News digest 17 October 2011
The digest opens with the latest fall out
from Fox’s resignation and another broken pledge from Cameron as
women desert the Tories. The EU and UK need to take economic action
as protestors start occupations around the world. There are cuts to
jobs and pensions, but MPs are protected and there could be some
trouble in the air and also for those planning on investing in
false assets who may be squeezed by a new tax…
Fox limps off – The mini
cabinet reshuffle which sees Liam Fox out, Philip Hammond shifts to
defence and Justine Greening take the transport portfolio features
across all the papers. Probes are now being launched to look into
allegations of fraud and the breach of donation laws. However if
the government was hoping to put an end to the damage more
revelations about meetings with lobbyists are starting to make the
Tories look like the old ‘nasty’ party they were. The Guardian (p1) splashes with the
news that ministers held 1,537 meetings with corporate
representatives in the first 10 months of the coalition, trade
bodies and think tanks had 1,409 meetings while in contrast
charities were met on 833 occasions and union representatives just
130 times showing the bias towards the corporate sector. Looks like
the Lib Dems will try and get some controls on lobbying, but expect
their arms to be twisted and it to be swept under the carpet
(Mirror p4-5, Sun p6, Express p6, Mail p7, Times p1, Indie p5-6, Guardian p4-5, Telegraph p1/2, FT p2, Morning Star p3).
Greening’s conflict of
interest? – New transport secretary Justine Greening’s
appointment has come under scrutiny after some suggestions say the
Putney MP may have a conflict over expansion at Heathrow by
representing a leafy London seat that many Heathrow bound planes
fly over, if she had any command of her brief top of her list
should be to review the Thameslink contract (Times p23, FT p3).
Keeping mum on maternity
rights – David Cameron was warned by Lib Dem equalities
minister Lynne Featherstone to abandon “hideous” plans to restrict
maternity rights amid fears of a cabinet split on slicing workplace
rights (Guardian p11,
Telegraph p14).
Women desert Tories – And the
Times (p1/6-7) has a
detailed piece on why women are not longer backing the Tories, with
calls within the party for a fight back to regain the female
vote.
Nanny’s rights rescinded –
Cameron has also been taken to task on tough new rules that could
see domestic workers fleeing persecution by rogue employers being
persecuted by government rules that could have resulted in the
nanny that cared for Cameron’s old children not being able to flee
bosses from hell (Mirror p5,
Express p8).
Cameron breaks nurses pledge
– And over the weekend the Sunday Mirror (p8) reported that a
pledge made by the prime minister to boost the number of health
visitors has been broken as new figures from a Unite probe reveal
levels at a record low as the Indie (p1) says nursing cuts
are putting babies at risk as posts are cut and positions
downgraded.
Energy cuts challenge – Prime
minister Cameron calls Britain’s largest energy firms to
Westminster to demand that the energy companies cut household bills
(Sun p2, Times p3, Guardian p8, Telegraph p16, Morning Star p5) however
the FT (p1) looks less convinced
reporting that the EU is expected to see 20 years worth of rising
energy costs.
EU action needed – And the
eurozone crisis continues with demands for more concerted action,
although more disconcerting for chancellor George Osborne is the
IMF expects the UK to contribute towards the bail-out (Sun p2, Express p2, Mail p2, Guardian p24, FT p1, Morning Star p6). The
Times (p47) also argues
that Europe has told the US that even if the Obama administration
does not agree to the Tobin tax on financial transactions it will
go it alone; creating further worries for Osborne.
UK action needed – And
forecasts from the ITEM group and the EEF argue that the UK is
entering a dangerous phase as the economy starts to slow further
and unemployment looks to hit its worst levels for 30 years,
Osborne still insists it is not time for a ‘Plan B’, but if he’s
not careful it will be ‘Plan C’ for crisis (Express p4, Mail p25/63, Times p10, Indie p47, Guardian p1, Telegraph b1, FT p4).
Occupy the world – The Occupy
demonstrations spread world-wide with protestors taking to the
streets of London, Berlin, New York and more to campaign that
capitalism is crisis rather than just in crisis (Mirror p15, Sun p2, Express p4, Mail p12, Times p11, Indie p2-3, Guardian p3/20-21, Telegraph p4-5, FT p1-12, Morning Star p1).
RBS jobs axed? – And the City
is the focus for possible cuts as another 5,000 jobs at bailed-out
RBS could be under threat as the bank reduces its investment
banking business (Sun p15,
Mail p63).
Shawbrook Bank launched – RBS
also launched a new bank to lend to small businesses. The Shawbrook
Bank plans to lend up to £75 million, but plans to increase that to
£350 million in loans ranging from £50,000 to £2 million (Express p36, Times p39, Telegraph b3).
Pay cuts to pay for pensions
– The Telegraph (b3) says
that workers will face lower wage rises to pay for pensions as
government plans to enrol all staff in a company pensions come into
force.
AXA to axe pensions? –
Leading pensions provider to ask staff to give up indexed pensions
(Telegraph b2).
MPs’ pensions protected? – A
cross party group of MPs has been accused of feathering their own
nests by fighting a move for their pensions to increase in line
with other public sector workers. Unite’s Len McCluskey is quote
saying: “While they bay for cuts to public sector
pensions, they act to feather their own nests.”
(Guardian p8, Telegraph p2).
Etihad after Aer Lingus –
back in the skies and the fast growing Middle East airline has
approached the Irish government to buy its 25 per cent stake in the
Irish flag-carrier (FT p19)/
BMI sale hits turbulence –
Lufthansa’s auction of loss making BMI has been hit over fears of
the funding level of the airline’s pension scheme, both BA and
Virgin have reservations over the deal which comes with sought
after slots at Heathrow worth an estimated £398 million (Mail p63).
Air traffic to drop – The
Indie (p48) reports on
fears from the Fair Tax on Flying alliance that air passenger duty
will lead to a dip in air travel in the next year.
Anger at attack on plastic
surgery – And finally the ballooning number of plastic
surgery operations has sparked an idea from revenues and customs to
add what is termed by the tabloids as a ‘boob tax’ on cosmetic
surgery operations which could generate as much as £500 million a
year (Sun p40, Express p5, Mail p33).
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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