Labour look left to take on right-wing coalition
Ann Black, Chair of the NEC, has just announced that young Ed Miliband will become leader of the Labour Party to take the fight to the ConDem coalition. Campaigning on the need for Labour to mend its ways and learn lessons from its recent past, Ed beat brother David by a wafer thin margin of 50.65% to 49.35% under the AV system and after second, third and fourth preference votes came into play. He is, on balance, the man for the job.
MPs' creche currently costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds a week
Just as ministers finalise plans to cut huge swathes through public services, so MPs are opening the doors to a spanking new state-of-art crèche. Costing a cool five hundred grand to set up and with annual running costs of nearly £235,000 the crèche is open from 8.00AM to 10.30PM, boasts impressive security and offers catering from The House of Commons kitchen. The cost to MPs and their families is an extremely competitive £292.50 per child per week.
All well and good, but with only 13 kids signed up the crèche is running at a loss to the tune of £4500 per week. No prizes for guessing who’s picking up the tab to make up for the shortfall.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315031/Britains-expensive-creche—-money-wasted.html
New Man. New Leader. New Generation. New Politics. New New Labour. Geddit? Same old? Only time will tell...
In his keynote to conference Ed Miliband today stressed the importance of a spirit of optimism and the need to look to a new generation of politics. Indeed he referred to the “New Generation” no less than 15 times during the speech. Move over Blair & Brown…
With regard to the deficit Miliband admitted that the previous government was too exposed to financial services and that the challenge now is to tackle the national debt – but within a framework of fairness and fiscal responsibility:
“We must protect those on middle and low incomes. They did nothing to cause the crisis but are suffering the consequences. I say the people who caused the crisis and can afford to do more should do more: with a higher bank levy allowing us to do more to protect the services and entitlements on which families depend.”
And in a direct challenge to the ConDems he insisted that we should learn the basic lessons of post-war history.
“After 1945, we had the biggest debt we have ever had.That generation cut the deficit but they had a bigger vision: for a new economy and a good society.
“True patriotism is about reducing the debt burden we pass on to our kids. But Mr Cameron, true patriotism is also about building an economy and a society fit for our kids to work and live in.
“You were the optimist once but now all you offer is a miserable, pessimistic view of what we can achieve. And you hide behind the deficit to justify it.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/sep/28/ed-miliband-labour-conference-speech
Forces in Afghanistan at risk under ConDem plans to slash deficit
Dr Liam Fox, has warned that “draconian” cuts of 10% to the defence budget at a time of war could precipitate a “brutal reaction” from the party, the media and the military, and have “grave political consequences”.
In a private letter to Cameron – now leaked to The Torygraph – he goes on to say that “Frankly, this process is looking less and less defensible as a proper SDSR (Strategic Defence and Security Review) and more like a “super CSR” (Comprehensive Spending Review)”
Clearly not mincing his words, Fox warns that cuts to the tune of £4billion are “financially and intellectually virtually impossible” and “will limit severely the options available to this and all future governments”.
The scale of the cuts would see tens of thousands of job losses that will “seriously damage morale across the Armed Forces” and create a “period of major challenge (and, in all probability, significant casualties) in Afghanistan”, he says.
With relations already strained between Fox and his paymasters at No.10 and No.11, the signs are that the defence secretary himself could be setting himself up to be an early casualty of the ConDem cuts…
It comes as no great surprise that the third sector can see the writing on the wall ahead of Osborne’s October Spending Review. Crucial in offering support to the most vulnerable people in society, and often to those who have slipped through the welfare safety net, charities are increasingly worried about the impact of spending cuts and the correlating reduction in grants and funding.
Charity leaders’ confidence in their organisation’s financial situation stand at an all-time low according to a Charity Forecast Survey published today.
Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said: “It is crucial that the government listens to the sector’s concerns. Spending cuts must be managed intelligently, otherwise they will compromise the sector’s ability to deliver vital services to the individuals and communities who need them most.”
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/news/funding/charity-leaders-confidence-all-time-low
A cement tanker carrying the line "Toxic Bank Anglo" crashes into gates of Irish parliament
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets today in outrage against the austerity measures being introduced across much of Europe.
A 24-hour general strike in Spain (the first in eight years) leads the political march, while a mass demonstration in Brussels is expected to attract up to 100 000 people, and thousands more are joining protests in Greece, Poland, Italy, Latvia, Serbia.
Closer to home the protests in Ireland have hit the headlines after police arrested a man for driving a cement truck with the words “Toxic Bank Anglo” written on it into the front gate of Ireland’s parliament building in Dublin. Get in.
Not that you’d know it from the media coverage, but in addition to the marches across continental Europe there were also pockets of protest up and down the UK yesterday. Hundreds of people took to the streets in Brighton; GMB, Unite and PCS union members blockaded council and government offices in Southampton and Derby; while Unison health workers protested outside hospitals in Durham and Newcastle.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/95859
Enjoy it while you can my dears...
Age UK has today warned that the oldest in society will suffer the most following the coalition’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Independent research for Age UK shows that in cash terms, the poorest over-75s will lose an average of £2,030 worth of services by 2014-15 – equivalent to a third their household income. And the over-65s won’t get it much better with the loss of £1,870 worth of services – or 29% of their net income.
Still, at least they have a pension 😉
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/over-75s-expected-to-lose-thousands-in-spending-review/
We can't go on like this. We can't go on like this. We can't go on like this...
The British Medical Association has today shot down Government plans to scrap Primary Care Trusts. Andrew Lansley’s ‘Liberating the NHS’ White Paper called for GP consortia to take on the role of the PCTs to commission and deliver healthcare provision at a local level. (And all with no mention in either ConDem pre-election manifesto). All well and good – strip out a heavy layer of bureaucracy and give the people what the people need. In reality? Having listened to feedback from GPs themselves the BMA questions the cost effectiveness of the proposal and is uncertain of the ability of GPs to deliver. The White Paper was published in July for consultation until October 11th. So, having consulted with GPs, the BMA and PCTs it seems that nobody actually in the know thinks it’s a good idea…
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=35&storycode=4127235&c=2
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/LiberatingtheNHS/index.htm
After years of post-industrial TLC our rivers and canals are once again under threat. Nice one George.
The Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC) today warns that the UK’s navigable canals & rivers will be under threat if spending cuts go ahead as planned. The 5000km network of 19th century canals, along with the navigable River Thames and Norfolk Broads, require annual subsidies to the tune of £90million for their upkeep.
According to the report 25% cuts would mean “loss of towpaths and footpaths, reduced levels of maintenance, and reduced network size whereby sections are taken out of the navigable system”.
Not that anyone will listen. IWAC is about to be abolished under Osborne’s bonfire of the quangos.
http://www.iwac.org.uk/downloads/reports/IWAC_Waterway_Funding_Report.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/01/inland-waterways-threatened-spending-cuts
