Looking at the news and opinion out of London each day.
11-13-11
Exclusive: Backlash grows over Cameron’s green sell-out
Business leaders and environmental campaigners unite in plea to halt the cut in funding for solar panel schemes.
Crime in London is a tale of two cities
For most Londoners the capital has become safer over the past decade. But violent crime afflicts a small percentage of people
11-12-11
David Cameron faces new revolt over high-speed rail
David Cameron is braced for a fresh Tory rebellion – and possible ministerial resignations – when the final route of the £34 billion High Speed Rail link between London and Birmingham is confirmed within weeks.
Baby boomers set about the art of dying well
The way Steve Jobs and Philip Gould approached death offers a standard for their generation
Labour dragged into border fiasco over dropped passport checks
Millions of people are feared to have been allowed into Britain without full passport checks in a major new borders scandal.
As the eurozone crisis deepens, what are David Cameron’s options?
Faced with Franco-German manoeuvres abroad and a divided party at home, the PM must choose his course with care.
Unions reject 15-minute strike idea
Union leaders today attacked a Government minister for making a “daft” suggestion that public sector workers wouldn’t lose any pay if they only go on strike for 15 minutes during a day of action later this month.
11-11-11
Yvette Cooper: the next leader of the Labour Party
The whisper has turned to a chatter. Before this week Labour MPs were privately asking themselves if Yvette Cooper was “the one” – the person to take over from Ed Miliband if, as many of them suspect, he loses the 2015 election.
Religion-friendly democracy and democracy-friendly religion
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair writes that religious, secular and political people need to start talking to each other, to build peaceful coexistence and protect minorities
Occupy movement plans spring offensive as momentum stalls
After eight weeks of dramatic growth, organisers consider how to sustain the protest movement through winter
Democracy is being sacrificed in Europe
Lack of democratic accountability risks an eventual, and possibly extreme, populist backlash. Far from unifying Europe, the euro threatens eventual Balkanisation.
11-10-11
Debt crisis: ‘axe the 50p tax rate now to save the economy‘
George Osborne should “accelerate” plans to scrap the 50p higher rate of income tax and increase personal tax allowances to help the economy during the euro crisis, business leaders will warn the Chancellor.
The Right Word: Herman Cain v the ‘feminazis’
In a week of reverses for conservatives, Rush Limbaugh is especially sore about the rising tide of political correctness
James Murdoch: the man who wasn’t there
Murdoch’s insouciance borders on wilful blindness – or he is saying something untrue
11-9-11
Student fees protest: London braced after year of violent incidents
The large-scale student demonstration through the heart of central London on Wednesday will again place authorities under pressure following several violent incidents in the capital over the past year.
David Cameron attempts another definition of his Big Society idea (Video)
The Prime Minister was speaking at a meeting of the House of Commons Liaison Committee.
11-8-11
Migrationwatch UK petition on immigration tops 100,000
An online petition urging ministers to curb immigration has gained more than 100,000 signatures in a week – making it eligible for a Commons debate.
Chris Huhne’s ex-wife Vicky Pryce ‘wants to be MP’
The ex-wife of Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has told the BBC she is considering seeking election as a Liberal Democrat MP.
11-7-11
Theresa May admits authorising reduced passport checks (Guardian)
May tells MPs she agreed to relaxation of checks on EU passport holders but did not sanction lifting of checks against ‘warning list’ of potential terror suspects and illegal migrants
Hard-up UK puts climate change on back burner
Report finds Britons more concerned with keeping warm than worrying about the environment
May: ‘We don’t know how many suspected terrorists entered UK’ (Telegraph)
Home Secretary says UK border force chief Brodie Clark acted “without ministerial sanction” in relaxing controls, as she admits number of people who entered country without proper checks will remain unknown.
American Way: A funny thing happened on the way to the Herman Cain lynching
Herman Cain’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week ended on a discordantly high note. Addressing a packed ballroom in Washington’s Convention Centre, the former pizza mogul prompted whoops and cheers when he referred obliquely to the sexual harassment storm that had at times threatened to sweep away his White House candidacy.
Average Rating