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The BBC has defended their decision to invite the BNP to appear on Question Time: “Our audiences – and the electorate – will make up their own minds about the different policies offered by elected politicians.” Unite Against Fascism willtest
Speaking exclusively to Left Foot Forward, First Secretary of State Peter Mandelson, outlined the circumstances in which the Government believes it should intervene in markets. MANDELSON: “I’m not in favour of political fixes to the economy or subsidies for businessestest
Projections published by the OECD today show that the recession in the UK is likely to be longer than in other G7 countries but of average severity. Although it is of little comfort given the projected 4.7% drop in year-on-year growth for Britain in 2009 but Germany, Japan, and Italy all face worse recessions.
The international online civic organisation, Avaaz, is promoting a petition from Brits to “the US Congress and the people of America” which states, “We urge you to ignore the myths about health systems in our country and others that are being pushed by US healthcare companies.”
A coalition of over 100 individuals organised by Compass have joined a campaign calling for the establishment of a High Pay Commission. Data compiled by Left Foot Forward show that CEO remuneration packages are now 168 times the median wage.
In his keynote speech at Demos titled “Progressive reform in an age of austerity,” George Osborne refused to embrace a policy of progressive taxation or set out what a progressive foreign policy under a Conservative government would mean. Osborne claimedtest
Conservative plans to increase VAT to 20%, which have not been ruled out by their HQ, would be “intently regressive.” It would mean that the poorest fifth of the population would spend a total of 13.8% of their disposable income on VAT, up 1.7 percentage points. This is more than double what the richest fifth would pay.
In an excoriating article published for Foreign Policy’s website, respected US diplomat and foreign policy expert, David Rothkopf, has described David Cameron as, “someone about whom the Obama administration ought to be very cautious.”
A new study by US thinktank, the Brookings Institution, outlines that – despite facing more difficult circumstances – President Barack Obama is the most popular president 6-months into his term of office since Ronald Reagan.
