Clegg’s Scottish discomfort
Lib Dem support in Scotland has plunged by more than a half since the 2007 Assembly elections – and is down 5 points in the last five months alone.
Ed Jacobs
Ed writes on devolved and local government. He works as a political consultant at the only Northern based consultancy, The Public Affairs Company. Ed has previously helped establish and run a student news website therundown.co.uk.
Labour offers “open door” to disaffected Lib Dems
On the day the Indy’s poll of polls put the Liberal Democrats on just 11 per cent, Welsh Labour welcomed its first defection by a Lib Dem councillor since May.
As 2011 dawns, remember the 3.9 million children still living in poverty
In the last of our series of articles looking ahead to 2011, Left Foot Forward’s devolution correspondent Ed Jacobs presents a sobering picture of the state of the nation, with many millions still living in poverty and suffering depression.
Pay freeze chill reaches Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s draft budget will seek to address the £4 billion of cuts to be imposed following the Comprehensive Spending Review, reports Ed Jacobs.
Gerry Adams accused of “brazen audacity” over Northern Bank raid
Did Gerry Adams have advanced warning of the Northern Bank raid? That is the question now swirling around Northern Ireland following the release of the latest WikiLeak files. In December 2004, the Provisional IRA were blamed for the raid which saw those responsible take £26.5 million from the Donegall Square headquarters of the Northern Bank in Belfast, one of the largest robberies ever seen in the UK.
IFS: Northern Ireland faces being hit hard by tax and benefit changes
Northern Ireland faces being hit harder by changes announced to the tax and benefit systems due to come into force between Jan 2011 and Apr 2014, the IFS says.
Lib Dems fail to learn lessons from Scotland on tuition fees
As MPs in Westminster prepare for the most controversial vote of this parliament on the coalition’s plan’s for tuition fees, in Scotland the contrast between the Liberal Democrats now and the Lib Dems in 1999 when forming the Scottish governmenttest
Welsh voters against cut in number of Welsh MPs
Most Welsh voters do not believe that the number of Welsh MPs should be reduced as outlined in the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill currently being considered by the House of Lords.
As Scotland gets greater taxation powers, is Northern Ireland next?
On the day the coalition unveiled its formal legislative proposals to give Holyrood greater tax varying powers, a group of business leaders in Northern Ireland have called for Stormont to be given the power to set its own corporation tax.
Has the SNP given up on its school sports pledge?
MPs will this afternoon get the chance to debate education secretary Michael Gove’s decision to end the ring fencing of the schools sports budget. Today, the House of Commons will debate a motion tabled by the Opposition critical of a decision which could see drastic cuts to funding for school sport in the in the run up to the Olympics.