Wednesday, 1 June 2011

Todays top ConservativeHome features
Today's ConservativeHome newslinks

Huhne faces second inquiry into 2010 general election expenses

"Last week, the electoral commission rejected a complaint due to insufficient evidence from two Liberal Democrat councillors in Huhne's Eastleigh constituency that he made false declarations in his election expenses. But on Tuesday an official case review was launched after more detailed allegations were made by the Sunlight Centre for Open Democracy, which is run by Paul Staines and Harry Cole, who also writes for the rightwing Guido Fawkes blog." - The Guardian

Jenkin urges halt to Lords reform

JENKIN-BERNARD "David Cameron was urged to put a brake on Lords reform or risk losing legislation as Conservative MPs warned of the perils of going to war with the upper House…Bernard Jenkin, the Tory MP for Harwich and North Essex, said the findings showed that the Government risked losing other priorities if it became bogged down in trench warfare with the Lords.  Mr Jenkin said: “It should give the House of Commons pause for thought before paralysing the coalition’s legislative programme with Lords reform." - The Times (£)

Thousands of elderly at risk in care crisis

"Tens of thousands of vulnerable elderly people in care are facing an uncertain future as Britain’s biggest private provider of care homes runs out of money today to pay the rent.  Southern Cross Healthcare… is cutting rental payments by a third in a stand-off with its landlords. The financial crisis leaves the 31,000 residents facing an anxious wait to learn whether the business will go bust, if the landlords will seize back the homes or if the company’s survival plan can work, amid fears that standards of care will decline." - The Times (£)

ComRes finds that Labour has lost its lead over the Conservatives

The poll finds that Labour support has dropped two points since the last ComRes survey to 37 per cent, putting the party level with the Tories, whose support has fallen by one point…Liberal Democrats will be relieved that their recent dramatic collapse in popularity appears to have ended, with their party's backing recovering by one point to 12 per cent.  Support for other parties, including the SNP, Ukip and the Greens, is up by two points to 14 per cent." - The Independent

Robinson and McGuinness to meet Cameron for first time in year

Screen shot 2011-06-01 at 08.02.01 "First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy FM Martin McGuinness will next week hold their first face-to-face talks with David Cameron in more than a year.  The Stormont top two, who have complained they have been sidelined to Secretary of State Owen Paterson in recent months, will meet the Prime Minister with their Scottish and Welsh counterparts in Downing Street next Wednesday." - Belfast Telegraph

Pickles and Maude clash over civil service costs

"Over in the attack-dog corner is Big Eric Pickles, whose Department for Communities and Local Government has just published details of its officials’ £856,000 credit card spending during the last two years of the Labour government.  There are gory details about posh hotels, fine dining and theatre trips…Over in the other corner, sitting quietly because he’s more of a backstage manager than a front of house declaimer, is Francis Maude, cabinet office minister." - Sue Cameron, Financial Times (£) 

  • Council spies buy night-vision goggles and infrared cameras on credit cards - Daily Telegraph
  • West Sussex council defends decision to buy llamas - BBC

NHS reforms unlikely to become law until February - Nicholas Timmins, Financial Times (£)

Government enlists money guru to sell tuition fees as costing two pints and a bag of crisps - The Times (£)

Boris pledges green revolution for Olympics

"London is aiming to transform its green credentials by 2012 as everything from the London bus to Tower Bridge is given an eco makeover in time for the Olympic Games. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, pledged yesterday that the capital will see hundreds of green projects come to fruition in time for the opening ceremony on 27 July.  Mr Johnson said: "I want London to look its very best in 2012 as the eyes of the world are upon us." - The Independent

Andrew Mitchell arrives in Islamabad for talks - Pakistan Times

Lord Taylor jailed for a year

"Taylor, 58, had been found guilty of six charges of false accounting at Southwark Crown Court in London.  The court heard he falsely claimed £11,277 between March, 2006, and October, 2007, while claiming his main residence was in Oxford, where his nephew Robert Taylor lived.  In reality, the former Conservative peer lived in Ealing, west London, and had never spent a single night at the Oxford address." - Daily Express

Clarke approves human rights decision to let prisoner become father from jail

Screen shot 2011-06-01 at 08.41.48 "It is thought the treatment, which can cost up to £2,000 a time, is being paid for by the NHS. The decision was based on the  prisoner’s ‘right to family life’ under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.The case follows that of burglar Wayne Bishop who was let out of jail last week so he could look after his children, using the same article." - Daily Mail

MoD to set up army of cybersoldiers - Financial Times (£)

BBC finds that it's anti-Christian

"The BBC is anti-Christian and ageist – according to a survey it carried out itself.  Viewers also felt that minority groups were over-represented by the Corporation.  They expressed concerns over ‘tokenism’ and ‘box-ticking’ and warned the broadcaster against trying to ‘manipulate’ an equal society instead of reflecting reality.  The survey was conducted as part of the BBC’s ‘Diversity Strategy’ and involved 4,500 people, including some BBC staff." - Daily Mail

What David Cameron should have worn on holiday - The Guardian

Political News and Comment in Brief

  • How playing fields kept on vanishing, despite Labour vow - Daily Mail
  • F.T analysis claims that consumer recovery set to be the slowest for 180 years - Financial Times (£)
  • Public ‘at risk’ as 70 terrorists released - The Sun
  • Twitter invited to talk to privacy committee - The Independent
  • Is Miliband for the politics of aspiration or grievance? - Bagehot, The Economist
  • Lansley must be a proper politician over health reform - The Times (£)
  • There might never be a good time to get out of Afghanistan - Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Daily Telegraph
  • David Cameron is quite right to insist that overseas aid is a moral duty - Anne Widdecombe, Daily Express

Posted by Britannia Radio at 12:51