But on other measures, such as whether the cuts are too deep, whether they are being imposed unfairly and whether they are bad for the economy, the polling numbers are against the government. On the overall question as to whether the coalition is handling the economy well or badly, some 57% say badly and only 34% say well.Incidentally, I see that Osborne was wearing a workman's fluorescent top when he gave his interview. That's the second time he's appeared in Bob the Builder garb recently to speak about the economy. Presumably he thinks it conveys the impression that Britain is awash with construction.12.40pm: If the public do support the government over the economy (see 12.22pm), that might be because Labour is now perceived as a party that is anti-business.
On BBC Scotland, he said Labour had three "excellent candidates" standing for the post. But, when he was asked to name them, he could only remember two: the MP Tom Harris and deputy Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont MSP. He forgot the MSP Ken Macintosh.You can watch the clip here - it's quite excruciating.On the Telegraph blog, James Kirkup (a former Scotsman journalist) says this should not just be dismissed as a minor gaffe.There is a sad habit among some Westminster politicians to sneer at Holyrood and its inhabitants, and a tendency in England to ignore events taking place to the north. That complacency is a real threat to the Union. I understand this message is finally starting to be heard in the Cabinet; David Cameron does not want to be the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
" He also said that David Cameron needed to show more leadership at an international level to coordinate a global response to the crisis. ? Miliband refused to say whether he would support a public sector strike over pensions in November. He wanted the strikes to be avoided, he said. The government should negotiate. Although he said that Lord Hutton's report on public sector pensions was a good one, he accused the government of imposing the equivalent of a 3% tax rise [because pension contributions are rising] on public sector workers without negotiation. When pressed as to whether he would support the strike if it did go ahead, he said: "I'm not interested in the ifs. I'm interested in avoiding the strikes.
What we do know for absolute certain is that the Iranians are on a track that has alerted the international community to a situation of great danger.It is not just the United Kingdom that is making calculations - so are others. In order to prevent miscalculations being made, the time is right now for the Iranians to take the opportunity that it is being presented to be thoroughly open about its programme and to convince the world that it only has peaceful intentions for its nuclear activities. If it does not, it is taking a grave risk.Burt said Britain,
www.cnnhkids.com, like the United States, was still advising Israel that military action to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities was not "appropriate" but "no options are off the table".
? Anyone who wants to sponsor a dependent relative requiring care to come to the UK will have to show that they can look after their relative without recourse to public funds.? People will only be allowed to sponsor close relatives - parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters - to come to the UK this way. Aunts and uncles will no longer be able to use the family route. And applications will have to be made from abroad, not while relatives are in the UK as a visitor.? Applicants wanting to settle in the UK will, from October 2013, have to pass the "life in the UK" test. And they will also have to pass an English language test at an intermediate level.? The minimum probationary period for new spouses and partners will go up from two years to five years.
It's easier with only two countries, but the Republic of Ireland was never happy linking the punt to the pound,
cnnhkids.com, broke free when it could,
marc by marc jacobs bag, then quickly embraced the euro. 'Nuff said.As a gut unionist who supported devolution in the 70s and 90s, I'd prefer to sustain the 305-year-old union between England and Scotland, but accept that if the Scots want to go their own way – and vote to do so in a fair referendum – then so be it.Their politics and ours will be re-configured, their nationalists will probably split (as the post-apartheid ANC may soon do in distant South Africa) and ours could well get a boost. But life will go on and no frontier posts will be erected at Berwick and Carlisle.So I flinched when listening to Whitehall officials – mostly solid Scots – briefing reporters at Westminster yesterday on the legal case for saying that Salmond and his SNP-majority Scottish parliament at Holyrood have no constitutional powers to stage a referendum.
5k and the tax reclaimed by Eton will be ￡25k. So the value to Eton totals ￡125k for a net outlay by A. Rich Bloke of ￡62.5k. And who, you might ask, provides the rest?In essence what has happened is that A Rich Bloke has substituted his judgment on what to do with part of his taxable income — and part of yours — for that of the Government. He may well argue (and that is exactly the implication of the charities' case) that charitable spending is better targeted and better used by non-government agencies. But he still expects the police to arrive if he's robbed.? Tim Shipman in the Daily Mail says Tony Blair could be sued by the former Libyan dissident who has started legal proceedings against Jack Straw.
We celebrate too her stewardship of high office, she says. The Queen has personified continuity. She is an integral part of our national life.D'Souza says we're also celebrating Prince Philip's service.Parliament has the honour of being the first institution to honour her jubilee, D'Souza says.(You've probably got the drift of it by now. I'm not sure I need to go on.)11.05am: D'Souza turns to the Commonwealth. It is s "tremendous force for good in the world", she says. And it is still growing. She says she knows how important it is to the Queen's.Members of parliament are representing the Queen in all the lands where the Queen is head of state, she says.(That's quite a lot of freebies.)11.
Chat Sentinela
