Good Society
Did lobbying scupper plain cigarette packaging?
The government has made two recent U-turns on public health issues. The first is minimum alcohol pricing, plans for which were scrapped in March amid rumours of a rebellion by senior Tories including home secretary Teresa May.
Queen’s Speech amendment ‘venal act of self indulgence’, says former Tory MP
A possible Conservative amendment to the Queen's Speech condemning it for failing to include a bill advocating a referendum on EU membership would be a "venal act of self indulgence" that could be the beginning of the end of the Conservatives in office, a former Conservative MP has claimed.
While we wait for action on payday lenders, can Catholic Social Teaching show citizens how to go it alone?
The charity StepChange have recently reported that twice as many people who sought their help with debts in 2012 had payday loans out compared with 2011. Reports like this remind us that change is needed to the way payday lenders are allowed to operate in the UK.
A mandatory living wage – the debate we need to have
If we don’t raise wages, control rents or reverse welfare cuts, we are going to completely price low paid workers out of London.
Support for Scottish independence declines again
Polling published today by Ipsos Mori for The Times suggests that the SNP’s independence headache continues as support for Scotland staying in the UK has increased to its highest level since August 2011.
Benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of welfare budget, official figures show
The latest report estimates fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today, found that benefit fraud accounts for just 0.7 per cent of the welfare budget.