News digest 14 November 2011
The digest opens with another technocrat
replacing an elected politician as Europe reviews democracy as it
deals with the debt crisis. Osborne tries to stir up problems for
France as he looks to boost the UK economy with a £50 billion
injection while growth is downgraded and the CBI says get rid of
new agency workers’ rights. As more firms fail to pay back loans,
and care homes go bust, Lansley says there will be no rationing in
the NHS as figures show £3 billion is lost to fraud. A disgraced
baroness returns to the Lords while there’s a mystery over an aide,
and one Tory MP sums up the feelings of increasingly more of the UK
population with a few choice words for prime minister David Cameron
who’ll perhaps need to turn the other cheek…
Super Mario to the rescue –
Berlusconi is once again an ex-prime minister after finally
relinquishing power over the weekend to be replaced by technocrat
and former competition commissioner Mario Monti. Monti is now
starting work to form a new government to lead Italy out of its
debt crisis and hopefully help the eurozone calm down. Sentiment on
the markets this morning was generally positive, although Italy
needs to raise €3 billion today, and the real issue is whether the
reforms deliver real change or the eurozone moves into a spiral of
cuts and reduced growth creating more pressures on stretched
finances. There are still demands for Germany to get more involved,
while UK chancellor George Osborne started to meddle by comparing
the French economy to that of Italy, Greece and Portugal, is this
the calm before another storm… (Mirror p15, Sun p2, Express p2, Mail p6, Times p1/6-7, Indie p23, Guardian p4-5, Telegraph b1/4, FT p1/8-9, Morning Star p7)
£50 billion to kick start UK
– The Mail (p2) says
government ministers have drawn up a £50 billion emergency cash
injection to boost UK growth in response to the dire economic data
due out this week.
Growth expected to be
downgraded – Forecasts due to be announced by Bank of
England governor Mervyn King later this week are expected to see UK
growth prospects downgraded to just one per cent (Mirror p10, Sun p2, Express p2, Telegraph b1).
Recovery blown off course –
The Telegraph (p2),
FT (p2) and Morning Star (p1) all
report on the CBI’s latest call to restrict workplace rights. The
CBI says gloomy economic forecasts and the eurozone crisis risks
the recovery and instead called for the government to look at
reducing workplace rights by lobbying for the new agency workers
directive to be scrapped after it claimed it is having a
significant effect on recruiting; nothing to do with the lack of
money and jobs in the economy due to Con-Dem cuts.
CBI joins tax avoidance row –
The FT (p4) reports that the
employers’ group also waded into the deals that the revenue has cut
with leading firms saying that the tax authorities have not taken a
’soft touch’ approach. HMRC is currently investigating 2,700 issues
with large firms involving £25.5 billion of tax.
Corporate write-offs hit record
high – The Telegraph (b3) reports that, in
the three months to June, UK banks and building societies had to
write-off £2.94 billion worth of loans; the only time the level of
losses was that high was when Britain was emerging from recession
in 2009.
More care homes go bust – The
Guardian (p21) reports
that the crisis in social care funding has led to a doubling of the
number of care homes going bust, 73 companies were forced to close
owing top spending cuts, debts and higher rents.
Recasting the NHS – Shadow
health secretary Andy Burnham is interviewed in the FT (p2) and argues that the NHS does need
to be updated to take account of how society has moved on, although
there are still questions about the level of involvement of the
private sector…
No NHS rationing – Health
secretary Andrew Lansley hits back in the row over ‘rationing’ in
the NHS as the health secretary says he is looking to ban the
setting of minimum waiting times for services which trusts have
been using to save costs. Lansley says the legislation will allow
for NHS chiefs that delay operations to be sacked (Indie p6, Guardian p2, Telegraph p1/4, FT p2).
Fraudsters fleecing NHS – The
Express (p7) and Mail (p11) says that as much as
£3 billion of NHS funding a year could be lost to fraud paid to
doctors and dentists who ‘invent’ shifts and treatments. A report
by 20202Health warns that the NHS is looking the other way as vast
amounts of money are lost to fraud.
Baroness Uddin back in the
Lords – The Mirror
p17) and Mail (p28)
report disgraced Labour peer Baroness Uddin will be allowed back in
the Lords despite no paying back the £125,000 of expenses she
falsely claimed.
MPs false aide claim – The
Mail (p25) reports a
former Tory MP Matthew Gordon-Banks has been arrested after
allegedly posing as an ‘aide’ to minister Oliver Letwin.
More questions for May on
immigration? – The head of the UK Border Agency, Rob
Whiteman, is to face questions over his role in the border control
row following claims that Theresa May’s officials ‘strongarmed’ him
into incriminating his colleague Brodie Clark in the row over
relaxing border controls (Mirror p20, Sun p1/14-15, Mail p19, Times p9, Guardian p12).
Privatise the Probation
Service – The Times (p18) reports that the a
plan to privatise the Probation Service has been drawn up by
government officials.
Royal Mail sale delayed – The
Times (p35) says the
privatisation of the Royal Mail will not begin until 2013 at least
owing to problems over clearing the sale with EU authorities and
its pension liabilities.
Minister says unions ‘too
grand’ – The Telegraph (p4) reports that
Francis Maude has criticised PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka of
being ‘too grand' to turn up to negotiations over changes to public
sector pensions; The results of multiple union ballots will be
revealed this week.
Pension offloads approach
record – The FT (p20)
reports that 2011 looks like it will be a record year for UK
companies offloading the risks related to paying long term
retirement incomes.
Work longer for benefits –
The Mirror (p10) and
FT (p2) report that part time
workers could be hit with benefit cuts under government proposals.
Workers claiming state help with childcare and housing costs will
be expected to seek longer hours or risk sanctions that could
include the loss of their benefits.
Cable backs St Paul’s
protests- Business secretary says top rate of tax
will stay as a sop to protesters as a new camp has been set up at
Exeter Cathedral (Express
p4, Telegraph p1,
FT p4, Morning Star p3).
Remembrance Sunday marked –
Two minute’s silence and services held across the country for all
those who have lost their lives as a result of war (Mirror p4-5, Sun p8-9, Express p5, Mail p8-9, Times p1/15, Indie p1, Guardian p1/8, Telegraph p1/6-7, Morning Star p3).
4G switched on - And from
silence to ring tones as the Guardian (p21) reports O2 plans to
test its next generation 4G high-speed internet in the capital, 25
masts are to be switched on today. Expects lots of noise.
Emirates to buy 50 Boeing
777s – And more planes in the air as the Dubai based
airline is ramping up its international expansion plans with an $18
billion order for 50 new planes (Express p44, Times p35, Indie p50, Telegraph b1, FT p19).
Cameron is despicable – And
finally probably wanting to get on a plane, prime minister David
Cameron is not only an “arse” but
“a despicable creature without any real redeeming
features” so says Patrick Mercer, the MP for Newark.
Perhaps the prime minister may want to rearrange the letters of the
MP’s seat as a suitable comeback (Sun p2, Express p10, Times p19, Indie p6, Telegraph p15, FT p, Morning Star p5).
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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