AP reports that, “Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he would like to meet with ‘dissidents’ when he visits the U.S. next week.” The Russian President is due to visit the US from September 22 to 25. He has told Russiantest
Health Secretary Andy Burnham will today announce plans to give patients the right to choose their GP but doctors’ leaders have flagged a range of problems including provision in remote areas. Meanwhile US academics are proposing a ‘fat tax’ ontest
The Daily Mail headline screamed, “A million march to US Capitol to protest against ‘Obama the socialist’.” But American bloggers at Left Foot Forward’s sister site, Think Progress, have revealed that the organisers inflated the attendance by over 2,000 percent.test
The Guardian reports a split between Europe and the US over Copenhagen. In an interview, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says, “We are deeply concerned that the negotiation is not making much headway … leaders [must] demonstrate their political will,test
The German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, has reported that Angela Merkel’s CDU party has recalled its London representative Thomas Stehling to Germany because of David Cameron’s decision to withdraw from the European People’s Party.
Ippr’s Tony Dolphin, a Left Foot Forward contributer, today publishes a new report called, “How to Make Capitalism Better.” The report has a number of findings but perhaps most significant are Dolphin’s conclusions, summarised in his article for Comment Istest
The TaxPayers’ Alliance have responded to Left Foot Forward’s post on Friday about the TPA and Institute of Directors’ proposals to make £50 billion in public spending savings. In defence of their proposals to save £1.46 billion by cutting Sure Start, TPA make three arguments. Left Foot Forward responds to each in turn.
Public spending dominates the headlines as Gordon Brown prepares to use the word “cuts” for the first time in a speech to the TUC. Further clarity on what services are for the chop is expected today with The Guardian revealingtest
Analysis of the current debate on universal benefits.
The Times report today that, “Labour is funding trade union activity inside Whitehall with millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.” The truth, as ever, is more complicated. The practice has been in place for years and benefits from workplace representation across the public sector are estimated at £167 to £397 million.
