The Chancellor will set out a framework for the cuts, telling MPs how the Treasury will draw up a "once-in-a-generation" spending review this autumn.
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The Chancellor will set out a framework for the “painful” cuts announced by the prime minister yesterday, telling MPs how the Treasury will draw up a “once-in-a-generation” spending review this autumn – which is expected to slash as much as £60 billion from annual expenditure. The Standard reports that Mr Osborne and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander: “Will announce the establishment of a so-called ‘star chamber’ of ministerial and civil service heavyweights before which departmental ministers will be required to justify their budgets. Ministers could be asked to consider whether services currently provided by their departments could be better supplied by the private or voluntary sectors. They will be questioned about their methods of delivery and challenged to find ways of ‘doing more for less’… In a bid to win broader consent for cuts which could total almost one-tenth of state spending, members of the public, charities and other interested parties are to be invited to give their views ahead of the spending review on where money could be saved.”
The Times adds: “Mr Osborne will use a Commons appearance today to hint at how he sees the public services of such a straitened future being delivered… He wants unprecedented engagement from trade unions, charities, other groups and individuals… The spending review will be coupled with a re-evaluation of the role of government — what it should and should not provide, how to improve the quality of key areas while cutting spending elsewhere… The exercise will draw on the experiences of other countries such as Canada that oversaw a swift and successful deficit-reduction plan in the early 1990s. The Government there eliminated or cut public spending on business subsidies, transport, agriculture and energy as it retreated into a role that concentrated on policy development and regulation.”
The deputy prime minister has signalled a climbdown over plans in the Coalition Agreement for a 55 per cent threshhold for dissolving parliament. The Times reports that: “MPs are likely to retain the right to dissolve Parliament and trigger an election if more than half the Commons loses confidence in the Government… Last month David Cameron and Mr Clegg announced that they were ending the prime minister’s historic right to call an election at a time of their choosing, introducing a new law requiring the consent of 55 per cent of MPs before a dissolution… MPs voiced concerns about the possibility of a ‘zombie’ government that has the support of just over 45 per cent of the House and clings to office but is unable to pass legislation.” The Liberal Democrat leader reiterated to the Commons yesterday that a simple majority would still be able to bring down a government through a vote of no confidence, as he had insisted in his speech on ‘new politics’ on May 19, reported by Left Foot Forward. The Times, however, cautions that: “One issue yet to be resolved is whether the 55 per cent threshold — which prevents just one party in the coalition pulling out and forcing a ballot — would apply to the next Parliament.” The Guardian has more on Mr Clegg’s political reform package, which include a draft bill on an elected upper house by the end of the year; a constituency boundary review to reduce the number of MPs; plans to make voter registration compulsory by 2015; a referendum on extra powers for the Welsh Assembly early next year; and abandoning Tory plans for ‘unelected’ prime ministers to be compelled to seek a mandate within six months of taking power.
The health secretary will today announce that hospitals will be held responsible for patients’ health and well-being for up to a month after they are discharged. The Telegraph reports that Andrew Lansley, in his first major speech since the election, will unveil the scheme, which “forms a central part of a new ‘payment by results’ system to be introduced by the Government to improve standards in the NHS”, with health authorities being “penalised financially if patients have to be readmitted within 30 days because their conditions were not treated properly”. The report adds that: “The move – part of a wider drive to ensure patients treated at home receive adequate care – means that hospital doctors and nurses will have to monitor patients once they have left hospital wards and ensure that treatment is not stopped too early.” Mr Lansley will also pledge to improve survival rates for diseases such as cancer; he will say: “We need change… We need to set the service free to deliver high-quality care, based on evidence of what works. Accountable for results. Accountable to informed and engaged patients. Focused on what matters to patients – cleanliness, safety and positive patient experience.”
The shadow health secretary, meanwhile, has attacked New Labour’s “elitist” style of leadership in a last-ditch attempt to win enough nominations to progress to the next stage of the Labour leadership contest. The Independent reports that Andy Burnham, in the first major hustings event of the campaign, “went further than before in distancing himself from the ‘top-down’ approach of Tony Blair and Mr Brown,” and said that the power wielded by Lord Mandelson, “created the impression that the elite was running the country. We must have a Labour Party that involves everyone.” Ed Miliband also said Lord Mandelson wouldn’t have a place in his shadow cabinet, while David Miliband defended Labour’s achievements: “There are plenty of people who want to trash our record. We should not fall for the Tory claptrap that we left Britain broke and broken.” And Diane Abbott said: “My idea has always been ‘go for it’ and even if you don’t get there, you will have made it easier for other people like you to come afterwards.” The Mail reports that Ed Balls “has been compared to maverick right-wing MP Enoch Powell after calling for immigration to be drastically restricted”, with education secretary Michael Gove saying he had managed to “outflank” the Tory leader to the right on both immigration and Euroscepticism: “Something not done since Enoch Powell was in this House.” While John McDonnell has been criticised for joking about his desire to go back in time and “assassinate” Margaret Thatcher, reported by the Express, Mail, Sun and Telegraph.
And the Financial Times reports British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh’s warning to strikers that he would hold out against industrial action “for as long as it takes”. The FT reports that: “In a sign of BA’s determination to break the Unite union’s stranglehold on the loss-making airline, Mr Walsh told a group of airline industry leaders: ‘I don’t think we’ve been brave enough in the past to stand up and say ‘No’.’ His comments came as flight attendants staged a third round of five-day strikes. Their action is due to end on Wednesday but the union may ballot cabin crew on further action if no agreement is reached in the dispute.” It adds: “The union claims an agreement in principle has been reached over the cost-cutting proposals that sparked the dispute, but says the removal of employees’ travel concessions and BA’s refusal to reinstate sacked and suspended workers is blocking a deal.”
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13 Responses to “Politics Summary: Tuesday, June 8th”
House Of Twits
RT @leftfootfwd Politics Summary: Tuesday, June 8th: http://bit.ly/cYTMB3 – Public to be asked what to cut as Osborne sets out framework
Lauolefiso Stibbie
Politics Summary: Tuesday, June 8th | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/a7tt84
mike
so if were all in this together
will Lord Ashcroft Tory banker and vice chairman of the Conservative Party
pay a penny more
my arse
Politics Summary: Tuesday, June 8th « The best Labour blogs
[…] More… […]
Marcel Duda
<b>Politics</b> Summary: Tuesday, June 8th | Left Foot Forward http://goo.gl/fb/tNYWv