No frontline cuts? Really, Mr Cameron?
In a week of u-turns for the better, there was further evidence today of a u-turn for the worse – the breaking of David Cameron’s pre-election pledge that there would be no frontline cuts to public services.
Public Services
Lecturers up in arms at the quango that escaped the bonfire
From April university staff will be compelled to pay an annual membership fee of £68 – a cost previously picked up by government – to the Institute for Learning.
When governments act in haste, there’s more chance of policy errors occurring
There are some government policies that no matter what angle they are viewed from do not seem to make sense, writes Anthony Painter.
IDS’ housing benefit u-turn masks full horror of reforms
IDS will drop plans to impose a 10% cut in housing benefit on anyone unemployed for more than a year. But the Welfare Reform bill includes other pernicious reforms.
Welsh Government cuts basic rate tuition fee level
Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews has announced that the basic rate for university tuition fees in Wales will be £2,000 less than original anticipated.
What can we do to stop the abuse of older people in the health service?
Today’s Health Service Ombudsman report makes harrowing reading, highlighting ten case studies of appalling levels of care of older people in our hospitals.
Will the ‘Big Society’ have to cover for Scottish coastguard cuts?
The UK government is putting too much emphasis on the use of volunteers and is expecting too much of them to provide a vital service requiring 24-hour manning, a service now facing such serious cuts.
Government’s answers on special needs delayed. Again
As Michael Gove’s education reforms gather momentum, an important group of vulnerable children are at risk of being left behind. Back in December, Left Foot Forward raised serious questions over the future of funding models for specialist services currently provided by local authorities…
Poorest students will be considerably worse off under new system
The new access agreement is a political fig leaf to cover up a government busy destroying our education system and the hopes and aspirations of students and their families.
Poll: Nearly half of public oppose EMA abolition
Almost half the British public oppose the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance, a new YouGov poll has revealed, writes James Mills of the Save EMA campaign.