Britain's welfare system is "trapping" poor people in poverty, the work and pensions secretary said as he unveiled plans for far-reaching reforms. Iain Duncan Smith wants to ensure benefit claimants are not made worse off by working and make state support conditional on willingness to work. He said the current benefits system was "broken" and unaffordable.
Proposals to give free prescriptions to people in England with long-term conditions have been put on hold due to financial pressures on the NHS. Health minister Simon Burns said a decision on prescription charges and exemptions cannot be made before the spending review due in the autumn.
A man from Birmingham left permanently in a wheelchair and in pain after spinal surgery has accepted a six-figure out-of-court settlement. Gerald Morgan, 60, was thrown from his chair by a spasm after an operation at the Royal London Hospital in 2004. He had broken his pelvis and hip - but this was not diagnosed until six months after when they were untreatable.
Councillor Stuart Parker (Lib Dem, Eastrop) has challenged the Conservative Cabinet on several topics at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 25th May.
Local Councillor Simon Galton has written to Vince Cable, Business Secretary in the Coalition Government to suggest that the East Midlands Regional Development Agency (EMDA) be closed to save money. Cllr Simon Galton believes that the closure of EMDA, could contribute towards the savings local councils like Leicestershire have to make.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett was sworn in as the Mayor of Wolverhampton on Wednesday May 19. In his acceptance speech at the Annual Council Meeting, the new Mayor announced economic regeneration would be the theme of his year in office. He said "As Mayor and an ambassador I pledge to do all I can to attract investment in and raise the profile of our city and to contribute in whatever way to the ongoing work to shape its future."