Britannia Radio

Monday 15th December 2008Britain's leading conservative blog Today's top ConservativeHome features ToryDiary: Ken Clarke is a deadly weapon that Cameron should not use ToryDiary: IDS warns that failed asylum seekers are being forced into prostitution Martin Callanan MEP on Platform: Now is not the time to be limiting our working time Local government: The TaxPayers' Alliance is unfairly rubbishing good councils like Solihull WATCH: Sir John Major has accused the government of "over-cooking" the economic crisis to justify the rising level of borrowing Today's newslinks Today's must-read: A February election? - Trevor Kavanagh in The Sun Business leaders write to the Financial Times calling for Government to adopt Tory idea of National Loan Guarantee Scheme "At the heart of this recession is a lack of credit. Unless we urgently get credit flowing again the recession will be deeper and longer than otherwise, and sound companies will unnecessarily go to the wall. In these extraordinary times the Conservatives are right to propose a National Loan Guarantee Scheme to underwrite lending to businesses. This policy gets to the heart of the problem and is a more important priority than a temporary tax cut. The government must introduce such a scheme by Christmas." - Business leaders to the FT In another speech on the economy David Cameron to attack Brown's record - FT Head of Barclays warns of 30% drop in house prices - BBC Treasury says protecting the currency is 'not a first-order issue' as Euro readies to overtake sterling in markets for the first time - Independent Nick Clegg calls for greening of the fiscal stimulus "He will lay out plans to divert the Government's planned economic stimulus to environmentally friendly projects as he tries to break the dominance of Labour and the Conservatives. He will argue that Britain must invest in environmentally friendly projects to ensure the country pulls out of the looming recession on the road towards a low-carbon economy." - Independent Gove: Number of children taught in schools of over 1,500 pupils has more than doubled under Labour "Michael Gove, Tory shadow children's secretary, said: "Smaller schools are popular with parents because it is easier for teachers to foster an ethos of respect and learning. All the evidence is that some of the most difficult problems with behaviour are found in very large schools where the head can't possibly know all the pupils." - Telegraph Stephen Glover: The Times cools on Cameron - Independent Royal Mail needs cutbacks to fill £7bn pensions hole - Guardian > Yesterday's ToryDiary: Government to rule out Royal Mail privatisation "From knife crime to immigration, you can never believe a Labour statistic" - Philip Johnston in The Telegraph Pakistan source of most UK terror threats "Gordon Brown yesterday revealed 75 per cent of UK terror plots are linked to Pakistan. The PM asked the Muslim country to unite with Britain to “cut off” terrorists. He demanded help in breaking the “chain of terror” linking militants’ hideaways in the country “to the streets of Britain”. He revealed how three-quarters of the most serious plots have links to al-Qaeda in Pakistan." - The Sun | BBC | Times Quotation of the day "We're cutting our defence spending again. Just as we did in the Thirties. We're living through a financial crisis again. Just as we did in the Thirties. But 2008, as well as being the year of a world financial crisis, was also the year a resurgent Russia attempted to snuff out democracy on its borders, the year we failed to remove Mugabe even after his people voted for change, the year we failed to prevent the Sudanese Government continuing its genocide in Darfur and the year we failed to stop the Burmese Government continuing its genocide against its own people. Osama bin Laden famously argued that when people see a strong horse and a weak horse, they will follow the strong horse. He is only too willing to test our strength again, and again. Which is why I ask, what lessons from the Thirties do we still have to learn?" - Michael Gove in The Times And finally... Pierce Brosnan to play Tony Blair in film of 'The Ghost' "Politics is said to be showbiz for ugly people, but a sexual thriller is to portray “Tony Blair” and his Downing Street circle in a flattering light. In the cinema adaptation of Robert Harris’s novel, The Ghost, the former prime minister – or a character suspiciously similar – will be played by Pierce Brosnan, star of four James Bond films. The director will be the Oscar-winning Roman Polanski, while “Cherie” is to be played by Olivia Williams, who starred alongside Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense." - Times Highlights from the weekend Graeme Archer on CentreRight rejects excuses for Jean Charles de Menzes' death: "Policemen should not gun down tube passengers, regardless of what else is happening at the time. Surely the woman in charge that day, Cressida Dick, must consider her position (regardless of her unwavering support from Ken Livingstone)." ToryDiary: Welsh Tory leader Nick Bourne under pressure after using taxpayer expenses to buy trouser press and iPod International: Republicans see veto of auto bailout as first step toward restoring economic reputation Watch: An Iraqi journalist throws shoes at President Bush Our main sites Homepage. ToryDiary. Seats and candidates. Local government. Parliament. Platform. CentreRight. International. PlayPolitical videos.

http://www.conservativehome.com