On Sunday began five months of committed general election campaigning. The prime minister floated a counterfactual to Andrew Marr, predicated on a Conservative majority: ‘The referendum must take place before the end of 2017. If we could do that earlier, I’d be delighted. The sooner I can deliver on that, the better.’
If re-elected next year as Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron has said that he will attempt to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU, to get a ‘new settlement for Britain in Europe’. But yesterday at a meeting of the European Council Summit, French President Francois Hollande threatened to block any proposed changes to the Lisbon… [Read More]
This week we have once again been informed that A & E departments all over the country are experiencing real problems of “over demand”, we have also seen yet another hospital: Gloucestershire’s hospital trust, reporting a major “service provision crisis” due to lack of available bed space. In two respects, problems of accessibility to A&E… [Read More]
Housing is one of the most important issues facing the voters when they go to the polls in May. As Ukip continues to maintain a steady 15% in polls, pressure is mounting to provide answers to issues outside Britain’s relationship with the EU. Last month, Nigel Farage came under scrutiny about the party’s NHS position,… [Read More]
As well as restricting benefits access, yesterday Ed Miliband announced new plans for EU migrants already here, already in work. He wants to stop Europeans being exploited so their work doesn’t undermine British pay and conditions. David Cameron recently presented comparable plans, looking not just at limiting ‘pull factors’, but dealing with the stresses of… [Read More]
Today, the findings of a government commissioned report led by economist Jim O’Neill exploring the growing threat of drug resistant infections have been revealed. The results warn that drug resistant infections could cause 10 million global deaths annually by 2050, with a subsequent colossal impact on the world’s economy. On a societal level, it seems… [Read More]
The lack of housing supply in the UK has been a problem since the late 1980s when local councils were prevented from building. Running up to the next election, all parties have pledged to find ways of increasing supply. During the conference season Labour promised to build an added 200,000 houses by 2020, the Liberal… [Read More]
Three pro-European parties look set to form a coalition after Moldova’s elections last Sunday. The Liberal Democrats, the Democrats and the Liberals took 44% of the vote altogether and aim to achieve EU candidate status by 2017. But voting was affected by the banning of a pro-Russian party shortly before Moldovans went to the polls.… [Read More]
Efforts to guard essential services while maintaining financial sustainability have led NEW Devon CCG to require patients with a BMI of over 35 to shed 5% of their body weight before non-essential surgery. The same applies to smokers who are required to quit 8 weeks before their operations. It is now accepted that smoking and… [Read More]
‘Are we any better than we were four years ago?’ According to the ONS’ latest Economic Review, GDP remains strong with a seventh consecutive quarter of growth and an overall rise of 3 per cent since last year, marking by far the best period of economic stability since 2008. Real earnings have fallen fast for… [Read More]