Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay Cole-Hamilton: We cannot fix A&E waits without fixing social care Carmichael calls for government response following shipping collision 1,065 drugs deaths last year Vacancies in majority of care homes and care at home services Rennie responds to Dundee University news Jardine calls for doubling of maternity pay Liberal Democrat women and equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has called for the UK Government to do everything possible to tackle economic barriers for women, including by doubling statutory maternity pay and expanding parental leave. As well as backing parental leave as a day-one right at ...
Thames Water Appeal: Company must be put into Special Administration Hull leader Mike Ross calls for emergency COBRA meeting in light of North Sea collision DEFRA halting incentives another "outrageous" attack on farming communities Thames Water Appeal: Company must be put into Special Administration Today, Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard will be appealing the High Court's judgment on plans that would see an additional £3bn debt added to Thames Water's existing debt of more than £16bn. Commenting ahead of the appeal, Charlie Maynard said: Today I am fighting for the 16 million customers who have been left to foot the ...
Congratulations to Devon Live for winning our Headline of the Day Award with its effort on a story from Cornwall: A Cornwall farmer has been left scratching his head after seven bras mysteriously appeared on gates on country lanes near his land. Michael Irwin, 65, spotted the first - a vivid red bra - two weeks ago. It was tied to a gate on a rural road that he travels on frequently. Michael, who owns a farm between Lerryn and Lostwithiel, then spotted other bras appear in nearby locations in the days and weeks that followed.
If Chess Masters: The Endgame was designed to encourage people to play the game, then it worked with me. I watched two minutes of it before going online and playing chess myself. I will give it a longer look, but it's clearly nothing like The Master Game, which players of my generation remember with gratitude'. So here instead is the British grandmaster Daniel King analysing a win by the great Boris Spassky, who died last month. Spassky is White here, and his opponent is the American grandmaster Larry Evans. Their game comes from the USSR v USA match at the ...
On Sunday Erica and I went to a most amazing and thought-provoking exhibition at St. Georges hall in Liverpool. The exhibition was set up as part of national COVID reflection day to allow us to think back to that time five years ago when COVID was declared official, and the lockdowns began. These lasted, in many ways, for 18 months with on and off sessions and different lockdowns in different areas Erica and I were able to talk to many of the people who came on Sunday to the exhibition. Most of them had lost loved ones or close friends ...
Tue 11th
11:01
Mike Martin: David Cameron suspended collective responsibility for the EU referendum - and the Torie...
Introduced as "one of the most interesting new politicians in Britain", Mike Martin is the guest on the latest edition of Nick Cohen's podcast The Lowdown. They talk of the international situation, the need to increase the size of the British Army and the strange death of the Conservative Party. As Mike observes, David Cameron suspended cabinet collective responsibility for the 2016 EU referendum, and the Tories never regained a sense of responsibility after it. They spent a decade fighting a civil war rather than governing the country. Hence many of the problems we now face, including the underfunded condition ...
PIP (Personal Independence Payment) isn't just another welfare benefit. It's absolutely essential for disabled people who want to work and remain part of society. For so many, it's the key to overcoming barriers and being able to lead the lives they choose, despite the many challenges they face. PIP helps cover the extra costs associated with disabilities, from getting to work to needing a carer to assist them throughout the day. It's not just a handout, but a vital tool that allows disabled individuals to live with dignity and independence. The importance of PIP cannot be overstated. It enables people ...
In the 1970s, Britain was called the sick man of Europe. Years later, that sick man has returned; with its withered cane. This time, however, it comes to us in sickness benefits (a cruel irony); having ballooned 25% since 2019. Some chalk it up to COVID's long shadow. However, our European counterparts, who also endured the pandemic and post-recovery, have not seen the same rise in welfare. This suggests why some circles are calling it a "British disease". Rachel Reeves', boxed in by her fiscal rules, is staring down a £9bn hole. A hole that might come from welfare cuts. ...
Our joint weekly ward surgeries take place tonight. This week they are as follows : Blackness Library (Tuesdays 5pm - every week during school term time) Harris Academy reception area (2nd Tuesday of each month at 5.45pm during school term time) All welcome - no appointment necessary!
The Mirror reports that Labour has been warned not to use the civil service as a "political punchbag" amid fears it plans to mimic an Elon Musk drive to sack government workers. The paper says that Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden did not deny reports that the Government plans to make it easier to oust civil servants, but he insisted the Government's focus was not on people losing their jobs but was on being "radical" in reforming the civil service. They add that McFadden says he wants to see more civil servants working in the UK's regions, instead of in ...
