Real wages set to fall for three years
A new report shows that cuts, rising inflation and stagnating pay will make lower middle classes £720 a year worse off. It shows that wages will fall in real terms until 2013.
Yearly Archives: 2010
Changes at Left Foot Forward
After nearly two years setting up and editing Left Foot Forward, I have decided to pass on the leadership of the blog to what Ed Miliband might call a “new generation”. Shamik Das, our excellent assistant editor becomes Acting Editor,test
Miliband urges Cameron to “overrule” Gove’s school sport cuts
The debate over school sport reached Prime Minister’s Questions today, with Ed Miliband putting David Cameron on the spot over cuts to the school sport budget. The Leader of the Opposition urged Mr Cameron to “overrule” Michael Gove, warning him he “will live to regret” the £162 million abolition of School Sport Partnerships, which have a proven track record of success.
Ireland’s austerity: poor pay to keep corporation tax low
The Irish austerity package (confusingly dubbed a ‘recovery plan‘ by the BBC) can only be described as eye watering. But the focus on the poor while omitting any contribution from corporation tax indicates the ideological nature of this latest settest
Big business oppose cuts – to greenhouse gas emissions
Big business is supportive of many of the public service spending cuts. But UK companies, and the business associations that represent them, are lobbying hard to delay cuts in another area where they could make a positive difference: greenhouse gas emissions. Europe-based companies, including BP and Eon, have been systematically supporting members of the Senate who obstruct action on climate change and these links were revealed in a recent report by Climate Action Network Europe.
IDS asked to correct the record on DWP stats
In an open letter to Iain Duncan Smith, Douglas Alexander queries the Department for Work and Pensions’s use of statistics.
UKIP MEP thrown out of European Parliament for Nazi slur
United Kingdom Independence Party MEP Godfrey Bloom has unleashed yet another stream of coarse, xenophobic abuse – this time in the European Parliament. Whilst listening to a speech by German Social Democrat MEP Martin Schulz, Bloom shouted “Ein volk, ein reich, ein fuhrer” – one people, one empire, one leader. Bloom was ordered to leave the chamber and went on to describe Mr Schultz as “a national socialist”.
Heseltine adds to confusion over Local Enterprise Partnerships
Kevin Meagher examines the confusion over the funding behind local enterprise partnerships amidst further ambiguities in the coalition’s regional policy. Business leaders have criticised the rush to switch from regional development agencies to LEPs.
It’s the press who are the dinosaurs, not us, say unions
A survey has shown that 92 per cent of trade union members believe the British media is too cynical against them, writes Unions21 director Dan Whittle.
Nick Clegg and the social mobility mystery
Nick Clegg used his Hugo Young lecture to unfurl a banner for the “new progressives”. But he chose not to set out what “new progressives” think about the causes of social mobility.