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politics | MPs issued with Blackberry threat..MPs will be thrown out of the Commons if they use Blackberries in the chamber Speaker Michael Martin has ruled...The £200 handheld computers can be used as a phone, pager or to send e-mails. The devices gained new prominence this week after Alastair Campbell used his to accidentally s... | MPs will be thrown out of the Commons if they use Blackberries in the chamber Speaker Michael Martin has ruled.The use of electronic devices in the Commons chamber has long been frowned on.The Speaker chairs debates in the Commons and is charged with ensuring order in the chamber and enforcing rules and conventions of ... |
politics | Clarke faces ID cards rebellion..Charles Clarke faces his first real test as home secretary on Monday with a possible backbench rebellion over the controversial ID cards bill...Up to 30 Labour MPs could oppose the scheme during a Commons debate. Mr Clarke, who took on the post on Thursday after David Blunkett quit, has... | The first cards would be issued in 2008 and, when he was introducing the bill, Mr Blunkett suggested Parliament could decide in 2011 or 2012 whether to make it compulsory for everybody to own the cards, although not to carry them.Mr Clarke, writing in The Times, accused some critics of "liberal woolly thinking and spre... |
politics | Labour's four little words..Labour has unveiled the four little words that will form the heart of its general election campaign which, for those just returned from the planet Galifray, is "looming"...The slogan "Britain forward not back" (no, it's not an instruction from one of those inter-planetary Time Lords) is to b... | And Tony Blair would be in the very front line of that campaign, he said.Mr Milburn, in the latest in his series of pre-election-campaign campaigning, explained the slogan was the reaction to polling which suggests the public believe Labour and Tony Blair are the future while Michael Howard and the Tories would take th... |
politics | Election 'could be terror target'..Terrorists might try to target the UK in the run-up to the election, London's most senior police officer has said...Sir Ian Blair said terror groups would remember the effect of the Madrid bomb on Spain's general election last year. Other potential targets were the royal wedding and t... | Sir Ian said the debate over anti-terror plans was one for politicians, not the police, who would enforce any new powers.Sir Ian Blair said terror groups would remember the effect of the Madrid bomb on Spain's general election last year.Sir Ian told a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority it would be "unwise" to... |
politics | Brown comes out shooting..Labour may have abolished hunting - but that didn't stop Chancellor Gordon Brown using his Budget to fire both barrels at some of the opposition parties' core election foxes...Specifically, it saw him attempting to slaughter the council tax as an election issue and to tear limb from limb their... | Labour may have abolished hunting - but that didn't stop Chancellor Gordon Brown using his Budget to fire both barrels at some of the opposition parties' core election foxes.And in Labour circles there will undoubtedly be an argument over just how good a prime minister Gordon Brown will make at some point after the nex... |
politics | Voters 'reject EU by two to one'..British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country...The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour. However the YouGov poll, whi... | British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour.But he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by p... |
politics | Straw to attend Auschwitz service..Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will visit Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former Nazi concentration camp's liberation, it has been announced...Prince Edward will also join the UK delegation in Poland for National Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. Between 1.1 and 1.5 millio... | Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram said: "I am glad the foreign secretary has finally been shamed into representing Britain at this important act of commemoration.Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will visit Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former Nazi concentration camp's liberation, it has been announced.The... |
politics | Student 'fee factor' played down..A rise has been recorded in the number of students from south of the border applying to universities in Scotland...However, Lifelong Learning Minister Jim Wallace said that this would not result in Scottish students missing out. Applications from England and Wales rose by 17% between J... | In June last year, Mr Wallace announced proposals to increase tuition fees for English students studying in Scotland by £2,000 in an attempt to prevent a cross-border flood, although no figure has yet been agreed.Universities Scotland, which represents university principals, claimed that an increase in applications did... |
politics | 'Fido' to be taken off vote lists..The risk of pets and children being given votes could be cut by changing how people register to vote, the UK elections watchdog has said...Those are some of the mistakes found under the current system, where one person in each household applies for voting forms for the other occupants... | The risk of pets and children being given votes could be cut by changing how people register to vote, the UK elections watchdog has said.Mr Younger said using the Royal Mail's postal redirection service had already helped election officers retrace about 50,000 voters.The Electoral Commission says enabling people to reg... |
politics | Campbell: E-mail row 'silly fuss'..Ex-No 10 media chief Alastair Campbell is at the centre of a new political row over an e-mail containing a four-letter outburst aimed at BBC journalists...Mr Campbell sent the missive by mistake to BBC2's Newsnight after it sought to question his role in Labour's controversial poster ... | Mr Campbell messaged Newsnight after the programme investigated claims that Labour's advertising agency TBWA was blaming him for controversy over its campaign posters.Liam Fox, Tory co-chairman, said the return of Mr Campbell was a sign of new "sinister and underhand tactics" by Labour.The e-mail was revealed the day a... |
politics | Former NI minister Scott dies..Former Northern Ireland minister Sir Nicholas Scott has died at a London hospice, his family has announced...The former Conservative MP for Kensington and Chelsea, died after a long illness diagnosed as Alzheimer's. The 71-year-old served in Northern Ireland from 1981 to 1987 during the p... | Former Northern Ireland minister Sir Nicholas Scott has died at a London hospice, his family has announced.As a Northern Ireland minister he dealt with education and later security where he rode out the mass IRA escape from the Maze in 1983.After leaving Northern Ireland in a reshuffle, he became a UK disability minist... |
politics | Clarke to press on with ID cards..New Home Secretary Charles Clarke has vowed to plough on with plans for ID cards despite a call for him to "pause for thought" from Charles Kennedy...The Lib Dem leader said David Blunkett's resignation was a "good opportunity" to question whether the legislation was necessary. But Mr ... | Earlier Mr Kennedy, whose party opposes the ID cards plan as "deeply flawed" said with Christmas coming up the new home secretary had time to think again.New Home Secretary Charles Clarke has vowed to plough on with plans for ID cards despite a call for him to "pause for thought" from Charles Kennedy.The Home Office sa... |
politics | Howard attacks 'pay later' Budget..Tory leader Michael Howard has dismissed Gordon Brown's Budget as "vote now, pay later" spending plans...The simple fact was that under a new Labour government taxes would go up after the election to plug a financial black hole, Mr Howard said. Everyone could see the chancellor's "swe... | The simple fact was that under a new Labour government taxes would go up after the election to plug a financial black hole, Mr Howard said.Mr Brown's Budget was not about what was good for the country, but "all about the interests of the Labour party," the Tory leader said after mockingly welcoming the chancellor back ... |
politics | Leaders meet over Turkish EU bid..Tony Blair has met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Turkey entering the EU...The Downing Street talks covered a range of other topics ahead of an EU summit in Brussels later in the week. Mr Blair is an enthusiastic proponent... | Mr Blair is an enthusiastic proponent of talks to bring Turkey within the recently-expanded EU.Tony Blair has met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Turkey entering the EU."The key issue at this week's council will be that of Turkey, but they will also discuss... |
politics | Blair dismisses quit claim report..Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election..."You don't do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge t... | Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country.The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said t... |
politics | Council tax rise 'reasonable'..Welsh councils should set their taxes at "reasonable levels" after being given an average funding increase of 6%, says the assembly government...Finance Minister Sue Essex said it was a "good deal" for local government. The £3.2bn settlement includes the "full" £7.4m from the UK Treasury ... | Ms Essex said: "This is a good deal for local government, which will allow the well-managed councils of Wales to develop their services and charge reasonable levels of council tax.Ms Essex said: "I have listened to the views of local government and council tax payers and recognise the funding pressures and the concerns... |
politics | Tory backing for ID cards..The Tories are to back controversial government plans to introduce ID cards...The shadow cabinet revealed its support ahead of next week's Commons vote on a bill to introduce compulsory ID. The decision follows a "tough meeting" where some senior Tories argued vociferously against the move, p... | If they haven't [ID cards] they are going to be detained."Sources within the Conservative Party told the BBC Michael Howard has always been in favour of ID cards, and tried to introduce them when he was Home Secretary.Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "This has all the signs of Michael Howard overruling c... |
politics | UKIP MEP attacked German 'empire'..A UK Independence Party MEP suggested Germany saw the EU as an 'empire' and was cheaper than using tanks, a new documentary has revealed. Mike Nattrass, UKIP's deputy leader, made the comments to an audience at a meeting during last September's Hartlepool by-election campaign. But cha... | UKIP officials claim it was in fact Mr Kilroy-Silk, not Mr Farage, who briefed newspapers he was leaving the group of MEPs.Mr Kilroy-Silk separately said he had argued against UKIP working with such groups which believed homosexuality was a sin.The film also included footage of a row between Mr Kilroy-Silk, MEP Nigel F... |
politics | Blair looks to election campaign..Tony Blair's big speech will be looked back on as the performance that kicked off the election campaign...That poll may still be about 16 weeks away, but there can be little doubt left that the campaign is now in full swing. The prime minister used his speech to a selected audience in ... | There was little in terms of concrete proposals or what might form manifesto pledges, although the prime minister talked about a "New Labour manifesto that will be aimed at all sections of society".And there was an insistence on the importance of the party continuing to operate as unremittingly "New" Labour - although ... |
politics | Manchester wins Labour conference..The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed...The much trailed decision was ratified by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee in a break with the traditional choice of a seaside venue. It will be the first time si... | The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed.For years the main political parties have rotated between Blackpool, Bournemouth and Brighton.In 1998 the party said it would not return to Blackpool but did so in 2002.And the news the much larger annual confer... |
politics | Cherie accused of attacking Bush..Cherie Blair has been accused of criticising George W Bush's policies in a private address she gave during a United States lecture tour...The prime minister's wife is said to have praised the Supreme Court for overruling the White House on the legal rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees. ... | She said the decision by the US Supreme Court to give legal protection to two Britons held at Guantanamo Bay was a significant victory for human rights and the international rule of law.It said she was not expressing political opinions.But Downing Street said she was speaking in her capacity as a lawyer.Mrs Blair's rem... |
politics | Talks held on Gibraltar's future..Two days of talks on the future of Gibraltar begin at Jack Straw's country residence later on Wednesday...Officials at the two-day summit at the foreign secretary's official Kent house, Chevening, will plan a new forum on the Rock's future. In October, Mr Straw and his Spanish counterp... | Gibraltarians rejected plans for the Rock's sovereignty to be shared between Britain and Spain in a referendum organised by Gibraltar government.Most Gibraltarians said in a referendum they wanted to remain British.In October, Mr Straw and his Spanish counterpart Miguel Moratinos agreed to establish a body that would g... |
politics | Wales 'must learn health lessons'..The new health minister for Wales says there are lessons to learn from England in tackling waiting lists...Dr Brian Gibbons, on his first full day in the job after Jane Hutt was sacked, admitted "big challenges" but insisted the "essentials" were in place. But both Plaid Cymru and the... | Mr Morgan said he had only told Ms Hutt of the reshuffle on Monday morning, and said the NHS in Wales was Dr Gibbons' "baby" now.Meanwhile Ms Hutt said she hoped "that the people of Wales would benefit from my investment of the past five years and eight months" Asked about waiting lists, she said that waiting times and... |
politics | UK 'needs true immigration data'..A former Home Office minister has called for an independent body to be set up to monitor UK immigration...Barbara Roche said an organisation should monitor and publish figures and be independent of government. She said this would counter "so-called independent" groups like Migration Wa... | She said this would counter "so-called independent" groups like Migration Watch, which she described as an anti-immigration body posing as independent.Migration Watch says it is not against all immigration and the government already publishes accurate figures.She said her proposals mean "we wouldn't have so-called inde... |
politics | Abortion not a poll issue - Blair..Tony Blair does not believe abortion should be an election issue, arguing it is a matter for individual conscience...The prime minister's spokesman set out Mr Blair's view after the top Catholic in England and Wales backed Michael Howard's stance on abortions. The Tory leader supports... | In a statement, he said abortion was a "very key issue", saying: "The policy supported by Mr Howard is one that we would commend, on the way to a full abandonment of abortion."Mr Blair's spokesman said: "The Catholic church has a well-known position on this issue and it was one of many issues the Cardinal mentioned and... |
politics | Tory candidate quits over remark..A Conservative election challenger is quitting after being quoted as wanting a "period of creative destruction in the public services"...Danny Kruger, who also works in the Tory research unit, had been due to take on Tony Blair in Sedgefield. He says his remark last week was misreprese... | Labour election coordinator Alan Milburn claimed Mr Kruger had exposed the Tory agenda for £35bn of cuts to public services.A Conservative election challenger is quitting after being quoted as wanting a "period of creative destruction in the public services".Mr Kruger was quoted in the Guardian newspaper saying: "We pl... |
politics | Howard and Blair tax pledge clash..Tony Blair has said voters will have to wait for Labour's manifesto to see if the party has plans to increase tax...The premier was responding to a challenge from Tory leader Michael Howard who said Labour would raise taxes in its post-election Budget. Mr Blair derided Tory claims the... | The premier was responding to a challenge from Tory leader Michael Howard who said Labour would raise taxes in its post-election Budget.But Mr Howard said voters faced a clear choice at the next election between more waste and more tax under Labour and Tory value for money and lower taxes.Mr Blair derided Tory claims t... |
politics | UK heading wrong way, says Howard..Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said..."Britain is heading in the wrong direction", the Conservative leader said in his New Year message. Mr Blair's government was a "bossy, interfering government that takes decisi... | Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said.The election will give Britain the chance to change."Mr Blair has failed to tackle these problems, he claimed, saying he has the "wrong solution" to them."Let us never forget that when Michael Howard was in gover... |
politics | Tory expert denies defeat warning..The Conservatives' campaign director has denied a report claiming he warned Michael Howard the party could not win the next general election...The Times on Monday said Australian Lynton Crosby told the party leader to focus on trying to increase the Tories' Commons presence by 25 to 3... | Mr Howard appointed Mr Crosby as his elections chief last October.Mr Crosby's statement said: "The Conservative Party has been making an impact on the issues of lower tax and controlled immigration over the past week."Mr Howard later added there was not "one iota" of truth in the report.But Mr Crosby said in a statemen... |
politics | Regiments' group in poll move..A regiments' campaign group is to target nine marginal Labour seats at the General Election...Save the Scottish Regiments will also field a candidate against Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram in East Kilbride. The group, which is unhappy at defence merger plans, is endorsing opposition ca... | As well as their election move, Save the Scottish Regiments will join other campaigners at a rally in London in the spring.Scotland's only Conservative MP Peter Duncan said the Save the Scottish Regiments had done a "superb job" in fighting against defence cuts.Save the Scottish Regiments will also field a candidate ag... |
politics | MPs' murder sentence concern..Murder sentences should not be reduced automatically simply because of a guilty plea, says a new MPs' report...The influential Commons home affairs committee was responding to sentencing guidelines issued this summer. The MPs also call for tougher sentences for crimes committed under the i... | Murder sentences should not be reduced automatically simply because of a guilty plea, says a new MPs' report.MPs criticised Home Secretary David Blunkett last year for introducing last-minute rules allowing reduced sentences for murderers who pleaded guilty.He said: "We want to see sentencers advised that in the case o... |
politics | Child access law shake-up planned..Parents who refuse to allow former partners contact with their children could be electronically tagged under plans being considered by ministers...Curfews and community service orders were other options which could be used if court orders to allow parental access were defied, Lord Fal... | Curfews and community service orders were other options which could be used if court orders to allow parental access were defied, Lord Falconer said."We would like to see couples develop a plan and then have it as a source of a court order - then you know where you stand, you know what the minimum access is.Lord Falcon... |
politics | 'No UK apology' for colonial past..The days of Britain having to apologise for its colonial past are over, Gordon Brown has said...The chancellor, speaking during a week-long tour of Africa, said it was time to talk about enduring British values of liberty and tolerance. Mr Brown has signed a debt relief deal with Tanz... | Mr Brown has signed a debt relief deal with Tanzania which could cost the UK £1 billion.On top of the relief deal with Tanzania Mr Brown said the UK would make similar offers to 70 poorer nations around the world.The days of Britain having to apologise for its colonial past are over, Gordon Brown has said.The UK has al... |
politics | 'Super union' merger plan touted..Two of Britain's big trade unions could merge to form a "super union" of two million members...The move by Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) would be a seen as a bid to carry more weight with ministers and employers. Amicus has 1.2 million members and the TGWU h... | Both unions are remaining tight-lipped about the merger rumours, but one insider pointed out to the BBC News website that "nobody is denying suggestions a merger could be on the agenda" when the two unions' executives hold their meetings on Wednesday.The move by Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU)... |
politics | New UKIP defection to 'Veritas'..The UK Independence Party has lost one of its two London Assembly members to Robert Kilroy-Silk's new political party, expected to launch on Wednesday...Damian Hockney said ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a eurosceptic party. He said Mr Kilroy-Sil... | Damian Hockney said ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a eurosceptic party.Sources close to Mr Hockney said around eight other members of London UKIP were also planning to jump ship.On the suspension of Mr Houston, UKIP said those who selected him knew nothing of his views.A spokesm... |
politics | Iraq advice claim sparks new row..The Tories say ministers must respond in Parliament to claims that the legal advice used to justify the Iraq war was drawn up at Number 10...Downing Street has denied the claims, made in a new book about the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's advice. Lord Goldsmith also denied them, say... | "After that Downing Street proceeded to set out his [Lord Goldsmith's] view in a parliamentary answer which was then published on 17 March," said Mr Sands.Downing Street has denied the claims, made in a new book about the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith's advice.But a short statement about Lord Goldsmith's position was... |
politics | Brown ally rejects Budget spree..Chancellor Gordon Brown's closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a Budget giveaway on 16 March...Ed Balls, ex-chief economic adviser to the Treasury, said there would be no spending spree before polling day. But Mr Balls, a prospective Labour MP, said he was confident the cha... | But Mr Balls, a prospective Labour MP, said he was confident the chancellor would meet his fiscal rules.During an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Balls said he was sure Mr Brown's Budget would not put at risk the stability of the economy.Mr Balls refused to say whether Mr Brown would remain as chancell... |
politics | Teenagers to be allowed to be MPs..Teenagers will be able to become MPs under plans unveiled by ministers...In a written statement, Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie said the current minimum age of 21 for an MP would be reduced to 18. The proposals follow a recommendation last year by elections watchdo... | The Votes at 16 alliance said it was a good thing to "engage people" by lowering the candidacy age but argued lowering the voting age would be much more effective.That is because the age of majority was reduced to 18 in 1969 but laws dating from 1695 which determine the current voting age stayed in place.The commission... |
politics | Labour accused of broken pledge..Labour has already broken its pre-election promise on immigration before the ink has dried on its new pledge card, the Tories have claimed...Home Secretary Charles Clarke has been quoted as telling Labour members he wants more migrants to come to the UK. Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said t... | Home Secretary Charles Clarke has been quoted as telling Labour members he wants more migrants to come to the UK.The latest pre-election spats come after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda" which would take Britain backwards.But Mr Clarke accused him of trying to score "cheap political... |
politics | Blair Labour's longest-serving PM..Tony Blair has become the Labour Party's longest-serving prime minister...The 51-year-old premier has marked his 2,838th day in the post, overtaking the combined length of Harold Wilson's two terms during the 1960s and 1970s. If Mr Blair wins the next election and fulfils his promise ... | Both Mr Brown and Mr Blair rose to prominence when Lord Kinnock led Labour between 1983 and 1992.Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said the chancellor would be best placed to take over from Mr Blair.Tony Blair has become the Labour Party's longest-serving prime minister.Labour won a huge majority of 167 over the Conser... |
politics | Clarke to unveil immigration plan..New controls on economic migrants and tighter border patrols will be part of government plans unveiled on Monday...Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to introduce a points system for economic migrants and increase deportations of failed asylum seekers. Tony Blair has said people are ... | But he said it was yet to be seen if Mr Clarke could deliver "a fair and efficient asylum system".Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis said the government had failed to remove 250,000 failed asylum seekers from the UK and limits on economic migrants had been a "shambles".Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to... |
politics | Top judge clashes with ministers..The UK's top judge has revealed he has clashed with ministers about how the heads of public inquiries are chosen...Lord Woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence. But he told MPs the Lor... | "As Lord Woolf also acknowledged, it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice.Lord Woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns.In written evidence to the... |
politics | Tutu's Guantanamo release call..Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for the release of the remaining inmates at Guantanamo Bay and terror suspects detained without trial in the UK...His comments follow news that all four Britons held by the US in the Cuban camp will be freed within weeks. The South African archbishop sa... | The South African archbishop said detentions without trial were "unacceptable" and "distressing".Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for the release of the remaining inmates at Guantanamo Bay and terror suspects detained without trial in the UK.Twelve foreign nationals are being held indefinitely without trial in the UK... |
politics | Terror suspects face house arrest..UK citizens suspected of involvement in terrorism could face house arrest as part of a series of new measures outlined by the home secretary...It comes after law lords ruled that the detention of 12 foreign terror suspects without trial breached human rights. Charles Clarke's planned ... | British citizens are being included in the changes after the law lords said the current powers were discriminatory because they could only be used on foreign suspects.He said intercept evidence was only a small part of the case against the men and some of it could not be used because it could put sources' lives at risk... |
politics | Blair stresses prosperity goals..Tony Blair says his party's next manifesto will be "unremittingly New Labour" and aimed at producing "personal prosperity for all"...The prime minister is trying to draw a line under speculation over the state of his relationship with Gordon Brown with the speech in Chatham, Kent. He is... | Mr Peston's book claimed that Mr Brown told Mr Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."In it he alleges that Mr Blair told Mr Brown in 2003 he would step down as prime minister before the coming general election.With the election widely predicted for May, angry Labour MPs this w... |
politics | Blair 'pressing US on climate'..Tony Blair is pressing the US to cut greenhouse gases despite its unwillingness to sign the Kyoto Protocol, Downing Street has indicated...Officials have confirmed climate change was discussed when influential senator John McCain recently visited Mr Blair. Climate change was an issue the... | Officials have confirmed climate change was discussed when influential senator John McCain recently visited Mr Blair.Mr Blair was left blushing on Wednesday when it emerged his manifesto target of a 20% cut to the 1990 greenhouse gas level by 2010 was set to be missed.Tony Blair is pressing the US to cut greenhouse gas... |
politics | Kilroy-Silk quits 'shameful' UKIP..Ex-chat show host Robert Kilroy-Silk has quit the UK Independence Party and accused it of betraying its supporters...The MEP said he was ashamed to have joined the party, which he labelled as a "joke". He plans to stand in the next general election but refused to confirm he is setting... | Mr Knapman rejected the idea Mr Kilroy-Silk posed a threat to UKIP and queried why he had failed to confirm rumours he was starting a new political party."He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the (European) election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party t... |
politics | Prime minister's questions..So who, if anyone, is playing politics with the security of the nation?..Michael Howard has no doubt it is the prime minister who, he claims, is "ramming" through Parliament the controversial new anti-terror measures without proper debate. He didn't say so, but the Tories believe the prime m... | The prime minister claims this is the clearest indication that it is the Tories who are playing politics with the issue by attempting to score cheap political points in parliament.He didn't say so, but the Tories believe the prime minister is playing the fear card on this one so he can look tough in the run up to the g... |
politics | Boothroyd calls for Lords speaker..Betty Boothroyd has said the House of Lords needs its own Speaker and that peers should lead the way on reforming the upper chamber...Baroness Boothroyd, who was the first woman to be Commons Speaker, said she believed Tony Blair initiated reforms without a clear outcome in mind. "Now... | The lord chancellor currently has the role of House of Lords speaker."I don't go for the idea of somebody - a lord chancellor - who is head of the judiciary, a senior Cabinet minister and Speaker of the Lords.Lady Boothroyd said she believed it was unacceptable for the lord chancellor to have the role of Speaker."I thi... |
politics | NHS waiting time target is cut..Hospital waiting times for patients in Wales are to be cut, but not to the same extent as those in England...Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt said no patient would wait more than 12 months for an outpatient appointment by March 2006, against a current target of 18 months. But she said the... | "But let us not forget two thirds of those waiting for treatment now are waiting less than six months, and these targets affect the small minority of patients in Wales that are waiting far too long."Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt said no patient would wait more than 12 months for an outpatient appointment by March 200... |
politics | Kinnock to urge reform in Lords..Neil Kinnock has said his acceptance of a seat in the House of Lords will allow him to help "achieve further progress with substantial democratic reform."..On the BBC's Breakfast with Frost it was put to Mr Kinnock that he had once referred to Lords members as "brigands, muggers, briber... | He said advocates for reform needed to be inside the Lords to vote for it.Neil Kinnock has said his acceptance of a seat in the House of Lords will allow him to help "achieve further progress with substantial democratic reform."Mr Kinnock added that the second factor behind his acceptance of the peerage was his appoint... |
politics | Campbell returns to election team..Ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell will return to the fold to strengthen Labour's general election campaign, the party has confirmed...Mr Campbell has consistently made public his keenness to play a part in the poll, expected in May. Both Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell an... | A Labour source told the Sunday Times Mr Campbell would "effectively front" the election media campaign but said he would be given no formal title.Ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell will return to the fold to strengthen Labour's general election campaign, the party has confirmed.Mr Campbell was at the cent... |
politics | Jowell confirms casino climbdown..Tessa Jowell has announced plans to limit the number of new casinos in the UK to 24, in a move branded a "humiliating retreat" by the Tories...It puts an end to plans for up to 40 super casinos, originally outlined in the government's Gambling Bill. Instead there will be a cap of eight... | "Limiting the number of regional casinos to eight in the first phase is a cautious move that will allow us to test the impact of a new kind of casino on the levels of problem gambling," he said.Tessa Jowell has announced plans to limit the number of new casinos in the UK to 24, in a move branded a "humiliating retreat"... |
politics | Blair 'said he would stand down'..Tony Blair promised Gordon Brown he would stand down before the next election, a new book about the chancellor claims...But the prime minister changed his mind following intervention from allies in the Cabinet, according to the book. The book by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Pesto... | He said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.The author's sources, all unnamed "allies" of Mr Blair and Mr Brown, said the prime minister felt the Iraq war had undermined him and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party.Tony Blair promised Gordon Bro... |
politics | Blair joins school sailing trip..The prime minister has donned a life jacket and joined school children in a sailing dinghy as he sought to sell his party's education policies...Tony Blair sailed across the lake in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, while on a visit with Education Secretary Ruth Kelly to back school outings. ... | The pledge on education - "your child achieving more" - was one of six election pledges unveiled by Mr Blair last week.Mr Blair later stressed Labour's election pledge to focus on education, when he met parents in the area.The prime minister has donned a life jacket and joined school children in a sailing dinghy as he ... |
politics | Anti-terror plan faces first test..Plans to allow Home Secretary Charles Clarke to place terror suspects under house arrest without trial are set for their first real test in Parliament...Tories, Lib Dems and some Labour MPs are poised to vote against the plans. Mr Clarke says the powers are needed to counter terror th... | Mr Clarke says he does not intend to use the house arrest powers now - even for the 11 current terror detainees.Plans to allow Home Secretary Charles Clarke to place terror suspects under house arrest without trial are set for their first real test in Parliament.Mr Clarke says the powers are needed to counter terror th... |
politics | Lib Dems stress Budget trust gap..Public trust in the handling of the economy can only be restored if Gordon Brown opens up his books for unbiased inspection, say the Lib Dems...City experts say there is a £10bn "black hole" in the public finances, a claim denied by the chancellor. Lib Dem spokesman Vince Cable said th... | Mr Cable said 40% of all pensioners were now paying marginal tax rates of 50%.It was because he had rejected previous Lib Dem proposals, such as scrapping the New Deal, that Britain's economy was successful, claimed Mr Brown.Mr Cable said people did not know whether to believe the chancellor or the consensus among expe... |
politics | Howard's unfinished business.."He's not finished yet," whispered the Conservative Party person as your reporter attempted to slip quietly from the hall. And indeed he wasn't. Michael Howard had already broken away from the printed text of his speech, at his party's spring conference in Brighton, to deliver a smart rebu... | Mr Howard claimed, with some justification, that the Tories' campaign has got off to a "great start".But as they gear up for the start of the campaign proper, the party at least has reason to hope that, like his Australian namesake, Mr Howard really isn't finished yet.But Mr Howard's overall message - that the Tories h... |
politics | EU rules 'won't stop UK spending'..The shape of the UK's economy In graphics..But he denied that he was ruling out British membership of the euro despite saying there would be no assessment of the five economic tests this year. Mr Brown said that it was vital the UK continued to invest in infrastructure, science, and e... | "The conditions for euro entry are unchanged by this new decision about the stability and growth pact," Mr. Brown said.The chancellor said that the EU's planned changes in the growth and stability pact - designed to ensure that countries in the euro zone do not borrow too much - would force Britain to run a budget surp... |
politics | Defiant hunts put ban to the test..Thousands of hunt supporters have been out on the first day of hunting in England and Wales after the ban on hunting with dogs came into force...The Countryside Alliance called on hunt supporters to meet as normal, but vowed to stay within the law. Although hunting with dogs is now a ... | Thousands of hunt supporters have been out on the first day of hunting in England and Wales after the ban on hunting with dogs came into force.Mike Hobday, from the league, said video evidence of the law being broken was to be passed onto police.The Countryside Alliance said the meets would show the new law was "imposs... |
politics | Blair sets date for Africa report..The Commission for Africa's report will be released on 11 March - Comic Relief day, Tony Blair has said...July's G8 summit in Gleneagles in Perthshire - chaired by the prime minister - will use the report as the basis for talks on Africa. The announcement followed the final meeting of... | The Commission for Africa's report will be released on 11 March - Comic Relief day, Tony Blair has said.As well as more aid, fairer trade and less debt, the commission is likely to demand action on corruption in Africa.Bob Geldof, in characteristically blunt style, promised that the commission would not just be a talki... |
politics | Election deal faltered over Heath role..The Tories failed to hold onto power in 1974 after Liberals demanded Sir Edward Heath quit in return for co-operation...Documents released after 30 years reveal the failed negotiations by the then prime minister following the dramatic February general election. Liberal leader Jer... | Within hours of his final talks with Mr Thorpe, Sir Edward told the nation he was resigning and the Queen invited Mr Wilson to form a new minority government."The PM said he was bound to tell Mr Thorpe that his colleagues had told him that they would not agree to serve under any other prime minister.Mr Thorpe told Sir ... |
politics | Guantanamo pair's passport ban..The government has written to two of the British men freed from Guantanamo Bay telling them they will not be allowed passports...A letter sent to Martin Mubanga said his British passport would not be issued in the light of evidence gathered against him by the US. This suggested he was li... | The men's solicitor, Louise Christian, has raised questions about whether the evidence was gathered through torture.But the Pentagon told BBC News US policy "condemns and prohibits" torture and said there was no evidence that any British detainee was tortured or abused.The Liberal Democrats say they suspect the move is... |
politics | Royal couple watch nation's mood..Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are awaiting the nation's reaction after announcing they are to be married on 8 April...Mrs Parker Bowles will take the title HRH Duchess of Cornwall after a civil ceremony to be held at Windsor Castle. A Daily Telegraph poll of 1,313 people sug... | The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step."But only 40% think Mrs Parker Bowles should become Princess Consort as planned after Charles becomes king.On Thursday night, Prince Charles, 56, and Mrs Parker Bowles, 57, hosted ... |
politics | Profile: Gordon Brown..The ultimate prize of 10 Downing Street may continue to elude him but, as he prepares to deliver a record-breaking ninth budget, Gordon Brown can at least console himself with the thought that he is the longest serving chancellor of modern times...He reached that milestone last June, when he over... | The ideological differences between Mr Brown and Mr Blair remain relatively modest.Amid all this it is easy to forget that Mr Brown remains the man most likely to succeed Mr Blair as Labour leader.How much longer Mr Brown will continue in the job is not clear (he once said there are two types of chancellor: "those who ... |
politics | MPs criticise child access system..Divorced parents seeking access to their children are often disadvantaged by the legal system, MPs have said...The Constitutional Affairs Select Committee said parents with custody could exploit delays in the system to stop former partners gaining access. Courts should be used as a la... | Divorced parents seeking access to their children are often disadvantaged by the legal system, MPs have said.They said the law should be changed to require family courts specifically to take account of the importance of sustaining the relationship between the child and the non-resident parent in contested cases."An arb... |
politics | UKIP could sue Veritas defectors..The UK Independence Party could take legal action to unseat two London Assembly members who defected to Robert Kilroy Silk's Veritas Party...Damian Hockney, now Veritas deputy leader, and Peter Hulme-Cross were elected in 2004 on the list system. The party argues the pair should give u... | Mr Hockney said the law was clear that those elected on a list who quit their party should keep their seats."The Greater London Act is clear that if someone resigns who was elected on a list, their party whip the seat belongs to them and not the party."He said Mr Hulme-Cross and himself had no intention of resigning an... |
politics | UK set to cut back on embassies..Nine overseas embassies and high commissions will close in an effort to save money, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has announced...The Bahamas, East Timor, Madagascar and Swaziland are among the areas affected by the biggest shake-up for the diplomatic service for years. Other diplomat... | Nine overseas embassies and high commissions will close in an effort to save money, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has announced.In a written statement, Mr Straw said: "The savings made will help to underpin higher priority work in line with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's strategic priorities, including counter... |
politics | Brown names 16 March for Budget..Chancellor Gordon Brown will deliver his Budget to the House of Commons on 16 March, the Treasury has announced...The Budget, likely to be the last before the General Election, will be at about 1230 GMT on that Wednesday, just after Prime Minister's question time. The annual event is wh... | The full Finance Bill, with the Budget measures in it, would then be returned to the Commons after the election, if Labour secures another term in office.If a May election is called, there could be as little as 18 days between the Budget and the announcement of a date for the election.Tory shadow chancellor Oliver Letw... |
politics | February poll claim 'speculation'..Reports that Tony Blair is planning a snap general election for February 2005 have been described as "idle speculation" by Downing Street...A spokesman said he had "no idea" where the reports in the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph had come from. The papers suggest ministers believe ... | A British general election was last held in February in 1974.The last election was in June 2001.A Labour Party spokesman said the election date was ultimately a matter for Mr Blair, but he was unaware of anything to suggest it would be in February.The papers report that Alan Milburn, Labour's head of elections strategy... |
politics | Blair 'up for it' ahead of poll..Tony Blair says his personal standing in the eyes of voters will be "an issue" in the general election...The prime minister said he was "up for it" as the country waits to go to the polls, possibly in a matter of weeks. He told The Observer government life was a "constant barrage of att... | The prime minister said he was "up for it" as the country waits to go to the polls, possibly in a matter of weeks.Whether he still had something to offer, he said, was a judgement for people to make.Speaking amid a flurry of pre-election campaigning, the prime minister said: "I am an issue, I always will be.He said Bri... |
politics | Short attacks US over tsunami aid..Former Cabinet minister Clare Short has criticised the US-led tsunami aid coalition, saying the UN should be leading efforts...President Bush has announced that an alliance of the US, India, Australia and Japan will co-ordinate a humanitarian drive. But Ms Short said the effect of the... | But Ms Short said the effect of the parallel coalition would be to undermine the UN.She said only the UN had the "moral authority" to lead the relief work.The US was "very bad at coordinating with anyone" and India had its own problems, Ms Short said.Ms Short said the countries involved could not boast good records on ... |
politics | Vouchers 'to cut winter deaths'..Pensioners are being promised energy savings by the Liberal Democrats, as snow and cold temperatures continue...The party says the plans could save the average pensioner £100 every year and cut winter deaths. The government gives £200 for winter fuel to households with people over 60, o... | The plan would boost energy conservation, says the party - and insulation could save £100 every year for pensioner households, so using the money more "intelligently" than at present.The Lib Dems would allow people to swap these winter fuel payments for discounts on home insulation.The party says the plans could save t... |
politics | UK firms 'embracing e-commerce'..UK firms are embracing internet trading opportunities as never before, e-commerce minister Mike O'Brien says...A government-commissioned study ranked the UK third in its world index of use of information and communication technology (ICT). The report suggests 69% of UK firms are now usi... | Mr O'Brien said UK businesses were sprinting forward in ICT use, but that there were more challenges ahead.Mr O'Brien said: "The increase in the proportion of business connected by broadband shows that UK companies are embracing the opportunities that ICT can bring.A government-commissioned study ranked the UK third in... |
politics | Protesters plan airport challenge..Campaigners against the expansion of Britain's airports have begun challenging the government's plans in the High Court...BAA's expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans. Opponents say the £2bn cost of the new runway c... | BAA also says it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans.BAA are also owners of the airports at Heathrow and Gatwick.BAA's expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans.But BAA has said it has attempted to involve communities in any... |
politics | Kelly trails new discipline power..Teachers could get more powers to remove unruly pupils from classes under a "zero tolerance" drive, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has suggested...Ms Kelly told the BBC progress had been made against severely disruptive children but parents were still worried about lower level problem... | Asked if she was a member of the group, Ms Kelly said: "I do have spiritual support from Opus Dei and that is right.Ms Kelly told the BBC progress had been made against severely disruptive children but parents were still worried about lower level problems.The minister also confirmed she received "spiritual support" fro... |
politics | Straw attacked on China arms..Moves to lift the European Union's ban on arms exports to China have been condemned by human rights groups and the Conservatives...The 15 year embargo was imposed in the aftermath of China's crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who will hold... | Mr Straw said it was wrong to put China under the same embargo as countries such as Zimbabwe and Burma.The level of human rights was a key criteria under the EU arms exports code, he said.Human rights groups say the code of conduct is not legally binding - but Mr Straw said it would be given legal force by the laws of ... |
politics | Councils 'must find Gypsy sites'..Ministers are telling councils to find more sites for travellers, amid continuing rows concerning a string of unauthorised encampments...Councils are also to be given stronger powers to move on illegal settlements by Gypsy communities on rural land. More money is to be given to council... | In November, MPs urged ministers to make councils create sites because 3,500 travellers have no place to stop.Ms Cooper said an annual scheme to refurbish existing traveller sites would now be extended to consider council bids for new stopping places."There are two major problems in the planning system at the moment co... |
politics | Russian ex-spy on hunger strike..An ex-Russian intelligence officer who risked his life spying for MI6 is entering the seventh week of a hunger strike near 10 Downing Street...Viktor Makarov, 50, claims he has been betrayed by the British authorities, who promised he would live like an "average British citizen". But de... | Oleg Gordievsky, a senior KGB officer who became a secret agent for the British, said he was "very happy" with the way the government have treated him since him since he defected in 1985.Viktor Makarov, 50, claims he has been betrayed by the British authorities, who promised he would live like an "average British citiz... |
politics | New 'yob' targets to be unveiled..Fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in England and Wales will be named on Thursday...Ten areas have already had access to special prosecutors and local experts and the government is now expanding the crackdown to more towns and cities. Details of how man... | Details of how many anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) were used in the last year are also being published.The 50 new pilot areas to get special attention will also receive extra government funding.Fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in England and Wales will be named on Thursday.They ... |
politics | No to Royal succession shake-up..A Labour peer has withdrawn proposals to give female members of the Royal Family the same rights as males...The legislation would have ended the right of male heirs with older sisters to succeed to the Crown. It would also have torn up ancient legislation banning heirs to the throne mar... | He did not rule out change in the future but said if Lord Dubs' private member's bill was passed by peers, he would urge MPs to oppose it in the Commons.But the government refused to back Lord Dubs' Succession to the Crown Bill, saying it was too complex and raised too many constitutional issues.The changes proposed by... |
politics | Student 'inequality' exposed..Teenagers from well-off backgrounds are six times more likely to go to university than those from the most deprived areas, a report says...The Higher Education Funding Council for England said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000. But the percentage of poorer students "hard... | The Higher Education Funding Council for England said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000.The group which represents university vice-chancellors, Universities UK, said the new system of deferred fees in England, due to start in 2006, with grants and bursaries for poorer students, would encourage more o... |
politics | Drink remark 'acts as diversion'..The first minister's statement that it was okay to get drunk "once in a while" has diverted attention from the real issues, it has been claimed...Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said Jack McConnell's comment was "ill-advised". The media attention had helped to move... | But the Scottish Executive has insisted Mr McConnell was speaking about adults and his comments were "a recognition that people will get drunk".Mr MacDonell said: "I think the problem here is that he did say a lot more things about binge drinking and under age drinking.Mr MacDonell, political editor of The Scotsman, sa... |
politics | Schools to take part in mock poll..Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government...Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking... | Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of acti... |
politics | TV debate urged for party chiefs..Broadcasters should fix a date for a pre-election televised debate between the three main political leaders, according to the Hansard Society...It would then be up to Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy to decide whether to take part, the non-partisan charity said. Chairman ... | If Mr Blair did not want to take part, the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why, Lord Holme said.Lord Holme, who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections, said broadcasters were "more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements"."What ma... |
politics | Lord Scarman, 93, dies peacefully..Distinguished lawyer Lord Scarman, who conducted the inquiry into the 1981 Brixton riots, has died aged 93...The peer enjoyed a celebrated judicial career, serving as Law Commission chairman in its first seven years. He also chaired the 1969 tribunal set up to investigate civil distur... | Paying tribute, the Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said Lord Scarman was one of the "great advocates of our generation".He said: "When Lord Scarman toured the streets of Brixton his presence was electrifying.The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, who is the most senior judge in England and Wales, said it was Lord Scarman's... |
politics | Strike threat over pension plans..Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders...The Cabinet Office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system, prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten unite... | Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders."To maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme, the government announced in its Green Paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65."Pensions o... |
politics | CSA 'could close', says minister..Ministers would not rule out scrapping the Child Support Agency if it failed to improve, Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson has warned...But he said replacing the controversial CSA would be "the nuclear option". A report by the Commons work and pensions committee called for the a... | But he said replacing the controversial CSA would be "the nuclear option".Ministers would not rule out scrapping the Child Support Agency if it failed to improve, Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson has warned.The committee said the National Audit Office should investigate why the EDS system had gone so badly wron... |
politics | Howard rebuts asylum criticisms..Tory leader Michael Howard has gone on the offensive in response to people questioning how a son of immigrants can propose asylum quotas...Mr Howard, whose parents fled the Nazi threat to come to the UK, says the claim would mean no-one from an immigrant family could become premier. His... | Former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke says Mr Howard has a bigger problem changing perceptions of the Tory party than his personal image.Ms Robinson, a friend of the Tory leader, also revealed that as a Cambridge student Mr Howard was "much loved by women and he was a courteous and kind and rather dashing lover" - although... |
politics | Woolf murder sentence rethink..Plans to give murderers lighter sentences if they plead guilty have been watered down...There was an outcry three months ago when the Sentencing Guidelines Council - led by Lord Woolf - published its proposals for England and Wales. It had suggested judges should reduce sentences by a thi... | In revised proposals from the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC), the section on murder said possible reductions would have to be "weighed carefully" by a judge so they did not lead to "an inappropriately short sentence".The guidelines were to recognise the need to spare victims and witnesses the trauma of going to co... |
politics | US casino 'tricks' face ban in UK..Controversial new UK casinos will be banned from using American tricks of the trade to ensure they are "socially responsible", it has been suggested...Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said proposed super-casinos will be different from their US counterparts. In America, pheromones have r... | A spokesman for the British Casino Association, which represents the UK industry, said the government was trying to allay fears over a "UK Las Vegas"."The UK industry is one of the world's most respected," he said."The UK gambling industry is being totally frozen in time, and the foreign companies will take over."He sa... |
politics | Blair blasts Tory spending plans..Tony Blair has launched an attack on Conservative spending plans, saying they are a "ludicrous improbability"...The prime minister has told a Labour Party gathering that the Tory policies would cause economic failure. Tory leader Michael Howard has said his party would cut £35bn in "wa... | In his speech, Mr Blair contrasted a reformed Labour party, which had learned to occupy the political centre ground, with a hidebound Tory party, which he said would turn the clock back with spending cuts.Tory leader Michael Howard has said his party would cut £35bn in "wasteful" spending to allow £4bn in tax cuts.Mr B... |
politics | Will Tory tax cuts lift spirits?..Michael Howard has finally revealed the full scale of his planned Tory tax cuts...Should he win the next general election, he has earmarked £4 billion that will be used to reduce taxes - although he still will not say which or how. This was the pre-election message many in his party ha... | It is a move back towards an almost traditional Tory message which previously suggested Labour was the party of tax rises and the Conservatives the party of tax cuts.Ideas already floated include raising tax thresholds and abolishing or reducing inheritance tax, although some in the Tory party are urging Mr Howard to a... |
politics | MPs tout Lords replacement plan..A group of MPs has tried to raise the pressure on Tony Blair over reform to the House of Lords by publishing a detailed blueprint for change...The cross-party group has unveiled a draft bill proposing a smaller second chamber in which 70% of members would be elected. MPs and peers have ... | Their plan would see the House of Lords being renamed the Second Chamber of Parliament, and its members would be known as MSCPs.The group says the British public and a clear majority of MPs support replacing the Lords with a largely-elected second chamber.The cross-party group has unveiled a draft bill proposing a smal... |
politics | Teens 'know little' of politics..Teenagers questioned for a survey have shown little interest in politics - and have little knowledge...Only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that Labour was the government, the Tories were the official Opposition and the Lib Dems were the third party. Almost all could identify Tony Bla... | The survey also looked at issues of nationality.Many of the pupils also looked on themselves as English, Scottish or Welsh, rather than British; while the notion of being European hardly occurred to anyone.Only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that Labour was the government, the Tories were the official Opposition and... |
politics | UKIP candidate suspended in probe..Eurosceptic party UKIP have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed...John Houston, 54, was due to stand in the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire at the next election. But he was suspended after his reported views, including the return of ... | Peter Nielson, who is UKIP Scotland chairman, said he had suspended Mr Houston on Friday night.UKIP spokesman Mark Croucher said those who selected Mr Houston knew nothing of his views.He said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party's manifesto, but would not have been matched to Mr Houston... |
politics | Ministers lose slopping out case..The Scottish Executive has lost an appeal against an inmate's compensation for being forced to slop out in prison...Armed robber Robert Napier, 25, won £2,450 after he claimed he suffered an outbreak of the skin complaint, eczema, when slopping out at Barlinnie Prison. Napier said that... | Executive ministers raised an appeal arguing that the standard of proof to be applied in cases alleging a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights through degrading and inhumane treatment should "be beyond reasonable doubt".An executive spokesman said: "We will study this judgement in detail.The Scottish Execu... |
politics | UK plan to deport terror suspects..Deals are being sought to allow the UK to deport terror suspects to their home countries without risk of them being tortured or sentenced to death...Home Secretary Charles Clarke told the Times he hoped agreement with several countries could be reached. The move follows a Law Lords ju... | Home Secretary Charles Clarke told the Times he hoped agreement with several countries could be reached.But he said reaching an understanding with some of the detainees' home countries could be difficult.The BBC's home affairs correspondent, Daniel Sandford, said it appeared Mr Clarke was putting more emphasis on the p... |
politics | End Bush 'denial' Blair tells EU..Tony Blair is urging European leaders to wake up from their "state of denial" over President Bush's re-election..."America has spoken. The rest of the world should listen," the prime minister said in an interview with The Times newspaper, published on Friday. Mr Blair is at a summit in... | Mr Blair has probably been closer to President Bush than any other European leader.Mr Chirac denied there was any snub - he is going to a memorial service for the United Arab Emirates' late leader and says he would be happy to meet Mr Allawi.Mr Blair is at a summit in Brussels, where Iraq and European justice and immig... |
politics | EU referendum question unveiled..The question to be asked in the referendum on the EU Constitution has been unveiled by the government...It will be: "Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?" The constitution will be incorporated into UK law if there is a yes vote... | The question to be asked in the referendum on the EU Constitution has been unveiled by the government.The constitution will be incorporated into UK law if there is a yes vote in the referendum, expected in 2006.Jack Straw, who argues the constitution reflected a "British vision for Europe" and gives "national governmen... |
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