Category
Parties
How political squabbles snowball
It's become commonplace to argue that Blair and Brown are like squabbling school kids and that they (and their supporters) need to grow up and stop bi…
Brown visits slum on Africa trip
Chancellor Gordon Brown has visited Kenya's biggest shantytown as he opened a week-long visit to Africa. Mr Brown's trip is designed to highlight how …
Tories opposing 24-hour drinking
The Tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control, despite backing a law change last year. …
Clarke plans migrant point scheme
Anyone planning to move to the UK will have to pass a test to prove they can contribute to the country, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said. He is …
Blair's hope for Blunkett return
The events leading to David Blunkett's resignation must not "swept under the carpet", the Tories have warned. On Wednesday Tony Blair said he hoped th…
Correction agency plans dropped
Plans to create a single correctional agency for Scotland have been scrapped. The Scottish Executive will not now merge the Scottish Prison Service wi…
Falconer rebuts 'charade' claims
Concessions on a bill which critics claim would allow euthanasia "through the back door" were not a political ploy, the lord chancellor has said. Mini…
Howard pitches for UK ethnic vote
Michael Howard is to make a pitch for Britain's ethnic vote urging people who feel "taken for granted" by Tony Blair to vote Conservative. He will say…
New foot and mouth action urged
A senior Tory MP has criticised agriculture department Defra's "lackadaisical" approach to planning for a future foot and mouth outbreak. Public accou…
Labour chooses Manchester
The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed. The much trailed decision was ratified b…
'No UK apology' for colonial past
The days of Britain having to apologise for its colonial past are over, Gordon Brown has said. The chancellor, speaking during a week-long tour of Afr…
Kinnock to urge reform in Lords
Neil Kinnock has said his acceptance of a seat in the House of Lords will allow him to help "achieve further progress with substantial democratic refo…
EU rules 'won't stop UK spending'
The shape of the UK's economy In graphics But he denied that he was ruling out British membership of the euro despite saying there would be no assessm…
Turkey deal 'to help world peace'
A deal bringing Turkey a step closer to EU membership is of "fundamental importance" to the peace and security of the world, Tony Blair has said. The …
CSA 'could close', says minister
Ministers would not rule out scrapping the Child Support Agency if it failed to improve, Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson has warned. But he s…
Manchester wins Labour conference
The Labour Party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in Manchester and not Blackpool, it has been confirmed. The much trailed decision was ratified b…
Labour targets 'hardcore truants'
A fresh crackdown on persistent truants in England has been launched by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. Serial truants make up one in 13 pupils. Previ…
Tories pledge free sports lessons
Children would be offered two hours' free sports training a week by a future Tory government, the party has said. The Club2School policy would provide…
Crucial decision on super-casinos
A decision on whether to allow Westminster to legislate on super-casinos is set to be made by the Scottish Parliament. The government has plans for up…
Teens 'know little' of politics
Teenagers questioned for a survey have shown little interest in politics - and have little knowledge. Only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that Labo…
Job cuts 'false economy' - TUC
Plans to shed 71,000 civil service jobs will prove to be a "false economy" that could hamper public sector reforms, according to a TUC report. Public …
Council tax rise 'reasonable'
Welsh councils should set their taxes at "reasonable levels" after being given an average funding increase of 6%, says the assembly government. Financ…
Tory leader quits legal position
David McLetchie has resigned from his post as a partner in a legal firm following criticism over his dual role. The Scottish Conservative leader had i…
Housing plans criticised by MPs
Irreversible environmental damage will be caused by government plans to build more than one million homes in south-east England, MPs have warned. "Sus…
Councils prepare to set tax rises
Council tax in Scotland is set to rise by an average of about 4% in the coming year, BBC Scotland has learned. Authorities will decide final figures o…
Defiant hunts put ban to the test
Thousands of hunt supporters have been out on the first day of hunting in England and Wales after the ban on hunting with dogs came into force. The Co…
UK's 'useless' quangos under fire
The UK has 529 quangos financed with billions of pounds of taxpayers' cash - many of which are useless or duplicate each other's efforts, a report cla…
'No-one can define new hunt ban'
The new law banning hunting with dogs is "so poorly drafted" no-one can define the offence, pro-hunt MPs say. The accusation came after it emerged a D…
'More to do' on adult literacy
The government will only hit its target for improving adult maths and literacy skills if courses are made more attractive, a report says. The National…
Tories unveil quango blitz plans
Plans to abolish 162 quangos have been unveiled by the Conservatives as part of their effort to show how government red tape can be cut. Six governmen…
MPs to debate 'euthanasia laws'
MPs are preparing to debate a bill which critics claim would legalise euthanasia "by the back door". The bill would give legal force to "living wills"…
Blair says UK tsunami aid to soar
Tony Blair has predicted the British Government will eventually give "hundreds of millions" of pounds in aid to countries hit by the tsunami. The prim…
Parties' plans for council tax
Anger at council tax rises spilled over into mass protests in 2003, when the average English bill rose 12.9%. Pensioners' protests spread - some march…
Protect whistleblowers, TUC says
The government should change the law to give more protection to employees who raise health and safety concerns about their workplaces, the TUC has sai…
MPs demand 'Budget leak' answers
Ministers have been asked to explain how Budget details were printed in a London newspaper half an hour before Gordon Brown made his speech. The Torie…
Candidate resigns over BNP link
A prospective candidate for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has resigned after admitting a "brief attachment" to the British National Party(BNP). Nic…
Tories leave door open for Archer
The Conservative Party would deal "sympathetically" with any application by disgraced peer Lord Archer to rejoin its ranks, its co-chairman has said. …
Vouchers 'to cut winter deaths'
Pensioners are being promised energy savings by the Liberal Democrats, as snow and cold temperatures continue. The party says the plans could save the…
Police chief backs drinking move
A chief constable has backed the introduction of 24-drinking, saying police had a responsibility to ensure people could benefit from a law change. How…
Russian ex-spy on hunger strike
An ex-Russian intelligence officer who risked his life spying for MI6 is entering the seventh week of a hunger strike near 10 Downing Street. Viktor M…
MP's shock at long lost daughter
Labour MP Stephen Pound has told of his shock and his joy on learning he fathered a daughter when he was "out of control" during the "wild" 1960s. Luc…
NHS waiting time target is cut
Hospital waiting times for patients in Wales are to be cut, but not to the same extent as those in England. Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt said no pa…
No to Royal succession shake-up
A Labour peer has withdrawn proposals to give female members of the Royal Family the same rights as males. The legislation would have ended the right …
Brown to outline presidency goals
Next year will be "make or break" for development in poorer countries Gordon Brown will say as he sets out UK goals for its EU and G8 presidencies. Th…
Tory leader urges Harry apology
Prince Harry should personally make clear how sorry he is about wearing a Nazi uniform to a friend's fancy dress party, says Tory leader Michael Howar…
Jowell rejects 'Las Vegas' jibe
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell, has hit out at critics of the Gambling Bill. She told the Guardian newspaper there …
Lib Dems demand new inquiry
A judge should look into the David Blunkett controversy as key questions remain unanswered, the Lib Dems say. Sir Alan Budd's inquiry linked the ex-ho…
Blunkett tells of love and pain
David Blunkett has spoken of his love for married publisher Kimberly Quinn for the first time. The home secretary described how it affected his friend…
Visa row mandarin made Sir John
The top civil servant at the centre of the David Blunkett visa affair has been knighted in the New Year Honours. Sir John Gieve was Home Office perman…
Straw attacked on China arms
Moves to lift the European Union's ban on arms exports to China have been condemned by human rights groups and the Conservatives. The 15 year embargo …
Leaders meet over Turkish EU bid
Tony Blair has met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Turkey entering the EU. The Downing …
Labour in constituency race row
Labour's choice of a white candidate for one of the UK's most multi-racial seats proves the need for all-black short lists, says a race group. Local c…
'Hitler' row over Welsh arts cash
An artist critical of Welsh arts funding being brought under assembly government control has denied comparing the idea with dictatorships in Russia an…
Parliament's record of scandal
In a locked room at the heart of Parliament there is a hive of scandal. Sex, betrayal and custody of children are all there in this affair but this ti…
'Nuclear dumpsite' plan attacked
Plans to allow foreign nuclear waste to be permanently stored in the UK have been branded "deeply irresponsible" by the Liberal Democrats. The governm…
Blunkett row should end - Blair
Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was time to draw a line under the controversy surrounding David Blunkett. The Tories and the Lib Dems have called fo…
School sport 'is back', says PM
Tony Blair has promised that "sport is back" as a priority for schools. The prime minister launched a £500m initiative to allow school sports clubs in…
Probe launched on Ken Nazi jibe
An investigation by the Standards Board is under way following allegations that Ken Livingstone has brought his office into disrepute. The probe follo…
'Super union' merger plan touted
Two of Britain's big trade unions could merge to form a "super union" of two million members. The move by Amicus and the Transport and General Workers…
Plan to give elderly care control
Elderly and disabled people would choose how their own budget for personal care was spent and organised under government plans. Ministers say elderly …
Taxes must be trusted - Kennedy
Public trust in taxes is breaking down because Labour and Tories are not being straight with people on the issue, Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has s…
Howard 'truanted to play snooker'
Conservative leader Michael Howard has admitted he used to play truant to spend time with his school friends at a snooker hall. Mr Howard said his tim…
Escaped prisoner report ordered
First Minister Jack McConnell has ordered a report on the decision to allow a paranoid schizophrenic knife attacker to go on a visit unguarded. Michae…
Brown hits back in Blair rift row
Gordon Brown has criticised a union leader who said conflict between himself and Tony Blair was harming the workings of government. Jonathan Baume, of…
Watchdog probes e-mail deletions
The information commissioner says he is urgently asking for details of Cabinet Office orders telling staff to delete e-mails more than three months ol…
Mayor will not retract Nazi jibe
London mayor Ken Livingstone has again refused to retract a Nazi insult made to a Jewish reporter. Labour's Mr Livingstone, who says he is "standing b…
MPs' murder sentence concern
Murder sentences should not be reduced automatically simply because of a guilty plea, says a new MPs' report. The influential Commons home affairs com…
UK rebate 'unjustified' - Chirac
French president Jacques Chirac has called the UK's £3bn rebate from the European Union "unjustified". Speaking after a summit meeting he said unless …
Asylum children to face returns
The UK government is planning to return asylum seeker children without parents to Albania. The trial scheme, which could start in weeks, may be extend…
New rules tackle 'sham weddings'
New rules on marriage for foreign nationals living in the UK are coming into force. From Tuesday, most non-EU citizens will need Home Office approval …
UK 'needs true immigration data'
A former Home Office minister has called for an independent body to be set up to monitor UK immigration. Barbara Roche said an organisation should mon…
Straw to attend Auschwitz service
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will visit Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former Nazi concentration camp's liberation, it has been announced. …
Tory leader 'cleared' over work
Scottish Conservative Party leader David McLetchie claims he has been cleared over a potential conflict of interest. The Edinburgh MSP earns up to £30…
Tories unveil quango blitz plans
Plans to abolish 162 quangos have been unveiled by the Conservatives as part of their effort to show how government red tape can be cut. Six governmen…
Concerns at school diploma plan
Final appeals are being made for the government not to ditch the reform plan for England's secondary schools put forward by the Tomlinson report. The …