News from Asides
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Ed Miliband calls for action over phone hacking scandal
Ed Miliband has added to his televised statements this morning calling for Rebekah Brooks to stand down from her News International position, writing in his blog:
People are right to ask what has happened to the British press for parts of it to operate in this way. It is beneath contempt.
British newspapers have been – and can be – showcases for some of the best journalism in the world.
What we heard about last night was undeniably an example of the worst journalism in the world.
The police investigation needs to take its course and get right to the bottom of what happened.
But it is up to senior [...]
Tories fake fights between London Mayor and Cameron in “agreed strategy”
Benedict Brogan’s revelations about the relationship and priorities of Boris Johnson, David Cameron and George Osborne confirms that Boris Johnson’s recent, very public criticisms of government policies are part of an agreed Tory strategy to try to distance the London Mayor from David Cameron’s government. Far from being at loggerheads “the two, who are routinely portrayed as pitched against each other in a contest for supremacy over the Conservative Party, are in fact joined at the hip.”
“Boris has been decoupling himself from the Tory leadership for months. This is, in fact, ‘an agreed strategy rather than a unilateral declaration of independence.’
Some time ago, he came to an understanding [...]
Ed Miliband blogs where Cameron got it wrong at PMQs today
Ed Miliband has used his own blog to explain where David Cameron got it wrong at Prime Minister’s Questions today, saying:
Today we saw the usual pattern from the Prime Minister when he is in a corner. I have seen it at PMQs before – on school sports, NHS competition law and sentencing.
First he denies his own policy, then he tries insults. Usually, the U-turn follows
Will the same happen today? It certainly should.
It is bad enough that he insulted cancer victims by claiming they were a “smokescreen” Labour were using to distract from other issues.
But as I returned to my office after Prime Minister’s Question Time and read the messages to [...]
Ed Balls likens Osborne’s cuts policy to ERM consensus in 1990
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls today gave a speech at the Institute of Directors warning that failure to create jobs and growth because of excessive cuts could result in the same vicious circle here in Britain as Ireland, Portugal and Greece, where their debt and deficit problems and the loss of market confidence gets worse, not better, the more they cut.
Ed Balls has published the full speech on his own blog, but this is how he concluded:
Let me conclude by saying this. My political opponents have accused me of talking down the economy.
As I have argued before, British history shows us that on previous occasions when major economic [...]
David Cairns MP (1966 – 2011)
The Scottish Labour Party has today announced the sad death of David Cairns, 44, Labour MP for Inverclyde. Ed Miliband today led tributes.
A Labour spokesperson said: “It is with great regret that we have to announce that David Cairns, Member of Parliament for Inverclyde, passed away at 11 pm last night at the Royal Free, London. David had been suffering from acute pancreatitis after he was admitted as an emergency patient eight weeks ago. Our thoughts are with his partner Dermot, his father John, his brother Billy and all his many friends and family. David’s untimely death is a huge loss to parliament and politics in this country.”
Ed Miliband, [...]
Revealed: Liverpool Lib Dem leader’s election warning to Nick Clegg
BBC North West’s Political editor, Arif Ansari, has shared the content of a secret email to Nick Clegg from a leading Liberal Democrat councillor in Liverpool warning that the Party is heading for electoral disaster on 5 May.
“The Labour and Trade Union movement are saturating the streets of Liverpool, even in our heartlands,” Warren Bradley, who was council leader for six years, wrote in the email to the Deputy Prime Minister.
“Liberalism started in Liverpool (Church Ward) during the late 60’s with Sir Trevor Jones and Cyril Carr being the driving force; a ward we have held for many years through thick and thin, sadly this year, because of [...]
Ed Miliband signs up to campaign to give Manchester its fair share
Manchester Evening News reports that Ed Miliband and Ed Balls have urged readers to join the paper’s campaign to give Manchester its fair share of government cash:
The Labour Leader said: “I welcome the opportunity to give my support to the Manchester Evening News’s campaign.
“These cuts are not only unfair but the wrong long-term choices for the future of Greater Manchester.
“Councils are working hard to find savings but the fact is that these cuts go too far and too fast – hitting jobs, economic growth and the vital frontline services people rely on.
“I urge M.E.N. readers to sign the petition and send a message to the Tory-led [...]
Ed Miliband warns of “dire consequences” of closing Brixham Coastguard Station
Labour Leader Ed Miliband has pledged his support for the Brixham Coastguard Station, fearing its closure could have “dire consequences”, reports South Devon’s Herald Express:
In a message of support to the local coastguard team, Mr Miliband said he was ‘very concerned’ about the potential loss of the maritime rescue centre.
He said: “The Brixham, Falmouth and Weymouth waters that this station serves is an extremely busy area both for commercial shipping and for leisure activities.
“I worry that with the closure of this station local knowledge of the waters will be lost and this could have potentially dire consequences.
“I’m hopeful that the government will think again and I know that Patrick Canavan [...]
Cameron’s Kingston Hospital “has a safe future” claim ridiculed
David Cameron, who infamously told the country he would “cut the deficit not the NHS”, has had his election claim that Kingston Hospital would have a “safe future under a Conservative government” thrown back in his face in the Surrey Comet, after huge cuts to the local hospital were announced just ten months later.
During the election David Cameron said: “Kingston has a safe future under a Conservative government. [Its] future should depend on the choices that patients and GPs make, and overwhelmingly patients and local GPs in Kingston support this hospital and the excellent maternity unit, which I’ve seen for myself.”
Kingston Hospital’s plans published last week reveal that [...]
Debbie Abrahams is Labour’s choice for Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election
The Labour candidate to contest the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election has been announced as Debbie Abrahams, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Mrs Abrahams, who was the 2010 Labour candidate in Colne Valley, polled most votes of party members in a three-way battle.
The vote was held in private at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at Oldham Civic Centre.
We understand that a by-election in former MP Phil Woolas’ constituency will now be held on February 3.
Former Oldham mayors Riaz Ahmed and Abdul Jabbar also stood for selection but were beaten by Mrs Abrahams.
She said today: “It’s an honour and a privilege to have been selected as Labour’s candidate. Now I’m looking forward to [...]
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