i-thorts' i-Politics: A welfare crisis engulfs the nation, and IDS claims he could survive on £53 a week

Caution has served Ed Miliband well so far, but the time has come for more than rhetoric [after] ... claims by Iain Duncan Smith that he could survive on £53 a week have provoked a dispute over whether the author of the IDS Book of Household Management could live up to his boast.

Read the Rest @ Telegraph »

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I think let him! If he is so sure its easy to survive on survive on £53 a week see if he can go it alone on such a pittance for six months (while the rest of his massive salary is donated to charity). I'd be amazed if he lasted even one month!

It's this sort of nonsense that give British politicians a bad reputation.

i-thorts' i-Politics: NHS 'Rationing Care' To Meet Savings Targets

MPs have raised concerns that the NHS is meeting its efficiency targets by rationing services to patients.

There are "widespread" fears that NHS organisations ... are achieving savings by limiting access to treatments ...

Read the Rest @ Sky News »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Boris Johnson 'would like to be PM'

Boris Johnson has admitted that he would like to be prime minister but insists "it's not going to happen".

In a forthcoming BBC Two documentary, the mayor of London says he thinks the job of PM is "very, very tough".

But he will say he would like to "have a crack" at it "if the ball came loose from the back of a scrum".

Read the Rest @ BBC News »

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Also see: « Boris Johnson named most influential man in Britain... »

And see: « Tory MP quits to open door for return of Boris »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Energy bill rises push inflation to nine-month high

ANNUAL UK consumer prices index inflation rose to a nine-month high of 2.8% in February, from 2.7% in January, according to official figures that highlight the squeeze on real household incomes.

Rises in household gas and electricity bills last month, which contrasted with falls in February 2012, drove the increase in annual CPI inflation. Increases in prices of games, toys and hobbies, notably computer games and photographic equipment, also put upward pressure on annual inflation last month, as did jumps in air fares and petrol and diesel prices.

Read the Rest @ Herald Scotland »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Falkland Islands: respect 'yes' vote to staying British, Cameron tells Argentina

Only three vote against staying British in unsurprising landslide, which Argentina dismisses as irrelevant.

David Cameron has called on Argentina to respect the wishes of the people of the Falkland Islands after they voted overwhelmingly for the territory to stay British in an unsurprising but still historical referendum that aims to send a defiant message to Argentina and the outside world.

Read the Rest @ Guardian »

i-thorts' i-Politics: PM appears to falter on EU vote pledge

David Cameron has angered his own backbenchers by appearing to renege on a promise that he would hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU if he was prime minister after 2015.

Speaking at a campaign event in Eastleigh ahead of a by-election in the Hampshire constituency on February 28, the prime minister told voters: "To get an EU referendum you need to vote for a Tory-only government."

Read the Rest @ Financial Times »

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Also see: Cameron hailed as ‘heir to Margaret Thatcher’ »

i-thorts' i-Politics: David Cameron hailed as ‘heir to Margaret Thatcher’

DAVID CAMERON was hailed as the “heir to Thatcher” yesterday after MPs said his success in forcing the EU’s first budget cut will save every British household £150.

The Prime Minister was cheered by Tory backbenchers as he told the House of Commons Britain had finally put the brakes on the Brussels gravy train ... But warned that British MEPs ... must back [him ... so] it is agreed by the European Parliament.

Read the Rest @ Daily Express »

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Also see: Has David Cameron's EU budget gamble paid off? »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Has David Cameron's EU budget gamble paid off?

With the prime minister expected to claim a historic victory, Tory backbenchers will give him a warm welcome back from Brussels

David Cameron will receive a warm, and possibly rapturous, reception from Conservative MPs on Monday ... the prime minister will say he played a leading role in drawing up the first cut ...

Cameron had always aimed to secure a real-terms freeze ...

« Read the Rest @ Guardian »

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See also: « David Cameron to deliver Europe speech in London »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Truth is - Town Halls Are Fleecing You!!

They squeal about cuts but the truth is town halls are spending more than ever - by fleecing you!

The hue and cry over the town hall cuts demanded by the Coalition government might give the impression that councils across Britain are on their last legs.

Warnings of libraries closing, services being slashed to the bone and waves of redundancies come repeatedly from the mouths of Labour politicians and the unions, all of it reverentially reported by the BBC...

« Read the Rest @ The Daily Mail »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Michael Gove: Labour think poor children should stick to their station

Labour politicians believe children from disadvantaged backgrounds should "stick to the station in life they were born into", the education secretary, Michael Gove ... criticised the widespread opposition to the English Baccalaureate, the performance measure introduced in 2010 which gauges secondary schools by the proportion of pupils who get a C or above in six GCSEs ...

« Read the Rest @ Guardian »,,

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Do Tories have the right to criticise Labour (concerning Education), when they, themselves, have limited povety-struck families from further education on an economic basis? See: « Welfare Cuts: Not in Our Back Yard »

i-thorts' i-Politics: MPs vote for gay marriage bill

Bill now faces bruising passage through the House of Lords before almost certainly becoming law this year.

Members of Parliament have overwhelming endorsed historic legislation that will give gay couples the equal right to marry.

Almost half a century after homosexuality was legalised in Britain the House of Commons voted by a majority of 400 to 175 to redefine marriage and make it available to all.

« Read the Rest @ Independent »

i-thorts' i-Politics: PM pledges in/out referendum on EU

David Cameron has said the British people must "have their say" on Europe as he pledged an in/out referendum if the Conservatives win the election.

The prime minister said he wanted to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU and then give people the "simple choice" between staying in under those new terms, or leaving the EU ... The news was welcomed by Eurosceptics who have long campaigned for a vote.

« Read the Rest @ BBC News »

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About time.

I'd like to believe that the Tories would like to give the people of Britain a choice. But I do wonder, though, if this is just a cheek trick to get voters on side.

At the beginning of January, Clegg declared to return to Lib Dem roots... Now we have Cameron trying to woo votes via a referendum on Europe.Only time will tell just how commuted they are to this idea!!

See also: « David Cameron to deliver Europe speech in London »

i-thorts' i-Politics: David Cameron to deliver Europe speech in London

Prime minister reschedules long-awaited speech for Wednesday morning and abandons plan to deliver it on the continent.

David Cameron will deliver his long-awaited speech on the future of Britain in Europe in central London on Wednesday morning, Downing Street has announced.

The prime minister has abandoned plans to deliver the speech on the continent, which had been intended to show his commitment to Britain's membership of the EU. He was due to give the speech in Amsterdam last Friday but postponed it in light of the Algerian hostage crisis.

« Read the Rest @ Guardian »

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i-thorts' i-Politics: Child benefit changes take effect

More than a million better-off families will lose some or all of their child benefit, under changes which came into force at midnight.

The government hopes to save £1.5bn a year to help reduce the deficit.

David Cameron described the move as "fundamentally fair" but Labour said it was a "huge assault" on families.

« Read the Rest @ BBC News »

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also see: « Welfare Cuts? - Not In Our Back Yard! »

i-thorts' i-Politics: David Cameron: "I want another 7 years in Downing Street"

Prime minister says he won't turn back on same-sex marriage, child benefit cuts and overseas aid commitments.

David Cameron has indicated he wants to stay in No 10 until 2020 as he prepares to unveil a review of how the coalition has performed...

« Read the Rest @ Guardian »

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Is he living in Britain ... or on fullers earth!

'Cus the rest of us are stuck with this lousy coalition. And we don't want more please!!

Enough gruel for one lifetime ... We need more nice and less nasty...

i -thorts' i-Politics: Lib Dems face toughest election in a generation, says party president

Tim Farron MP says Lib Dems will need to "fight tooth and nail" to defend party's 57 seats at next general election.

The Liberal Democrats face the fight of their lives in what will be the "toughest general election in a generation", the party's president has admitted.

« Read the Rest @ Guardian »

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What do they expect? Maybe it's slipped their minds that they threw away their principals for a bit of power - of which they have little no influence in parliament. Could it have been a bigger waste of public votes ...

Those who voted Lib Dem did so in the faith they would have a say (a Lib Dem say not a Tory one).

But instead Cameron ran over Clegg's views like a limp doll!

A Tory-run coalition was a Tory-run government ...

Such is politics!

i-thorts' i-Politics: Boris Johnson named most influential man in Britain...

Boris Johnson has been named the most influential man in Britain, edging out George Osborne, Prince Charles and even Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Mayor of London, who won plaudits for his handling of the widely-praised Olympic Games, triumphed over luminaries in politics, showbusiness and top executives in a list published by GQ magazine...

« Read the Rest @ Mail Online »

i-thorts' i-Politics: Iain Duncan Smith condemns tax credits as 'not fit for purpose'

The work and pensions secretary has attacked the tax credit system put in place by Labour, saying it had resulted in "a sorry story of dependency, wasted taxpayers' money and fraud".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith said the credits - to top up the incomes of the lower-paid - were "haemorrhaging money" ... He said fraud and error in the system under Labour had cost £10bn.

"This Government is returning fairness to the welfare system," Mr Duncan Smith claims

« Read the Rest @ BBC News »

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also see: « Benefits reform under threat after IT glitch »