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By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor It was described by one peer as a “black day for disabled people” as the Lords was forced to accept cuts to ESA (Employment Support Allowance) given to sick and disabled people, the most vulnerable in society. After a brave fight by the Lords they were forced to back down in their opposition to the Government’s brutal plans. The Lords had managed to defeat ministers twice over plans to cut £30 a week from ESA. However,...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Jeremy Hunt is not exactly top of the our xmas card lists and as the junior doctors row continues to rumble on; support for the medics seems to be holding, and he looks increasingly under pressure. So maybe is was a good time to win an award, right? Wrong. Channel's 4 The Last Leg awarded him the title "dick of the year" and attempted to give Hunt his accolade, but he refused to accept it,...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The pentagon has said that a US air strike has killed over 150 al-shabab militants in Somalia. Military spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned. Davis said: "We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and forces. Initial assessments are that more than 150 terrorist fighters were eliminated.” Al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, was pushed...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Shocking figures have revealed that women who work for the Tory minister responsible for closing the gender pay gap are paid almost two pounds per hour less than men in the same roles. Government’s figures state that male civil servants earn £22.30 a hour on average at the Department of Education however women make just £20.54. Nicky Morgan recently said she plans to “name and shame” companies who did not pay men and women equally...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor IS (Islamic State) is waging war against Western lifestyles and is planning “enormous and spectacular attacks on the UK mainland, a counter-terrorism boss has warned. Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, said the Islamist group had called on would-be jihadis to attack police and the military, but now their plots are now broader with "plans to attack Western lifestyle". He said: "In recent months we've seen a broadening of that, much more plans to attack...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A tiny fraction (97.6 per cent) of senior officials at the Department for Communities & Local Government actually work outside of London. This was the department that the chancellor asked to deliver the “northern powerhouse,” which aims to devolve power to the outlying regions and cities. However the government admitted that 97.6% of senior civil servants at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) are based in London. A pitiful 2.4% of the department’s...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Around 50 Conservative MPs are planning to rebel against the Chancellor’s plans to relax the Sunday trading laws, which also includes two ministers who may be ready to resign. The Chancellor, George Osborne, is facing another backlash from his party, this time over extending shopping hours on Sunday. Rumours are that 50 Tories are plotting to rebel on the vote on the issue on Wednesday only a week before his budget. The Chancellor is increasingly...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Home Secretary Theresa May has won a case to return hundreds of people back to Afghanistan. The failed asylum-seekers, which also includes former child migrants, will be returned to Afghanistan. The Court of Appeal decided that deportations can now go ahead. Since last August there had been a total ban on deportations to the country, which has suffered immeasurable hardship, due the ravages of war. The Taliban now control swathes of territory in the country and...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A report says cutting huge salaries would not hurt the economy as analysis reveals top CEOs earn on average £4.6m per annum. The groundbreaking study by top headhunters has shown that Britain’s chief executives are grossly overpaid, and there would be little impact on the economy if their salaries were cut, which disproves the fear of a “brain drain,” if pay were to be slashed. The report by the London School of Economics report bring...