More needs to be done to promote the benefits of fracking, a spokesman for David Cameron indicated.
The Prime Minister believes that shale gas offers “exciting” potential for energy security, jobs and growth but it should only be carried out if there is “no risk” to the environment.
The closure of 22 US embassies over an alleged security threat was seized on by defenders of the National Security Agency on Sunday, amid claims that its controversial surveillance programme alerted authorities to "pre-9/11" levels of terrorist chatter.
A meeting of President Barack Obama's top security officials on Saturday concluded that intelligence apparently gathered from overseas communications intercepts showed a serious but unspecified threat against Western and US interests. The administration moved to shut the embassies across North Africa and the Middle East as a precaution.
Intelligence committee members in Washington who had been briefed on the alert said it was the most serious they had seen for years and repeatedly cited the threat during Sunday's political talk shows as a reason to resist growing calls in Congress for reform of the NSA's sweeping powers.Nobody would be so arrogant as to manufacture a security crisis of such proportions, would they? Would they?
"Spot checks and being demanded to show your papers by officialdom are not the British way of doing things. Yes, of course we want to deal with illegal immigration, but what's the point of rounding people up at railway stations if at the same time they're still flooding in through Dover and the other nearly hundred ports in this country.
"I'm astonished that the Home Office has become so politicised that they're actually advertising 'another 10 arrested'. Before long they'll be live video-streaming these arrests. I don't like it. It really is not the way we've ever behaved or operated as a country. We don't have ID cards; we should not be stopped by officialdom and have to prove who we are."It must mean something when even Farage considers that the government has over-stepped the mark.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has said the introduction of charges for hand luggage on planes is “unlikely in the short term but it’s probably inevitable”.
Speaking at a news conference in London, the budget airline boss said it’s likely that companies would see the charges as a new revenue stream to be exploited, but said he was unsure of how his company could do it without disturbing its 25 minute turnaround times.
When asked what the logic was behind Ryanair’s €20 increase in charges for hold luggage over the summer period, he said that this is “when people bring more bags. We don’t want the bags. We will keep increasing charges until we get rid of [hold] bags”.
The airline has managed to reduce the number of passengers checking in hold baggage from 80 per cent to 19 per cent and said it was saving them “a fortune in money”. He hopes to get this figure down to ten per cent.
Lord Howell, who advised William Hague on energy policy until April and is the father-in-law of the chancellor, George Osborne, drew gasps of astonishment in the House of Lords on Tuesday for suggesting that the controversial form of gas production could take place in the north-east without any impact on the surrounding environment. Howell later apologised for "any offence caused" by his comments and said he didn't believe the north-east was desolate.
During Lords questions, he asked: "Would [the minister] accept that it could be a mistake to think of and discuss fracking in terms of the whole of the United Kingdom in one go? I mean there obviously are, in beautiful natural areas, worries about not just the drilling and the fracking, which I think are exaggerated, but about the trucks, and the delivery, and the roads, and the disturbance."
The peer, who lives in southern England, said: "But there are large and uninhabited and desolate areas. Certainly in part of the north-east where there's plenty of room for fracking, well away from anybody's residence where we could conduct without any kind of threat to the rural environment."The old boy is 78 and probably a bit gaga, even if his views are representative of the bulk of Tory opinion in the home counties.
I don't want to rain on the Royal baby parade, but "George"? Yes it was great-grandpa's name, which is sweet. But there have already been six of them! There are so many better ones Kate and William might have picked off the royal family trees.
My personal favorites, long overdue for a revival, come from the Saxon and Viking kings who ruled England before 1066. Egbert, Ethelwulf, Ethelbald and Eadwig are all fine names, not to mention my personal pick, Ethelred (the Unready).
Admittedly, Ethelred has some bad vibes associated with him. Unpopular among his own people, he ordered the execution of all Danes in the country, and then tried to buy off the Danish armies that invaded with a tax called Danegeld. It didn't work. He was displaced by King Sweyn Forkbeard (face it, also a better name than George), from today's Denmark.
Unready is actually a mistranslation of Ethelred's Saxon nickname, although unfortunately that doesn't help. It meant Unwise.Actually, it did not mean Unwise; it meant "ill-advised" (from the Anglo-Saxon raed, meaning advice or counsel).
A line has been drawn among consumers, with borrowers on one side and savers on the other.For the savers the news is perpetually bad and this morning’s announcement that even trusted old Premium Bonds will suffer an interest rate cut shows that the savings environment is getting worse.
On the other side you have borrowers who are benefiting from low mortgage rates and will be given another boost as the government announces more details of its Help to Buy scheme, the second tranche of which will provide mortgage guarantees for first-time buyers.
...
The divide between savers and borrowers can also be seen as a divide between generations; young versus old.
The older generations tend to be savers, who have paid off their mortgage and may be using their savings to top up their pension, while younger people are more likely to be borrowers, struggling on to the property ladder.And so, we wrinklies are subsidising the kids. An occasional thank you would be nice ...
Crocs are not summer shoes. They are not even shoes, or at least not shoes for adults. Man over there wearing Crocs? Go to a mirror. Look at yourself. LOOK AT YOURSELF.
Every household in Britain connected to the internet will be obliged to declare whether they want to maintain access to online pornography, David Cameronwill announce on Monday.
In the most dramatic step by the government to crack down on the "corroding" influence of pornography on childhood, the prime minister will say that all internet users will be contacted by their service providers and given an "unavoidable choice" on whether to use filters.
The changes will be introduced by the end of next year. As a first step, customers who set up new broadband accounts or switch providers would have to actively disable the filters by the end of this year.Well, who could possibly object? But I trust that, whatever system is adopted, it is more effective than that established here in Spain. That system appeared to based on blocking websites or web pages that contained naughty words, including "sex", "porn", "prostitution" and those words referring to various body parts. This had the unwanted effect of blocking access to all sorts of sites and pages, including many of a medical nature, as well as perfectly respectable newspaper and magazine articles which happened to mention any of the banned words. (The only benefit of the system was that the Daily Mail website appeared to suffer particularly badly.)
The Government was tonight accused of gambling with the UK’s blood supply by selling the state owned NHS plasma supplier to a US private equity firm.
The Department of Health overlooked several healthcare or pharmaceutical firms and at least one blood plasma specialist before choosing to sell an 80 per cent stake in Plasma Resources UK to Bain Capital, the company co-founded by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, in a £230m deal. The Government will retain a 20 per stake and a share of potential future profits.
PRUK has annual sales of around £110m and consists of two companies: it employs 200 people at Bio Products Laboratory (BPL) in Elstree, Hertfordshire, and more than 1,000 at DCI Biologicals Inc in the US. DCI collects plasma from American donors and sends it to BPL where it is separated into blood proteins, clotting factors and albumin for supply to NHS hospitals in the treatment of immune deficiencies, neurological diseases, and haemophilia.And so the Americans take control of another piece of our industrial and health infrastructure ...
George Osborne has infuriated environmentalists by announcing big tax breaks for the fracking industry in a bid to kickstart a shale gas revolution that could enhance Britain's energy security but also increase its carbon emissions.
The Treasury has set a 30% tax rate for onshore shale gas production. That compares with a top rate of 62% on new North Sea oil operations and up to 81% for older offshore fields.Interesting to note that Lynton Crosby, lobbying bogeyman par excellence, is involved with the fracking industry. I wonder if he "discussed" the matter with the Chancellor ...
David Cameron faced intense questions throughout the day over Crosby's alleged involvement in the government's decision to abandon plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes.
Crosby's firm, Crosby Textor, works for the tobacco giant Philip Morris Ltd, which lobbied the Department of Health to abandon the plans.
Miliband accused the prime minister of "disgraceful" behaviour after Cameron declined to give a direct answer in the Commons when he was asked whether he had ever had a conversation with Crosby about plain cigarette packaging. The prime minister told Miliband: "I'll answer the question. He [Crosby] has never lobbied me on anything."The obvious problem with such an approach becomes apparent when considering the proposal for a register of lobbyists (as announced yesterday). For example, you might ask a lobbying organisation why it is not shown on the register, only to receive the answer that the organisation does not engage in lobbying; it merely has occasional conversations with ministers. Which rather undercuts the whole idea of a register ...
I suppose lobbying might be: "Prime Minister, please don't introduce plain packaging! There are executives who might have to sell their third homes and racehorses!"
Chatting: "Mmm, before we discuss separate matters, can I remind you of the smooth yet manly taste of these Marlboro cigarettes? And let's not lose the iconic label, showing a beefy chap in chaps!"
IF small businesses are the future, then London’s place at the heart of the British economy is assured. Figures today reveal that 17 out of the top 20 UK areas for new business creation were located in London in the past year – and remarkably, that Silicon Roundabout was by the far the leading centre for start-ups. Tragically, these figures also confirm that the rest of Britain remains in relative decline, with much of the talent continuing to shift to the capital.
No fewer than 15,720 new businesses were set up in EC1V, the area that includes London’s new technology hub on the fringe of the City, in the year to March, according to UHY Hacker Young. This is promising, though as ever it remains to be seen whether any of these tech firms will grow and thrive, and whether any will become British Googles or Facebooks, truly world-class and world famous.
Other buoyant areas for start-ups include Bishopsgate (EC2) and Canary Wharf (E14), which between them saw 4,900 new businesses set up shop last year.And here:
A third of Britain is effectively off-limits to lower-income working families because private rents are unaffordable, a new report claims.
The report comes from the Resolution Foundation, which campaigns on behalf of low to middle-income families.
It says most of southern England is now beyond the reach of less affluent households.
The Resolution Foundation says this forces people to choose between a decent home and other essentials.
With social housing usually unavailable and home ownership unaffordable for many first-time buyers, renting privately is often the only option for households on lower incomes.
A BBC housing calculator also identifies how renting a modest two-bedroom home for less than £700 a month is almost impossible in London and much of the South East. Modest is defined as having a rent below 75% of similar properties in the area.London and the South-East may be thriving for those at the upper end of the economic scale. But for how long can it rely on a supply of nurses and health assistants, of police constables and postmen, of garage mechanics and supermarket sales assistants, if such people - so necessary to a functioning economy - simply cannot afford a place to live?
David Cameron faces calls from senior Liberal Democrats to sack his controversial election strategist Lynton Crosby over his links with the tobacco industry, as the coalition descended into open warfare over public health policy.
As the latest row over the role of big money in politics hit Downing Street, Paul Burstow, who was a health minister until September last year, said Crosby should either quit or be sacked by Cameron after it emerged that his lobbying firm works for global tobacco giant Philip Morris.
Other Liberal Democrats also made clear they were furious and would fight to ensure Crosby was removed from any role in which he could influence health or any other coalition policy.
Amid the growing furore, the Tory chairman of the all-party select committee on health, former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, announced that his committee would look into why the government had changed its mind on the question of cigarette packaging.
Last Friday, the government revealed that it was shelving plans to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes, prompting a furious reaction from the health lobby and MPs from across the political spectrum. The Observer understands that health ministers were almost uniformly in favour of plain packaging but were overruled by Downing Street.Were the cigarette companies so persuasive? And when Labour was being denounced for being in the pockets of the unions, was it a clever move to demonstrate so convincingly that the Tories would always take the side of their chums in big business? Stupid, stupid politics.
Descartes walks into a bar. “Beer?” asks the barman. “I think not” replies Rene, who disappears.
Two atoms are walking down the street. One atom says to the other: “Hey! I think I lost an electron!” The other says: “Are you sure?” “Yes, I’m positive!”
How many Microsoft designers does it take to change a lightbulb? None – they just define darkness as “industry standard”.
The British government is examining plans to designate the Scottish militarybase that houses the Trident nuclear deterrent as sovereign United Kingdom territory if the people of Scotland vote for independence in next year's referendum.
In a move that sparked an angry reaction from the SNP, which vowed to rid Scotland of nuclear weapons as quickly as possible after a yes vote, the government is looking at ensuring that the Faslane base on Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute could have the same status as the British sovereign military bases in Cyprus.
The move would be designed to ensure that the Trident fleet would continue to have access to the open seas via the Firth of Clyde. Under Britain's "continuous at sea deterrent", at least one Vanguard submarine armed with 16 Trident nuclear missiles is on patrol at sea at any one time.After all, Scotland is only an English colony (like Cyprus was); and London has the right to dictate the terms under which that colony may gain its independence. I don't suppose that it occurred to the Ministry of Defence that such an attitude might drive the Scots into the arms of the SNP.
The future Labour leader did not waste time dating girls while he was at school, and so was not a bit like Nick Clegg, who had slept with “not more than 30” women before he met his wife, we learn.
“I was a late developer,” he admits. “I’m not going to compare myself to Nick Clegg in any way.
“I was quite square and serious. Girls came a bit later – university and after.”
Romance with Justine began when she went all the way to Doncaster North to help him secure the Labour nomination.
“I really feel so lucky. She’s so much the rock of my life.
“It sounds a bit corny, but I wouldn’t be doing this job and I wouldn’t be happy without her…“We call each other sweetie,” he added.Pass the sick bag ...
A portly man jogging in public, dripping with perspiration. The instinctive reaction of any passer-by is to look the other way. This is because (a) it's not a pretty sight and (b) he might just keel over and we'd rather leave the first aid to someone else, thanks very much.
So what was the Chancellor thinking when he allowed this picture to to be taken yesterday, the sweatiest of the year? George Osborne is not especially fat, but he'd look far better if he lost a couple of stone. Not that he will: he's been jogging – "running" isn't quite the mot juste – for years now and it isn't having the slightest effect on his waistline.And here:
There he is, a fellow fortysomething fighter of the flab, battling his way through the park, listening to music drawn from his youth no doubt, huffing and puffing and hating the slim exercise fanatics sprinting past him on their way home for a wheatgrass based breakfast. I even recognise his T-shirt dilemma. Should one go tight? Maybe. But too tight is bad. But too loose – the option chosen by the Chancellor – in its way is worse. It looks suspicious, as though the wearer has something to hide. Flapping around, it gives the game away. Mainly, we should remember that a white T-shirt and shorts is always a bad idea, unless you are a toned Andy Murray. Instead, I have settled on running (slowly) only in very dark blue (shorts and T-shirt). I commend this suggestion to the Chancellor.People of Slasher's age seldom look good when out jogging. It's a sweaty, uncomfortable business, even in winter when a tracksuit will hide a multitude of sins. Does that mean that they should never try? Of course not. Besides, what would he look like if he didn't jog occasionally?
Given the nature of modern sport, there was something remarkable about Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory – beyond his defeat of the world No 1, Novak Djokovic, and overcoming 77 years of crushing expectation. The Scot, now the most feted sportsman in Britain, won the tournament without a full complement of sponsors' logos on his shirt.
Nor, according to his advisers, should you expect to turn on the television any time soon to see him mugging his way through a financial services or broadband advert. Many of the brands who will now beat a path to his door will be given short shrift.
For the past 18 months his potentially lucrative right shirt sleeve has been free of advertising, apart from a patch worn during Wimbledon fortnight promoting awareness of the Royal Marsden hospital – to which he donated his £75,000 winnings from the warm-up tournament at Queen's in light of the treatment his close friend Ross Hutchins received there as he battled cancer.
In short, Murray wants to be remembered for his sporting achievements rather than his advertising campaigns. Despite sharing some similar character traits, the last thing he wants is to be branded like David Beckham. Which is not to say that he is not alive to his value.
...
Murray has at times driven his agents to distraction through his obsessive focus on the task at hand, refusing to sign up to anything that he is not comfortable with or that might compromise his training or disrupt his routine. He has turned down a string of lucrative deals either because they make him feel uncomfortable or because they do not fit in with his schedule.And here:
Good for Mr Murray. Asked about a knighthood today, he replied:
"It's a nice thing to have or be offered. I think just because everyone's waited for such a long time for this, that's probably why it will be suggested but I don't know if it merits that."So Mr Cameron is now arguing for a knighthood for Andy Murray that even Andy Murray doesn't think is justified. Maybe that will persuade Mr Cameron to be wary of clambering aboard celeb-culture bandwagons in future. Maybe.
7. No matter how many times you've been asked it, it is not acceptable to answer the question with the words: "No I do not have a fucking Nectar card."
On court, though, she is still a loping, rather teenager-ish specimen, some way short of the kind of gymnastically bouncy natural mover who can gambol and twist and turn without a thought. Robson has worked hard at this but in the flesh there is still a rather jarring contrast between the basic speed of her upper and lower body movements. The legs still seek the ground a little awkwardly, like somebody feeling for a light switch in the dark, but above this her hands are prodigiously fast. At times it can look a bit like a spliced piece of film, the bottom half revolving on 33rpm, the top on 45.
He proposed changes to social security motivated less by the need to save money than by the urge to show how tough this government could be. From now on, jobseekers will have to sign on every week. Those who can't speak English will have to learn or lose their benefits. Most striking of all, the newly laid off will not be able to claim benefit straight away but have to wait seven days. That may not sound like much, but for those who have just lost a job that paid little, it could be impossible.
No wonder the BBC's Robert Peston called it a Wonga budget: there will be plenty who will survive that first week by taking out a loan at usurious rates.
Such punitive action will have next to no impact on the deficit. It's all about the politics. Osborne has drawn a line and invited Labour to stand on the other side of it.It may be clever but it is also mean-spirited. It comes from a politician without the faintest notion of what it is like to become unemployed and without the faintest inclination to find out.
The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in 2009 because it served “no defence purpose” and was taking staff away from “more valuable defence-related activities”.Besides, Trident serves no defence purpose, but they seem intent on hanging on to that ...
STOCKS and many other financial assets plunged yesterday as investors reacted to the US Federal Reserve’s threat to cut back on its stimulus programme, while worries over China added to market jitters.
The FTSE endured its sharpest daily drop since September 2011 as it lost nearly three per cent, eliminating another chunk of this year’s gains and returning to a level – 6,159.51 – last seen in JanuaryHistory shows that stocks and shares go up and down and vice versa. Today we are in a down phase; tomorrow, who knows?
It wasn't the being called Jeffrey three times by Barack Obama during a meeting of the G8 that would have hurt George Osborne the most, though that would have been mortifying enough. It was the apology. Or rather, the lack of it. Was the president of the US in any way bothered about forgetting the name of the chancellor, a man who is supposed to be, superficially at least, one of the G8's key weapons in fixing the global economy? Far from it. What he said was: "I'm sorry, man. I must have confused you with my favourite R&B singer."
To be fair, it could have been worse. Obama could have called him Ozzy. As, indeed, some of us already do. He could also have called him Gideon, which would have had the virtue of being the name Osborne was given at birth. But Jeffrey was more than bad enough – because of what it implied, more than for what it said. What it implied was that Osborne is a total nonentity on the political stage to Obama; a man whose presence is as forgettable as his name, even when the world's press is gathered for a G8 summit.
George Osborne was on familiarly confident form on Today dealing with the lefty nonsense about tax avoidance. His line about Britain 'putting its house in order' by leaning on its dependencies and publishing a register of beneficial ownership was his way of getting ahead of the coalition of anti-City types that Labour has craftily encouraged as a useful third-party front against the Tories. From UK Uncut to various charities sailing a viking long-boat at the G8 summit with 'stop tax avoidance' on its sail, the pro-business case is under siege from an intelligently engineered populist campaign that hides a straightforward political aim – to cripple the Tories – behind what at first glance looks like an eminently reasonable argument about 'fair tax'.Amazon, Google, Starbucks and the rest of the endless list? Tax havens? It's all made up to attack the Tories. Nothing to see here. Just haud yer wheesht and move along there.
George Osborne is to give his strongest signal yet that he wants to move Lloyds Banking Group back into private ownership by the 2015 general election, albeit not at a price that would leave taxpayers out of pocket.I want a date with Scarlett Johanssen, albeit not if she insists that I wear a tie and take her somewhere expensive.
In recent months, King has become something of a Cardinal Wolsey figure: the elder statesman upon whom the young prince relied but who has fallen out of favour after years of devotion to the state. Wolsey failed to get Henry VIII his divorce from Catherine of Aragon; King has failed to get Osborne his economic recovery.
Carney is the Thomas Cromwell to King's Wolsey, and like Cromwell will be a force to be reckoned with. The Bank has seen its powers greatly enhanced as a result of the financial crisis, and is now responsible for financial stability as well as monetary policy. One of the new governor's first tasks will be to decide, after discussions with his colleagues on the monetary policy committee, whether the Bank wishes to give forward guidance about the likely path of interest rates.I regret to say that I do not readily identify Slasher Osborne with the dashing and cultured young Henry VIII, What I really want to know, however, is who gets to play the role of Ann Boleyn ...
The multibillion privatisation of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will be announced by George Osborne next week, following the forced departure of the bank's chief executive Stephen Hester yesterday evening.
Mr Hester will leave the bank later this year, clearing the way for his successor to oversee a "British Gas style" public sell-off.
The Chancellor is expected to announce further details of the privatisation in a speech next week. Treasury sources suggested he would not announce a timetable for the sale but it is likely to take place before the next general election and will aimed at the general public.
There was a faint moan from the bed. Bond tensed in the darkness and reached inside his jacket. He pulled out a copy of the Intelligence Services Act (1994).
"'Jemms, please come to bed!' It was Ayala Frappe, until the previous day personal secretary to the evil billionaire Jabez Stumblebum, whose plans to take over the world had almost reached fruition. She knew more about Stumblebum's movements than he did himself. A word from her could save the planet.
"'Chust a moment, schweetheart,' said Bond, still played by Sean Connery. 'Before we make schweet mushic, I need to refer to my line managers, who will pass the matter to the foreign secretary, home secretary, or other secretary of state for authorisation, though their decision could be overruled by an independent review, plus the interception commissioner, as well as coming under scrutiny from the Commons intelligence committee. It could take a few weeks.'
"Ayala gazed at him, furiously. But at that moment the phone rang. 'Hey, James, old buddy!' cried a familiar voice. It was the FBI's Felix Leiter. 'Lissen, I got news! Stumblebum's yacht just moored in the marina. He's there for the taking, my friend, like a big fat old raccoon up a pine tree!'
"'Lishen, Felix, am I right in thinking that Shtumblebum is a British chitizen?'
"'I guess so!'
"'Well, then it would be entirely wrong for me to receive intelligence from you, a US national, that was not obtained within the strict parameters of UK statutes …'
"'Aw, Jesus wept, James!'"
A Conservative party representative said: "The position is very clear. Lynton Crosby gives political advice to the prime minister and the Conservative party. He does not lobby the government, or advise on government policy.Yeah, yeah, as clear as mud.
"Young people today haven't got a chance of buying a house at a reasonable price, even with rock bottom interest rates. The Nationwide Building Society data shows that the average first-time buyer in London is paying over 50% of their take home pay in mortgage repayments – and that is when interest rates are close to zero."
"Why are houses too expensive in the UK? Too much debt. So what is George Osborne's solution for first-time buyers unable to afford housing? Why, arrange for a government-guaranteed scheme to burden our young people with even more debt! Why don't we call this policy by the name it really is, namely the indentured servitude of our young people.
"I believe it truly is a moronic policy that stands head and shoulders above most of the stupid economic policies I have seen implemented during my 30 years in this business."
The Conservative party was left reeling by sleaze allegations after an MP resigned from the parliamentary party for allegedly failing to declare thousands of pounds paid by a fake lobbying firm in a damaging journalistic sting.
Patrick Mercer, MP for Newark, stepped down from the party's whip after accepting £4,000 from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists. He failed to declare £2,000 of the money within parliamentary rules, it is understood.What amazes is how little moolah it takes. The Independent has more:
“I do not charge a great deal of money for these things,” he was reported as saying during a meeting. “I would normally come out at £500 per half day. So £1,000 a day.”It's not exactly a significant mess of pottage. But for such meagre returns, he was prepared to jeopardise his political career. Inexplicable.
Do other readers suffer from TV guilt? I have seen only three episodes of The Wire. Admit this to friends, and they look as if you had given up driving lessons after a fortnight. Pathetic and useless.
We have seven episodes of Borgen II recorded but not viewed. People say things like: "You're not watching Game of Thrones? Ohmigod! Well at least there'll be the box set."
We didn't see Treme. Nor a single episode of Spiral. Or Dexter. We stopped watching Mad Men about two years ago. I wouldn't know how to access Netflix. We are up with The Fall (brilliant – makes Belfast appear to be full of delightful people and a lot of homicidal maniacs, so no change there) and we did manage all of Broadchurch. But we lost The Politician's Husband, and still have a Foyle's War to watch.
Life was so much simpler in pre-video days when everyone refused invitations because the Forsyte Saga was on. Now we all just have a long list of unwatched shows, all of which, it seems, our friends are raving about. I feel as outdated as if I wore a Fair Isle sweater, ate Pot Noodle and had a two-bar electric fire in the sitting room.
AN INDEPENDENT Scotland would find it difficult to guarantee savers deposits in banks, the Treasury has claimed in a new report out today, leaving bank and building society customers vulnerable.
Currently depositors are guaranteed up to £85,000, with the government bailing out savers in a failed bank and the rest of the industry paying that debt back over the following years – as in the case of failed Icelandic banks and Bradford and Bingley.
But the government today argues that such a guarantee would be difficult to put in place in Scotland.
As the sector is dominated by RBS and the Bank of Scotland, any failure would place a huge burden on the remaining bank, which the Treasury argues would be unable to cope.
George Osborne has warned that changing course on the economy would take Britain “back to square one” as he insisted that his strategy is working.Did we ever leave square one? The government's debt is continuing to increase, unemployment is continuing to increase and gdp remains well below the level which he inherited.
David Cameron has ruled out any further concessions to his hardline Eurosceptic MPs as they prepared to defy him by staging a Commons revolt today.
The Prime Minister tried to end the damaging impression that he is being pushed around by rebel Conservative backbenchers yesterday, as his party rushed out a Draft European Union (Referendum) Bill.
I literally have no idea what David Cameron thinks he’s doing. And I’m pretty sure David Cameron has no idea either.
"Despite everyone's best efforts, the club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season's Uefa Champions League. This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013-14 season and beyond."
The reference to a "holistic approach" suggests a sea change in philosophy from top to bottom of the club, driven by the chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and Txiki Begiristain, the director of football. This may include playing 4-3-3 throughout the academy and in the first team. Following the removal of Mancini, who could be a divisive figure, there may also be a hope that the club will be more cohesive.
The Co-operative Bank is trying to reassure its customers that it would not need a multimillion-pound taxpayer bailout after its debt was downgraded to junk status and its chief executive suddenly quit.
The move by the ratings agency Moody's to take the axe to the Manchester-based bank's credit rating followed weeks of speculation about its financial position after it posted £600m losses in March and then pulled out of a deal to buy 632 branches from Lloyds Banking Group.
Moody's warned that the bank might need "external support" – perhaps from its parent group which owns grocers, pharmacies and funeral homes – if it could not bolster its financial position. The agency cited concerns about the Co-operative incurring more losses from loans to property companies and the slow integration of the Britannia Building Society, which the Co-operative took over three years ago.
The City was stunned by the scale of the downgrade – six notches – which will raise the price at which the bank borrows on the financial markets and illustrates the speed at which the agency believes the bank's finances have deteriorated.
The smaller British politics gets, the more it feels that you might as well judge a politician by that key question: could you honestly bear to have a pint with them? I could bear to have a pint with Nigel Farage. Not anyone else in his party, you understand. But a pint and a fag with Farage, and probably a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, which I'd tear down the seam and spread out on the table while Nigel told some story against himself.
I think after five or six pints Nigel might start airing a few views I couldn't warm to, so I wouldn't stick around. But I could stand one pint with him, quite possibly even a pint and a half. With Messrs Nicholas Clegg, Edward Miliband and David Cameron, however, I would cross continents to avoid taking even a fluid ounce. The other leaders – and I do think we must refer to them in the same breath as Farage, just because it annoys them so hilariously much – look about as convivial as haemorrhoids. They have spent the week of the local elections looking like pompous arses, while the affable semi-berk Farage has led Ukip to the biggest surge by a fourth party in England since the second world war.
