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Labour plans maternity pay rise..Maternity pay for new mothers is to rise by £1,400 as part of new proposals announced by the Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt...It would mean paid leave would be increased to nine months by 2007, Ms Hewitt told GMTV's Sunday programme. Other plans include letting maternity p... | politics |
Watchdog probes e-mail deletions..The information commissioner says he is urgently asking for details of Cabinet Office orders telling staff to delete e-mails more than three months old...Richard Thomas "totally condemned" the deletion of e-mails to prevent their disclosure under freedom of information laws coming into... | politics |
Hewitt decries 'career sexism'..Plans to extend paid maternity leave beyond six months should be prominent in Labour's election manifesto, the Trade and Industry Secretary has said...Patricia Hewitt said the cost of the proposals was being evaluated, but it was an "increasingly high priority" and a "shared goal across ... | politics |
Labour chooses Manchester..The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed...The much trailed decision was ratified by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee in a break with the traditional choice of a seaside venue. It will be the first time since 1917... | politics |
Brown ally rejects Budget spree..Chancellor Gordon Brown's closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a Budget giveaway on 16 March...Ed Balls, ex-chief economic adviser to the Treasury, said there would be no spending spree before polling day. But Mr Balls, a prospective Labour MP, said he was confident the cha... | politics |
'Errors' doomed first Dome sale..The initial attempt to sell the Millennium Dome failed due to a catalogue of errors, a report by the government's finance watchdog says...The report said too many parties were involved in decision-making when the attraction first went on sale after the Millennium exhibition ended. The N... | politics |
Fox attacks Blair's Tory 'lies'..Tony Blair lied when he took the UK to war so has no qualms about lying in the election campaign, say the Tories...Tory co-chairman Liam Fox was speaking after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda". Dr Fox told BBC Radio: "If you are willing to lie about ... | politics |
Women MPs reveal sexist taunts..Women MPs endure "shocking" levels of sexist abuse at the hands of their male counterparts, a new study shows...Male MPs pretended to juggle imaginary breasts and jeered "melons" as women made Commons speeches, researchers from Birkbeck College were told. Labour's Yvette Cooper said she ... | politics |
Campbell: E-mail row 'silly fuss'..Ex-No 10 media chief Alastair Campbell is at the centre of a new political row over an e-mail containing a four-letter outburst aimed at BBC journalists...Mr Campbell sent the missive by mistake to BBC2's Newsnight after it sought to question his role in Labour's controversial poster ... | politics |
Crucial decision on super-casinos..A decision on whether to allow Westminster to legislate on super-casinos is set to be made by the Scottish Parliament...The government has plans for up to eight Las Vegas style resorts in the UK, one of which is likely to be in Glasgow. Scottish ministers insist they will still have t... | politics |
Mrs Howard gets key election role..Michael Howard's ex-model wife, Sandra, is to play a leading role in the Conservative election campaign...Mrs Howard will make solo visits to target seats as well as accompanying her husband on his helicopter campaign trail criss-crossing the country. Mr Howard will host a news confer... | politics |
PM apology over jailings..Tony Blair has apologised to two families who suffered one of the UK's biggest miscarriages of justice...The prime minister was commenting on the wrongful jailing of 11 people for IRA bomb attacks on pubs in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974. Mr Blair said: "I am very sorry that they were subject... | politics |
Howard rebuts asylum criticisms..Tory leader Michael Howard has gone on the offensive in response to people questioning how a son of immigrants can propose asylum quotas...Mr Howard, whose parents fled the Nazi threat to come to the UK, says the claim would mean no-one from an immigrant family could become premier. His... | politics |
Blair rejects Tory terror offer..Tony Blair has rejected a Conservative compromise offer that could have eased the passage of anti-terror legislation...The Tories wanted a sunset clause inserted in the Anti-Terrorism Bill that would have forced ministers to revisit it in November. Mr Blair said the bill, which brings i... | politics |
Talks held on Gibraltar's future..Two days of talks on the future of Gibraltar begin at Jack Straw's country residence later on Wednesday...Officials at the two-day summit at the foreign secretary's official Kent house, Chevening, will plan a new forum on the Rock's future. In October, Mr Straw and his Spanish counterp... | politics |
Crisis 'ahead in social sciences'..A national body designed to tackle skills shortages in key subjects should be set up, a committee of MPs has said...There was an "absolute crisis" in the recruitment of statisticians and other social science experts, the Commons science and technology committee added. "Major problems"... | politics |
Tsunami debt deal to be announced..Chancellor Gordon Brown has said he hopes to announce a deal to suspend debt interest repayments by tsunami-hit nations later on Friday...The agreement by the G8 group of wealthy nations would save affected countries £3bn pounds a year, he said. The deal is thought to have been hammer... | politics |
Straw to attend Auschwitz service..Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will visit Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former Nazi concentration camp's liberation, it has been announced...Prince Edward will also join the UK delegation in Poland for National Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. Between 1.1 and 1.5 millio... | politics |
Drink remark 'acts as diversion'..The first minister's statement that it was okay to get drunk "once in a while" has diverted attention from the real issues, it has been claimed...Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said Jack McConnell's comment was "ill-advised". The media attention had helped to move... | politics |
Concerns at school diploma plan..Final appeals are being made for the government not to ditch the reform plan for England's secondary schools put forward by the Tomlinson report...The government's response to the plan for a four-tier diploma to replace all existing 14-19 qualifications is expected next week. Some are w... | politics |
Blair backs 'pre-election budget'..Tony Blair has backed Chancellor Gordon Brown's pre-Budget report amid opposition claims he was too bullish about the state of the UK economy...In a speech in Edinburgh, the prime minister said Thursday's report reinforced stability and opportunity. And that would be central to Labour... | politics |
Nat Insurance to rise, say Tories..National Insurance will be raised if Labour wins the next election, Tory leader Michael Howard has claimed...Tony Blair has said he does not want higher tax rates for top earners but on Wednesday said other tax promises would be left to Labour's manifesto. Prime minister's questions a... | politics |
E-University 'disgraceful waste'..A failed government scheme to offer UK university courses online has been branded a "disgraceful waste" by MPs...The e-University was scrapped last year, having attracted only 900 students at a cost of £50m. Chief executive John Beaumont was paid a bonus of £44,914, despite a failure t... | politics |
Brown visits slum on Africa trip..Chancellor Gordon Brown has visited Kenya's biggest shantytown as he opened a week-long visit to Africa...Mr Brown's trip is designed to highlight how the UK wants to make Africa's problems a priority of its chairmanship of the G8 this year. He will see an HIV/Aids orphanage in Tanzani... | politics |
UK 'needs true immigration data'..A former Home Office minister has called for an independent body to be set up to monitor UK immigration...Barbara Roche said an organisation should monitor and publish figures and be independent of government. She said this would counter "so-called independent" groups like Migration Wa... | politics |
Blair sets date for Africa report..The Commission for Africa's report will be released on 11 March - Comic Relief day, Tony Blair has said...July's G8 summit in Gleneagles in Perthshire - chaired by the prime minister - will use the report as the basis for talks on Africa. The announcement followed the final meeting of... | politics |
Butler launches attack on Blair..Former civil service chief Lord Butler has criticised the way Tony Blair's government operates, accusing it of being obsessed with headlines...He also attacked the way the Iraq war was "sold" to the public, with important warnings on the strength of the intelligence left out. Tory leade... | politics |
Lib Dems demand new inquiry..A judge should look into the David Blunkett controversy as key questions remain unanswered, the Lib Dems say...Sir Alan Budd's inquiry linked the ex-home secretary to the speeding up of a visa claim by his ex-lover's nanny. But he could not say whether Mr Blunkett had treated the nanny as a... | politics |
UK set to cut back on embassies..Nine overseas embassies and high commissions will close in an effort to save money, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has announced...The Bahamas, East Timor, Madagascar and Swaziland are among the areas affected by the biggest shake-up for the diplomatic service for years. Other diplomat... | politics |
Labour targets 'hardcore truants'..A fresh crackdown on persistent truants in England has been launched by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly...Serial truants make up one in 13 pupils. Previous initiatives brought 40,000 pupils back to school since 1997, according to official statistics. Parenting contracts, penalty notice... | politics |
Blunkett sorry over murder plan..David Blunkett has apologised to MPs after the Home Office announced "prematurely" via press release a review of murder laws...The home secretary confirmed the review was to get under way in the wake of a Law Commission report which branded the current murder law as "a mess". He said th... | politics |
Hunt demo at Labour meeting..Pro-hunt supporters are set to protest at Labour's spring conference...The Countryside Alliance says it expects up to 4,000 supporters to demonstrate against the hunting ban. They have agreed to keep to a demonstration site on the other side of the River Tyne from the conference venue in Ga... | politics |
Protesters plan airport challenge..Campaigners against the expansion of Britain's airports have begun challenging the government's plans in the High Court...BAA's expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans. Opponents say the £2bn cost of the new runway c... | politics |
Tories attack burglar 'U-turns'..Tory leader Michael Howard has accused Tony Blair of performing U-turns over rules on using force against burglars...The government has ruled out amending the present law, which allows "reasonable force" in self defence. Mr Howard branded the decision unacceptable, saying: "It is not ho... | politics |
Leaders meet over Turkish EU bid..Tony Blair has met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Turkey entering the EU...The Downing Street talks covered a range of other topics ahead of an EU summit in Brussels later in the week. Mr Blair is an enthusiastic proponent... | politics |
Choose hope over fear - Kennedy..Voters will have a clear choice between the politics of fear and the politics of hope in the next general election, said Charles Kennedy...In his New Year message the Liberal Democrat leader said Labour and the Conservatives were united in relying on fear and "populist scares". He said ... | politics |
Profile: David Miliband..David Miliband's rapid rise through the ranks of government continues with his promotion to Cabinet Office minister...Elected in a safe Labour seat in 2001 his previous job was school standards minister - a role he won in May 2002. Prior to the last election he was a key figure in New Labour as... | politics |
Borders rail link campaign rally..Campaigners are to stage a rally calling for a Borders rail link which was closed in 1969 to be reopened...They will mark the 36th anniversary of the line closure, which ran from Edinburgh through the Borders and on to Carlisle, with a walk at Tweedbank. Anne Borthwick, of Campaign for... | politics |
'Hitler' row over Welsh arts cash..An artist critical of Welsh arts funding being brought under assembly government control has denied comparing the idea with dictatorships in Russia and Germany...Shani Rhys James is worried that the Arts Council of Wales may be taken over by the Welsh Assembly Government. Culture Mini... | politics |
Lords wrong on detainees - Straw..Jack Straw has attacked the decision by Britain's highest court that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws...The foreign secretary said the right to life was the "most important liberty" and the government had a duty to protect people from terroris... | politics |
Profile: David Blunkett..Before he resigned the position of home secretary on Wednesday, David Blunkett had been in charge of a substantial body of government portfolios including race, policing and immigration...His responsibilities in running the Home Office included civil emergencies, security, terrorism and expendi... | politics |
Strike threat over pension plans..Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders...The Cabinet Office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system, prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten unite... | politics |
Parties warned over 'grey vote'..Political parties cannot afford to take older UK voters for granted in the coming election, says Age Concern...A survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds. Charity boss Gordon Lishman said if a... | politics |
MPs quiz aides over royal income..Senior officials at the two bodies generating private income for the Queen and Prince of Wales are to be questioned by MPs...Aides from the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall will appear before the Commons Public Accounts Committee. It has been reported they could be questioned a... | politics |
Tory leader 'cleared' over work..Scottish Conservative Party leader David McLetchie claims he has been cleared over a potential conflict of interest...The Edinburgh MSP earns up to £30,000 a year from the law firm Tods Murray, where he is a partner. Mr McLetchie said he has taken advice from Holyrood officials about wh... | politics |
Blair and Blunkett Sheffield trip..Tony Blair is to join Home Secretary David Blunkett in a visit to Sheffield on Thursday...Mr Blunkett's conduct is being looked at to establish whether he abused his position in relation to his ex-lover. The Parliamentary standards watchdog is looking at his decision to give Kimberly ... | politics |
Student 'fee factor' played down..A rise has been recorded in the number of students from south of the border applying to universities in Scotland...However, Lifelong Learning Minister Jim Wallace said that this would not result in Scottish students missing out. Applications from England and Wales rose by 17% between J... | politics |
Anglers 'could face prosecution'..Anglers and fishermen could find themselves prosecuted under plans to crack down on animal cruelty, a committee of MPs has warned...Sloppy wording of the draft animal welfare bill could leave anglers facing court even though it was not intended, the environment select committee said. T... | politics |
Clarke to press on with ID cards..New Home Secretary Charles Clarke has vowed to plough on with plans for ID cards despite a call for him to "pause for thought" from Charles Kennedy...The Lib Dem leader said David Blunkett's resignation was a "good opportunity" to question whether the legislation was necessary. But Mr ... | politics |
Scots smoking ban details set out..Smoke-free areas will save lives and improve Scotland's health, First Minister Jack McConnell has insisted...He told the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday that a "comprehensive ban" on smoking in public places would be introduced by the spring of 2006. Mr McConnell said the country's h... | politics |
MPs criticise child access system..Divorced parents seeking access to their children are often disadvantaged by the legal system, MPs have said...The Constitutional Affairs Select Committee said parents with custody could exploit delays in the system to stop former partners gaining access. Courts should be used as a la... | politics |
Nuclear strike 'key terror risk'..The UK and US must realise they cannot prevent all terror attacks and should focus on making sure they are not nuclear strikes, says a top academic...Amitai Etzioni, a key influence on New Labour thinking, says the US emphasis on an "Axis of Evil" is misplaced. The priority should inst... | politics |
Russian ex-spy on hunger strike..An ex-Russian intelligence officer who risked his life spying for MI6 is entering the seventh week of a hunger strike near 10 Downing Street...Viktor Makarov, 50, claims he has been betrayed by the British authorities, who promised he would live like an "average British citizen". But de... | politics |
Lib Dems 'to target stamp duty'..The Liberal Democrats are promising to raise the stamp duty threshold if they win the general election, in a bid to court first-time house buyers...Vince Cable, the party's Treasury spokesman, said raising the threshold to £150,000 would prevent over 400,000 home-buyers from paying the ... | politics |
Kelly trails new discipline power..Teachers could get more powers to remove unruly pupils from classes under a "zero tolerance" drive, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has suggested...Ms Kelly told the BBC progress had been made against severely disruptive children but parents were still worried about lower level problem... | politics |
Citizenship event for 18s touted..Citizenship ceremonies could be introduced for people celebrating their 18th birthday, Charles Clarke has said...The idea will be tried as part of an overhaul of the way government approaches "inclusive citizenship" particularly for ethnic minorities. A pilot scheme based on ceremonies... | politics |
England children's tsar appointed..The first children's commissioner for England has been appointed...Great Ormond Street Hospital professor of child health, Al Aynsley-Green, was chosen by the government and will start the £100,000-a-year job immediately. He will oversee a £2.5m annual budget and have the power to loo... | politics |
EU China arms ban 'to be lifted'..The EU embargo on arms exports to China is likely to be lifted in the next six months despite US objections, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said...The 15-year-old ban was imposed in the aftermath of China's crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square. Mr Straw told a Commons selec... | politics |
'Debate needed' on donations cap..A cap on donations to political parties should not be introduced yet, the elections watchdog has said...Fears that big donors can buy political favours have sparked calls for a limit. In a new report, the Electoral Commission says it is worth debating a £10,000 cap for the future but n... | politics |
Cardinal criticises Iraq war cost..Billions of pounds spent on conflict in Iraq and in the Middle East should have been used to reduce poverty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has said...The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales made the comments on BBC Radio 4 and will re-iterate his stance in his Christmas... | politics |
Assembly ballot papers 'missing'..Hundreds of ballot papers for the regional assembly referendum in the North East have "disappeared"...Royal Mail says it is investigating the situation, which has meant about 300 homes in County Durham are not receiving voting packs. Officials at Darlington Council are now in a race ag... | politics |
Muslims discuss election concerns..Issues that Muslims should be considering before voting in the next general election are to be debated by UK community representatives...The event is being held by the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), which believes Muslim voters could influence the result in up to 50 constituenci... | politics |
Drive to 'save' festive holidays..Efforts are being made to 'protect' workers' days off on Christmas Day and New Year's Day...Support is being sought for a bill which would ensure that large retailers in Scotland remain closed on Christmas Day and 1 January. The Usdaw trade union said shop workers should be able to enj... | politics |
Blair hails Turkey-EU talks deal..Tony Blair has hailed a deal bringing Turkey a step closer to EU membership as important for the world's future "peace and prosperity"...Mr Blair has been a leading advocate of Turkish membership despite controversy surrounding the idea. Leaving a Brussels summit Mr Blair said "the fac... | politics |
Guantanamo pair's passport ban..The government has written to two of the British men freed from Guantanamo Bay telling them they will not be allowed passports...A letter sent to Martin Mubanga said his British passport would not be issued in the light of evidence gathered against him by the US. This suggested he was li... | politics |
Commons hunt protest charges..Eight protesters who stormed the House of Commons chamber during a debate on the Hunting Bill have been charged with disorderly conduct...The men were arrested in September after bursting into the chamber causing a hunting ban debate to be halted. Those charged included Otis Ferry, the 22-... | politics |
Child access laws shake-up..Parents who refuse to allow former partners contact with their children could be electronically tagged under plans being considered by ministers. Curfews and community service orders were other options which could be used if court orders to allow parental access were defied, Lord Falconer sa... | politics |
MPs to debate 'euthanasia laws'..MPs are preparing to debate a bill which critics claim would legalise euthanasia "by the back door"...The bill would give legal force to "living wills", where people say they want medical treatment withheld if they become severely incapacitated. The Mental Capacity Bill has broad suppor... | politics |
Talks aim to avert pension strike..Talks aimed at averting a series of national strikes over pensions reforms will take place this weekend...Five public sector unions will hold private talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at Labour's spring conference in Gateshead. They want the government to withdraw regulat... | politics |
Opposition grows to house arrests..The Conservatives have expressed "serious misgivings" about government plans for keeping UK and foreign terror suspects under house arrest...Michael Howard said he would not back the Home Secretary's plans for "control orders" which include home detention. "I do not believe that anyon... | politics |
Visa decision 'every 11 minutes'..Visa processing staff are sometimes expected to rule on an application every 11 minutes, MPs have said...Pressure was placed on staff to be efficient, rather than to do a thorough examination of an application, the Public Accounts Committee found. Every officer had an annual target of ... | politics |
'No more concessions' on terror..Charles Clarke says he has "no desire" to offer more concessions on his controversial anti-terror plans to get them on to the statute book...MPs voted in favour of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill after Mr Clarke agreed to key changes - but Labour's majority was reduced to 14. The Bill ... | politics |
No to Royal succession shake-up..A Labour peer has withdrawn proposals to give female members of the Royal Family the same rights as males...The legislation would have ended the right of male heirs with older sisters to succeed to the Crown. It would also have torn up ancient legislation banning heirs to the throne mar... | politics |
BNP leader Nick Griffin arrested..The leader of the British National Party has been arrested as part of a police inquiry following the screening of a BBC documentary...A party spokesman said Nick Griffin was arrested on Tuesday morning on suspicion of incitement to commit racial hatred. West Yorkshire police confirmed ... | politics |
Boris opposes mayor apology..Ken Livingstone should "stick to his guns" and not apologise for his "Nazi" comment to a Jewish reporter, Tory MP Boris Johnson has insisted...Mr Johnson also claimed Tony Blair's intervention in the row was "an attempt to reassure Jewish voters". London mayor Mr Livingstone says he is "sta... | politics |
Report attacks defence spending..The Ministry of Defence has been criticised over the soaring spending costs and growing delays of its top equipment projects...A National Audit Office report on the 20 biggest projects says costs have risen by £1.7bn in the past year. It says there is "little evidence" the MoD's perform... | politics |
Brown names 16 March for Budget..Chancellor Gordon Brown will deliver his Budget to the House of Commons on 16 March, the Treasury has announced...The Budget, likely to be the last before the General Election, will be at 1230 GMT on that Wednesday, just after Prime Minister's question time. The annual event is when the... | politics |
Asylum children to face returns..The UK government is planning to return asylum seeker children without parents to Albania...The trial scheme, which could start in weeks, may be extended to apply to children from other countries. Children's charities have reacted with alarm, saying the policy amounts to forcible remova... | politics |
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