19 October 2017 Week In Brief: UK NEWS Brexit THE EU POSITION: Currently the parties are at something of an impasse. On the one hand the UK Government is not willing (and indeed is politically unable) to improve on the offer made by Mrs May in Florence to fund our share of the current cycle of… Continue reading Issue 125: 2017 10 19: Week in Brief: UK
Tag: John McDonnell
Issue 125: 2017 10 19: A Hard Brexit (John Watson)
19 October 2017 A Hard Brexit Why we need the figures. By John Watson It was always inevitable that at some stage we would have to make preparations for a “no deal” Brexit, and at long last the Government seems to be focusing on the possibility. And so they should, you might think. What is… Continue reading Issue 125: 2017 10 19: A Hard Brexit (John Watson)
Issue 122: 2017 09 28: Week in Brief: UK
28 September 2017 Week in Brief: UK Brexit MAY IN FLORENCE: In a speech on Friday, the Prime Minister proposed a two-year transition period which would, in effect, put off much of Brexit until 2021. During that period Britain would no longer have any representation at EU level but would continue to participate in the… Continue reading Issue 122: 2017 09 28: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 112: 2017 07 06: Entryist Politics (John Watson)
06 July 2017 Entryist Politics The knives of McDonnell. By John Watson The Ides of March are still many months off but, if the press are to be believed, Mrs May would do well to keep an eye out on her visits to the Palace of Westminster. It would be nice to think that those… Continue reading Issue 112: 2017 07 06: Entryist Politics (John Watson)
Issue111:2017 06 29: Corbyn at Glastonbury(R D Shackleton)
29 June 2017 Corbyn’s Glastonbury Triumph And how this could back-fire. By R D Shackleton For the Many (not the Few as Labour’s slogan assures us), the Party leader’s appearance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury last weekend looks like an astounding success. With his ears ringing to a massed chorus of “Ooh Jer-e-my Cor-byn”,… Continue reading Issue111:2017 06 29: Corbyn at Glastonbury(R D Shackleton)
Issue 69: 2016 09 01: Week in Brief: UK
01 September Week in Brief: UK Politics IMMIGRATION: The total number of EU citizens living in Britain topped 3 million for the first time last year. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show the largest group as being 831,000 Poles which now exceeds the 795,000 British residents born in India. Net migration now stands at… Continue reading Issue 69: 2016 09 01: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 45: 2016 03 17: Week in Brief: UK
17 March 2016 Week in Brief: UK HEALTHCARE: In a speech at Lancaster house, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announced measures designed to enable the NHS to learn from its mistakes. Modelled on the system for enquiring into airline accidents, there will be a review of all hospital deaths and a new investigation branch which… Continue reading Issue 45: 2016 03 17: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 43: 2016 03 03: Week in Brief: UK
03 March 2016 Week in Brief: UK DOCTORS’ STRIKE: Junior doctors have voted to continue their programme of strikes after agreement could not be reached with the Government over rates to be paid for weekend work. The BMA has announced that it intends to seek judicial review of Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose new contracts.… Continue reading Issue 43: 2016 03 03: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 37: 2016 01 21: Week in Brief: UK
21 January 2016 Week in Brief: UK PENSIONERS’ HEATING: There are concerns that high energy prices are affecting pensioners who are turning down their heating to save money. It is said that the 6 big energy companies have not reduced their rates, despite a fall in wholesale energy costs over the last 2 years. DOCTORS’… Continue reading Issue 37: 2016 01 21: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 35: 2016 01 14: Week in Brief: UK
14 January 2016 Week in Brief: UK EU REFERENDUM: David Cameron has changed his mind and has said that he will allow minsters to campaign in favour of the UK leaving the EU. The effect is to suspend the usual principle of collective cabinet responsibility. DOCTORS’ STRIKE: The strike of junior doctors has started, after… Continue reading Issue 35: 2016 01 14: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 24: 2015 10 15: Week in Brief: UK
15 October 2015 Week in Brief: UK LEON BRITTAN: The Metropolitan police have apologised to Lady Brittan, the widow of Lord Brittan of Spennithorne, for their failure to inform the Brittans that rape allegations against Lord Brittan had been abandoned before Lord Brittan’s death from cancer. An investigation by the BBC’s “Panorama” programme has cast… Continue reading Issue 24: 2015 10 15: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 22: 2015 10 01: Week in Brief: UK
01 October 2015 Week in Brief: UK CYBERCRIME: According to The Times, less than one in every hundred cases of online fraud is investigated by the police, with 3,200,000 frauds over the last year resulting in less than 9,000 being followed up. A computer program is used to identify which cases warrant action by the… Continue reading Issue 22: 2015 10 01: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 20: 2015 09 17: Corbyn sets the stage
17 September 2015 Corbyn Sets the Stage by John Watson As the Corbyn circus roars ahead it is worth reflecting for a moment on how it is to be melded into a coherent opposition. There are already disparate views within the shadow cabinet on a wide range of issues. The shadow defence secretary favours Trident.… Continue reading Issue 20: 2015 09 17: Corbyn sets the stage