Five ways the govt could help squeezed families
by Guest

contribution by Mike Morgan-Giles

Earlier this month the IFS confirmed what was assumed already – that the Government’s policies will increase both absolute and relative poverty.

They forecast absolute poverty to increase by 600,000 children and 800,000 adults by 2012/13.

They also expect incomes to fall by 7%. Combine this with inflation at over 5% and you can understand the pressure families are under financially.
continue reading… »

19 Comments   ¦   Published at 3:27 pm, 1st November

by Sunny Hundal

Yesterday morning the front-page of the Telegraph blared: ‘£1bn on 100 projects to kick-start the economy‘ – which revolved around the ‘Regional Growth Fund’ (RGF).

For two parties that vociferously attacked New Labour for ‘spin and gimmicks’ – the announcement illustrated how they are now willing to try the same tricks. Let me explain how

by Guest

Sky high unemployment, low levels of investment, low consumer confidence and stalled growth all indicate we’re on the verge of a double dip recession.

For this reason our new publication out this week: ‘Plan B; a good economy for a good society‘ says the government needs to take strong action to reverse this slide.

by Guest

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill returns reaches Report stage in the Commons this week.

And before the eye-catching business of knife crime sentences and no-win-no-fee solicitors comes up on Tuesday and Wednesday, we get legal aid and the possibility of a Lib Dem rebellion.

by Mary Tracy

Last Thursday night I had the unenviable experience of watching ‘The Future of the Welfare State‘, with John Humphrys. It was awful.

I want to use a small point made during the programme to make my own point on a topic I know too well: housing benefit, and the Tory plan to push poor people out of London.

by Richard Blogger

The government keeps telling us that they will deliver real terms increases in the NHS budget, but the evidence proves otherwise.

In fact, the House of Commons Library says net NHS Expenditure in 2009-10 (in 2010-11 prices) was £103.2bn and in 2010-11 the expenditure was £102.0bn – a real terms decrease of -1.1%.

by Dave Osler

One of the most striking aspects of the blanket media coverage of the eurozone crisis is the way in which financial markets are routinely spoken of as entities with a life of their own.

They are conceived of as capable of adhering to ethical codes, from which they have of late drifted away.

by Guest

Hamleys is a large toyshop in central London. I went in there with the intention of buying a present for my niece, only to be shocked at the entrance when I saw the store layout sign.

Inside, toys are segregated by gender and are even allocated separate floors. As I climbed the escalator and entered the floors themselves, I was even more horrified.

by Cath Elliott

I’m relieved to see that justice prevailed yesterday, and that Vincent Tabak’s ‘defence’ or ‘explanation’ that he hadn’t intended to kill Joanna Yeates but had simply panicked when he ‘misread’ her signals, and put his hands around her throat to stop her screaming, was given the short shrift that it deserved.

What has really pissed me off though, is the news that Tabak had a particular liking for violent strangulation porn.

by Richard Exell

If yesterday’s GfK NOP Consumer Confidence Barometer measured air pressure we’d be getting ready for a hurricane. The overall measure has slipped from -30 to -32, down 13 points from October 2010′s -19. All the different elements are negative, all are down on last year and none are up on last month:

by Guest

What’s astonishing about the government’s Opening Public Services White Paper is how little fuss there has been about it.

The bill is expected this autumn.

 

No Comments


26 Comments


6 Comments


32 Comments


32 Comments


12 Comments


39 Comments


51 Comments


27 Comments


34 Comments