News

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Like most people I am fairly dubious of polls these days, however according to an ICM poll for the Guardian Labour has drawn level with the Conservative Party. The poll put Labour on 36% up a huge four points, leaving them tied with the conservatives down 3 points since December’s results. It is the first time labour has match the Tories since Corbyn came to power. UKIP are unchanged on 11%, the Lib Dems up...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Angry MS Society members urged Kit Malthouse to resign as their patron over his decision to vote in support of a cuts to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to disabled people. Malthouse had to quit over his decision to slash (ESA) by £30 a week. The North West Hampshire MP handed in his resignation, and said: "I have no desire to remain if their members do not wish me to do so." Chief executive Lucy Byrne...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The BBC has unveiled a new CBBC logo and its controller admitted it “doesn’t scream ‘children’s TV’”. CBBC was given its first makeover for nine years on Monday, replacing the familiar green and black logo introduced in 2007. Additionally, the new look for BBC3 doesn’t actually say BBC3  and neither does the new-look CBBC logo. New BBC3 logo CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor said: “Our new logo is not overt, it doesn’t scream ‘children’s TV’ but its...

The final report of the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash investigation has been released. All 150 people on board died the flight hit a mountain in the French Alps en route to Düsseldorf from Barcelona–El Prat Airport. Investigators believe Lubitz brought down the plane deliberately, with records showing he had been suffering from severe depression which doctors were unable to disclose. In the 87-page final report into the tragedy, the French crash investigation agency, the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), found that Lufthansa could have done...

An Amtrak train has derailed in Kansas en route from Los Angeles to Chicago with 128 passengers and 14 crew on board. According to early reports, approximately 11 passengers have been taken to a nearby hospital with injuries, although non of them were life-threatening. Amtrak said the derailment of the train, Southwest Chief Train 4 with two locomotives and nine cars, occurred just after midnight CDT. UPDATE: At least 11 injured after Amtrak train derails in Kansas https://t.co/Y0d6n9dsFu pic.twitter.com/8ly7zX7mK3 —...

More than two million elderly Brits feel trapped in their homes, according to research. A study of 1,000 people with parents over the age of 70 shows 38 per cent have reached a stage where they are not fully using their entire house. One in five elderly people are unable to go up or down the stairs without harm, and almost a third are not using their kitchen as they cannot get to it safely. Respondents noticed how older relatives...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Bizarrely, Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary claimed people liked being sanctioned and having their benefits stopped. It is not known if he asked the thousands of people with disabilities, who are to have their ESA cut, if they liked their lowered income. During the shocking outburst he said it help people “focus.” Smith, with a straight face, said that people actually thanked him for cutting their benefits or taking away all together. He...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The session began with Karin Smyth, Lab, wondering if the PM had failed on the number of apprenticeships being offered to our kids. To be fair they can probably make more uploading themselves jumping from scaffolding onto their You Tube channels, than toiling away in a cement factory in Droitwich, but that is beside the point. Each week Labour claim apprenticeship schemes are failing, more children are in poverty and there is less house building...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor George Osborne was dealt another bitter blow as he was defeated in his attempts to extend Sunday trading hours. MPs voted to take the policy initiative from the Enterprise Bill. He was blocked by the SNP and 26 Tory rebels. This left the Government losing by a majority of 31. Noting the major changes to businesses and many online services that are now available 27/7 like banking, shopping and even online forex trading platforms, his...