Worcestershire County Council have been criticised today for running up a bill of over £1million for “self indulgent” refurbishments to the County Halls. Councillor Wells, who has sparked the controversy is quoted in the Worcester News: "At a time when the council is making savage cuts across key... Read more...
Surrey South West TaxPayers' Alliance and Surrey Tax Action Group Organiser Peter Webb updates us on the campaign in Surrey: Pre and ongoing: Prolonged dialogue with County Council on the effectiveness of roads contracts management and work supervision.Reflecting on development of TPA branch organisation2nd November: Non-job letter on 3... Read more...
Now here’s an interesting question for you, who spends £30,000 wining and dining at four star restaurants in the South of France, including £10,928 for a drinks reception and dinner, £8,625 for a cocktail party, £2,469 for three business breakfasts, £4,406 for a welcome barbecue and £3,868 for a launch... Read more...
Balls in his last job "Raising the participation age 'has potential economic benefits of £2.4bn per year group' THE BIGGEST REFORMS TO EDUCATION, TRAINING AND SKILLS IN A GENERATION Ed Balls and John Denham today published the Education and Skills Bill and outlined their plans to boost the skills... Read more...
We slump to 19th According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), English primary school pupils have slumped in the international league table of reading skills. The authoritative study of 40 countries showed them falling from third place in 2001 to 19th place in 2006.Yesterday Ed Balls blamed... Read more...
Already this year we've had Kiddie Kevlar stab-proof school jumpers and manufacturers considering adding tracking devices to school uniforms. Now, the Telegraph reports that Marks and Spencers are marketing pyjamas that they say will protect you against hospital infections. All of these are just the more egregious examples of people... Read more...
This post by Gracchi on the Liberal Conspiracy website attacking the Public Sector Rich List has plenty of phoney 'gotcha' moments. Fortunately, none of them remotely stack up: "Firstly its noticeable that on their website, they claim the need for this survey because these public sector workers are paid so... Read more...
The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) shows that English 10-year-olds have fallen from 3rd to 19th place since 2001. The study of 45 countries and provinces showed that only the results of Morocco and Romania fell more sharply. Predictably, but shamefully, Education Secretary Ed Balls... Read more...
Liverpool’s taxpayers will be shocked to know they have to stump up a whopping £150,000 for…wait for it…a chess tournament. This tale of incompetence started with the Liverpool Culture Company (LCC), a semi-private body, agreeing to pay for the European Chess Tournament, but reneged on the £100,000 deal. ... Read more...
Defending financial stability in an economy near you... soon... Peter Franklin argues, on ConservativeHome's Platform, for a minister in charge of financial stability: "Devoting a Cabinet minister to financial stability is no guarantee of financial stability, but it would help and, if nothing else, would send a message... Read more...
Stoke-On-Trent City Council are at it again with sky-high salaries for ambiguous bureaucratic positions. After losing their assistant chief executive to ill health, they’re now advertising the post with a bumper salary of £125,000. Many party leaders at the council question not only the salary, but the need for... Read more...
Ever since we came across a story on the BBC website advertising for residents to join Lancaster City Council’s ‘independent remuneration panel’, we’ve found that all councils have to have some form of panel to initiate hearings and make recommendations on councillor allowances. This is where you can get involved... Read more...
An article in today’s Guardian is suitably entitled “the business of governing is much harder that we would like to believe”. Although on a completely different topic to what you will read here, it strikes a note especially when you cast your eyes over our non-job of the week. We’ve... Read more...
Irwin Stelzer writes an important piece in today's Telegraph, with some wise words for the Conservative Party. It's worth quoting him at length: "Voters are eager for an alternative to a tired Labour Party. The Tories' problem is that they won't have very much to offer when it comes to... Read more...
When Mark Rees was head of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust he sacked 600 workers and cut 190 beds in order to try and bring the trust's finances under control (reported in the Daily Mail - not online). These are similar measures to the ones Rose Gibb, who -... Read more...
Just stick your head through the hole Anyone who's ever had building work done knows the Golden Rules of value for money: Get at least three fixed price quotes in writing Make sure they cover all the required work in full On no account alter your requirements once you've... Read more...
One of the cardinal virtues that the NHS is supposed to possess is a high degree of equality. The system clearly fails to deliver quality care relative to other developed country healthcare systems on a host of measures from control of infection to cancer survival to mortality amenable to healthcare. ... Read more...
There's a fascinating poll up on the BBC News web site today. The related story is about the Capital Gains Tax debate, in which Alistair Darling announced that Taper Relief would be abolished - a decision he is now under great pressure to reverse. Darling's proposal would simplify CGT,... Read more...
Reuters report that the Public Accounts Committee has found that many PFI deals have been very expensive, up to 14 per cent more than before the PFI deal was put in place. Read more...
OK children- I'm going to explain how not to sell a company We've blogged before about selling the family silver. In the Earl of Stockton's immortal words:"First of all the Georgian silver goes. And then all that nice furniture that used to be in the salon. Then the Canalettos go."... Read more...
An excellent piece by Ian Morley in the Financial Times presents a devastating critique of Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown. It's worth reading the article in full, but here are the main challenges to the Government: 1. Causing great damage by raising taxes on small businesses and entrepreneurs when... Read more...
So Sir Richard Branson is about to tow away the Crock. Hurrah! Getting that thing off the front lawn will be a load off everyone's mind.Although... is this by any chance the same Sir Richard who's famous for being one of Britain's very sharpest entrepreneurs? Hmm.According to today's Update on... Read more...
Next week the EU will lay out proposals which will formalise the right of NHS users to seek safer and often superior health care abroad. Increasing numbers of UK citizens already choose to travel as far as India and Malaysia to avoid treatment in the NHS (nearly 70,000 this year... Read more...
The FT reports a new CBI report endorsing new green taxes. The reports supports a range of policies. Strengthening emissions regulations on cars are easy for British business to endorse as our car production is now almost entirely foreign-owned. The central recommendation, to strengthen the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, has... Read more...