By Matthew Gass It’s that time of year again. Rumours of a post summer Cabinet reshuffle are in the air. Returning with them is the debate over whether preference should go to the longer serving MPs who did the heavy lifting in opposition or if it’s time to promote some of the younger, more media savvy intake of 2010. If […]
By Haseeb Arif MPs have slammed A&E crisis plans, aimed at relieving the immense pressure placed on these departments at times of high risk. These findings, made by a cross party commission of MPs have come amid claims that A&E departments throughout the country are missing the 4 hours waiting times. Their probe came as a result of […]
By Matthew Gass Michael Lewis’s last book, The Big Short, sought to tell the story of the 2008 financial crash through the eyes of a handful of people who people who saw it coming. They tried to warn a lot of people, but they also made huge and risky bets on the outcome which paid off enormously. Many might view […]
A few weeks ago Parliament Street blogged about how Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive economic strategy of loose monetary policy, heavy fiscal stimulus and radical liberalisation of the economy might not be living up to the hype, at least on the liberalisation front. The concern was that the necessary reforms were being blocked by special interests, not least because […]
By Haseeb Arif A National Health Scandal 13,000 – The number of “excess deaths” between 2005 and 2010. 1,600 – The number of deaths “above the national NHS average” recorded at Basildon and Thurrock university hospital. 14 – The total number of failing NHS trusts in England alone. Former Conservative Chancellor Norman Lamont once called the NHS “the closest thing […]
By Shaun Dias The latest twist in the expenses saga was depressingly predictable The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has decided that MPs’ salary should be increased by more than £6,500 after the next election, stating that political salaries have fallen behind those of other professions. The salary increase will be around 10 per cent and will be offered in […]
Source: Reuters Japan is undertaking an economic experiment with heavy implications for the rest of the world. George Osborne has declared time and time again that there is no Plan B. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls’ have also been talking tough on borrowing over the last few weeks. However, if growth hasn’t picked up after the next election a return […]
A recent YouGov report puts support for the Conservative message of limited government, financial responsibility and lower taxation up amongst those aged between 18 and 24. 31% of the aptly named ‘Generation Y’ endorse the Tories. George Osborne’s statement that he will put a “limit on the nation’s credit card” will then presumably be met with a relatively warm welcome. […]
By Jacques Arnold Brazil, where football is almost a religion, is seeing rioters complaining against the vast expenditure on preparations for the Football World Cup to be held in Brazil next year. Something very serious is afoot for that to happen. Brazil, the “B” in the Brics, has had a remarkable run since the end of the military dictatorship in […]
From the Daily Telegraph – June 21st 2013: Civil servants disciplined for abuse of Facebook A civil servant has been banned from promotion for a year for misusing social media. The employee was one of seven staff disciplined by the Welsh government for writing “inappropriate comments” on Facebook or Twitter over the past five years, it has been disclosed. The […]
