News digest 4 April 2011
The digest starts with an in-depth
interview with Len McCluskey before its back to cuts and the
government is possibly backtracking on health reforms - albeit for
three months – while cuts are coming home, and if not cuts its
rises, stamps go up by 5p today, European interest rates may rise
later this week, there are scandalous safety bonuses, a hole opens
in a plane, while there are problems getting parts for Honda, but
Tesco may be able to sort you out with a second hand
motor…
A fighter for social justice
– In a full page interview in the
Indie (p23) Unite general secretary Len McCluskey outlines the
union movement’s approach to the cuts (co-ordinated action) as well
as his relationship with Labour leader Ed Miliband (he personally
supported Ed and wants to help create the kind of party that will
get Ed elected as prime minister) and he wants changes to
employment legislation (so that British workers have the same
rights as their European counterparts), and even with tales of
Len’s youth the piece concludes by calling him a smart operator and
saying expect to see a lot more of him in the news…
Health scare – The Mirror (p6-7) has a guest piece from
Norman Tebbit backing the paper’s campaign to save the NHS and
telling the government to think again. Cameron is apparently
dithering as he is worried by poor opinion polls, although the
Sun (p2) says he will launch
a new drive to sell the reforms. The Express (p4) quotes campaign group
Health Emergency who say “hospitals are closing beds
and axing jobs” while the Guardian (p1) says Cameron is
poised to announce the delay of key NHS reforms by three months
with Lansley rumoured to have been sidelined as the government is
scared of how the changes are being seen. The Telegraph (p1) says Cameron has
been forced to take the lead to reassure the public and doctors
(Mail p10, Times p1, Indie p2, FT p1, Morning Star p2).
All change for
councils – The FT (p3)
has an in-depth look on what the coalition’s cuts means for
councils, wit the result that the model of what councils do will
change fundamentally as services are cut to the statutory minimum.
The survey of 20 key councils finds that Pickles’ claim that you
can cut back office functions to deal with the cuts is not borne
out.
Work until you drop - Work
and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith says that people want to
work past 65 so that is why the retirement age should be raised
even as the Mirror (p16) has
a feature on how hard it is for men in their 50s to find work if
they are made redundant. Iain Duncan Smith is due to unveil the
changes to the state pension later today which will involve a new
flat rate pension expected to be between £140-£155 (it is currently
£97), with the changes expected to be cost neutral overall. The
pension age is expected to continue to rise as people live longer
(Mirror p6, Mail p1, Guardian p24, Telegraph p11, FT p2).
Running or ruining? – And as
44 tax changes come in tomorrow the Express (p25) and Times (p8) look at who will be
hit by the cuts while the Guardian (p26) asks will Osborne
succeed in running the economy or end up ruining it?
Defence cuts stretch RAF to
limit – Action in Libya in danger as expectations that
enforcing the no-fly zone may last another six months and that
there are not enough funds available to sustain a long campaign
(Mirror p6, Sun p10, Express p7, Mail p6, Times p1/6-7, Indie p6-7, Guardian p1/6-7, Telegraph p1, FT p6, Morning Star p2).
£9,000 or not – Education
minister David Willets says most universities will not charge
£9,000 a year, even though 75 per cent of those that have announced
their fees plan to do so, Willets also thinks it is fine for
universities to discriminate against middle classes in favour of
poorer children, although no mention about the upper classes
(Mirror p19, Mail p20, Indie p15, Guardian p, 9Telegraph p12).
Stamps up – If it’s not cuts
it’s price increases; the cost of a first class stamp rises by 5p
to 46p from today (Express
p7, Times p4, Telegraph b3, Morning Star p5).
Interest rates up? – And the
European Central Bank meets later this week, fears over eurozone
inflation could see the first increase in rates. The Bank of
England monetary policy committee meets on Thursday, but even with
high inflation rates are not expected to rise until the summer
(FT p30).
Drilling down – And as petrol
prices continue to head ever upwards BP has announced it is to
resume drilling in the Gulf of Mexico (Sun p21, Express p46, Mail p63, Times p39, Indie p12, FT p19).
Safety bonus – And bosses at
drilling firm Transocean are celebrating huge bonuses for the
company’s ‘best year’ for safety, Transocean was involved in the
Deepwater Gulf of Mexico spill last year, nine of the 11 people
killed in the explosion worked for the company (Mirror p8).
Hole in the sky – And more
safety concerns as a US plane sees a hole open up in the fuselage
mid flight, 118 passengers were evacuated from the Southwest
Airlines plane, all 80 of the company’s fleet on Boeing 737-300s
have been grounded (Mirror
p27, Express p7).
BA pension trustee quits –
And the Telegraph (b2)
reports that trustee Mike Post quits over change from RPI to CPI
which could see pensioners’ payments cut by up to 20 per cent.
easyJet on the
up – Airline chief executive Carolyn McCall lays out her
vision for the company’s future (Telegraph b5).
Vodafone says ‘Non’ – From
planes to phones and UK telecomms company sells its French SFR
division to Vivendi for £7 billion (Times p31, Indie p35, Telegraph b1, FT p1/19).
Hold the presses? – The
Times (p31) says there
are rumours of a possible merger between the Mail and Express media
groups after it emerges that initial discussions have taken place,
a source close to Express owner Richard Desmond did say the chances
of a deal were slim…
Production to stop – And
Honda may be forced to suspend production at its Wiltshire plant as
the supply of parts is drying up (Times p35).
Tesco second hand club cars –
And a possible sure-fire way of upping your club card reward points
as Tesco announces it is moving into the second hand car sector,
whatever next? (Sun p19,
Express p3, Mail p19, Times p35, Indie p32, Guardian p24, FT p20).
Edited by Mik Sabiers
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