News digest 15 February 2011
Is it BS or not? The big society relaunch
starts the day’s news before there’s neglect at the NHS, council
waste is challenged, youth unemployment is close to a 20 year high
so business complains about red tape. The reality is seen on the
high street, while there’s some waste and some arguments at the
MoD, oil prices are rising, airline earnings could be squeezed, but
bankers are still rolling in it…
Big society backlash –
Cameron’s attempt to relaunch his big idea has a mixed review in
the papers. The Mirror
(p4-5) sums it up as not big and not clever condemning the third
relaunch as still not clear and cover for cuts. The Sun (p2) almost ignores it all
together but does report that 72 per cent of voters don’t
understand the concept. The Express (p2) expects the backlash
over cuts to continue but generally endorses the idea and even
Melanie Phillips of the Mail (p10) tries to be nice by
calling the idea a ‘noble flop’ before Polly Toynbee in the
Guardian (p31) sums it up
as ‘BS’. The Times
(p8-9) argues there’s no quick fix while the Indie (p6) notes US firms could
be brought in to run libraries and the man brought into run the Big
Society bank may be a non-dom. The Telegraph (p10) barely notices
the relaunch while the FT (p1)
speaks of a social recovery, but it’s left to the Morning Star (p1) to sum
it up quoting Unite’s Rachael Maskell: “David Cameron
needs to explain that if £5 billion is being cut from the sector
and only £400 million is being injected in the form of the ‘Big
Society’ bank and the transition fund, what is happening to £4.6
billion funding gap facing charities?” (Unite
release)
NHS neglect – And almost all
papers cover a catalogue of cases from the Health Service Ombudsman
which shows many people, especially the elderly, were denied
expected standards of care. Last year there were 9,000 complaints
in England alone, but the Mirror (p19) asks the crucial
question of how cutting another 27,000 NHS jobs will make the
service better? (Sun p6,
Express p14, Mail p4, Times p1, Indie p1, Guardian p1, Telegraph p1).
Council waste? – The Sun (p22-23) continues the
government’s spin as it attacks waste at councils across the
country with a very selective map of what is going and what is
being spent, and the Express (p19), Mail (p1) and Telegraph (p10) all attack lavish
councillor allowances which have risen by up to 150 per cent in
cases, although some still remain low. However the Guardian (p8), and Morning Star (p2)
highlight GMB research that shows so far 162,718 job cuts have been
announced across councils and fire and police authorities. The
Guardian also reports that
Labour councils have been forced to shed 50 per cent more jobs than
Tory ones as Labour councils have been hit more strongly by central
government cuts.
Youth unemployment highest since
1992 – More bad news for young people trying to get on the
jobs ladder as government cutbacks see the figure rise to almost
one million and the new director of the Institute for National and
Social Research - Jonathan Portes - says hundreds of thousands of
youth could be doomed to a lifetime of poor job prospects unless
the government acts; the TUC also warns that it could take 14 years
to create enough jobs to get back to the pre-recession employment
levels for all workers (Mirror p48, Times p3).
More red tape? – British
Chambers of Commerce moans about regulation again saying it will
create a £23 billion bill for business over the next four years.
Director general David Frost argues that issues like the right to
train, raising the minimum wage, agency workers’ right and
time off to look after children is not good for business, how nice…
(Sun p39, Express p2, Times p41, Telegraph b4, FT p2).
Closed all hours – And the
cuts are hitting consumers, latest survey finds 1 in 7 town centre
stores are now boarded up, and 10,000 more expected to shut this
year (Mirror p8, Sun p39, Mail p31, Times p41, Indie p33, FT p3).
Expensive votes – And the No
to AV campaign cranks up a gear saying the whole process could cost
the country some £250 million to bring in while a couple of the
broadsheets refer to actors on board for the yes vote with former
Lib Dem supporter Colin Firth among the endorsers (Sun p10, Mail p24, Times p17, Indie p4, Guardian p4, FT p2).
Waste tsar’s wonga – And
while spending on troops is slashed by £12 billion a Tory-appointed
waste buster at the MoD is costing the taxpayer almost £250,000 a
year in pay and bonuses (Mirror p23, Telegraph p6).
Trident trouble – And more
problems at the MoD as the Guardian (p13) reports on a row
between the Tory and Lib Dem ministers over the Trident replacement
and in particular whether it should be a
continuous-at-sea-deterrent, more cracks in the coalition it
seems…
Fire alarm? – And Assetco -
the PFI firm that runs and services fire engines to the London Fire
Brigade – is seeking an urgent £4 million to help pay off its debts
(Telegraph b3, FT p19).
Autoglass goes bust –
Country’s second largest windscreen repair group has collapsed into
administration with fears for 1,100 jobs (Mirror p8, Sun p4, Express p2, Mail p71, Indie p38, Guardian p24, Telegraph b3, FT p19).
Oil price surge – And more
bad news for drivers as petrol prices are expected to climb after
oil hits a 28-month high of $104 a barrel and there are reports of
increasing AA and RAC call-outs to vehicles that have run out of
fuel as people put off filling up the tank (Sun p24, Express p50).
Airline earnings – And even
with the rising oil price the airline industry is expected to
generate earnings of £5.7 billion this year according to IATA,
although that is down on last year’s £9.4 billion profits, air
traffic is also expected to grow by 30 per cent this year with an
extra 800 million passengers, although demand in Europe is expected
to be more sluggish (Mail
p69).
Rolls-Royce boost – Good news
for the airline engine maker as it signs another deal – this time
for £1.4 billion – to service engines for Gulf airline Emirates
(Express p51, Mail p70, Indie p38).
Gatwick take off – And good
news for London’s second largest airport as passenger traffic rose
by 12 per cent last month (Mirror p48).
Taking the biscuit – Not so
good news for the north west as Unite regional officer Ritchie
James slams the biscuit maker’s closure plans saying:
“Burtons’ consultation exercise on the proposals to
close the Moreton site appears to be a total sham in light of the
recent comments made by the company.” (Liverpool
Daily Post)
The real thing? – The secret
could be out as a couple of papers reveal the recipe for coca-cola
(Mirror p11, Mail p13).
Rolling in it – And finally
40 years to the day since decimal currency was introduced Barclays
rolls out its bonuses and the Guardian (p24) has a nice trail
from Robin Hood tax activists that have calculated that a tax on
Barclays’ Barcap investment banking arm’s £2.6 billion bonus pool
would allow the government to reverse cuts to the EMA as well as
sustain housing and disability benefit, go on Osborne, I dare
ya…
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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