Industry News
29th July 2008
More Poll Woe for Brown post-Glasgow East
A Populus poll for The Times newspaper puts the Labour Party on 27%, a drop of 1. The Conservative Party is up 2 points to 43% whilst the Liberal Democrats have 18%, another fall of 1. The survey revealed that only 52% think that removing Gordon Brown as leader could revive the Party's fortunes. Read all about it
29th July 2008
Standards Committee Postpones MP Expenses Inquiry
The Committee on Standards in Public Life has postponed its decision on conducting a review of MPs’ pay and allowances, by taking a "pragmatic approach [to] defer a decision about whether to launch an inquiry until next year" said Sir Christopher Kelly, Chairman of the Committee. This is to allow time to see how the recently announced new arrangements would be implemented in practice and affect the situation. Kelly said "The Committee on Standards in Public Life has been monitoring developments on MPs’ allowances over the last few months following widespread public concern about the current arrangement. We have noted the recent vote in the House of Commons accepting Government proposals for a more robust system of external audit of expenses claims to be conducted by the National Audit Office and a review of the Green Book which sets out the allowances and entitlement to them. We have been assured that the audit will cover all relevant areas including a sampling of allowance transactions and that the review will be both comprehensive and involve independent people from outside the House of Commons. We recognise these as potentially significant developments - particularly when also taking into account progress towards greater transparency about what is claimed by individual Members". Read all about it
28th July 2008
Labour Party's National Policy Forum
Read about the Prime Minister's speech at the Labour Party's National Policy Forum at Warwick University. The Times newspaper reports that Gordon Brown "caved in to unions, allowing a series of concessions - including an extension of the minimum wage - in a move that sent shudders through the business community". UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis "welcomed agreements reached on key issues, such as public services, equalities and workforce protections" and said the agreed package "provides a sound basis for rebuilding support for Labour's core values".
28th July 2008
Obama in London
US Democratic Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, has held what have been described by Downing Street officials as "warm and engaging" discussions with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. On the agenda were foreign policy issues including Iraq and the Middle East. Illinois Senator Obama also had a "very positive" meeting with Opposition leader, David Cameron, talking about the "long-term underlying problems" affecting the US and British economies and how best these might be tackled.
28th July 2008
Cameron's Reunited
Conservative Leader David Cameron has been reuninuted with his bicycle, after it was stolen last Wednesday from outside a supermarket in Notting Hill. The bike was found with the front wheel missing, though Mr Cameron's helmet was still attached. The bike was recovered by 60 year old Ernest Theophile who said "You never want to see anyone have their bike nicked - not even a Tory".
28th July 2008
DCMS Consults on Television Product Placement
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport has launched a consultation on video-on-demand services and product placement on television. The new rules form part of the implementation of the EU Audio Visual Media Services Directive. The Government consultation includes the introduction of a system for regulating video-on-demand services in the UK, together with controls over the content of non-EU satellite channels that are uplinked from a ground station in the UK. The EU Directive paves the way for Member States to relax prohibitions on product placement. Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said “Preserving standards must be the guiding principles as we look to the media of the future. We need to ensure that traditional protections against inappropriate content and advertising standards are secured as technology advances. My instincts remain that if we were to relax the ban on product placement we would put at risk the integrity in British programming that underpins its international reputation. But I’m open to hearing other views. If, as some in the industry are saying, this is a crucial step for broadcasters, then the industry must marshal strong arguments and put forward a convincing case". Download the consultation paper
26th July 2008
Lords Report on Initiation of EU Legislation
The House of Lords EU Committee has published its Report on the Initiation of EU Legislation. Looking at how legislation comes about, the text details the process for draft law preparation. The Report includes sections on lobbying, consultation, the role of national Parliaments, the right of initiative and sources of ideas for legislation. Download the Report
25th July 2008
SNP Wins Glasgow East from Labour with 22% Swing
The SNP's John Mason has won the Glasgow East by-election by 365 votes, cutting down the former Labour safe seat from a previous majority from 13,507 with a 22% swing. Mason received 11,277 votes to Labour candidate Margaret Curran's 10,912. The Conservative candidate Davena Rankin came third with 1,639 to the Liberal Democrats's Ian Robertson on 915. John Mason said "It is an epic win and the tremors will be felt all the way to Downing Street".
24th July 2008
Johnson Tackles Obesity Challenge
In a lecture to the Fabian Society on public health, Health Secretary Alan Johnson called for a national movement to tackle obesity as "the biggest health challenge we face". Johnson set out the role of government in supporting people to take control of their own health. Johnson noted that "Our strategy made clear that in approaching this problem, we reject both the “nanny state,” which polices shopping trolleys and institutes exercise regimes and the neglectful state, which wipes its hands of the problem, and wags the finger in the direction of the most vulnerable families in the vague hope that they will do as they are told" and went on to say that the "gravity of the obesity challenge demands that we grasp the true nature and complexity of its causes, and enable people to adapt their lifestyles in order to avoid the damage that obesity can cause". Read the full speech
24th July 2008
France Removes 35-Hour Working Week Limit
The French Parliament has agreed legislation to allow firms to scrap the 35 hour working week. President Nicolas Sarkozy has not, however, gone all the way in removing the rules completely, firms will be able to negotiate individual deals with trade unions covering working time and overtime hours. Read the new law
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