Archive of articles from 2006

Clarke: Labour must review policies, not leaders

Charles Clarke calls for Labour unity but criticises top-down reforms of Blair and Brown

Labour must not fall apart over the question of when Tony Blair steps down, Charles Clarke has warned.

Tories examine levitating trains

Conservatives study MagLev trains as a green transport system for UK

The shadow chancellor is in Japan today to examine whether high-speed trains that levitate above the tracks could be used in the UK.

New organ donor laws come into effect

Human Tissue Act comes into effect from midnight

A new law requiring hospitals to seek consent before removing organs and tissue from their patients comes into force at midnight tonight.

Scottish MP to meet with missing girl

A Labour MP will attempt to meet missing Scottish schoolgirl Molly Campbell in Pakistan tomorrow, where she is thought to have travelled with her father last weekend.

Union-Labour links 'must be more democratic'

Tony Blair last year at the TUC conference in Brighton

Most Labour activists believe unions should give their members more input on how they spend their political funds, a new survey reveals.

Brown calls for bigger UN aid fund

Gordon Brown calls for increase in UN emergency aid fund

Gordon Brown has today called for a significant increase in the UN's emergency assistance programme, insisting it must learn lessons from crisis in Lebanon.

Problem kids 'must be dealt with at birth'

Tony Blair says the state must intervene pre-birth to stop anti-social behaviour

Tony Blair says the government must tackle anti-social behaviour among children by intervening in their families' lives even before they are born.

Public hearings begin on supercasino site

Public hearings on possible supercasino sites begin in London

The first of a series of public meetings on the seven proposed sites for Britain's first regional casino begins today.

Taxpayers' cash 'used for spin'

Government employs thousands of press officers to deal with 24-hour news cycle

The government is using taxpayers' money to fund a "bloated army of spin", the Conservatives have claimed.

Lesbians 'should get IVF' on NHS

British Fertility Society says lesbians should get IVF but fat women should not

Lesbian couples and single women should be given the same rights to fertility treatment on the NHS as heterosexual couples, the British Fertility Society (BFS) has argued.

Govt 'must do more' to end child trafficking

Unicef urges government to take more action against child trafficking in Europe

Ministers have insisted they are committed to tackling the "modern slave trade" of child trafficking after a new report warned that not enough is being done to stop the practice.

Ministers act against violent porn

Home Office introduces new offence of downloading and possessing violent pornography

People downloading violent and extreme pornographic material could be jailed for up to three years under new proposals announced by the Home Office today.

Former Scottish MP Lord Monro dies

Scottish peer and former MP Lord Monro dies

Lord Monro of Langholm, the former Scottish MP and Conservative peer, has died at the age of 85.

Kennedy allies 'kept his drinking secret'

Charles Kennedy's drinking problem is revealed in a new biography

Charles Kennedy was ready to make his alcoholism public almost three years before he resigned as Liberal Democrat leader - but backed out at the last minute, a new book claims.

Lamont calls for more Tory policies

Former Tory chancellor Norman Lamont says David Cameron needs more policies

David Cameron needs to develop "more policies more quickly" if he is to persuade people to vote for the Conservatives, Norman Lamont has warned.

Brown praises Labour's fiscal prudence

Gordon Brown calls for public sector pay restraint to keep inflation down

Gordon Brown today issued a strong defence of his handling of the economy, and underlined his tough line by calling yet again for restraint in public sector pay rises.

NHS hospitals 'failing to tackle malnutrition'

Age Concern warns NHS is failing to tackle malnutrition

Hundreds of thousands of older people are suffering from malnutrition in hospitals - partly because nurses do not have the time to help them eat, a new report warns.

Thatcher named best PM

Margaret Thatcher named best prime minister in historian's poll

The war in Iraq has scuppered Tony Blair's chances of becoming one of the most effective British prime ministers of the 20th century, according to a new study.

Byers: Make or break time for Labour

Stephen Byers says the comprehensive spending review must outline New Labour's future policies

Stephen Byers has warned that the forthcoming year will be "make or break time for New Labour".

Browne says Iraq situation "improving"

Des Browne and Nouri al-Maliki discussed the withdrawal of British troops

The defence secretary, Des Browne, today held talks with the Iraqi prime minister in Baghdad, claiming that despite continued unrest, the situation in the troubled country is improving.

Tories give tax cut clue

George Osborne says stamp duty on shares should be abolished

The Conservatives have given the first major hint that they are planning to offer voters a tax cut since David Cameron took over as the party's leader.