In June, I wrote that the NHS competition regulator, Monitor, was to launch a formal investigation into the recent closures of NHS walk-in centres, which could be exacerbating the growing A&E crisis and compromising patient choice. Since then, speculation over further closures has continued. Monitor’s investigation, published this weekend, has noted that there was “some… [Read More]
Round two of negotiations for TTIP, the transatlantic trade deal between the EU and America, kicks off this week. On Friday former Prime Minister John Major spoke of the ‘truly shocking’ state of Britain, in which ‘the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent‘. Nowhere is… [Read More]
The EU-US trade deal, hailed as the biggest bilateral trade agreement in history, and referred to by Obama as the ‘economic NATO’ is facing possible delays after anger in Europe over US mass surveillance. Whistle-blower Edward Snowden leaked information showing that the US was spying on 80 embassies and consulates worldwide, including German government offices… [Read More]
However costly it is to provide London’s water, a modest level of usage needs to be kept inexpensive for all. Scarce resource pricing is the solution.
BAE Systems, one of the world’s biggest defence, security and aerospace companies, is to announce today that 1,775 workers will be made redundant from three of its shipyards: Portsmouth, Govan, and Scotstoun yard in Glasgow. Portsmouth shipyard, the last place in England that can build advanced warships (something to bear in mind in the lead… [Read More]
In an interview on Friday with the Health Service Journal, Care Minister Norman Lamb outlined more about the plans he announced in May for “integration pioneers”, which will seek to forge ways to bring about service integration. Up until now, only Torbay and handful of other localities have provided working case studies, and the wider… [Read More]
The last week has seen studies and counter-studies from different Eurofactions. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) released a report today arguing ‘EU membership is the best vehicle for achieving these open, global ambitions in the 21stcentury’. The CBI’s study is hefty at 187 pages, and concedes that there are numerous areas in which the… [Read More]
French President Francois Hollande has refused to back down on imposing a 75% tax on French football clubs, despite planned strike action at the end of this month. After a meeting yesterday with French football officials Hollande insisted that the tax was necessary to reduce France’s public deficit. France needs to raise tax revenues after… [Read More]
Every age-group has its own set of needs and issues but not every year group is the same size.
The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the UK is to be the first western country to offer sharia-compliant bonds. In the second phase of a drive to reassert London’s place as the world’s financial capital, the Debt Management Office (DMO) will offer ‘sukuk’ bonds of £200 million. Sharia law forbids investing in companies that gamble… [Read More]