News digest 4 May 2011
The digest starts with two different
deaths, before the AV campaign gets very bitter, families are
facing severe cuts, sterling slips and Britons are working harder,
foreign welders are not welcome, there’s still no RBS report,
easyJet’s charges are rising while Ryanair is circling over Aer
Lingus and possibly vultures over the Ark Royal before forest fires
and a meltdown at Thorntons…
Osama – Most of the papers
continue the wall to wall coverage of the killing of Osama bin
Laden; new details to emerge are that he was not armed, he did not
use his wife as a human shield and he could have been in the
compound for years. Conspiracy theorists are already saying ‘no
picture, no proof’ while commentators ask if it is now time to
brings the troops home? (Mirror p1-7, Sun p1/4-9, Express p1/4-9, Mail p1/4-9, Times p1/6-11, Indie p7-13, Guardian p1/10-15, Telegraph p1-5, FT p1/5-6, Morning Star p7)
Unlawfully killed – Met
police officer Simon Harwood could face criminal proceedings after
a jury said that he used “excessive and unreasonable” force in
hitting newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson who died of his injuries.
The true story would never have been known without the amateur
footage shot by a bystander (Mirror p19, Sun p10, Express p25, Mail p18-19, Times p3, Indie p14, Guardian p1-5, Telegraph p9, Morning Star p3).
Referendum ruckus – And the
referendum campaign gets even more bitter as the war of words
between cabinet members continues. Huhne hates Osborne, Cable’s
challenged Cameron and no one has a good word for Warsi, will they
all be best friends again on Friday? (Mirror p8-9, Sun p2, Express p15, Mail p12, Times p5, Indie p1-3, Guardian p1, Telegraph p8, FT p1/4, Morning Star p1)
Four year drop in income –
Below inflation pay rises look to be here for the long term says a
report from accountancy firm Deloitte. The research expects the
impact of wage freezes and higher taxes to impact consumer
spending, an average family is expected to lose £780 this year and
families face the biggest drop in income in over 140 years
(Mirror p40).
Sterling slumps – And the
economic clouds are darkening, many papers note that food price
inflation is starting to pick up again (Mail p10, Guardian p25, FT p1), the Express (p57) notes that economic
indicators have driven down sterling against the euro and most
papers report on the fall in confidence in factory output as the
purchasing managers’ index declines to 54.6 from 56.7 the previous
month (Times p33,
Indie p33, Telegraph b2).
Mail sale could shut 9,000 post
offices – CWU general secretary warns that government
plans could lead to many more closures than the 2,000 expected as
92 per cent of sub post masters said they could not survive if they
lost the Royal Mail business (Sun p2, Mail p2, Morning Star p2).
Privatisation plans scaled
back – And the Guardian (p17) reports that the
coalition has indicated it will scale back from plans for whole
scale privatisation of the state sector as it fears too many
private companies profiting from the taxpayer, but will the
coalition scale back on its NHS changes?
No job cuts, yet – The
Mail (p17) has a spurious
piece on local government job cuts citing an LGA report that shows
a ‘tiny handful’ of jobs have been cut, the report says that so far
17,000 jobs have gone but neglects to take into account people that
have switched to part time work or the fact that the cuts are only
going to start biting now.
Working harder – And the
Mail (p10) also
highlights new research from the OECD that shows that Britain is
one of only three countries that are working longer hours than they
did in the 1980s, the wonders of job insecurity in modern
Britain…
Foreign welders – But South
Korean engineering firm Doosan – which is working on a maintenance
contract at the Drax and Ferrybridge power stations – has caused
uproar by saying it plans to fill some jobs with non-EU labour
despite there being a pool of skilled UK welders (Sun p45, Morning Star p2).
Oil tax grab could destroy
industry – North Sea energy companies warn select
committee over new government levy saying it will act as a brake on
investment (Telegraph
b4).
Glencore float approaches – A
couple of the papers focus on the commodities company ahead of its
float with the Mail (p30)
looking into its business practices while the Telegraph (b1) says that Abu
Dhabi government is looking to buy a strong stake. The FT (p1) says that the float will be priced
on the lower side in the hope of driving a stock market rally.
Still no RBS report – The
continued cat and mouse between business secretary Vince Cable and
RBS over the FSA report into the bank rears its head again,
apparently Cable is getting frustrated over legal wrangles which
look like delaying publication indefinitely (Mail p63, FT p4).
Credit charges jump – And the
Times (p39) reports
that easyJet has increased its credit card charges yet again, some
38 per cent of the price of a budget airline ticket is now due to
extras.
Ryanair wants Aer Lingus
– Or no extras maybe according to the Guardian (p26) if Ryanair gets its
way it could get a controlling stake in Aer Lingus as the Irish
government considers selling its 25 per cent holding.
Raiding the ark – From planes
to the sea and the Sun (p27)
reports that potential buyers were eyeing up the axed Ark Royal
yesterday.
Forest fires breaking out –
And back on land instead of being sold by the government Britain’s
forests are being swept by fire; families across the country are
being forced to flee their homes (Express p20, Mail p21, Times p13, Indie p20, Guardian p20-21, Telegraph p11, Morning Star p5)
Thorntons’ meltdown – And all
that heat leaves the chocolate maker in trouble as it saw takings
plunge 23 per cent over Easter, the company has indicated it will
move away from high street sales so that will be more empty shops
then (Mirror p40, Sun p45, Express p60, Mail p65, Times p37, Indie 34p, Guardian p25, Telegraph b5, FT p26).
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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