Archive of December 2011

Trainers hang from telephone wires near the corner of Granby Street and Selborne Street where the arrest of Leroy Cooper sparked off the Toxteth riots.

Revealed: The Thatcherite plan to abandon Liverpool

The Thatcher government briefly considered leaving Liverpool to a period of "managed decline", according to confidential government documents released today.

'Counsel of despair': Miliband offers gloomy new year's message

Ed Miliband has called for "profound change" in Britain to stop the slide into "despair", in a decidedly gloomy new year's message.
Labour shadow minister warns of Tory 'trap'

Labour under Ed Miliband is falling into a Conservative electoral "trap", an opposition frontbencher has warned.

NHS 'let down by weak politicians'

NHS reforms risk distracting health service workers as they struggle to keep their head above water, the head of the NHS Confederation has warned.
'Fanboy' Cameron gets his own iPad app

David Cameron is set to have his own personalised iPad app designed for him, collating government statistics and a live news feed.

New Ofsted boss backs school commissioners

The schools watchdog's new head has called for the introduction of apolitical local education chiefs.
'Big society' benefits from forgotten bank accounts

Money taken from inactive bank accounts is being used by the government to pay for 'big society' projects.

PM's popularity maintained after euro-veto

Conservative party members hold David Cameron in higher esteem than ever after his decision to veto fiscal consolidation plan in Brussels.
New year's resolution? Cameron launches war on alcohol

Drinkers looking to cut down on their intake in the new year will receive some help from the government, after reports emerged of a 'big bang' plan to tackle alcohol consumption in England and Wales.

Wales faces gloomy 2012 outlook

Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has warned of a "tough" 2012 in his Christmas message.
Council forces Santa to take 'elf and safety course

Santa Claus's Christmas preparations have been disrupted after he was compelled to take a health and safety course by a concerned local council.

Scotland may be handed referendum power

Whitehall officials could give Scotland the power to run its own independence referendum, it has been reported.
Huhne attacks Cameron's EU politics

Britain's interests would have been better defended had David Cameron not decided to leave the centre-right European People's party (EPP) grouping, Chris Huhne has claimed.

Nazi party Tory faces French criminal investigation

The Tory MP who attended a Nazi-themed party at an Alpine ski resort could face jail after French authorities launched a criminal investigation.
Two Met officers dismissed for excessive force

Two Met police officers have been dismissed and another two given written warnings after a complaint of excessive force was upheld.

Govt shamed over solar incentives after high court defeat

MPs have poured scorn on the government's "clumsy" handling of their incentives for solar energy installations, one day after the high court ruled ministers' approach unlawful.
A ray of sunshine at Christmas? UK growth revised up

There was a minor but unexpected bit of good news this morning, as UK economic growth was revised up to 0.6%.

UK breakup risk poses 'enormous challenge'

Britain's future as a united country will be one of the "enormous challenges" faced in the coming years, the outgoing head of the civil service has warned.
John Terry charged with racial abuse

The captain of the England football team will be charged with racially abusing an opponent, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed today.

Cameron urged to 'prepare ground' for euro collapse

Contingency plans for the collapse of the euro should be talked about more openly to "soften the blow" to the British public, a leading eurosceptic has said.
Phone-hacking 'bog standard' at Mirror

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan's phone-hacking denials have been challenged by an ex-journalist at the tabloid.

Lukewarm Cable slaps down 'whingeing' City

Britain will have to negotiate with the EU over a range of rules threatening the City in spite of David Cameron's veto, Vince Cable has warned.
Overnight, the Falklands dispute comes alive

There were intense diplomatic scenes overnight, after a Latin American deal froze a host of British ships from using their national ports in response to the UK's continued ownership of the Falkland Islands.

Default 'yes' for planning proposals under pressure

Contingency plans for the collapse of the euro should be talked about more openly to "soften the blow" to the British public, a leading eurosceptic has said.
'New atmosphere' in public sector pensions talks brings deal closer

The coalition is coming close to claiming outright victory over trade unions after the bare bones of an agreement were reached in marathon talks yesterday.