Politics
Osborne to snub urgent Commons questions over Budget
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The Chancellor is going to dodge questions in the Commons over his Budget, which has increasingly turned into a farce. Some Labour members have branded Osborne a “chicken” and even compared him to the cowardly lion, that features in The Wizard of Oz. John McDonnell the Shadow Chancellor plans to lay into the Chancellor for telling Tory MPs to back I his statement, even though it has a £4.4bn black hole. However, Osborne will not...
New DWP Sec Stephen Crabb criticised for links to ‘gay cure’ group
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Stephen Crabb the newly appointed Work and Pensions Secretary, following Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation, has been crticised for links to a gay cure group. Back in 2012 it was reported by Pink News that he employed interns via a religious fundamentalist group, who held these controversial views. Crabb was also himself reportedly an intern in the scheme in the 1990s. David Cameron recently announced that Mr Crabb; he is Welsh and working class, which breathes...
Brexit “cost £100bn & 1m jobs” – Choice between “Great or Little Britain”
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A recent report for PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) for the CBI claims that the economy faces serious damage if the UK opts for Brexit. If the UK moved out of the EU it would shock the UK economy, which could see up to 950,000 job losses and make the average household £3,700 worse of by 2020, the report warns. The analysis by PWC also said Leaving the EU could cost the UK economy £100bn (equivalent of 5%...
Losing The Battle For Europe’s Soul
The desperate masses moving through southern Europe will soon face the gruelling process of refugee assessment now that the EU has reached a morally questionable deal with Turkey. Panicking European governments have handed Turkey a political victory and sentenced thousands of migrants to an uncertan future. The EU will 'swap' migrants with the Turkish government, guaranteeing Europe only accepts successful asylum applicants and not economic migrants so villified by the burgeoning right. Turkey's authoritarian state has won financial aid, visa...
2016 Budget: A Helping Hand To The Rich
By David Binder George Osborne was described on Wednesday as the man who wants to have it all. He’s a man for all seasons, someone who on the one hand can introduce policies with widescale ‘man on the street’ appeal, yet on the other be on the side of big business. I believe however that this week’s budget represented something of a departure from this bent. That is, many of the Chancellor’s recently announced fiscal measures can be interpreted as...
Sketch – You’re going down with the Mackems
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor I write a regular PMQ sketch for the London Economic, but this week I didn’t get around to it - dog ate my home work time - I was on an underpowered train back from the Northern Powerhouse of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and only caught the end of the budget when I got to the office. Personally, I closely align Newcastle United's and Sunderland’s current sides with the Northern Powerhouse, as they are all a load of...
VIDEO – Nicky Morgan flounces out of interview about cuts
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Nicky Morgan flounced out of an interview yesterday (Friday) when she was asked wether the government would u-turn on its £4bn plan to cut benefits to disabled people. She was asked why during ‘Question Time‘ this week she said the Budget cuts to the most vulnerable in society were only a “suggestion”. The TV presenter from Sky News asked: “The Chancellor says he’s committed to disability benefit cuts. Why did you say it’s a suggestion?”...
VIDEO – Corbyn attacks IDS ‘where’s his conscience been hiding for 6 years?
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Jeremy Corbyn isn't impressed with Iain Duncan Smith's moral awakening over welfare cuts. The Labour leader said: "Where's his conscience been hiding for 6 years?". Mr Duncan Smith resigned saying the cuts: "are not defensible within a Budget that benefits higher-earning taxpayers". But rivals have suggested the decision had more to do with inflicting damage on the leadership, as the Conservative Party tears itself apart again over the EU. MP Debbie Abrahams claimed Mr Duncan Smith...
VIDEO -Sajid Javid denies Government has cut disability benefits
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Tory MP Sajid Javid denied, during a TV debate, that the Government plans to cut spending on disability benefits which might hurt more than 640,000 vulnerable people. He was questioned about the Chancellor's latest budget on BBC Newsnight, he argued: "I don't accept for a second that we've cut spending on disability payments." Sajid added: "It's actually a recognition that you have a welfare system that looks after the most vulnerable in society. "And of course I put...