Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, will today launch his report, Tackling The Fiscal Crisis: A Recovery Plan For The UK. The report, published by Reform, puts forward the case for greater scrutiny of public spending and no area should be “ring fenced” (Guardian; ITN News)
Appearing in the BBC News Channel, Lucy Parsons, Senior Economics Researcher at Reform, commented on Lord Mandelson’s claim to be a “wise spender”. Suggesting that the public expects a more open debate on public spending, and greater clarity on how to reform public services and cut spending (FT; Telegraph; Times; Guardian).
In an article in The Times on grammar, about improper grammar, Andrew Haldenby, Director of Reform’s recent article in the Daily Mail where he said: “Consultants at McKinsey were quite right to argue that the NHS should employ less people and use fewer buildings.” As The Times notes Andrew is referring to numbers of people and numbers of buildings. He should have written “fewer” in both cases (Times).
In an article for City A.M. Nicholas Boys Smith, Consultant Director of Reform argues that intellectual errors were at the heart of the financial crisis as regulators and accountants encouraged bankers to borrow too much (City A.M.).
Plans to raise the basic state pension are to be delayed by an incoming Conservative government in an effort to reduce public spending, according to The Independent (Independent).
Ahead of Gordon Brown’s speech to the TUC today where he will use the word “cuts” for the first time, unions leaders have warned the Prime Minister that cutting public spending would be a disaster that would endanger the recovery and threatened to strike of public sector wage cuts (FT; Telegraph; Guardian; Mail; BBC Online).
Plans to be announced today to allow parents to share paid parental leave, have been criticised by employers, arguing the new right will bring an “administrative nightmare” (FT; Telegraph; Mail; City A.M.).
The Institute for Public Policy Research has warned that the lessons of the economic crisis have not been learned as the return to the cities bonus culture shows reforms have been "very limited" (BBC Online).
The Cabinet Office has announced that the government has saved £7 million in the last year by making its departments greener. Changes made include things as simple as double-sided printing, turning computers off at night and extending the life of computers (BBC Online).
A report by the Audit Commission has revealed that millions of pounds are being lost due to as many as 50,000 council and housing association homes being occupied by people with no entitlement to them (FT; Guardian; Mirror; BBC Online).
Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, is planning to present legislation this autumn so banks will have draw up “living wills” so they can be more easily dismantled in case of bankruptcy (FT; Times).
Andy Haldane, Head of Financial Stability at the Bank of England, has called on banks to rebuild trust with consumers and also for smaller and more diverse banks to enter the market (FT).
The European Commission has claimed that Europe is heading out of recession, forecasting that the UK will grow by 0.2 per cent in the third quarter and 0.5 per cent in the fourth (Telegraph).
Government support is allowing building to restart on 740 homes that were stalled by the recession (FT).
An analysis of potential cuts in public spending highlights Reform's proposal to reduce the pay of doctors and senior NHS managers by ten per cent (Times).
The Department of Health has announced that GPs will receive £5.25 for each flu jab they give to high priority patients, totalling up to £4,000 for an average GP (Times; Guardian; Mail).
Heroin addicts could soon get the drug free at government funded ‘shooting galleries’ to stop them committing crime to fund their habit (Telegraph; Mail; BBC Online).
Britain’s first and only murder force policed purely by civilian investigators has shown great success solving nine out of ten murders in half the normal time (Independent).
New plans being drawn up by the Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn could mean fines of up to £500 for every household if they fail to recycle food waste (Mail).
Ministers are to review proposals for a database that vets parents and volunteers who assist with childcare (Telegraph; Independent; Guardian; Mail; BBC Online).
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has announced that pupils in state schools will be allowed the drop GCSEs in favour of IGCSEs in nine subjects (Telegraph).
A report has warned that up to 190,000 private school pupils, nearly a third of all pupils, may be forced to leave private schools unless fees are reduced (Telegraph).
A Populous poll for The Times has revealed that 48 per cent of voters believe that “literally anyone” could do better than Gordon Brown and give the Conservatives a 14 points lead (Times).