I have a "debilitating" uncertainty about Clarke !!!!!

Labour 'must spell out policies'

Mr Clarke said he was not blaming Gordon Brown's leadership

Former home secretary Charles Clarke has said Labour is suffering from "debilitating" uncertainty about its policy direction.

In an article for the Labour magazine Progress, he said the party had wasted much of this Parliament and needed to show "a lucid sense of direction".

He told the BBC he was not blaming Gordon Brown as problems began in 2004.

But he said the PM needed to set out his approach to "tough problems" like Britain's role in the EU.

Mr Clarke said that once close ally Tony Blair announced he would not contest another election in October 2004, questions about the party's leadership had dominated Labour.

'Inevitability of defeat'

He wrote that the party had wasted much of this Parliament and must show greater "clarity, decisiveness and a lucid sense of direction" and said the prime minister must do more than defend past achievements and launch more policy reviews.

And he said there was "absolutely no reason to surrender to the inevitability of defeat, as too many seem now to be doing".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7220032.stm

Where are we going to get £8 Billion ?????

Budget 'must raise taxes by £8bn'

By Steve Schifferes Economics reporter, BBC News

The chancellor is expected to deliver his budget in March

Chancellor Alistair Darling will have to raise taxes by £8bn in his Budget if he is to keep to the "golden rule", according to a respected think tank.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies' (IFS) Green Budget warned that without the increases the government would miss its fiscal target on public borrowing.

The IFS said that the economic slowdown would reduce corporate tax revenues, widening the budget black hole.

And it warned that the government could also break its debt rule by 2010/11.

The day of judgement cannot be postponed forever Robert Chote, Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies

That rule would be immediately breached if the government is forced to count its loans to the Northern Rock as part of its debt, which would then soar to 45%, well above the Treasury's 40% limit of total public debt as a share of GDP, or gross domestic product.

And with the government starting a new economic cycle with a large current deficit, it is likely to struggle to meet its "golden rule" - that borrowing and spending should balance out over the whole period of ebbs and flows in growth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7217412.stm

Heh , Heh , Heh , this will take the pressure off !!!! Tory Sleaze !!!

Tory whip withdrawn from Conway

Mr Conway apologised after being reprimanded

David Cameron has withdrawn the Tory whip from Derek Conway after the MP was reprimanded over the amount he paid his son for working as his researcher.

Mr Cameron took the decision to exclude Mr Conway from the Conservative group of MPs at Westminster after chief whip Patrick McLoughlin spoke to Mr Conway.

Mr Conway said the decision was "understandable, if not inevitable".

The decision was made as Mr Conway faces more scrutiny over his elder son and a possible police inquiry.

It follows a probe by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, which found that Mr Conway overpaid his younger son Freddie.

The committee said the MP should be forced to pay back up to £13,161 of the amount paid to his son and recommended he be suspended from the House of Commons for 10 days.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7214573.stm

Blair , Blair , Blair , he has to keep getting in the news doesn't he , Blair!!!!

Blair gets another business job

Mr Blair said business could work to prevent climate change

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is to work for a second major financial firm.

He will advise the Swiss insurer Zurich on "developments and trends in the international political environment", including climate change.

The appointment comes less than three weeks after Mr Blair took on a similar role with investment bank JP Morgan worth a reported £500,000 a year.

Mr Blair said he wanted to ensure business "can play its part" in preserving the environment.

'Excited'

Zurich was unavailable to comment on how much he will be paid and how much time he will spend working for the company, which has about 58,000 staff and operates in 170 countries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7213355.stm


Tony Blair joins investment bank

Tony Blair is said to be providing "political and strategic advice"

Tony Blair has taken a part-time post with US investment bank JP Morgan.

Mr Blair, who stood down as UK prime minister in June last year, has been employed "in a senior advisory capacity", the bank said.

He said he looked forward to advising the bank on the "political and economic changes that globalisation brings".

It is not known how much JP Morgan will pay him, but some estimates say more than $1m (£500,000) a year. The bank said he had a "unique perspective".

It said Mr Blair would advise the firm's chief executive and senior management team, "drawing on his immense international experience to provide the firm with strategic advice and insight on global political issues and emerging trends".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7180306.stm


Tony Blair joins Catholic Church

Tony Blair visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in June

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has left the Anglican Church to become a Roman Catholic.

His wife and children are already Catholic and there had been speculation he would convert after leaving office.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who led the service to welcome Mr Blair, said he was "very glad" to do so.

But ex-Tory minister Ann Widdecombe - herself a Catholic convert - said Mr Blair's voting record as an MP had often "gone against church teaching".

Last year, Mr Blair, who is now a Middle East peace envoy, said he had prayed to God when deciding whether or not to send UK troops into Iraq.

And one of Mr Blair's final official trips while prime minister was a visit to the Vatican in June where he met Pope Benedict XVI.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7157409.stm

Alan not you as well !!!!

Johnson denies donor laws broken

Alan Johnson's team has denied any wrong-doing Johnson's statement

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has rejected suggestions that he broke any rules covering donations during Labour's deputy leadership contest.

It is claimed £3,334 was given by a man on behalf of his brother-in-law, and the Electoral Commission was not told.

Mr Johnson said he and his team had complied "100%" with the law - checking the donor was legally able to give the money and registering it.

Ahmed Yar Mohammed has denied trying to disguise his campaign donation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7211853.stm

Oh that's what dithering is !!! It eats my soul.

I was right to wait not dithering , what's that anyway ?

Brown 'right to wait over Hain'

The Conservatives have accused Mr Brown of dithering

Gordon Brown has said he was right not to decide on Peter Hain's future before the Electoral Commission reported its findings on donations.

Mr Hain resigned after the organisation asked police to investigate the late declaration of £103,000 given to his Labour deputy leadership campaign.

The prime minister said it had been "the right thing to do" not to sack him as work and pensions secretary.

But the Conservatives have accused Mr Brown of "dithering".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7208304.stm

About time too Peter !!!!

Peter Hain resigns from Cabinet

Mr Hain came fifth of six in Labour's deputy leadership race

Peter Hain has quit the Cabinet after his deputy leader campaign donations were referred to the Met Police.

Mr Hain, work and pensions secretary and Wales secretary, said he had stood down so he could "clear my name".

He quit within minutes of the Electoral Commission saying that it had decided to refer the late declaration of £103,000 of donations to the police.

Mr Hain has blamed poor administration and has said the suggestion he tried to hide anything was "absurd".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7206812.stm

Hope you'r going to pay tax in the UK on this Tony !!

Blair's $5m

• Robert Peston
• 14 Jan 08, 10:27 AM

There are times when you see a price and you know that it’s wrong.

One of those was the $1m quoted by many newspapers last week and over the weekend for what JP Morgan, the huge US bank, is paying Tony Blair for his advisory services.

It felt far too low.

I am not making a judgement about the value of what our former prime minister will actually do for Morgan.

The proof of that will be in the pudding.

But I spend my life speaking to people with money to spend on Blairs and other forms of what is pretentiously known as human capital – and in that world $1m buys a few days of legal or public relations advice, but not continuous access to a politician with a global brand (oh yes) who can pick up the phone to anyone.

Whatever your political bent or view of the Blair years, it would be a national humiliation if the sticker on his forehead said $1000k.

His franchise is worth more.

For a million dollars to be the number on his ticket, Wall Street and the City would be in total meltdown and we would be in the grip of a worldwide recession (we may get there yet).

It couldn’t be the right price – especially since Blair takes advice from a bunch of astute business people and he isn’t famous for knowingly underselling himself.

So when the Daily Telegraph reported that he is being paid £2m a year, I thought that was more like it.

But it still didn’t feel right.

My intuitive view was that you couldn’t have a Blair for less than $5m

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/

Downing Street might have confidence in him , but I haven't !!!!

Hain faces sleaze watchdog probe

Mr Hain is facing a call for his resignation

Peter Hain has been reported to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for failing to declare £103,156 in gifts to his Labour deputy leader bid.

The watchdog will investigate whether the work and pensions secretary broke the rules on MPs' conduct.

Downing Street said Gordon Brown had "full confidence" in Mr Hain, who has said his failure to declare the donations was an innocent mistake.

But Plaid Cymru has called for Mr Hain, who is also Welsh secretary, to resign.

The Conservatives have held back from calling for Mr Hain's resignation, pending the outcome of the investigation by standards commissioner John Lyon.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7182480.stm

Yes of course we need ID cards ! I want to know what you are doing !!

Brown 'still supports ID cards'

Identity cards are opposed by the Tories and Lib Dems

Gordon Brown has not changed his mind on identity cards despite speculation he is preparing for a U-turn, a home office minister has told the BBC.

Meg Hillier said the PM had "made it very clear" he supported the scheme.

Tory leader David Cameron has written to Mr Brown asking for clarification after a Commons clash over whether he wants them to be compulsory or not.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he believed there had been a "significant shift" in the government's position.

The row was ignited by an interview Mr Brown gave to a Sunday newspaper in which he said: "Under our proposals there is no compulsion for existing British citizens".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7179238.stm

I think you should resign now Peter , before I sack you !!

Hain reveals £103k not declared

Mr Hain has apologised for the undeclared donation

Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain failed to declare £103,000 in donations to his Labour deputy leadership bid, his spokesman has confirmed.

Mr Hain, who is also Welsh Secretary, came fifth out of six in the race to succeed John Prescott last summer.

He expressed "regret" for not declaring the donations in time and not giving "higher personal priority" to the administration of his campaign.

But he said everyone who had given him money was legally entitled to donate.

Earlier he passed full details of the £103,156.75 in donations to the Electoral Commission, which is due to report back next week.

I reasonably believed that the arrangements in place for my deputy leader campaign would be sufficient to ensure compliance with reporting requirements Peter Hain

In a statement, he said: "I understand that people will ask how I could have allowed this number of donations to go undeclared at the time.

"The fact is that during this period, I gave my campaign for office within the Labour Party second priority to my government responsibilities.

"I reasonably believed that the arrangements in place for my deputy leader campaign would be sufficient to ensure compliance with reporting requirements, but as it transpired, due to administrative failings this was not the case after early May."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7180961.stm

Don't we earn enough ??????

MP - £60,675

Minister of state - £100,568

Cabinet minister - £137,579

Prime minister - £188,849

I think it's very important that we send a message to nurses, police and all those people in the public sector

DO AS I SAY !!! NO PAY RISE ABOVE THE RECOMMENDED !!!

Brown warns MPs over pay increase

Mr Brown said he would like to pay nurses and police more PM's interview

Gordon Brown has urged MPs to limit their pay rises to keep them in line with those of public sector workers like nurses and police.

The decision on MPs' pay will be made by the House of Commons, but Mr Brown said increases must stay below 2%.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show they should demonstrate the "discipline that we ask of other people" and that ministers "must" do the same.

Mr Brown said 2008 would be "decisive" for "breaking the back of inflation".

Anger

The Senior Salaries Pay Board has reportedly recommended a 2.8% increase for MPs on the current £60,675 a year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7173656.stm