit out at the Government over its failure to clear a backlog of asylum applications. Shadow Immigration Minister Gerry Sutcliffe told BBC News: “This Government came into power saying they were going to deal with immigration but they’ve cut the resources, cut the budget… The rhetoric doesn’t fit the reality.” Immigration minister Damian Green denied there was an “amnesty” on asylum seekers, saying: “There’s absolutely no amnesty. There’s been no change in policy – we look at each case on its merits and indeed the number of people applying for asylum is at a 20-year low at the moment.” The Home Affairs Select Committee said so many people had been granted leave to remain in the UK that it “amounts to an amnesty”. Figures show that only 9% of the 403,500 cases processed by the UK Border Agency resulted in removal, with 40% given leave to stay. – Politics Home

Government criticised over arts funding

The former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion accused ministers of adopting a “shoot first, aim later” policy towards cutting the arts, singling out Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Arts minister Ed Vaizey. “Jeremy Hunt… from the word go has seemed more determined to get into George Osborne’s good books as a macho money saver and quango-burner than to serve his sector well,” he said in the annual Romanes lecture at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre. “Ed Vaizey… does seem to have a genuine love of the arts but no ideas about how to defend them in difficult times.” He added that he could not recall “a single remark has ever been uttered about the arts and humanities by our Prime Minister and his deputy”. The result was wholesale closure of libraries, the axeing of bodies like the Film Council and the museum, Libraries and Archives Council and the slashing of funds to the Arts Council (£118 million had been cut from its budget). In addition, music services to schools had been cut by local authorities and Education Secretary Michael Gove was introducing a new English Baccalaureate certificate for which a\n arts GCSE would not qualify. – the Independent

Time for Labour to rethink aid policy

Little has emerged from the Labour party on international development in its first year of opposition, which is understandable given the priorities it is facing and the fact the shadow team has only been in place for six months. What we have heard has centred on a campaign to keep to the0.7% pledge, and a focus on women’s rights. All good, but perhaps a little conservative for a party expected to lead the agenda on poverty and international development. The world has changed beyond recognition, and the Labour opposition’s international development policy needs to change too. It will be reviewed as part of Ed Miliband’s comprehensive rethink of Labour policy. During his leadership bid, Miliband said the biggest question for Britain for the next decade is “whether we head towards an increasingly US-style capitalism – more unequal, more brutish, more unjust – or whether we can build a different model, a capitalism that works for people and not the other way around”. That’s a good question, but not just for Britain, for the rest of the world as well. Unfortunately, attempts to set out a distinctive Labour vision for international development are hampered by the desire of the main parties to project unity on major issues of development. – the Guardian Read the rest of this entry »