The usually rational Howard Davies suggests in today’s FT that EU Commissioners should be chosen the same way major businesses choose their leaders. So, that means no women, an emphasis on management guff rather than results, and ever increasing salaries in the hope that mutual back scratching will result in the winners rewarding the people [...]

Filed under: Europe, They Just Don't Get It | Comments Off

In a Parliamentary debate today George Osborne was pretty clear on the Tory plans for the deficit.  He would make a “really significant reduction” in the deficit in the life of one parliament even if that meant causing “pain”.  He also rejected the idea of cutting taxes in order to encourage growth when pressed on this [...]

Filed under: Politics, Public spending | 1 Comment »

Read the TUC Recession Report for November 2009 Today we publish our 13th recession report, which considers the latest ONS labour market release. There is definitely some good news, with the overall figures showing either a pause in recent employment falls or the possible start of a recovery in employment levels. However, there are several [...]

Filed under: Labour market, Recession, Recession Report | 9 Comments »

Three years ago, my daughter Aleena wrote this poem: Where will I go, the sea is rising Where will the animals go, the sea is rising Where is the beach, the sea is everywhere Where is the playground, beneath the water What will I do What can you do What can be done Stop burning [...]

Filed under: Copenhagen, Environment | 2 Comments »

David Walker’s review of  Corporate Governance in the UK Banking Industry is published today. While some of its proposals are an advance, the review comes across as the financial establishment putting forward the minimum proposals they think will head off root and branch reform so they can get back to business as usual. The City [...]

Filed under: Corporate governance, Financial crisis | 1 Comment »

Stop giggling at the back! It’s true. In yet another moment of revelation, the World Bank has realised that school meals are vital to ending world hunger – especially for children of course. A new report issued together with the World Food Programme says that delivering food aid through schools is vital. And, of course, [...]

Filed under: International development, Public services | 1 Comment »

BBC – Peston’s Picks: Why did Bank of England keep shtoom? Robert Peston wonders whether it was right for the Bank of England to keep its loans to HBOS and RBS secret for so long

Filed under: Web links | Comments Off

Just days after the East Coast rail service passed back into public hands, the Government has published plans for re-privatising the route, with the process getting underway next year.  More worrying still, the announcement suggests that c2c, one of the other routes operated by National Express, will be allowed to run its course and then re-let according [...]

Filed under: Transport | Comments Off

Britain is the sixth richest country in the world yet around 30% of our children (over 4 million) live in poverty; in a report released by UNICEF in 2007 Britain came 21st out of 21 of the world’s richest countries in terms of child wellbeing. If we are to take seriously the issues of child [...]

Filed under: Child poverty, Inequality | 4 Comments »

Investment: the missing debate Duncan Weldon is worried about the collapse in investment

Filed under: Web links | 1 Comment »

We’d welcome many a speech drawing attention to the challenge of climate change and the need for massive public investment to meet it. Ideas signalled by George Osborne today might be music to the ears of spending departments. It’s easy to pick on the detail, get bogged down in practicalities. The Green Investment Bank has drawn many positive [...]

Filed under: Environment | Comments Off

David Cameron argued in his CBI speech yesterday that interest rates are already facing pressure to rise as Government borrowing crowds out the private sector.  Interesting then to note that, according to Moneyfacts, the average interest charged on a two-year fixed-rate mortagage has fallen below 5% for the first time since June.  (Thanks to Duncan [...]

Filed under: Economics | 1 Comment »