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Britain braced for more snow and cold weather

Fresh snow is forecast to hit northern Scotland, Wales and central England as temperatures drop below freezing overnightFresh snowfall is forecast to hit parts of Britain today, with up to 5cm predicted in northern Scotland and in northern and western Wales, bringing warnings of icy roads.Lighter snow showers are expected in Merseyside, Shropshire and Derbyshire.Temperatures [...]

[ More ] January 31st, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

Hospital tried to gag whistleblowers

A report into the management of hospitals in Mid Staffordshire will highlight a culture of secrecy about poor working conditions that may have contributed to more than 1,000 patients dyingA hospital trust branded the worst in Britain by the NHS regulator actively discouraged staff from expressing fears about the safety of patients, an independent inquiry [...]

[ More ] January 31st, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |
 

Tony Blair on Iraq: view from Baghdad

Iraqis are unimpressed by Tony Blair’s attempt to explain to the Chilcot inquiry his case for going to warNine months have passed since Britain left Iraq, but resentment towards the invasion remains strong.In the shadow of one of four Baghdad hotels attacked by suicide bombers on Monday, members of four families gathered to watch Tony [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

I feel responsibility but no regret over Iraq, says Blair

Amid heckles, the former PM told Chilcot inquiry Saddam Hussein was a ‘monster’ who needed to be dealt withTony Blair told the Chilcot inquiry, at the end of six hours of evidence this afternoon, that he had no regrets for Britain’s part in the Iraq war and its aftermath.In a final statement before the hearing [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |
 

Roman coin is ‘oldest in Britain’

A silver coin dug up in Leicestershire is now believed to be the oldest piece of Roman money found in Britain.

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

Davos: Cameron says immediate Tory spending cuts would be modest

• Conservative leader: action swift but not extensive• Sources deny Cameron rowing back on pledge to tackle deficitDavid Cameron today gave a clear sign that Tory spending cuts designed to prevent Britain facing a Greek-style debt crisis would begin in modest fashion this summer.Speaking in Davos, the Conservative leader said that his party would want [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |
 

Upbeat or downbeat? Cameron’s mixed messages on UK economy | Nicholas Watt

Tory leader to deliver gushing speech about prospects to World Economic Forum hours after warning of ‘Greek-style’ meltdownThere is a rather quaint tradition that opposition leaders refrain from trashing Britain when they step outside the realm.But David Cameron will rewrite the rules when he delivers a gushing speech about Britain’s economic prospects in Davos today [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

Letters: Inequality must be tackled from top to bottom

The damning report on income inequality by Professor Hills (Unequal Britain: richest 10% are now 100 times better off than the poorest, 27 January), makes extremely uncomfortable reading for anyone who wants a more equal society.The results are sobering. One measure indicates that by 2008, Britain had reached the highest level of income inequality since [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

UK banks downgraded by credit rating agency

Standard & Poor’s blames move on Britain’s weak economic environment and banks’ dependence on state supportBritain’s banking industry was downgraded by the international credit rating agency, Standard & Poor’s, as a result of the country’s “weak economic environment” and the banks’ “high” dependence on state support.In its second major intervention in Britain in the [...]

[ More ] January 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |

Study shows 50% rise in likelihood of England’s poorest teenagers going to university since mid-90s

Findings follow report on growing inequalitiesRichest teenagers much more likely to do degree Teenagers from the poorest homes in England are 50% more likely to go to university than they were 15 years ago, according to a study that will be welcomed by the government after other recent reports found that Britain had become a [...]

[ More ] January 28th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in UK |