October 2009
Improving schools standards means more flexibility
Melanie Phillips’ support for Michael Gove in the Mail today is confused. While she is right to point out that more pupils should leave school able to read, write and count, she is wrong to assume that the Conservative's solutions will give us the outcomes we need.
Loans sell off would not affect students but funding system needs reform
The National Union of Students has been reassured by Ministers that sale of the student loans book will not impact student paying back their loans. But conservative think tanks, such as Reform, have been urging politicians to consider saving £1.2 billion by introducing market rates for student loans while the Confederation of British Industry have suggested that, in addition, grants should be cut.
Australia’s economy: same policy, 33% poll lead
A poll commissioned by The Australian newspaper puts Australia’s Labour Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, 33 per cent ahead of Liberal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull in terms of who is most capable of handling the country’s economy. Why has Labour’s sister party in Australia performed so well against its conservative opponents and what lessons does Britain have to learn from Kevin Rudd?
Left Foot Forward welcomes Rupert Read
Cllr Rupert Read (@RupertRead) has joined Left Foot Forward as a new writer on environmental and social policy. We are […]
Politics Summary: Monday, October 12th
The first report of the Committee on Climate Change, chaired by Lord Turner, is covered in all the papers. The […]
UKIP’s Godfrey Bloom admits to saying “Paki”
Godfrey Bloom MEP (UKIP, Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire) today defended the use of the term “Paki” and called on those offended by the term to “lighten up.”