General Election 2015: SNP could win every seat in Scotland, new STV and Ipsos-Mori poll suggests April 29, 2015 The SNP could win every single constituency in Scotland in what would be one of the most dramatic swings in British political history. A new STV News poll conducted by Ipsos Mori puts the SNP on 54 per cent – a massive 34 points ahead of Labour. The Electoral Calculus website forecasts that if this [...]
Paul Krugman blasts “limpness” of Ed Miliband’s response to the austerity debate April 29, 2015 Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has penned a scathing article in The Guardian, slamming the Tories' plans for deeper spending cuts and chastising Labour for its feeble response. Krugman blasts Ed Miliband for the "limpness" of his response to the Conservatives' drive for further austerity. In words that would warm the hearts of those Labour stalwarts [...]
Ed Balls defends “Milibrand” interview: “It’s what the young people call banter” April 29, 2015 Labour is still taking flack from the media for Ed Miliband's decision to be interviewed by comedian Russell Brand with a sceptical John Humphreys grilling the Ed Balls on the Today programme over the wisdom of doing such an interview. The great inquisitor asked the shadow chancellor "isn't it a bit demeaning for Ed Miliband [...]
David Cameron’s tax freeze pledge: Tories will not raise income tax, National Insurance, or VAT April 28, 2015 The Conservative party will today pledge a cast-iron guarantee that it will not raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance (NI) or VAT during the next parliament, should David Cameron be returned to Downing Street. A law preventing any increase in the three taxes – which account for over 60 per cent of tax [...]
Think tank IFS says Labour cannot bank on 50p tax rate to bring in more money April 28, 2015 Labour cannot bank on bringing more money into the public purse by reintroducing the 50p tax rate, according to new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The independent research institute said yesterday that raising the additional rate of income tax for people earning more than £150,000 from 45 to 50 per cent [...]
General Election 2015: Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones wants a focus on entrepreneurship and business education April 28, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 8 DAYS TO GO Every day until the final week of the election campaign, we ask a business leader to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. PETER JONES: CBE, DRAGONS’ DEN STAR AND ENTREPRENEUR ■ What I really want from our next government is an [...]
Alexis Tsipras defends Yanis Varoufakis and says Greece will reach deal with creditors by end of next week April 28, 2015 Greece is on the verge of securing a bailout agreement with its EU creditors, according to the struggling nation's Prime Minister. During an interview on Greece's Star TV last night, Alexis Tsipras said the final and most important stage of talks had been reached, and that an interim deal is likely to be achieved by [...]
General Election 2015: What is confidence and supply? April 28, 2015 We're just nine days away from what many believe to be the most uncertain election outcome in living memory. And with the polls showing no clear majority, a hung parliament is looking increasingly likely. This could lead us towards another coalition government, or its more obscure friend "confidence and supply", which is a much less [...]
Leading business group backs Ed Miliband’s plan to scrap arbitrary immigration targets April 28, 2015 Ed Miliband has received a ringing endorsement from one of the country's leading business groups for Labour's immigration stance. Labour have said they will not set out a specific immigration target to reduce the net inflow of people coming to the UK differentiating themselves from both the Tories and Ukip. This is welcome news to [...]
Labour and Conservatives would “significantly complicate” the pension contributions system, says IFS April 28, 2015 Both Labour and Conservative plans to change reform the system of pension contributions have come in for sharp criticism from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The independent think tank says the system has been rattled by instability over the last five years, which would continue whichever of the top two parties formed the next [...]