News digest 2 November 2011
The digest opens with a careless comment
from a council leader which shows how little Tories care, while the
Archbishop of Canterbury steps in at St Paul’s, the Greek prime
minister is accused of losing his marbles while the UK is seeing
the slowest recovery in a century and that could be before a double
dip. The government is facing pressure over public sector pensions
and puts a supposedly new offer on the table, while peers are taken
to task over links with private healthcare. On the transport front
BA could be after BMI, there could be collusion on the buses and
the Jarrow marchers are about to reach London…
Council leader sacks workers and
attacks them on twitter –
Political Scrapbook reports on how Oxford council leader Keith
R Mitchell yesterday attacked striking youth workers protesting
about cuts to council and youth services sending a tweet comparing
them to the St Paul’s protesters and asking if they ‘have jobs are
they on benefit[s]’. Mike Beal, Unite branch chair, said:
“The council’s continued refusal to get around the
negotiating table to end this dispute is hurting the most
vulnerable young people in the county … the council’s failure to
address the concerns of its youth workers shows just how little it
values the role they play in turning young lives
around.” It is worth noting this is in Cameron’s own
backyard, so much for his caring Conservatism and the
“we’re all in this together” mantra
(Morning Star p4,
Unite
release).
Archbishop backs Robin Hood
tax – Writing in the FT
(p11) the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has backed the
calls for a financial transactions tax to reflect the agenda of
anti-capitalist protesters. The cathedral’s leadership remains in
crisis, but St Paul’s has suspended its legal action against the
camp (Mirror p7, Express p7, Mail p10-11, Times p11, Indie p10-11, Guardian p8-9, Telegraph p5, Morning Star p2).
Acropolis now? – Who said
capitalism was in crisis? European leaders are now racing to save
the latest rescue plan for the eurozone after financial markets
slumped over fears that Greece’s proposal for a referendum on the
second bail-out could lead to a default by Athens or even the exit
of the country from the eurozone. Bank shares were particularly
hard hit, but bond yields also widened and the euro lost almost
three cents against the dollar. Suppose it gives the G20 something
to focus on… (Mirror p7,
Sun p6-7, Express p2, Mail p1/6-7, Times p1/12-13, Indie p4-5, Guardian p1/4-5, Telegraph p1/b1-3, FT p1/6, Morning Star p1/7)
G20: Europe looks to China –
The Cannes summit opens tomorrow with a case of different venue,
different cast, but same old problems as leaders from the world’s
biggest economies get together to deal with the growing debt crisis
and the lack of effective growth in the global economy (Guardian p26-29, FT p6/9).
Slowest recovery in a century
– Britain is now officially seeing a slower recovery than after the
1930s great depression after the latest GDP growth figures reported
a 0.5 per cent rise yesterday. The figures were overshadowed by
dismal data on manufacturing – the manufacturing purchasing
managers index fell to its lowest level in 28 months - and fears
that the economy is moving towards a double dip (Sun p2, Express p2, Mail p12, Times p14-15, Indie p6-7, Guardian p7, Telegraph b1, FT p3, Morning Star p1/4).
Supposed pensions offer -
Ministers are set to make a so-called ‘improved’ offer to unions in
a bid to reach agreement over public sector pension changes after
the two sides met in London today. Unions, including Unite, argue
the changes will still mean people working longer, paying more and
getting less; Unite continues to demand fair
pensions for all [PDF] workers in both the private and public
sector ahead of possible action on 30 November (Mirror p8, Sun p2, Mail p2, Times p7, FT p3, Morning Star p2).
Tax on middle class pensions
– And the Telegraph (p12)
reports the government is after more pension money as proposals
from the Lib Dems could see ‘middle class’ workers pay tax on lump
sums withdrawn from their pension pots; some £500 million a year
could be raised by reducing the tax free amount that can be taken
out of pension funds by pension holders.
Polestar pressure on PPF –
Not so good news for those relying on the Pensions Protection Fund
as the Times (p53)
reports leading retirement expert, John Ralfe, has asked the
pensions regulator to explain why it allowed the owner of Polestar
printing company to effectively walk away from obligations to its
pensions holders which could leave a £250 million hole in the
lifeboat find for company pensions schemes.
Private equity and social
care – The Guardian (p38-39) has a special
report into private equity and social care operators looking into
the collapse of Southern Cross and how to keep cowboys out of
care.
Peers under fire on NHS reforms
bill – The Mirror
(p9) follows up a Unite
release that blasts links between private healthcare companies
and peers that rarely attend the House of Lords but came out to
vote through the controversial health and social care bill. Unite’s
Rachel Maskell said: “Democracy is being hijacked for
the financial benefit of the private healthcare
companies.”
MPs deride Lansley’s ‘nudging’
deal – The Guardian (p10) also reports that
the Commons health select committee says the deal done by the
coalition with food and drink firms to improve public health will
not solve what are huge problems of obesity and chronic drinking in
the UK.
New Tory sceptic group – And
the Indie (p1) and
Telegraph (p12) report on
more trouble for the government as backbench Tories have
established a new eurosceptic group to be known as the ’81 Group’
supposedly in reference to the Tories who rebelled last week rather
than wanting to turn back the clock to the early 1980s.
Credit Suisse cuts more – The
Indie (p62) also
reports that the Swiss bank will cut another 1,500 jobs and scale
back its investment banking business.
G4S deal off – As reported in
yesterday’s digest the G4S merger with ISS has been cancelled, and
there are calls for the security firm’s chief executive Nick
Buckles to go after some £50 million has been paid out negotiating
the aborted deal (Mirror
p44, Sun p45, Express p51, Mail p65, Times p45, Indie p57, Guardian p25, Telegraph b2, FT p15, Morning Star p5).
BA eyes BMI – The Sun (p45) reports rumours that BA
could be interested in buying struggling rival BMI.
Alternative to Boris island –
The Times (p20-21) has
an in depth feature on architect Lord Foster’s plans for an
alternative to Boris island in the Thames estuary.
London buses built in
China – The Express (p25) reports that for the
first time tourists will be ferried around London on buses made in
China after London Big Bus tours decided to order 20 new vehicles
from China rather than a UK supplier.
Collaborating on the buses –
The Times (p50) reports
that three of the country’s biggest bus companies - First, Arriva
and Go-Ahead - have been accused of working very closely together
and the Competition Commission fears passengers may be getting a
raw deal on fares and services. Obviously it’s no surprise that
three companies are involved at once…
Stagecoach on track – The
Express (p50), Mail (p67) and Indie (p63) report on good
results for the bus and train operator which is expected to be on
track to hit annual profit targets.
Jarrow marchers to reach
London – The Morning Star (p2) reports
that the young people marching from Jarrow for jobs are expected to
reach London tonight and continue their call for money to be
invested in jobs.
Libya gets more
lolly – Talking of money and the Express (p51) reports that De La
Rue is to supply more banknotes to the new Libyan regime as the war
has now come to an end…
No warships left – And
finally the Mirror (p11),
Mail (p27) and Telegraph (p1) report that
government cutbacks mean that there was not a single warship to
defend the UK after government last month. Although the Ministry of
Defence says the UK is ‘well protected’ this is the first time in
30 years that there has been no warship to guard Britain’s home
waters, let’s hope there’s no armada on the way…
Edited by Mik Sabiers
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