http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12760865
Ed Miliband gave undoubtedly his best and most confident performance as Labour Leader to date in today's Prime Minister's Questions.
He accused the Prime Minister of wrecking all the positive things the last Labour government had done to improve the NHS. I thought the list he gave was an extremely effective way of illustrating the point.
David Cameron was clearly thrown out of his comfort-zone, put on the defensive over the Coalition's proposals to reform the NHS.
The Prime Minister trotted out the same old tired soundbites to attack Labour accusing them of only siding with the Trades Unions. I really had to laugh at this-it is the BMA who has led the opposition to the changes.
Is David Cameron really putting the BMA in the same bracket the most militant organisations like the RMT and the NUM? It certainly sounded like it. As Mr Miliband said, this government is showing itself to be totally arrogant and unwilling to listen.
The Labour Leader really hammered home the point that no one wants these changes to take place.
It was a brilliant performance, really tapping into the country's current mood.
Unfortunately, this government is will obvioulsy not take any notice until it is too late.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
PM's Offer To Help Voters With Rising Prices All Very Two-Faced
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12683275
The Prime Minister has promised to help families struggling to cope with the huge rise in the cost of living.
It is rumoured that the 1p rise in fuel duty due to come into effect next month will be scrapped in the forthcoming Budget.
However with such severe cuts in public spending to come over the next few years, Mr Cameron stands accused of giving with one hand and taking with another.
Voters who face the axing of many vital local services are bound to see this one gesture as a cheap shot in the long term.
The Prime Minister has promised to help families struggling to cope with the huge rise in the cost of living.
It is rumoured that the 1p rise in fuel duty due to come into effect next month will be scrapped in the forthcoming Budget.
However with such severe cuts in public spending to come over the next few years, Mr Cameron stands accused of giving with one hand and taking with another.
Voters who face the axing of many vital local services are bound to see this one gesture as a cheap shot in the long term.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Lib Dem Poll-Battering First Of Many To Come
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12643639
Labour were always going to hold Barnsley Central, despite the huge controversy surrounding the departure of previous MP Eric Ilsey, now serving a prison sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses.
This by-election was another opportunity early on in the new parliament for voters to give their verdict on the performance of the Conservatives and their Liberal Democrat coalition partners so far and the path they propose to travel between now and the next general election.
There is no doubt that the Lib Dems' broken promises on tuition fees and their cosying up to the Tories on the need to implement extremely rapid and enormous cuts in public spending were upper-most in voters' minds when they went to the polls in yesterday's by-election.
But I doubt anyone expected Nick Clegg's party to drop from second - their position at last year's general election - to an utterly humiliating sixth place, finishing well behind the Conservatives, who were third, as well as the BNP, UKIP and one of the Independent candidates.
It is a truly-astounding result. Clearly, this is the first of many beatings Nick Clegg and his party are going to endure between now and the next election.
They are waking up to how tough government is.
And we are witnessing this before all the cuts in public spending start to bite.
Labour were always going to hold Barnsley Central, despite the huge controversy surrounding the departure of previous MP Eric Ilsey, now serving a prison sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses.
This by-election was another opportunity early on in the new parliament for voters to give their verdict on the performance of the Conservatives and their Liberal Democrat coalition partners so far and the path they propose to travel between now and the next general election.
There is no doubt that the Lib Dems' broken promises on tuition fees and their cosying up to the Tories on the need to implement extremely rapid and enormous cuts in public spending were upper-most in voters' minds when they went to the polls in yesterday's by-election.
But I doubt anyone expected Nick Clegg's party to drop from second - their position at last year's general election - to an utterly humiliating sixth place, finishing well behind the Conservatives, who were third, as well as the BNP, UKIP and one of the Independent candidates.
It is a truly-astounding result. Clearly, this is the first of many beatings Nick Clegg and his party are going to endure between now and the next election.
They are waking up to how tough government is.
And we are witnessing this before all the cuts in public spending start to bite.
Friday, 25 February 2011
Is This Really An Economy Pulled Back From The Brink?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12577154
The UK's GDP figures for the final quarter of 2010 which showed the economy shrank by 0.5% during that period, have been revised down even further to 0.6%.
Of course this is a very small change, but it still shows that, far from the economy being 'pulled back from the brink' as the Prime Minister and Chancellor have insisted, the UK's finances are still on very shaky ground.
And it adds support to the argument that massive cuts in public spending and at the speed the Coalition have proposed, could damage the economy even further and make a double-dip recession more likely.
The argument that cuts are necessary because as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury put it, Labour 'maxed out the nation's credit card' are wearing increasingly thin in the eyes of the public.
Watching this week's Question Time, the Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan, was met with loud boos from the audience when she once again trotted out this same line that has been used by the Coalition again and again from the moment they took office last May.
The public are beginning to think the government is sounding like a broken record.
The UK's GDP figures for the final quarter of 2010 which showed the economy shrank by 0.5% during that period, have been revised down even further to 0.6%.
Of course this is a very small change, but it still shows that, far from the economy being 'pulled back from the brink' as the Prime Minister and Chancellor have insisted, the UK's finances are still on very shaky ground.
And it adds support to the argument that massive cuts in public spending and at the speed the Coalition have proposed, could damage the economy even further and make a double-dip recession more likely.
The argument that cuts are necessary because as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury put it, Labour 'maxed out the nation's credit card' are wearing increasingly thin in the eyes of the public.
Watching this week's Question Time, the Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan, was met with loud boos from the audience when she once again trotted out this same line that has been used by the Coalition again and again from the moment they took office last May.
The public are beginning to think the government is sounding like a broken record.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Who's Right On AV? Cameron And Clegg Set Out Their Stalls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12498624
The issue of electoral reform and more, specifically, the impending referendum on replacing our current voting system with the Alternative Vote, has thrown up a whole host of dilemas for the Coalition.
It was an issue that was key to the Liberal Democrats agreeing to share power with the Conservatives.
But it is no secret that most Tories absolutely hate the idea. The current First Past the Post system has, in the main ensured strong majority government for many years, with very few exceptions in modern times.
And we must not forget is that what Liberal Democrats really want is full Proportional Representation. AV offers voters the chance to rank candidates for MPs in each constituency in order of preference until one gets 50% of the vote. It is a preferential system and not a proportional one; therefore it could be argued, it is a compromise solution that neither side really want.
AV eliminates the scenario of having an MP elected to the House of Commons on as little as 25% of support from the constituents, which its supporters say can only be a good thing.
But there is always the chance that smaller, more extremist parties could end up holding the balance of power, or perhaps one or two independent MPs, as is now the case in Australia.
The ridiculous spectacle of the Prime Minister, David Cameron campaigning against a 'No' vote in May's referendum, with his deputy, Nick Clegg, spelling out the merits of changing our system to AV, really highlights the compromises both sides have had to make in order to ensure the stable government of the country.
Is it really a good thing for partners in government to have to agree to differ on such important issues just so that they can remain in power?
It remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister is right to insist that the result of the referendum will not be a 'coalition breaker'.
The issue of electoral reform and more, specifically, the impending referendum on replacing our current voting system with the Alternative Vote, has thrown up a whole host of dilemas for the Coalition.
It was an issue that was key to the Liberal Democrats agreeing to share power with the Conservatives.
But it is no secret that most Tories absolutely hate the idea. The current First Past the Post system has, in the main ensured strong majority government for many years, with very few exceptions in modern times.
And we must not forget is that what Liberal Democrats really want is full Proportional Representation. AV offers voters the chance to rank candidates for MPs in each constituency in order of preference until one gets 50% of the vote. It is a preferential system and not a proportional one; therefore it could be argued, it is a compromise solution that neither side really want.
AV eliminates the scenario of having an MP elected to the House of Commons on as little as 25% of support from the constituents, which its supporters say can only be a good thing.
But there is always the chance that smaller, more extremist parties could end up holding the balance of power, or perhaps one or two independent MPs, as is now the case in Australia.
The ridiculous spectacle of the Prime Minister, David Cameron campaigning against a 'No' vote in May's referendum, with his deputy, Nick Clegg, spelling out the merits of changing our system to AV, really highlights the compromises both sides have had to make in order to ensure the stable government of the country.
Is it really a good thing for partners in government to have to agree to differ on such important issues just so that they can remain in power?
It remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister is right to insist that the result of the referendum will not be a 'coalition breaker'.
Monday, 31 January 2011
New Coalition NHS Reforms Could See Many NHS Hospitals Close
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12321166
The Tory-led Coalition's controversial plans for the NHS were unveiled in the House of Commons today.
The proposals mean that GPs will take over control of most of the NHS budget, supposedly allowing more decisions to be made at local level rather than from Whitehall.
A good idea on the surface, perhaps.
However, this is a clear example of how the Conservatives' obsession with the market is going to be put into practice in the implementation of Government policy.
Private companies will be allowed to compete with NHS hospitals in the provision of services. So obviously any GP being offered a lower price by a non-NHS source will be very tempted to take them on.
This will unundoubtedly lead to patient care becoming secondary to cost and one can only envisage a two-tier NHS emerging as a result.
More worrying is that many NHS hospitals could now go to the wall as a direct consequence of the new reforms. Under the proposed system, where people follow the market, the fear is that those hospitals that do not attract enough patients will be forced to close their doors.
The whole foundation on which these changes are based is that they will increase in choice of care available to patients. But if hospitals do not treat enough people, they will not survive, with their subsequence closure leading inevitably to patient choice being diminished.
The NHS will never be perfect, but the Coalition have engaged in change for change's sake and patients will suffer as a consequence.
The Tory-led Coalition's controversial plans for the NHS were unveiled in the House of Commons today.
The proposals mean that GPs will take over control of most of the NHS budget, supposedly allowing more decisions to be made at local level rather than from Whitehall.
A good idea on the surface, perhaps.
However, this is a clear example of how the Conservatives' obsession with the market is going to be put into practice in the implementation of Government policy.
Private companies will be allowed to compete with NHS hospitals in the provision of services. So obviously any GP being offered a lower price by a non-NHS source will be very tempted to take them on.
This will unundoubtedly lead to patient care becoming secondary to cost and one can only envisage a two-tier NHS emerging as a result.
More worrying is that many NHS hospitals could now go to the wall as a direct consequence of the new reforms. Under the proposed system, where people follow the market, the fear is that those hospitals that do not attract enough patients will be forced to close their doors.
The whole foundation on which these changes are based is that they will increase in choice of care available to patients. But if hospitals do not treat enough people, they will not survive, with their subsequence closure leading inevitably to patient choice being diminished.
The NHS will never be perfect, but the Coalition have engaged in change for change's sake and patients will suffer as a consequence.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Labour Leader Maintains Tough Stance Against Unions Over Royal Wedding Strike Threat
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12201252
Despite continual sniping from the Conservatives that he was elected mainly due the support of the Trades Unions, Ed Miliband, from day one of his leadership, has maintained a firm, uncompromising stance over the issue of industrial action.
In his first speech as Party leader last September, he stated that he had 'no truck' with the bosses of the major unions wanting to call their members out on strike at the drop of a hat. This was a clear warning to figures like RMT leader Bob Crowe, known for his hardline, militant attitude towards Tube management.
And today, Mr Miliband, has spoken out, quite rightly, against there being any kind of strike action on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton.
There had been talk of members of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, walking out that day, but union bosses have now said that is unlikely.
Even so, just the threat of strike action disrupting the day's celebrations will have certainly alienated many people and had it gone ahead, would have no doubt made most of the public very unsympathetic to the unions' cause.
I hope Ed Miliband continues to speak out against any proposed or actual industrial action in this way.
He is doing extremely well in keeping Labour on the centre-ground of British politics, where it belongs.
Despite continual sniping from the Conservatives that he was elected mainly due the support of the Trades Unions, Ed Miliband, from day one of his leadership, has maintained a firm, uncompromising stance over the issue of industrial action.
In his first speech as Party leader last September, he stated that he had 'no truck' with the bosses of the major unions wanting to call their members out on strike at the drop of a hat. This was a clear warning to figures like RMT leader Bob Crowe, known for his hardline, militant attitude towards Tube management.
And today, Mr Miliband, has spoken out, quite rightly, against there being any kind of strike action on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton.
There had been talk of members of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, walking out that day, but union bosses have now said that is unlikely.
Even so, just the threat of strike action disrupting the day's celebrations will have certainly alienated many people and had it gone ahead, would have no doubt made most of the public very unsympathetic to the unions' cause.
I hope Ed Miliband continues to speak out against any proposed or actual industrial action in this way.
He is doing extremely well in keeping Labour on the centre-ground of British politics, where it belongs.
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