Archive of December 2011
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.
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'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.
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Labour shadow minister warns of Tory 'trap'
Labour under Ed Miliband is falling into a Conservative electoral "trap", an opposition frontbencher has warned.
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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.
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'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.
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New Ofsted boss backs school commissioners
The schools watchdog's new head has called for the introduction of apolitical local education chiefs.
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'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.
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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.
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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.
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Wales faces gloomy 2012 outlook
Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has warned of a "tough" 2012 in his Christmas message.
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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.
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Scotland may be handed referendum power
Whitehall officials could give Scotland the power to run its own independence referendum, it has been reported.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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%.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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'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.
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