Britannia Radio

Wednesday 10th June 2009Britain's leading conservative blog Today's top ConservativeHome features ToryDiary: The Conservatives' incredible NHS policy Matthew R Palmer on Platform: Conservatives should applaud Sir Alan Sugar's new appointment and be willing to listen to his advice Local government: Should we have more elected mayors? WATCH: Anti-Facist mob attacks Nick Griffin with eggs Diane Abbot MP makes slurping noise as Keith Vaz MP 'creeps' to new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson Three highlights from CentreRight.com Three highlights from CentreRight: Graeme Archer on how the Left created the BNP: "Just to make sure, you cause a massive relaxation of the immigration rules, increasing the number of Muslims in inner London by a faster amount than ever before seen in history. When even thoughtful people without a racist bone in their body dare to murmur Er, you know, this talk about sharia law; I don't like it you shout Racist! Racist! Islam is a religion of peace! You ignore the look on the faces of the people you’re shouting at." Timothy Barnes is ALMOST sorry for Gordon Brown: "OK, so I have not reached that point, yet, but it can't be far away. We are moving from a state of collective anger to one of pity - the final nail in the coffin of any political career." Jonathan Isaby: Glenys Kinnock and Sir Alan Sugar embody the shambles of Gordon Brown's rushed reshuffle Today's other newslinks Tories lead attack on Brown's eve-of-defeat attempt to change electoral system "Shadow Commons Leader Alan Duncan poured scorn on the idea that reforms drawn up by a group of Labour ministers meeting behind closed doors could renew voters' faith in democracy." - Daily Mail > Yesterday's ToryDiary: Conservatives rubbish rumoured Labour plans to change the voting system George Osborne warns bankers against excessive bonuses and voters against risky Labour "Mr Osborne used a speech to the Association of British Insurers to send what one aide called a “shot across the bows” of the banks. He argued that all UK banks should avoid paying big bonuses, even if they did not have partial state ownership, in recognition of the taxpayer’s role in bailing out the sector. “Some banks are now making big profits again from higher margins, underpinned by taxpayer guarantees. It would be a huge mistake if they pay out huge bonuses this year end on the back of these government-supported profits,” he said. “The banks should be using their profits to rebuild their balance sheets, not to hand out huge bonuses while the rest of the economy picks up the pieces for the follies of finance.”" - FT "The Shadow Chancellor said: 'Labour's leadership crisis is bad for the country and bad for the economy. 'It's not just Gordon Brown's job that is at stake in this Labour civil war, but the jobs of thousands of British people.' Mr Osborne added that the effect on the pound of Labour's internecine fighting had proved that the Conservatives were the 'safe' choice at the next general election." - Daily Mail > Yesterday's ToryDiary: George Osborne sets out his vision of an economy built on savings and investment Greg Hands MP attacks ex-Labour ministers for cashing in on connections "The Conservative party has attacked the “revolving door” that enables former ministers from Westminster to take on lucrative private-sector careers linked to their old departments. “It’s not right that former government ministers are cashing in on their positions so soon after leaving office,” Greg Hands, shadow Treasury minister, told the Financial Times last night." Recruitment specialists warn that soon-to-be-ex-Labour MPs face bleak future - FT Andrew Lansley affirms that Conservatives will maintain health spending as NHS Confederation warns of £15bn budget shortfalls "Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "We are committed to real terms increases in spending on the NHS because as our population ages demand will increase. But if we are going to improve the quality of healthcare in this country we will need to make substantial improvements using current resources. The idea of getting more for less must apply in the NHS just as in any other public service." - Quoted by the BBC David Cameron must not rest on his laurels if he really wants power - Simon Heffer in The Telegraph Sir Nicholas Winterton urges scrapping of Commons modernisation committee - Politics.co.uk Labour support for John Bercow makes it increasingly likely that he'll be the next Speaker - Daily Mail > John Bercow sets out his 3,000 word manifesto for a '21st century Speakership' Former Labour minister Parmjit Dhanda is to make a surprise bid to become the next Commons Speaker - Telegraph Life inside the Downing Street bunker George Bridges remembers the last months of John Major and compares them to today - Telegraph Launch a new housebuilding programme, Ditch Royal Mail privatisation, Abolish waiting times for NHS patients, Cut prisoner numbers, Break up the banks... Guardian writers suggest policies for 'the Brown relaunch'. Kevin Maguire recommends Class War to defeat Brown... "Labour needs to focus laser-like on Maggie Cameron, exposing the Tory leader as Thatcher in an expensive suit. A Cameron who worked as a junior assistant would have sat comfortably in the Rusty Lady’s Government. The rich boy’s instincts are to serve the few not the many, a stockbroker’s son whose priority is to abolish tax on shares and virtually abolish inheritance tax. He’d bring back hunting and the poor would be as Tally Ho’ed! as much as the fox." - Kevin Maguire in The Mirror ...and Nick Clegg's Times attack on David Cameron isn't so different "We cannot allow David Cameron to turn the clock back. He may talk a good talk, but the effects of a Conservative government are now becoming clear: they say that they want fairness, but advocate tax cuts for millionaires; they say that they want to protect the environment, but seek out allies in Europe who are climate-change deniers; they say that they want clean politics, but block any change to party funding." - Nick Clegg in The Times Shahid Malik is back as minister but ethics report into his conduct has not been published "Gordon Brown was accused of a cover-up last night after he refused to publish a report on whether Shahid Malik breached the ministerial code of conduct over the rent he paid on his constituency home." - Daily Mail | Express The Sun attacks London's striking Tube workers "Thousands of young fans have had their dreams of watching an England goalfest tonight derailed by union bully boys. The RMT's cynically-timed Tube strike will stop families from around the country reaching Wembley to see their heroes (hopefully) humble Andorra in a World Cup qualifier." - The Sun Pressure mounts on Sir Alan Sugar to drop The Apprentice - Telegraph