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Tsunami 'won't divert Africa aid'
UK aid to help the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster will not take much needed relief from Africa, Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised.
Mr Blair told the BBC's Breakfast with Frost show the money spent on the tsunami would not "invade" the money Britain wanted to spend on Afri... | As Britain takes up its presidency of the G8 group of leading nations, Mr Blair said ministers had a big agenda for Africa.Mr Blair told the BBC's Breakfast with Frost show the money spent on the tsunami would not "invade" the money Britain wanted to spend on Africa."For the first time we have a plan that won't just de... |
Ministers lose slopping out case
The Scottish Executive has lost an appeal against an inmate's compensation for being forced to slop out in prison.
Armed robber Robert Napier, 25, won £2,450 after he claimed he suffered an outbreak of the skin complaint, eczema, when slopping out at Barlinnie Prison. Napier said that... | Executive ministers raised an appeal arguing that the standard of proof to be applied in cases alleging a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights through degrading and inhumane treatment should "be beyond reasonable doubt".An executive spokesman said: "We will study this judgement in detail.The Scottish Execu... |
Police probe BNP mosque leaflet
Police are investigating a British National Party leaflet posted to homes in south Wales opposing plans for a new mosque.
Anti-racism campaigners in Swansea have handed copies to South Wales Police. Swansea's Muslim community is raising money to open a new mosque and community centre i... | Andy Richards, of Swansea UAF, said the leaflet was exactly what he had come to expect from the BNP."I'm quite shocked to see this sort of leaflet by the BNP in Swansea," he said."It is a landmark building in Swansea and would otherwise just crumble," he said.Police are investigating a British National Party leaflet po... |
Guantanamo four free in weeks
All four Britons held by the US in Guantanamo Bay will be returned to the UK within weeks, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the Commons on Tuesday.
Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, and Martin Mubanga, Richard Belmar and Feroz Abbasi, from London, have been held by the US for almost three ... | Civil rights group Liberty said it was "delighted" but called on the government to release men indefinitely detained in the UK without charge or trial.All four families have been informed of their return and have been involved in regular discussions with the government, Mr Straw said.Mr Straw said the US had agreed to ... |
February poll claim 'speculation'
Reports that Tony Blair is planning a snap general election for February 2005 have been described as "idle speculation" by Downing Street.
A spokesman said he had "no idea" where the reports in the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph had come from. The papers suggest ministers believe ... | A British general election was last held in February in 1974.The last election was in June 2001.A Labour Party spokesman said the election date was ultimately a matter for Mr Blair, but he was unaware of anything to suggest it would be in February.The papers report that Alan Milburn, Labour's head of elections strategy... |
Former NI minister Scott dies
Former Northern Ireland minister Sir Nicholas Scott has died at a London hospice, his family has announced.
The former Conservative MP for Kensington and Chelsea, died after a long illness diagnosed as Alzheimer's. The 71-year-old served in Northern Ireland from 1981 to 1987 during the p... | Former Northern Ireland minister Sir Nicholas Scott has died at a London hospice, his family has announced.As a Northern Ireland minister he dealt with education and later security where he rode out the mass IRA escape from the Maze in 1983.After leaving Northern Ireland in a reshuffle, he became a UK disability minist... |
Falconer rebuts 'charade' claims
Concessions on a bill which critics claim would allow euthanasia "through the back door" were not a political ploy, the lord chancellor has said.
Ministers have been accused of panic in offering last minute changes to the Mental Capacity Bill amid chaotic scenes in the Commons on Tues... | Concessions on a bill which critics claim would allow euthanasia "through the back door" were not a political ploy, the lord chancellor has said.Tony Blair said he would do everything he could to meet concerns about the bill.It was inevitable that minds became more focused as the bill went through Parliament but the re... |
Final hunts held as ban looms
Hunts in England and Wales have begun on the last day that hunting with dogs is legal, with more due out later.
Thousands of supporters are expected to turn out at more than 250 meets, many of which have altered their normal schedules to be out on a Thursday. The ban on hunting with dogs... | But the group says hunting will continue in some form after the ban comes in, with hunts expected to test the new law to its limits.The alliance says hunt supporters will go out and test this law to its limits on Saturday.But it says the ban is unenforceable because the law is unclear and impossible to police.The decis... |
Mandelson warning to BBC
The BBC should steer away from "demonising" ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson has said.
The European commissioner and former Labour minister was speaking amid claims that Mr Campbell is part of a Labour "dirty tricks" campaign. That charge was denied by Mr Mande... | Mr Mandelson, a former Labour communications director, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I understand why the Tories will be gunning for Alastair Campbell because they fear his campaigning skills.That charge was denied by Mr Mandelson, who said the Tories were afraid of Mr Campbell's campaigning skills.He warned the... |
Terror detainees win Lords appeal
Detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws, the UK's highest court has ruled.
In a blow to the government's anti-terror measures, the House of Lords law lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by nine detainees. Most of the men ar... | The law lords said the measures were incompatible with European human rights laws.But Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, the one law lord to oppose the appeal, said the anti-terror laws contained important safeguards against oppression.Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, in his ruling, said: "Indefinite imprisonment without charge... |
Could rivalry overshadow election?
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are desperately trying to stuff the genie of their rivalry back into the bottle.
Along with any number of senior cabinet colleagues, they are insisting their only job is to win the next election and govern in the best interests of Britain. It is a message... | Lord Haskins even suggested Mr Blair should reinstate Mr Brown as the central figure in the election planning.They believe they will be fighting the next election with the sounds of open warfare between the two men ringing in their ears.Tony Blair will seek to reassure Labour MPs on Monday evening at their first meetin... |
Ministers 'naive' over phone-taps
The government is being naive by refusing to allow phone-tap evidence in court, a senior EU politician says.
Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, says phone-tap evidence works in the courts of other European countries. Human rights groups, top police officers and many MPs say allo... | Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, says phone-tap evidence works in the courts of other European countries.Mr Solana told ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby programme: "[Phone-tap evidence in court] works, it is normal that it is done, it would be naive not to do it.But Home Secretary Charles Clarke says the evidence would ... |
Regiments' group in poll move
A regiments' campaign group is to target nine marginal Labour seats at the General Election.
Save the Scottish Regiments will also field a candidate against Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram in East Kilbride. The group, which is unhappy at defence merger plans, is endorsing opposition ca... | As well as their election move, Save the Scottish Regiments will join other campaigners at a rally in London in the spring.Scotland's only Conservative MP Peter Duncan said the Save the Scottish Regiments had done a "superb job" in fighting against defence cuts.Save the Scottish Regiments will also field a candidate ag... |
Clarke faces ID cards rebellion
Charles Clarke faces his first real test as home secretary on Monday with a possible backbench rebellion over the controversial ID cards bill.
Up to 30 Labour MPs could oppose the scheme during a Commons debate. Mr Clarke, who took on the post on Thursday after David Blunkett quit, has... | The first cards would be issued in 2008 and, when he was introducing the bill, Mr Blunkett suggested Parliament could decide in 2011 or 2012 whether to make it compulsory for everybody to own the cards, although not to carry them.Mr Clarke, writing in The Times, accused some critics of "liberal woolly thinking and spre... |
Thousands join strike in Wales
Thousands of civil servants were on strike across Wales on Friday in protest at planned job cuts.
A range of services in Wales were affected as civil servants in Wales joined the UK-wide strike. The strike, called by the Public and Commercial Services Union, was the biggest by civil ser... | A range of services in Wales were affected as civil servants in Wales joined the UK-wide strike.PCS Union spokesman Jeff Evans said: "In Wales the civil service is major employer, there are more civil servants employed in Wales proportionately than in any other part of the country.Thousands of civil servants were on st... |
Blair 'said he would stand down'
Tony Blair promised Gordon Brown he would stand down before the next election, a new book about the chancellor claims.
But the prime minister changed his mind following intervention from allies in the Cabinet, according to the book. The book by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Pesto... | He said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.The author's sources, all unnamed "allies" of Mr Blair and Mr Brown, said the prime minister felt the Iraq war had undermined him and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party.Tony Blair promised Gordon Bro... |
Blair dismisses quit claim report
Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election.
"You don't do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge t... | Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country.The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said t... |
Jamieson issues warning to bigots
Scotland's justice minister has warned bigoted soccer fans that she wants to hit them "where it hurts most" by banning them from matches.
Cathy Jamieson said exclusion orders are one of a series of measures being considered in the Scottish Executive campaign against sectarianism. She... | Ms Jamieson said the executive should have a role in tackling the soccer troublemakers.Ms Jamieson praised the police for their action and said: "The police do want to identify whether there are particular individuals who are going over the top and inciting hatred or violence - they will crack down very effectively on ... |
What the election should really be about?
A general election is the best chance most pressure groups get to make a real impact on government policy. Here is how six leading lobbies plan to make sure their cause is being debated ahead of an expected Spring poll.
We've called for the state pension to be increased from ... | The issue that we think is the most important for this election is choice.We have got the issue in the public consciousness to an extent, but it is difficult to say whether an election will raise its importance in the public mind or whether it will be pushed out by big issues like Iraq.We would like the support of poli... |
Woolf murder sentence rethink
Plans to give murderers lighter sentences if they plead guilty have been watered down.
There was an outcry three months ago when the Sentencing Guidelines Council - led by Lord Woolf - published its proposals for England and Wales. It had suggested judges should reduce sentences by a thi... | In revised proposals from the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC), the section on murder said possible reductions would have to be "weighed carefully" by a judge so they did not lead to "an inappropriately short sentence".The guidelines were to recognise the need to spare victims and witnesses the trauma of going to co... |
'Few ready' for information act
Thousands of public bodies are ill-prepared for the Freedom of Information Act, due to come into force next month, because of government failures, say MPs.
From next month anyone will have the power to demand information from a range of public bodies - from Whitehall departments to doc... | Committee chairman Alan Beith said: "The DCA has had four years to prepare for freedom of information, but with less than a month to go it appears that some bodies may not be well enough prepared."Our report shows that in the past support and guidance from the DCA, which has overall responsibility for guiding the publi... |
Voters 'reject EU by two to one'
British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.
The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour. However the YouGov poll, whi... | British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour.But he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by p... |
New rules tackle 'sham weddings'
New rules on marriage for foreign nationals living in the UK are coming into force.
From Tuesday, most non-EU citizens will need Home Office approval to marry. The Home Office says the new rules are aimed at reducing the number of sham marriages, of which there are estimated to be up ... | New rules on marriage for foreign nationals living in the UK are coming into force.The Home Office says the new rules are aimed at reducing the number of sham marriages, of which there are estimated to be up to 15,000 a year."These rules means in some cases the Home Secretary is going to be a marriage registrar of last... |
Iraqis win death test case probe
The family of an Iraqi civilian allegedly killed by UK troops have won a challenge against the government's refusal to order a full inquiry.
The High Court ruled on Tuesday that Baha Mousa's death in British custody in Iraq fell within the European Convention on Human Rights. And the ... | They said as Mr Mousa was in custody when he died, his case came within the UK's jurisdiction.And it was difficult to say that the investigation which had already occurred "has been timely, open or effective", the judges said.The High Court ruled on Tuesday that Baha Mousa's death in British custody in Iraq fell within... |
Army chiefs in regiments decision
Military chiefs are expected to meet to make a final decision on the future of Scotland's Army regiments.
A committee of the Army Board, which is made up of the most senior defence figures, will discuss plans for restructuring regiments on Monday. The proposals include cutting Scotla... | "They are very much not for the good and will destroy Scotland's regiments by moulding them into a single super regiment which will lead to severe recruitment problems, a loss of local connections to those regiments and a loss to Scotland of an important part of her heritage and, most importantly, her future - the regi... |
Blunkett unveils policing plans
People could be given the mobile phone number of their local bobby under an overhaul of policing in England and Wales unveiled by David Blunkett.
The plans include a dedicated policing team for each neighbourhood and a 10 point compulsory customer charter. The home secretary said targe... | Mr Blunkett said he wanted "to go back to a time when I was very young, when you expected the police to be part of the community and the community to be part of policing and where people were joined together in partnership making it work".The best performing police services would get more cash and extra freedoms, he sa... |
Lib Dems' new election PR chief
The Lib Dems have appointed a senior figure from BT to be the party's new communications chief for their next general election effort.
Sandy Walkington will now work with senior figures such as Matthew Taylor on completing the party manifesto. Party chief executive Lord Rennard said th... | Mr Walkington said he wanted the party to be ready for any "mischief" rivals or the media tried to throw at it."I also know the party will be put under scrutiny in the media and from the other parties as never before - and we will need to show ourselves ready and prepared to counter the mischief and misrepresentation t... |
Sport betting rules in spotlight
A group of MPs and peers has called for a tightening of regulations controlling betting on sport.
The Parliamentary Group on Betting and Gaming held a substantial inquiry into betting last year. It followed fears that a massive increase in betting on sport, such as that done using the... | As well as the growth of internet and mobile phone betting, there has been the creation of betting exchanges which allow punters to fix odds between themselves.Lord Faulkner of Worcester, who chaired the inquiry, said: "Whilst we accept that the greater part of sports betting is neither corrupt nor unfair to punters, t... |
Councils prepare to set tax rises
Council tax in Scotland is set to rise by an average of about 4% in the coming year, BBC Scotland has learned.
Authorities will decide final figures on Thursday when projected increases will be more than twice the rate of inflation, which is currently 1.6%. The finance minister has u... | The councils' umbrella organisation Cosla, which provided BBC Scotland with the indicative figures for next year, warned that councils would face a continuous struggle to maintain services.The finance minister has urged councils to limit increases but they have warned that they will struggle to maintain services unless... |
Schools to take part in mock poll
Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.
Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking... | Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of acti... |
Tory expert denies defeatism
The Conservatives' campaign director has denied a report claiming he warned Michael Howard the party could not win the next general election.
The Times on Monday said Australian Lynton Crosby told the party leader to focus on trying to increase the Tories' Commons presence by 25 to 30 sea... | Mr Howard appointed Mr Crosby as his elections chief last October.Mr Crosby's statement said: "The Conservative Party has been making an impact on the issues of lower tax and controlled immigration over the past week."Mr Howard later added there was not "one iota" of truth in the report.But Mr Crosby said in a statemen... |
Kilroy unveils immigration policy
Ex-chatshow host Robert Kilroy-Silk has attacked UK policy on immigration saying Britain's open door approach is hitting low wage "indigenous" workers.
The Veritas leader said the only people to benefit from immigrants from places like Poland were employers, landlords, members of the... | Mr Kilroy-Silk said that worked out at £143,000 per successful asylum seeker.He said Veritas wanted to grant an amnesty for all those in Britain claiming asylum and who have children and deport everyone else.And Mr Kilroy-Silk said he wanted to spend an extra £500m a year to help provide for refugees abroad.And he argu... |
Whitehall shredding increasing - Tories
Civil servants have drastically stepped up the shredding of official documents, figures compiled by the Tories suggest.
Some government departments had doubled the number of documents being shredded ahead of the Freedom of Information Act's implementation on 1 January. Departme... | The Freedom of Information Act will for the first time give members of the public access to government records previously kept secret for 30 years.Government guidance said e-mails should only be deleted if they served "no current purpose", Mr Thomas said.He said he "totally condemned" the deletion of e-mails to prevent... |
Clarke defends terror detentions
The home secretary has defended his decision not to release foreign terror suspects despite a legal ruling their detention breached human rights laws.
House of Lords law lords ruled against the detention measures last week. They said it was wrong to have one set of laws for foreign su... | The law lords' ruling came on Charles Clarke's first day as home secretary last Thursday following David Blunkett's resignation.New Home Secretary Charles Clarke said he would carefully consider the ruling and would return to Parliament early in the new year with proposals.House of Lords law lords ruled against the det... |
Burglar defence guidelines issued
Householders who injure or even kill intruders are unlikely to be prosecuted - providing they were acting "honestly and instinctively", new guidelines say.
The law also protects those who use "something to hand" as a weapon. The leaflet, published by police and prosecutors, aims to c... | And the law protects those who use "something to hand" as a weapon, said the leaflet published jointly by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).In cases involving householders attacking intruders prosecutors and police were "determined" they would be dealt with "as swiftly ... |
Clarke plans migrant point scheme
Anyone planning to move to the UK will have to pass a test to prove they can contribute to the country, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said.
He is proposing a points system similar to Australia's but would avoid the quota system planned by the Tories. Mr Clarke, who will unveil hi... | Anyone planning to move to the UK will have to pass a test to prove they can contribute to the country, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said.Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "Whilst it is good that Labour has rejected the Tory idea of quotas on asylum, the jury is still out on the Home Office'... |
MPs assess Scots fishing industry
A group of MPs are on a two-day fact-finding mission to Scotland to gather evidence for a report into the UK's fishing industry.
Members of Westminster's environment, food and rural affairs committee will be touring fish markets and talking to fish processors. They will also talk to ... | They will also speak to Mr Finnie, representatives of the Royal Society and the Sea Fish Industry Authority.Members of Westminster's environment, food and rural affairs committee will be touring fish markets and talking to fish processors.The aim is that fishing ports like Peterhead or Fraserburgh would be allocated a ... |
Blair dismisses quit claim report
Tony Blair has dismissed reports he told Gordon Brown he would quit before the next general election.
"You don't do deals over jobs like this," the prime minister told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme. According to a new book, Brown's Britain, Mr Blair went back on a pledge t... | Former welfare minister Frank Field MP said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so.Mr Blair said the claims were "reheated from six months ago" and that he was concentrating on running the country.The Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said t... |
Blair to face MPs amid feud talk
Tony Blair faces his first prime minister's questions of 2005 after a week of renewed speculation about his relationship with Gordon Brown.
Meanwhile, the chancellor is leaving Britain on a high-profile tour of Africa to highlight poverty issues. But before doing so, he insisted he st... | The new book claims Mr Prescott hosted a dinner in November 2003 where the prime minister told Mr Brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the Iraq war.In Mr Peston's book Mr Brown is alleged to have told the prime minister: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I ... |
Labour pig poster 'anti-Semitic'
The Labour Party has been accused of anti-Semitism over a poster depicting Michael Howard and Oliver Letwin - who are both Jewish - as flying pigs.
Prospective Tory candidate Andrew Mennear, whose Finchley constituency contains a large Jewish community, branded it "tasteless" and offe... | Labour said the poster was "not anti-Jewish, but anti-Tory".He said there was nothing more distasteful for a Jewish person than to be associated with a pig."As we said at the time the James report (the Tory backed inquiry into possible public spending savings) was published pigs will fly before the Tory's sums will add... |
Kennedy questions trust of Blair
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has said voters now have a "fundamental lack of trust" of Tony Blair as prime minister.
He said backing his party was not a wasted vote, adding that with the Lib Dems "what you see is what you get". He made his comments at the start of a day of appearanc... | Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has said voters now have a "fundamental lack of trust" of Tony Blair as prime minister.He said backing his party was not a wasted vote, adding that with the Lib Dems "what you see is what you get".But he said Mr Blair had lost the trust of the British people."There is a fundamental lack o... |
Custody death rate 'shocks' MPs
Deaths in custody have reached "shocking" levels, a committee of MPs and peers has warned.
The joint committee on human rights found those committing suicide were mainly the most vulnerable, with mental health, drugs or alcohol problems. Members urged the government to set up a task fo... | "Yet throughout our inquiry we have seen time and time again that extremely vulnerable people are entering custody with a history of mental illness, drug and alcohol problems and potential for taking their own lives."There was one prison suicide every four days between 1999 and 2003, MPs said.The report, which followed... |
Lib Dems target the student vote
Students can decide the fate of MPs in some seats at the next election, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has claimed.
The party says the votes of students can win it 27 new seats at the poll. The figures assume all students will vote in their university town. In fact, some may ... | The Lib Dems say scrapping university fees wins them student support.The Lib Dem analysis of the difference students could make to its election chances is based on all students being registered to vote near their university, not in their home towns.The party says the votes of students can win it 27 new seats at the pol... |
Student 'inequality' exposed
Teenagers from well-off backgrounds are six times more likely to go to university than those from the most deprived areas, a report says.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000. But the percentage of poorer students "hard... | The Higher Education Funding Council for England said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000.The group which represents university vice-chancellors, Universities UK, said the new system of deferred fees in England, due to start in 2006, with grants and bursaries for poorer students, would encourage more o... |
Research fears over Kelly's views
Scientists have expressed concerns that new education secretary Ruth Kelly's religious views could hamper vital scientific research.
Ms Kelly, who is Catholic, is reported to be "pro-life" and has opposed embryo research. Medical Research Council Professor Nancy Rothwell said Ms Kell... | Medical Research Council Professor Nancy Rothwell said Ms Kelly's views mattered as she was responsible for training future scientists.Ms Kelly has not set out her detailed views on either issue yet, but has said she intends to put parents first in education policy.It was down to the Higher Education Funding Council an... |
No election TV debate, says Blair
Tony Blair has said he will not take part in a TV debate with his political rivals ahead of the next election.
"We answer this every election campaign and, for the reasons I have given before, the answer is no," he said at his monthly news conference. In October Tory leader Michael H... | Tony Blair has said he will not take part in a TV debate with his political rivals ahead of the next election.Before the 2001 election, plans for a debate between Mr Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy collapsed.In 1997 a debate between Mr Blair and John Major was also cancelled when a format could not be agreed. |
Row over 'police' power for CSOs
The Police Federation has said it strongly opposes giving Community Support Officers (CSOs) the power to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.
The powers - piloted in six areas - were extended to all police forces in England and Wales on Thursday. The federation said CSOs do not have ... | The Police Federation has said it strongly opposes giving Community Support Officers (CSOs) the power to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.Police Federation chairman Jan Berry said civilian officers should act as "eyes and ears" for the police.She said more powers would mean more paperwork and less time on the stree... |
Probe launched on Ken Nazi jibe
An investigation by the Standards Board is under way following allegations that Ken Livingstone has brought his office into disrepute.
The probe follows the London mayor's comments to a Jewish journalist comparing him to a concentration camp guard, after a party about a week ago. The l... | Ms Gavron said she thought Mr Livingstone's comments were "inappropriate" but she did not believe the mayor was anti-Semitic.Speaking after the investigation was announced Bob Neill, leader of the London Assembly Conservatives, said: "He has behaved in a manner unbecoming of his office and in so doing, has shown extrao... |
David Blunkett in quotes
David Blunkett - who has resigned as home secretary - built his reputation as a plain-speaking Yorkshire man.
I fell in love with someone and they wouldn't go public and things started to go very badly wrong in the summer, and then the News of the World picked up the story. "I tried for t... | "I don't think anyone can say I have said one thing in public and done another in private.""Our work with the French government...has been hugely successful," said Mr Blunkett.David Blunkett - who has resigned as home secretary - built his reputation as a plain-speaking Yorkshire man."It would be dangerous territory if... |
Brown and Blair face new rift claims
For the umpteenth time, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are said to have declared all out war on each other.
This time the alleged rift is over who should take the credit for the government's global aid and debt initiatives, particularly in the wake of the tsunami disaster - an issue ... | It was claimed he had been embarrassed by the fact that Gordon Brown appeared to have taken the initiative over the government's response to the disaster while Mr Blair was still on holiday in Egypt.The prime minister denied all that as well, repeating his insistence that it was inconceivable the economy and the chance... |
Jack Cunningham to stand down
Veteran Labour MP and former Cabinet minister Jack Cunningham has said he will stand down at the next election.
One of the few Blair-era ministers to serve under Jim Callaghan, he was given the agriculture portfolio when Labour regained power in 1997. Mr Cunningham went on to become Tony... | Veteran Labour MP and former Cabinet minister Jack Cunningham has said he will stand down at the next election.Mr Blair said he was a "huge figure" in Labour and a "valued, personal friend".One of the few Blair-era ministers to serve under Jim Callaghan, he was given the agriculture portfolio when Labour regained power... |
Top judge clashes with ministers
The UK's top judge has revealed he has clashed with ministers about how the heads of public inquiries are chosen.
Lord Woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence. But he told MPs the Lor... | "As Lord Woolf also acknowledged, it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice.Lord Woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns.In written evidence to the... |
Tories unveil quango blitz plans
Plans to abolish 162 quangos have been unveiled by the Conservatives as part of their effort to show how government red tape can be cut.
Six government units would also be scrapped under proposals which the Tories say would save more than £4.3bn. Among the targets are strategic health... | Six government units would also be scrapped under proposals which the Tories say would save more than £4.3bn.Tory frontbencher John Redwood said Britain needed a slimmer government and lower taxes to be competitive.The Tories say the strategic health authorities are not needed as it is better that local people, rather ... |
Kennedy to make temple address
Charles Kennedy is set to address 2,000 people at a Hindu temple as part of an appeal to ethnic minority voters.
The Liberal Democrat leader will visit the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple in Neasden, north west London. He will say Labour "can no longer lay exclusive claim to the votes o... | Mr Kennedy will also highlight the anger among people of "all races" over the Iraq war and call for a "balanced approach" to tackling terrorism.Charles Kennedy is set to address 2,000 people at a Hindu temple as part of an appeal to ethnic minority voters.Mr Kennedy will say that a "balanced approach" to tackling terro... |
'Poll Idols' face first hurdles
Vote For Me - ITV1's Pop Idol style talent contest for would-be politicians - finally hits our screens this week.
Over the next four days, hundreds of potential candidates will be whittled down by a panel of experts and public vote. The winner will then be encouraged to stand as an ind... | I care about myself and when the sun's shining I think - fantastic," replied Mr MacKenzie.His advice for one young contestant was to "get a haircut and a brain transplant".Mr Lim later reduced the panel to fits of giggles as he outlined his plan to make people do community service instead of paying taxes."Any of them w... |
Tory leader unveils spending plan
Tory leader Michael Howard says his party can save £35bn in government spending by tackling waste.
The money would be ploughed back into frontline services like the NHS and schools with the rest used to cut government borrowing and reduce taxes. The Tory leader has also shrugged off ... | Mr Howard is expected to say that around £6bn will be available for tax cuts when he makes his announcement on Monday.Tory leader Michael Howard says his party can save £35bn in government spending by tackling waste."Almost every independent expert says if you get another Labour government you are going to have to pay ... |
Defection timed to hit tax pledge
With impeccable and precisely-calculated timing, Tory defector Robert Jackson and his new Labour bosses have attempted to overshadow Michael Howard's latest announcement on taxation and spending.
With just about everyone in Westminster now working towards a May general election, Mr H... | But he did, for the first time, say there would be such tax cuts."At this election, people will have a clear choice between Mr Blair who will waste more and tax more and the Conservative party which will give value for money and tax less".So it is a pretty safe bet to assume that, when Robert Jackson finally decided to... |
Donor attacks Blair-Brown 'feud'
The reported feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has prompted a Labour donor to say he will almost certainly refuse to give more funds.
Duncan Bannatyne also attacked the government over Iraq and its "poor" response to the Asian tsunami crisis. His broadside came as ex-Foreign Se... | Mr Bannatyne has previously given Labour £50,000.Mr Bannatyne said: "Disunity in the Cabinet has a corrosive effect on the country.He warned the "Abstentions Party" was the real challenge to Labour - and they would not be motivated by Mr Blair's promise to produce an "unremittingly New Labour" election manifesto.But he... |
Blair and Brown criticised by MPs
Labour MPs have angrily criticised Tony Blair and Gordon Brown amid renewed reports of a rift between the two men.
A meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party saw a succession of normally loyal members warn that feuding could jeopardise Labour's election hopes. The PM insisted nothin... | Labour's Paul Flynn said Mr Blair and Mr Brown had a "scorching" from MPs adding: "It was a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting like no other."Relations between Mr Brown and Mr Milburn are widely reported to be cool ever since Mr Blair brought the latter back into the Cabinet to run Labour's election campaign, a role su... |
How political squabbles snowball
It's become commonplace to argue that Blair and Brown are like squabbling school kids and that they (and their supporters) need to grow up and stop bickering.
But this analysis in fact gets it wrong. It's not just children who fight - adults do too. And there are solid reasons why eve... | And he tells them that if they don't confess - and they are the only one not to confess - they'll get life.He tells each prisoner separately, that if they confess - and they are the only one to confess - they'll be let off their crime.And if your partner does confess, you'd better confess to ensure you don't get life.I... |
Kennedy looks to election gains
They may not know quite how to describe their position in British politics - the real opposition, the valid opposition, the effective opposition or the authentic opposition.
But the Liberal Democrats are entering the expected 2005 election campaign determined to prove it is they, not t... | They would argue that, by the time of the election after next, the Liberal Democrats may genuinely have replaced the Tories as the party challenging Labour for power.He was also happy to offer a pledge that he would be doing no deals to "prop up" either of the other big parties after the election.On the war on Iraq, id... |
'Best person' for top legal job
The "best person for the job" should be appointed lord chancellor, and not necessarily a lawyer or MP, the courts minister has told MPs.
Under reforms, the post of lord chancellor is to be stripped of its judicial functions. "The lord chancellor...no more needs to be a lawyer than the ... | Mr Leslie said it was irrelevant whether the post was called Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs or Lord Chancellor.He warned that unless ministers backed down over the lord chancellor remaining a member of the House of Lords, the government would have "great difficulty" in getting the Bill through Parliament... |
Howard dismisses Tory tax fears
Michael Howard has dismissed fears from some Conservatives that his plans for £4bn tax cuts are too modest.
He defended the package, saying it was a plan for the Tories' first Budget and he hoped to be able to go further. The Tories on Monday highlighted £35bn in "wasteful" spending th... | Tory backbencher Edward Leigh said the proposals were a step in the right direction but he told the Financial Times: "I would come up sooner with much greater tax cuts."Mr Howard said voters faced a clear choice at the next election between more waste and more tax under Labour and Tory value for money and lower taxes.T... |
New UKIP defection to 'Veritas'
The UK Independence Party has lost one of its two London Assembly members to Robert Kilroy-Silk's new political party, expected to launch on Wednesday.
Damian Hockney said ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a eurosceptic party. He said Mr Kilroy-Sil... | Damian Hockney said ex-chatshow host Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a eurosceptic party.Sources close to Mr Hockney said around eight other members of London UKIP were also planning to jump ship.On the suspension of Mr Houston, UKIP said those who selected him knew nothing of his views.A spokesm... |
Kennedy's cautious optimism
Charles Kennedy is far too canny to make any grand claims about how his party may fare at the general election.
In his 22 years in the Commons, he has seen his fair share of such claims dashed on the rocks of bitter experience and, he might say, the UK's political and electoral system. But... | He also believes being the only major party promising to increases taxes will not land him in the same trouble a similar policy did to Old Labour.Mr Kennedy is also eager to dispel any impression his party is the new party of the left and is likely to attract mostly disillusioned Labour voters."This is really going to ... |
Howard and Blair tax pledge clash
Tony Blair has said voters will have to wait for Labour's manifesto to see if the party has plans to increase tax.
The premier was responding to a challenge from Tory leader Michael Howard who said Labour would raise taxes in its post-election Budget. Mr Blair derided Tory claims the... | The premier was responding to a challenge from Tory leader Michael Howard who said Labour would raise taxes in its post-election Budget.But Mr Howard said voters faced a clear choice at the next election between more waste and more tax under Labour and Tory value for money and lower taxes.Mr Blair derided Tory claims t... |
The memory driving Brown's mission
The memory Gordon Brown says keeps returning to him - the one that he says is burnt into him - is that of a 12 year-old girl, whose parents died of Aids, and who is HIV positive herself.
Mr Brown seems haunted by her eyes, desolate of all hope. And then he talks of those eyes that d... | But he also believes it is time for the world to see a new Gordon Brown.It also goes some way to solving one of the overarching problems for all politicians of all parties: scepticism sliding into cynicism about politics itself.Brown replies that no one thought the Berlin Wall would ever come down either.Mr Brown seems... |
Peers debate Crown succession law
Peers are debating proposals to change the rules governing the succession to the throne.
Labour peer Lord Dubs' Succession to the Crown Bill aims to end the right of male heirs to succeed to the crown even if they have an older sister. The private member's bill would also abolish the... | The Fabian Society's Sundar Katwala said the change was "long overdue" and that he expected a "warm response".He said he hoped the bill would be a "gentle nudge" to the government and suggested it would "demand a response".The private member's bill would also abolish the ban on heirs to the throne marrying Roman Cathol... |
What really divides the parties
So what is the gap between Labour and the Tories nowadays?
One Starbucks, one Rymans and one small Greek cafe as it happens. Both parties have now completed their moves to new headquarters, with Labour creating its election hub just three doors away from the Tories' new headquarters in... | Certainly the press conference hosted by election co-ordinator Alan Milburn, in the rather compact new conference room - still smelling of new carpet and with the garish New Labour coffee mugs as yet unstained - had all the hallmarks of an election event.Both parties have now completed their moves to new headquarters, ... |
Kilroy-Silk quits 'shameful' UKIP
Ex-chat show host Robert Kilroy-Silk has quit the UK Independence Party and accused it of betraying its supporters.
The MEP said he was ashamed to have joined the party, which he labelled as a "joke". He plans to stand in the next general election but refused to confirm he is setting... | Mr Knapman rejected the idea Mr Kilroy-Silk posed a threat to UKIP and queried why he had failed to confirm rumours he was starting a new political party."He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the (European) election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party t... |
Blair sees greater Bush consensus
George W Bush will display a more consensual approach to world politics as he begins his second term as US President, Tony Blair has said.
The prime minister said Mr Bush had learned military force was not the only way to fight terrorism. He understood that "the best prospect of peac... | The prime minister said Mr Bush had learned military force was not the only way to fight terrorism.Mr Blair said he believed the president was keen to work with other countries while trying to spread democracy and human rights.Mr Blair had personally seen the change over time in conversations with Mr Bush.Following cla... |
UKIP's secret weapon?
By any measure, New Yorker Dick Morris is that thing Americans love over everything else - a winner.
This is the man who, some pundits believe, was almost single-handedly responsible for Bill Clinton's sensational 1992 comeback victory. But Morris is no ideologue. He has worked as election strat... | So why Britain and why UKIP which, despite its recent EU election successes, is not likely to pull off a sensational victory in the looming general election.UKIP's performance in last year's European elections was just such a shocker and showed that Mr Morris may have a point about the new consensus.The aim of UKIP is ... |
Blair pledges unity to Labour MPs
Tony Blair has sought to reassure Labour backbenchers that nothing will stand in the way of the party's bid for a third term in power.
Mr Blair was speaking to MPs amid fresh rumours of a rift with Gordon Brown. A new book says the prime minister went back on a pledge to Mr Brown to ... | Mr Brown allegedly said he could no longer believe anything Mr Blair told him.Ex-Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Mr Blair and Mr Brown could only deal with the media frenzy by continuing to say they would not allow a row to damage Labour or British interests.Mr Brown says he discussed the election campaign with Mr Blai... |
Lib Dems' 'bold' election policy
Charles Kennedy has told voters his Liberal Democrats will offer them an "honest choice" at the next general election.
With the other two big parties battling over which will impose the lowest taxes, Mr Kennedy is going into the looming election pledged to increase taxation. It is a b... | With the other two big parties battling over which will impose the lowest taxes, Mr Kennedy is going into the looming election pledged to increase taxation.Once again, with the two other big parties singing similar songs on immigration, Mr Kennedy is stressing the different, more liberal approach of his party.But, unli... |
More reforms ahead says Milburn
Labour will continue to pursue controversial reforms if it wins a third term in power, the party's election chief Alan Milburn has said.
He pledged Labour would encourage more people to achieve their aspirations. "What we want is for more people to earn and own," Mr Milburn told BBC Ra... | Labour will continue to pursue controversial reforms if it wins a third term in power, the party's election chief Alan Milburn has said.Mr Milburn told Today that Labour wanted policies which encouraged increased social mobility in Britain."What we want is for more people to earn and own," Mr Milburn told BBC Radio 4's... |
Blair blasts Tory spending plans
Tony Blair has launched an attack on Conservative spending plans, saying they are a "ludicrous improbability".
The prime minister has told a Labour Party gathering that the Tory policies would cause economic failure. Tory leader Michael Howard has said his party would cut £35bn in "wa... | In his speech, Mr Blair contrasted a reformed Labour party, which had learned to occupy the political centre ground, with a hidebound Tory party, which he said would turn the clock back with spending cuts.Tory leader Michael Howard has said his party would cut £35bn in "wasteful" spending to allow £4bn in tax cuts.Mr B... |
Brown in appeal for Labour unity
Gordon Brown has made an appeal for unity after reports claimed Mr Blair went back on a pledge to stand down before the next general election.
The chancellor would not comment on the reports, but insisted he would not be "diverted or distracted" from tackling the challenges faced by t... | In a separate interview with BBC political editor Andrew Marr, Mr Brown said: "It's very important that we all do what we can in a unified way to ensure the election of a Labour government.Liberal Democrat parliamentary chairman Matthew Taylor said the personal ambition of Mr Blair and Mr Brown was "getting in the way ... |
Labour MPs' fears over squabbling
If there is one thing certain to stiffen the spines of Labour MPs it is the prospect of losing their seats at a general election.
And it was largely that fear that led to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown being read the riot act during a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party. The views... | The views expressed by both backbenchers and Labour peers over the claimed squabbling between the two men starkly demonstrated the widely-held view within the Labour party that the two most powerful figures in the government are jeopardising the next election.The dressing down appears to have done the trick, with Mr Br... |
Labour's election love-in
Peace and love have been in short supply in the Labour party in recent days.
If press reports are to be believed, Alan Milburn and Gordon Brown have been at each other's throats over the contents of Labour's next election manifesto. But the pair were all smiles on Tuesday morning, as they jo... | The event may have been designed to highlight Labour's economic success under Mr Brown, but there was little doubt who was in charge.But it was Mr Milburn who took centre stage, speaking of the "positive campaign" the party hoped to stage in the "coming weeks and months".And, more specifically, to demonstrate the "cent... |
Blair looks to election campaign
Tony Blair's big speech will be looked back on as the performance that kicked off the election campaign.
That poll may still be about 16 weeks away, but there can be little doubt left that the campaign is now in full swing. The prime minister used his speech to a selected audience in ... | There was little in terms of concrete proposals or what might form manifesto pledges, although the prime minister talked about a "New Labour manifesto that will be aimed at all sections of society".And there was an insistence on the importance of the party continuing to operate as unremittingly "New" Labour - although ... |
Boothroyd calls for Lords speaker
Betty Boothroyd has said the House of Lords needs its own Speaker and that peers should lead the way on reforming the upper chamber.
Baroness Boothroyd, who was the first woman to be Commons Speaker, said she believed Tony Blair initiated reforms without a clear outcome in mind. "Now... | The lord chancellor currently has the role of House of Lords speaker."I don't go for the idea of somebody - a lord chancellor - who is head of the judiciary, a senior Cabinet minister and Speaker of the Lords.Lady Boothroyd said she believed it was unacceptable for the lord chancellor to have the role of Speaker."I thi... |
Tories unveil quango blitz plans
Plans to abolish 162 quangos have been unveiled by the Conservatives as part of their effort to show how government red tape can be cut.
Six government units would also be scrapped under proposals which the Tories say would save more than £4.3bn. Among the targets are strategic health... | Six government units would also be scrapped under proposals which the Tories say would save more than £4.3bn.Tory frontbencher John Redwood said Britain needed a slimmer government and lower taxes to be competitive.The government has announced plans to cut 100,000 civil servants as part of its efficiency drive."The Con... |
UKIP candidate suspended in probe
Eurosceptic party UKIP have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed.
John Houston, 54, was due to stand in the East Kilbride seat in Lanarkshire at the next election. But he was suspended after his reported views, including the return of ... | Peter Nielson, who is UKIP Scotland chairman, said he had suspended Mr Houston on Friday night.UKIP spokesman Mark Croucher said those who selected Mr Houston knew nothing of his views.He said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party's manifesto, but would not have been matched to Mr Houston... |
Teens 'know little' of politics
Teenagers questioned for a survey have shown little interest in politics - and have little knowledge.
Only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that Labour was the government, the Tories were the official Opposition and the Lib Dems were the third party. Almost all could identify Tony Bla... | The survey also looked at issues of nationality.Many of the pupils also looked on themselves as English, Scottish or Welsh, rather than British; while the notion of being European hardly occurred to anyone.Only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that Labour was the government, the Tories were the official Opposition and... |
Amnesty chief laments war failure
The lack of public outrage about the war on terror is a powerful indictment of the failure of human rights groups, Amnesty International's chief has said.
In a lecture at the London School of Economics, Irene Khan said human rights had been flouted in the name of security since 11 Se... | Ms Khan said the movement had failed to mobilise public outrage about what was happening to the human rights system."The human rights movement faces a crisis of faith in the value of human rights," she said."By using the language of war, human rights are being sidelined because we know human rights do not apply in time... |
Howard taunts Blair over splits
Tony Blair's feud with Gordon Brown is damaging the way the UK is governed, Tory leader Michael Howard has claimed in a heated prime minister's questions.
Mr Howard asked: "How can they fight crime when they are fighting each other?" That question was later unveiled as the headline for... | It claims Mr Blair said in November 2003 he would stand down as prime minister before the next election.Mr Peston's book claimed that Mr Brown told Mr Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."Labour staged a show of unity at its own poster launch on Tuesday, where Mr Brown was jo... |
Hague 'given up' his PM ambition
Former Conservative leader William Hague says he will not stand for the leadership again, having given up his ambition to be prime minister.
Mr Hague, 43, told the Daily Telegraph he would now find a life dominated by politics too "boring" and unfulfilling. Mr Hague, who stepped down ... | Mr Hague became an MP at 27 and Leader of the Opposition at 36.Tim Collins, the shadow education secretary, said last week it would be a "huge boost" to the party if Mr Hague returned to the front bench.Asked if he would stand for the leadership again, Mr Hague replied: "No.Mr Hague, 43, told the Daily Telegraph he wou... |
Labour seeks to quell feud talk
Labour's leadership put on a show of unity at a campaign poster launch after MPs criticised Tony Blair and Gordon Brown over reports of their rift.
Mr Brown was joined at the launch by John Prescott and Alan Milburn, the man controversially put in charge of election planning by Mr Blai... | The new book claims Mr Prescott hosted a dinner in November 2003 where the prime minister told Mr Brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the Iraq war.Mr Brown later told reporters: "Of course I trust the prime minister."Mr Brown was joined at the launch by John Prescott and Al... |
Blair moves to woo Jewish voters
Tony Blair has pledged to "never, ever, ever" attack Tory leader Michael Howard over his Jewish beliefs.
The prime minister told the Jewish Chronicle: "If you look at what I do, I attack Michael Howard politically." Mr Blair also distanced himself from recent Labour campaign posters f... | Mr Livingstone "should have withdrawn the comment immediately" once he realised the journalist was Jewish, said Mr Blair.During his interview with the Jewish Chronicle, Mr Blair said: "I've been a very strong supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, and will always be so."Mr Blair also distanced himself from recen... |
Blair to face trust issue head on
Tony Blair says he will be facing the issue of trust and his own integrity head on during the election campaign.
During a question and answer session with first-time voters on Five News, Mr Blair said he had no option but to "confront it" by talking to people. He also dismissed claim... | During a question and answer session with first-time voters on Five News, Mr Blair said he had no option but to "confront it" by talking to people.In answer to a question from 22-year-old Liverpool student David Dunne about concerns over the prime minister's personal integrity, Mr Blair said talking was the only answer... |
Terror powers expose 'tyranny'
The Lord Chancellor has defended government plans to introduce control orders to keep foreign and British terrorist suspects under house arrest, where there isn't enough evidence to put them on trial.
Lord Falconer insists that the proposals do not equate to a police state and strike a ... | Mr Forsyth links "Islamic fundamentalism" to the new "threat".The people who Mr Forsyth labels the new "threat" are those who do not follow the correct teachings of Islam.Mr Forsyth has forgotten one key point; the terrorists who threaten Britain today are well aware that Hitler, Stalin, and the IRA all failed.The Brit... |
CSA chief who 'quit' still in job
The head of the "failing" Child Support Agency widely reported to have resigned three months ago is still at the helm of the troubled organisation.
Doug Smith's departure was announced by Work Secretary Alan Johnson on 17 November as MPs grilled him over the agency's poor performance... | Lib Dem Sir Archy Kirkwood, who chairs the Commons work and pensions committee, said that when Mr Johnson had announced Mr Smith was going he got the "clear impression" the CSA chief was retiring though it had since emerged that was not the case, and he may be seeking new employment opportunities.Tory work and pensions... |
Tory 'stalking horse' Meyer dies
Sir Anthony Meyer, the Tory backbencher who challenged Margaret Thatcher for the party leadership in 1989, has died.
He was 84, had been suffering from cancer for many months, and died at his London home. That failed "stalking horse" leadership challenge made it easier for Michael Hes... | Sir Anthony Meyer, the Tory backbencher who challenged Margaret Thatcher for the party leadership in 1989, has died.Sir Anthony John Charles Meyer was born on 27 October, 1920.He was 84, had been suffering from cancer for many months, and died at his London home.Educated at Eton, and at New College, Oxford, he served i... |
Parties build up poll war chests
The Labour Party received more than £5m in donations in the final quarter of 2004, new figures show.
This is nearly half of the £11,724,929 received by 16 political parties listed by the Electoral Commission. The Conservatives were in second place with donations totalling £4,610,849, ... | Registered political parties are required to set out each quarter all donations over £5,000 to their headquarters and over £1,000 to local constituency parties they receive.The Labour Party received more than £5m in donations in the final quarter of 2004, new figures show.Other significant donations came from retired m... |
Mandelson warns BBC on Campbell
The BBC should steer away from "demonising" ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson has said.
The European commissioner and former Labour minister was speaking amid claims that Mr Campbell is part of a Labour "dirty tricks" campaign. That charge was denied by M... | Mr Mandelson, a former Labour communications director, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I understand why the Tories will be gunning for Alastair Campbell because they fear his campaigning skills.That charge was denied by Mr Mandelson, who said the Tories were afraid of Mr Campbell's campaigning skills.He warned the... |
Labour in constituency race row
Labour's choice of a white candidate for one of the UK's most multi-racial seats proves the need for all-black short lists, says a race group.
Local councillor Lyn Brown was selected for West Ham, east London, in a contest between two white and five ethnic minority women. An Operation ... | A CRE spokesman said the organisation had nothing to add on the shortlist issue specifically but would be working with all the political parties to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in Parliament.If ethnic minorities were represented in the House of Commons in proportion to their numbers in the popu... |
Galloway targets 'New Labour' MP
George Galloway is to stand against pro-Iraq war Labour MP Oona King at the next general election.
Mr Galloway, who on Thursday won £150,000 in libel damages from the Daily Telegraph said he would contest Bethnal Green, in London, for Respect. The Glasgow Kelvin MP, who was expelled f... | Ms King said she was "delighted" at the chance to take on Mr Galloway.Mr Galloway, who on Thursday won £150,000 in libel damages from the Daily Telegraph said he would contest Bethnal Green, in London, for Respect.Mr Justice Eady said he was "obliged to compensate Mr Galloway... and to make an award for the purposes of... |
Kilroy launches 'Veritas' party
Ex-BBC chat show host and East Midlands MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk said he wanted to "change the face of British politics" as he launched his new party. Mr Kilroy-Silk, who recently quit the UK Independence Party, said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration. He told a ... | "He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the [European] election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now 'goodbye'," he said.UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy-Silk has not been "straightforward" ... |
UKIP MEP attacked German 'empire'
A UK Independence Party MEP suggested Germany saw the EU as an 'empire' and was cheaper than using tanks, a new documentary has revealed. Mike Nattrass, UKIP's deputy leader, made the comments to an audience at a meeting during last September's Hartlepool by-election campaign. But cha... | UKIP officials claim it was in fact Mr Kilroy-Silk, not Mr Farage, who briefed newspapers he was leaving the group of MEPs.Mr Kilroy-Silk separately said he had argued against UKIP working with such groups which believed homosexuality was a sin.The film also included footage of a row between Mr Kilroy-Silk, MEP Nigel F... |
Howard denies split over ID cards
Michael Howard has denied his shadow cabinet was split over its decision to back controversial Labour plans to introduce ID cards.
The Tory leader said his front bench team had reached a "collective view" after holding a "good discussion", but admitted it was "not an easy issue". He ... | Michael Howard has denied his shadow cabinet was split over its decision to back controversial Labour plans to introduce ID cards.Mr Howard said the police had said ID cards could "help them foil a terror bomb plot in which people could lose their lives".He said: "This has all the signs of Michael Howard overruling col... |
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