Manufacturing continues to hold up the economy
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today announced a 1.0 per cent increase in UK manufacturing output in January, reports Tony Dolphin.
Green Politics
There are concerns with High Speed Rail but it’s still worth doing
For all the legitimate concerns with High Speed Rail, it’s still worth pressing ahead with, writes Richard George, roads and climate campaigner at the Campaign for Better Transport.
Ritchie: “Budget fails the people of Northern Ireland”
In a process marked by sharp exchanges between ministers, divisions which have been evident at Stormont over its four-year budget were laid bare for all too see, reports Ed Jacobs.
The government’s green-wash on sustainable development
Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh outlines the government’s failures in their bid to become the “greenest government ever” – especially on sustainable development.
The transport secretary’s oil addiction
If we want to make transport policy sustainable and equitable, it is vital that the price of transport is addressed and that this fuel price windfall is re-invested in more sustainable modes, making them more accessible to all.
Socialists win double victory on financial transactions tax and short selling
The Socialist group has won two big victories in the European Parliament this week, with Parliament’s Economic Committee voting to ban naked short selling by 529 votes to 127.
Osborne’s ‘fair fuel stabiliser’ doesn’t make sense
It’s a telling sign of our dependence on foreign oil that all eyes turn to the price of a barrel of crude as events in the Middle East, which ought to give us cause for hope, are causing despair in the UK with petrol hitting the £1.40 a litre level.
Will Stormont hold together on budget proposals?
All eyes will be on Stormont this Wednesday, as MLAs prepare to vote on a revised four-year budget from finance minister Sammy Wilson, writes Ed Jacobs.
Why won’t the government investigate its carbon emissions?
It is the received wisdom that the UK’s emissions are falling. But this is not the case; as academic studies and government briefings show, the UK’s emissions continue to rise, reports Guy Shrubsole.
Balls: “Osborne’s got two weeks to come up with a plan B”
Ed Balls has warned that George Osborne may be “making the same mistakes” as Thatcher “all over again”, and that he’s got just two weeks “to come up with a plan B for the Budget”.