Friday, 4 June 2010

Today's other newslinks

David Cameron yesterday warned NO law could have stopped the "switch flicking" in Derrick Bird's head

"Ministers are now considering more regular checks on gun owners - including tough medical assessments. The PM said: "We have to do everything we can to stop these dreadful events." - The Sun

A Sun/YouGov poll finds 69% of Britons supporting tougher gun controls.

> Paul Goodman on CentreRight urged caution on new gun laws

Government to publish entire spending database

Transparency"The government will tomorrow give the public free access to its accounting books for the first time, publishing the entire contents of its spending database – a total of 24m individual entries documenting where public money comes from, what it is spent on and whose pocket it ends up in." -Guardian

David Cameron: We'll get more for Britain's aid budget - Writing in The Guardian

"Players in the development sector are watching to make sure that the commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on aid is not subverted by siphoning some off for projects that are less about ending poverty than promoting Britain's interests abroad." - Guardian leader

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Andrew Mitchell promises independent assessment of UK aid spending

Vince Cable says he will force banks to lend to business

"I will redouble our efforts to ensure that bank lending agreements from banks that have benefited from taxpayer subsidy are being honoured – especially for small and medium enterprises. We do not expect to see viable businesses deprived of credit or working capital by banks that are largely owned by the taxpayer, or the general beneficiaries of wider public support." - Vince Cable quoted in The Independent

Vince Cable: I'm "pro-enterprise, pro-trade and pro-competition."

"In his address to the Cass Business School, he demanded even less government intervention in industry than under new Labour, and less regulation of businesses. He described himself as "pro-enterprise, pro-trade and pro-competition." "I sometimes find myself described in the unfriendly press as some kind of socialist," quipped Mr Cable. "They should refer back to the Orange Book I co-authored with David Laws six years ago." He insisted: "What we shouldn't be doing is trying to micromanage the economy at the level of individual companies or so-called national champions, trying to supersede the judgement of markets." Sneering at the famous 1970s shipyard occupations on the Clyde, Mr Cable described them as "well-intentioned attempts to stand in the way of the economically inevitable when we should have been investing in change."" - Morning Star

The Telegraph welcomes Vince Cable's war on quangoes.

Vince Cable wants to go down as the man who tamed the banks and freed Royal Mail - Anne Treneman in The Times

Do regional-development agencies play a key role in attracting investors?

The Economist examines the clash on RDAs' future between Eric Pickles and Vince Cable.

THATCHER STATUETory MPs attack latest attempt by EU to end Margaret Thatcher's budget rebate- Daily Mail

Patrick McLoughlin is the "best chief whip we've ever had" according to Edward Leigh

Dropped as junior minister by John Major, Patrick McLoughlin is now a vital member of the coalition. Michael Brown examines his unique rise - Independent

"An octogenarian dinosaur" may lead review into Scottish Tories' election result - Scotsman

"Unkindly known as Lord Wallpaper, Lord Sanderson is the ultimate establishment figure, unlikely to ruffle feathers, a conciliator when clearly the Tories need a bold reformer. An inquiry under him is unlikely to help the Scottish Tories and can do no more than ... ahem ... paper over the cracks." - Scotsman leader

Cameron didn't tell Welsh First Minister of changed referendum plans -Western Mail

David Laws yesterday defended the expenses claims that saw him quit the Government, suggesting that his work for the Lib Dems had drained his City fortune - Express

David Miliband offers his own vote to help Labour leadership rival win 33rd nomination - Telegraph

"Meet the next leader of the Labour Party: “Andy Balliband” a fortysomething Oxbridge-educated white male, who entered the Cabinet during the last Parliament and learnt his trade as a special adviser. That was the view of one jaundiced party figure yesterday surveying the choice between David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and — if he succeeds in getting the necessary 33 nominations from MPs — Andy Burnham." - Times

BP oil spill is the fault of environmentalists who wouldn't let companies drill on land, Sarah Palin says - Daily Mail

Posted by Britannia Radio at 09:33