News digest 11 October 2010
Aviation is back on the agenda with good
progress at BA, an attack on tax and threats from Ryanair. There’s
a good deal at Network Rail, a car without a driver and GM Luton is
backed. Unfortunately the latest equality reports shows there still
much more to do, and forthcoming cuts could make inequality worse
and changes in education and health may not help either especially
as there’s another forecast of a double dip for the UK next year.
Ed Miliband will outline his economic plans later this week, but
for now he has finalised his shadow team, read on to see who’s the
new communities minister…
BA talks positive – And
continuing after joint general secretary Tony Woodley met Willie
Walsh last week along with Acas and the TUC’s Brendan Barber. Plans
to draft an agreement are progressing (Guardian p28).
Air tax attacked – And
speaking in Barbados, Willie Walsh also warned against the planned
increase in the government’s air tax, with the latest increase
expected to come into force next month, tax on long haul flights to
rise from £80 to £95 per person (Mirror p31, Sun p2, Mail p65).
O’Leary to exit Marseilles –
In the continuing row with French authorities over working
practices a leaked email over the weekend says Ryanair may shortly
announce it will close it Marseilles base which could see 120 jobs
go (Times p48).
Protect Devonport - More than
12,000 signatures in just two days for Unite campaign in support of
protecting Devonport's dockyard and naval base from looming
government cuts, plan is to present the petition to prime minister
this Wednesday (Plymouth Herald).
Network Rail pay deal secured
– RMT announces 7 per cent deal for its maintenance members
(Guardian p29).
GM committed to Luton – And
on the roads the Telegraph (b2) reports that GM
has ‘committed’ to Luton despite a tumble in revenues and the
eventual end of the Renault agreement to manufacture commercial
vehicles, which expires in 2013. Vauxhall chief executive Nick
Reilly said Luton could handle other things if commercial vehicle
production goes elsewhere.
Google’s robocar – Technology
company announces that it has tested cars that drive themselves
without human intervention. Apparently they have already clocked up
over 140,000 miles, which - as most of that is in gridlocked
California – is some going (FT
p24).
Vodafone’s pre-pay push –
Company to invest £10 million in marketing push ahead of the busy
xmas market (FT p20, Times p43).
Still not equal – According
to Equality and Human Rights Commission report into fairness across
the UK, there’s still a long way to go. The Express (p22) says that while boys
do badly at school they still earn more while the Mail (p1) focuses on the high pay
gap that exists with women earning a fifth less than men, and the
fact that millions of women are not entitled to state pensions,
once more calls come for ‘equal pay audits’ in the workplace. The
Telegraph (p1) also
highlights the high level of unemployment in black and ethnic
minority groups and stress the ‘sandwich’ generation of people
caring not only for their children, but also for their parents. The
key message from EHRC chair Trevor Phillips: “For some
the gateway to opportunity appear permanently closed while others
seem to have been issued with an access all areas pass at
birth.”
Browne split – And the first
signs of a real split in the Con-Dem coalition appear over the
Brown review into university funding which could see elite
universities raise their fees sky high. Many Lib Dems say they will
refuse to back a rise in tuition fees and instead stick to their
manifesto commitments to end fees. Lord Browne’s report is out
tomorrow (Indie p1,
Telegraph p1, FT p1).
Back door privatisation - And
new shadow health secretary John Healey attacks government plans on
the NHS saying they open the door to back door privatisation. By
giving GPs the £80 billion budget there’s nothing to stop them
calling in help from the private sector for commissioning and other
services (Indie
p12).
Benefit crackdown – Changes
to incapacity benefit could see 500,000 lose sick pay which would
save the treasury £4 billion (Times p1) while the Sun (p9) calls for a benefit
crackdown on workless households, singling out ‘sink’ estates, the
Mail (p10) notes that
12.5 per cent of UK households are workless, in France it’s 10.5
per cent, Germany 9.2 per cent while the Netherlands have just 6
per cent. It will only get worse here with the…
Cuts confirmed – Despite some
warmer words from Huhne over the weekend that the scale of cuts may
have to be revised, the Mail (p2) says that Osborne has
almost finalised where the axe will fall…
Strikes can be averted over public
sector cuts says Acas - Body keen to help avert action and
says public sector can learn from how the private sector handled
the recession (FT p4).
Green attack on waste – War
on waste claims that millions been wasted on renting empty offices
and mobile phones for junior staff, welcoming the report cabinet
office minister Frances Maude said he would impose ‘Stalinist’
controls on public spending in future (Sun p2, Express p4, Mail p20).
Asset sale – The Telegraph (b1) also focuses on
the plan to sell off government property, apparently Cameron is
hoping to generate some £20 billion to pay off the debt.
Forex fissures – And a couple
of papers report on frictions in the global economy as the IMF
meeting over the weekend breaks up with no agreement as China and
the US battle over currency policy (FT p1, Guardian p26).
Accountants warning – BDO
says UK economy expected to move back into recession in early 2011
(Times p49).
No personal tax rises under
Labour – The Guardian (p8) reports that
Miliband has pledged no fresh increases in personal taxation as he
fleshes out how Labour would cut the deficit…
Miliband’s team finalised –
And Ed Miliband has also completed his shadow team. Diane Abbott
becomes shadow minister for health ending her 23 years on the
backbenches, but Ben Bradshaw and Pat McFadden decide to step back.
A few of the papers try to spin the number of women promoted with
the Sun (p6) talking of
“Mili’s fillies” and the Mail (p12) about the “Milibabes”,
but what is interesting is a large number of rookie MPs are on the
shadow team including Liz Kendall (health), Gloria Del Piero
(culture) oh and a certain Jack Dromey is now shadow communities
minister (Guardian p9,
Mirror p11).
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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