Part 9 of our Building A Conservative Majority series: We need a multi-pronged campaign against subsidy of the union movement Columnist Andrew Lilico: The last thing we want is an elected Second Chamber Laura Sandys MP on Comment: Parliament as a whole will be stronger if we elected the House of Lords Roger Helmer MEP on Comment: Twenty questions for Conservatives about David Cameron's Government Local Government: Philippa Roe chosen to be new leader of Westminster Council WATCH: Andrew Lansley: NHS Bill is "better as a result of the Coalition coming together to shape it" 50p tax rate is damaging economy and delaying recovery from recession, warn 500 business leaders "In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, the bosses of small and medium sized firms across the country say the levy has meant they have not expanded their firms and taken on more workers. They accuse George Osborne, the Chancellor, of putting “populist politics before sound economics”. Calling for it to be scrapped, they add that the ongoing imposition of the 50p higher rate of tax has left “wealth creators” in a “very awkward position”." - Daily Telegraph | BBC Entrepreneurs finally fighting back - Allister Heath Welfare Reform Bill passes final House of Lords hurdle Government drops sanctions for those who drop out of workfare "The Government abandoned a central plank of its work experience scheme on Wednesday when it was forced to bow to pressure from businesses to drop benefit sanctions against young people on the programme. Amid threats from some of Britain's largest employers that they would withdraw from the scheme, which has been criticised for exploiting young people, the Department for Work and Pensions announced that participants would now keep their benefits even if they left a placement." - Daily Telegraph > From yesterday: Liberal Democrats on board with NHS shakeup, insists Andrew Lansley... > From yesterday - Andrew Lansley tells BBC News that NHS BIll is all about putting doctors and nurses in charge ...As rebel LibDems hope to kill health reforms "[P]rominent activists vowed yesterday to press ahead with plans to table a hostile emergency motion about the Bill at the Lib Dem spring conference in Gateshead. If it were passed, it would put Mr Clegg in a difficult position. He could come under enormous pressure to withdraw his backing from the Bill, a move which could scupper it. If he continued to back it, he would be ignoring his own party's official policy." - Independent Parties unite to condemn Clarke's plan for court cases behind closed doors We’re winning budget battle, but wish list is a casualty, says MoD "The Royal Navy may lose a key technology upgrade for its warships so that the Ministry of Defence can start the new financial year with a balanced budget for the first time in decades. Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, will claim that he has closed the £38 billion deficit in his department’s finances by striking items off an equipment wish list that was previously agreed with the military. ... Wish-list projects under threat include a £100 million initiative to build a new data system into the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers and two aircraft carriers." - The Times (£) David Davis: Shine a light on the murky tax affairs of big business > From yesterday - Columnist Jill Kirby: Retrospective legislation may produce applause today but it will damage Britain in the years to come David Cameron says countryside wind farms have been "wasteful of public money" Four in 10 households to see council tax bills rise - Daily Telegraph Leveson 1) Downing Street still refuses to say whether David Cameron rode Rebekah Brooks's horse - Daily Telegraph Leveson 2) Is Rupert Murdoch a fit and proper person to run a company? -Peter Oborne Vince Cable welcomes Kay review's outline proposals on stock markets -Guardian Lib Dem peer resigns party whip in row over anti-Israeli remarks Is this proof Miliband thinks he's struggling? Labour leader turns to Blair for lessons on leadership - Daily Mail Ed Miliband condemns Unite over strike calls "Mr Miliband said it was "totally wrong" to make threats against the Olympics and said he condemned Mr McCluskey's comments after the Unite union's General Secretary called for civil disobedience during the London Games... Mr Mililband duly responded, saying, "It's completely wrong to make any threat to the Olympic Games. I do condemn it. We as a Labour government fought for the Olympic Games to be brought to Britain as part of the cross-party effort."" -Daily Telegraph Fury at call to legalise "after-birth abortions" - The Sun Britain accuses Argentina of a "policy of confrontation" after it threatens blockade on UK goods - Daily Telegraph François Hollande hits election trail in France's sixth biggest city: London -Guardian Resurgence of marriage: In 2009, the number of weddings was the lowest since Victorian age - but a boom in 2010 saw 8,657 more walking down the aisle - Daily Mail Commons clears the way for women bishops by 2014 - Daily Telegraph And finally... David Cameron bows down to Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page - Daily Telegraph ToryDiary: Annesley Abercorn on Comment: Boris's new Routemaster is a statement of confidence in our national identity Bill Cash MP on Comment looked forward to yesterday's emergency debate on Fiscal Union: More Europe always leads to less prosperity and more disorder Local government: WATCH: "Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said he was delighted that the bill had passed the Lords. "Many people said it would not get through, but it has and on time," he said. "This bill reforms every part of our welfare system and I look forward to implementing the changes our country badly needs."" - BBC
"The Liberal Democrats were fundamental in helping to make the controversial NHS reforms "stronger", embattled health secretary Andrew Lansley has said. Lansley insisted his cabinet colleagues were on board with the massive shakeup – despite claims that three fellow Tories had deep concerns about the plans – and praised the input of his party's coalition partners." - Guardian
"Ministers are facing a deepening cross-party revolt over plans for a massive extension of 'secret justice' being likened to regimes in despotic states such as Iran and North Korea. Senior figures in all three main parties expressed horror over proposals to allow controversial court cases and inquests deemed by the Government to have the potential to 'damage the public interest' to be held behind closed doors." - Daily Mail
"Nations as diverse as Sweden and Japan take even more open approaches without any discernible disadvantage. So rather than resorting to the constitutionally improper tactic of retrospective legislation, the Treasury should use the next Budget to announce its intention to bring the tax affairs of public companies into the public domain, where they belong." - David Davis for the Times (£)
"In his strongest ever criticism of green energy, the Prime Minister suggested too much taxpayer cash has been given to on-shore wind farms, which are now highly profitable for developers because of generous susbsidies. “We’re cutting the subsidy to onshore wind because I think it has been over-subsidised and wasteful of public money,” he said during weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons." - Daily Telegra ph
"Tonge resigned the party whip after rejecting a call from the party leader, Nick Clegg, to apologise or leave the Lib Dem grouping in the Lords. Tonge told the leadership in a phone call that she could not accept the ultimatum from the deputy prime minister because she stood by her remarks." - Guardian
Ken Livingstone pledges return of EMA for London students - Guardian
We need competition between Britain's cities to get the economy growing again. Here's how...
Thursday, 1 March 2012
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