Archive of articles from 2010

Blair: I regret nothing

Blair speaks to the Iraq inquiry during a gruelling all day session

Tony Blair feels no regret for the war in Iraq, he confirmed at the close of a gruelling all-day session at the Chilcott inquiry.

MPs' relief at expenses victory

Jeremy Browne escapes £18k expenses repayment

Liberal Democrat frontbencher Jeremy Browne has won his appeal against repaying nearly £18,000 of expenses claims.

Deadline looms in Northern Ireland

Last-ditch talks to rescue Northern Ireland's powersharing agreement appear to have met with failure, as the deadline for a deal nears.

'Bliar' anger outside Iraq inquiry

Protestors gathered outside the Iraq inquiry

Westminster turned into a media circus as Tony Blair finally faced the Iraq inquiry today.

Parliament 'must adapt' to PM's power

Tony Blair boosted No 10's power, report says

Parliament is struggling to cope with the consequences of No 10's growing power, a group of peers has claimed.

Promises flow at Afghanistan conference

Leaders attended working breakfast in No 10 this morning

Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai pledged action on anti-corruption and reconciliation with the Taliban at today's London conference.

Fathers to get 6 months paternity leave

Fathers could use the last three months of the mother's maternity leave, under the proposals.

Fathers will be able to take six months paternity leave while the child's mother returns to work, according to new plans to be announced by the government today.

Time running out on N.Ireland negotiations

The view from Stormont. Negotiations have continued throughout the week.

Negotiations on the final stages of devolution to Northern Ireland continue today, as the deadline set yesterday comes ever closer.

London meeting brings Yemen focus

The Yemen meeting took place in the Foreign Office's Locarno suite

The international community has agreed a "comprehensive approach" to growing instability in Yemen after yesterday's meeting in London.

Brown vows Taliban defeat

The main conference room in Lancaster House, central London

Gordon Brown pledged to defeat the Taliban on the battlefield and in people's hearts and minds in his opening remarks to the London Afghanistan conference.

Cable sets out 'hauntingly familiar' PR vision

Vince Cable believes the Labour government is to blame for the banking crisis

Vince Cable will set out his vision for a proportional representative electoral system today, at an event organisers describe as "hauntingly" reminiscent of the 1970s.

Action on 'student ghettoes'

Some local residents dislike the number of students in certain areas.

The spread of areas dominated by student housing will be halted by the government as it imposes new rules on landlords, it was announced yesterday.

'Bog standard' councils face criticism

Denham: 'Simply not good enough to offer the most bog-standard, lowest-cost service'

Councils offering "bog-standard" services because of cost cutting will not be accepted, the communities secretary has warned.

Miliband regrets 'inexplicable' Iran snub

Iranian absence at London Afghanistan conference irritates Foreign Office

Miliband regrets 'inexplicable' Iran snub

Alcohol-related deaths shoot up

Most heavy drinking takes place at home, the ONS found

Alcohol-related deaths in the UK shot up to 9,031 in 2008, from 8,724 in year before, new figures show.

Valentines Day: The BNP decide on non-whites

Romance is in the air, but will the BNP feel the love?

The British national party (BNP) will vote on whether to accept non-white members on February 14th.

Harman admits changing accent

Harriet Harman says being underestimated has its advantages

Harriet Harman lost her "cut-glass" 1950s accent, she has admitted, but insists she did not do so deliberately.

Lib Dems demand Iraq inquiry adjournment

The Lib Dems stepped up their campaign to get documents related to the Iraq war declassified today, by saying a short adjournment may be necessary to ensure all the key facts are on the table.

Goldsmith: Why I changed my mind on Iraq

A British troop gazes at the skyline in Iraq. Yesterday's testimony raised serious questions about the legality of the war.

Lord Goldsmith has finally explained why he changed his mind about the legality of the war in Iraq.

Inequality at highest level since WW2

A London slum. The report found inequality is at its highest level since WW2

Inequality has reached its highest point since the Second World War, the government's own panel on the subject has found.

Friday deadline for NI powersharing

Gordon Brown meets with Brian Cowen in Downing Street

Northern Ireland's political parties have until Friday morning to reach agreement on justice and policing, Gordon Brown and Irish taoiseach Brian Cowen demanded today.

Labour outrage as Boris quits MPA

Boris Johnson standing down as MPA chairman

London mayor Boris Johnson has stood down as head of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), but insisted crime remains his "top priority".

'Child labour' linked to NHS supplies

Some NHS supplies are product of child labour, BMA says

Not enough doctors realise the production of some NHS supplies involves child labour, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.

Don't waver over Commons reform, senior MPs urge

Senior MPs tell backbenchers to retake power from govt

Fears that "doubts" about radical reforms to the way the Commons works could prevent them becoming reality should be suppressed in the interests of parliament, according to a group of senior MPs.