Posts Tagged ets
More EU hot air blown on financial crisis
Posted by David Conway in European Union on 13/10/2008
Open Europe, the independent think tank backed by some of the UK’s leading business people, has produced the first independent report estimating of the cost and wider effects of the EU’s new package of climate change measures, currently still under negotiation.
But who is really responsible for high gas prices? You know whEU!
Posted by Nick Cowen in European Union on 31/07/2008
Commuters this morning faced the Metro’s frontpage screamline that British Gas has just put its gas prices up 35 per cent and its electricity prices 9 per cent. At the same time, MPs are calling for a windfall tax on energy profits. The price rises (and profits) are, of course, ridiculous but it would be nice if the news coverage more often dug below the surface of the issue to find out what is driving these rises.
ETS, SATS and leaves
Posted by Nick Cowen in Education on 16/07/2008
The past month has the seen the Government’s SATS exam system implode in the bureaucratic equivalent of an ageing star collapsing into a black hole. There were delays to the SATS results and claims that the delays were just to make sure that the release was orderly and complete. Then the release this week was neither orderly nor complete with some results delayed until September and head teachers have been forced to send poorly marked or unmarked exam scripts back to the company, ETS Europe, that is meant to be managing the scheme. There was blood on the radio 4 airwaves this morning as John Humphrys eviscerated Ken Boston for the QCA’s handling of the scheme and it turns out ETS Europe have managed to score a lucrative £156 million 5-year contract to administer the SATS marking.
Reversing the ‘culture of hopelessness’
Posted by James Gubb in European Union on 12/12/2006
David Cameron finally ended his impasse on that political nuisance called the European Union this week by challenging Jose Manuel Barosso and the EU’s leaders to end the prevalent ‘culture of hopelessness’ and confront its failings. In particular he attacked the EU on the CAP and development, fraud, its record on tackling carbon emissions and over-regulation. Tough-talking indeed. But, the question has to be asked: is it really possible?