The Liberal Democrats have become increasingly hostile to the idea, amid growing fears that it would widen the north-south divide and provoke a backlash from voters in the north of England. Mr Osborne has asked the public sector pay review bodies to consider the scope for local agreements on the grounds that the present national bargaining system drives up local wage levels in the private sector.Although the Treasury denies the change would mean pay cuts, wage levels in some areas outside London and the South East could be frozen in future years. ? Jill Sherman at the Times (paywall) says some ministers want the power to hire and fire their permanent secretaries.Ministers are demanding new powers to hire and fire their permanent secretaries using a US-style system, The Times has learnt.
Always we have said that we would negotiate, but what we have been faced with so far is a situation where members have been expected to pay more, work longer and get far less and that has been really, really difficult.10.46am: There are a couple of good stories about the financial transaction tax in the papers today. This is the one that is either known as the Tobin tax (after the economist who developed the idea) or the Robin Hood tax (because it will supposedly allow governments to transfer money from the rich to the poor.)Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, has written an article in the Financial Times (subscription) saying he is in favour of the idea.The Vatican statement strongly backs the proposal of a Financial Transaction Tax – a "Tobin Tax" or, popularly, a "Robin Hood Tax" in the form in which it has been talked about most recently.
Sir Jeremy wisely chose to keep both offices. "He'll float like the Mekon between them,
marc by marc jacobs tote," said one insider. Colleagues are taking bets as to how much time he'll spend in each place.? Alex Salmond in the Independent says that an independent Scotland with access to all the nation's resources (ie, oil) would be the sixth most prosperous nation in the OECD.Recent analysis published by Financial Times Research shows that Scotland is the "most prosperous" part of the UK outside London and the South East of England, in terms of the 12 nations and regions of the UK. Scotland's economic output (Gross Value Added per head of population in 2010) is 99 per cent of the UK average. The highest is London at 171 per cent, and the lowest is Wales at 74 per cent.
Nick Clegg had a try on air this week, and wasn't very good.But making mistakes and keeping quiet about them is one thing, accusing others of a thumping great conspiracy is another.As Ian Traynor wrote this week, the Euro-federalists think their hour has come at last. As the euro staggers, they have a case in logic for greater fiscal and budgetary integration in which Britain will not take part if – if – it happens. But this is the result of a continent-sized cock-up, not a plot.As Denis MacShane MP, one of those lefties who swung from hard No in 1975 to fervent Yes today, reminded Oborne on the radio, the editor of Today at the time when all these pro-Europeans were allegedly forcing propaganda down out throats was Rod Liddle, now famous as an exhibitionist columnist wherever they will print his often shabby stuff.
Resettlement payments" were abolished in the wake of the expenses scandal, uncovered by The Daily Telegraph,
kate spade bags, amid widespread anger at rewards for MPs who had been caught with "their fingers in the till".But the funds have been reintroduced on an "interim" basis. Deposed MPs will be able to claim the allowances in the event of a snap election before 2015. A permanent policy on resettlement payments will be agreed next year. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters 11.37am: Some extracts from the speech that Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, is giving to Policy Exchange tonight are available. The Daily Mail has a story saying that Maude will say that the Conservative party will continue to be seen as a nasty party unless it drops its "backward-looking social attitudes" and embraces policies like gay marriage.
Bryant says a bigger scandal is the fact that Labour allowed this to happen.It was not the party's finest moment, he says.I think in the future we should choose our bedfellows with a little bit more care. And I hate to get party political, but there is the scandal about the Prime Minister as well. A man who was far too gullible, far too keen to please Rupert Murdoch, far too arrogant about hoping that he would never be found our that he never asked Andy Coulson the proper questions and took that man into Downing Street.That's because Tory policy on media at the general election was the Murdoch policy. Dave's line was Rebekah's line. George's line was Andy's line. Absolutely wrong. So I believe we have to change media ownership in this country.
50am: Stephen Hester, the RBS chief executive, has given his first interview since the row about his ￡1m bonus erupted this morning. He told the Today programme that he deserved his bonus, but that he did not take it because of the public anger, which he had "underestimated". He understood the public's concern, he said, but that this was an issue that went well beyond RBS.I have great sympathy and,
marc jacobs wallets, I hope, understanding with people in focusing on income differentials and the issues of high earning, although that's far from restricted to me. But I think it is important to come back to and we've lost sight in this debate, of what we're trying to accomplish at RBS and why that's important and why that's valuable.
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