Data released today showing a 14% increase in the number of last-minute cancelled operations compared to a year ago is further evidence of the mounting pressure on local hospitals, according to South Lakes MP Tim Farron. Tim is calling for the government to provide emergency funding to support hospitals.
On Monday evening (6th Feb) Haringey Liberal Democrats held a public meeting on plans by Haringey's Labour Cabinet to privatise...
Writing in Tuesday's Times, Paul Johnson, a director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says some 15% of the UK workforce is now classed as self-employed or as an owner/manager. Among them is me, now in my 17th year of my second period of self-employment. Indeed, I am the fourth generation of small business petit bourgeoisie Roches (so far, no generation has managed to propel us permanently to the haute bourgeoisie). Many of the new self-employed are part of what is now known as the "gig economy": living on short term contracts and often experiencing a financial life of feast and famine. Family insecurity and financial instability are frequent visitors, especially in the early years of a business, when getting established can be a real struggle.
A letter sent by a Conservative minister to South Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has confirmed that flood-hit communities across Cumbria will not receive a penny extra from a £15 million fund given by the EU following last winter's floods. Tim has branded the decision a "disgraceful betrayal" of local communities.
I have now had a chance to read the Brexit White paper. I've read hundreds of these things in my time (not healthy I know!) and this one appears to me nowhere near as bad as the press reports would have led me to believe in terms of its general structure or presentation. More clarity does indeed emerge and some objectives can be gleaned amid the bland generality and optimistic objectives. Unfortunately the paper suffers from four major weaknesses:
On Wednesday there was the announcement that we would not take any more child refugees. Noticeable that the government released this statement the same day of the Brexit vote! And this story was not even on front pages yesterday. Lib Dems had campaigned for the UK to take 3000 unaccompanied minors. Many others lobbied, including Lord Alf Dubs, and this resulted in the so-called Dubs amendment to the Immigration Act 2016.