Sadly although Chancellor Osborne once again asserted that his party were “the builders”, today’s budget largely ignored the housing crisis. The best that can be said is that there bit was a commitment of £115 million to help the homeless and rough sleepers, who must be the…Read more…
#Budget2016: Teachers’ pay under attack
The Chancellor’s announcement on academies in today’s budget represents, among other things, a significant attack on national pay bargaining in a sector that is overwhelmingly made up of women workers. The imposition of academy status on schools up and down the country matters to all of us. It…Read more…
#Budget2016: Lifetime ISA – an attempt to kill two birds with one stone
The Budget spectacle is usually littered with animal references: rabbits out of hats, foxes shot and so on. This year we can add to the zoological ranks, an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. A Chancellor faced with a generation struggling to ge…Read more…
This budget does nothing to make it easier to trust government on education
In a weakening global economy, people will rightly ask how the British government is providing opportunity for them. A high quality education system benefits everyone. But just because government…Read more…
#Budget2016: This was no budget for the next generation
The Chancellor’s big speech today closed with the bold claim that this was a budget for the next generation. But the detail in the speech shows his gamble isn’t paying off. Far from increasing growth, he’s had to downgrade his forecasts and accept that his plan is failing on productivity and pay,…Read more…
One-trick Osborne
Chancellor George Osborne has been accused by Unite today (March 16) of having only one-trick in his armoury – cuts – as he misses yet more targets, irresponsibly fails manufacturing and…Read more…
This is not a Budget for the next generation, says UNISON
Commenting on today’s Budget, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “Six years of severe cuts to public spending have done little to pay down the deficit, despite the Chancellor’s promises. Yet…Read more…
#Budget2016: A lost dozen years, with yet another hit to earnings and living standards
As the Chancellor confronts his failure to deliver a secure economy with stronger growth, working people confront yet another hit to living standards. Real earnings grew in 2015 by 2.5%, a positive figure for the first time since 2007; next year they w…Read more…
Big cuts to GDP growth mean higher public borrowing and a second failure on public debt
Behind the Chancellor’s gimmicks were serious downward revisions to GDP growth. 2016: now 2.0% previously 2.4%; 2017: now 2.2% was 2.5% etc. These feed through straight to the budget deficit borrowing, so that it is increased materially – by £39 billion cumulatively – over the coming five years….Read more…
The government should let union members choose how they vote
Today, the Chancellor will present his budget for the year ahead. But it’s not the only important thing happening. Though it won’t be dominating the headlines, the government’s controversial Trade Union Bill is reaching its final stages in the House of Lords. What is represents is a last chance for…Read more…
#Budget2016: Altering tax thresholds is an expensive way to aid the well paid
The chancellor has promised measures to increase the personal tax allowance (PTA) for low-paid workers (the amount they can earn in a year before being liable for tax) also the higher rate threshold (HRT) (the point beyond which tax increases to 40%). While both measures have been portrayed as a…Read more…
Cider capitalism’s ugly face
Unite denounced the trading update from the Dublin-based C&C Group as ‘another kick in the teeth for a dedicated workforce’ at the profitable Somerset site. A trading update from the…Read more…
Tinkering with schools no way to improve standards, says UNISON
Commenting on government proposals for all schools to become academies and have longer working days, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “Forcing all schools to become academies will do…Read more…
Picking up the tax cheats’ tab
Today (March 16) the country’s eyes are on George Osborne as he attempts to plug an £18bn hole in his budget. He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show ‘we need to act now so we…Read more…
The great pretender
Chancellor George Osborne will boast that he will preside over the “largest programme of rail investment since the Victorian age”, during today’s Budget (March 16). His misleading and…Read more…
“What I learned when I visited a refugee camp in Greece”
Last week I went on a (self funded) delegation organised by the Greece Solidarity Campaign to Athens. David Lammy MP was a member of the delegation.
I will post on the visit but yesterday David wrote a powerful (and angry) article in the NewStatesman which I have copied below:-
“Unless Europe’s…Read more…
Tell your MP trade union bill opposition hasn’t gone away
The government’s controversial trade union bill will be coming back to the House of Commons in April, for the final Parliamentary stages before it becomes law.Read more…
‘Draconian approach’
Port workers at the Port of Grangemouth kicked off a two-week strike today (March 15) after their employer Forth Ports imposed changes to shift work without consultation. These changes will…Read more…
Rise of the robo-bankers?
Investment advisers at the 73 per cent taxpayer-owned RBS bank are set to be replaced by so-called “robo advisers” to cut costs, which will entail the loss of 250 jobs. The bank, which…Read more…
Toxic air legal cases rise
Unite revealed today (March 15) that it was pursuing legal action against a number of UK airlines on behalf of 61 cabin crew after they were exposed to ‘toxic cabin air’ while working on board…Read more…