David Cameron fires starting gun for grand bargain with Europe May 22, 2015 Newly re-elected Prime minister David Cameron will hold his first talks with European Union leaders today, as he attempts to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership in the bloc ahead of a referendum in 2017. "Today I will start discussions in earnest with fellow leaders on reforming the EU and renegotiating the UK's relationship with [...]
Why it’s highly unlikely that David Cameron’s immigration crackdown will work May 21, 2015 The government yesterday unveiled its latest plan to crack down on illegal immigration, by making it significantly less attractive for people to remain in the UK, working illegally. To achieve this, it is proposing to introduce a new criminal offence – “illegal working” – together with plans to seize the wages of those working illegally. [...]
David Cameron: Firms must crack down on illegal migrants May 21, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron took his hardest line yet on illegal immigration this morning, when he introduced sweeping legislation cracking down not only on foreign workers, but on the landlords, banks and employers that help them as well. In a speech today in Westminster, Cameron said the Queen’s Speech will include an immigration bill intended to [...]
Stop the dithering: David Cameron needs to make an early call on Heathrow or Gatwick airport expansion May 19, 2015 As MPs arrive in Westminster to take their seats in the House of Commons this week, one of the bigger decisions they will face – and one which I believe must be taken urgently – is the decision to build a new London runway. Having spent almost three years rigorously examining all the evidence, [...]
Potus tweets, world listens: Barack Obama finally gets his own Twitter account May 19, 2015 Barack Obama is used to enduring long battles but even by his standards, a six-year wait to get a Twitter account must have been something of a slog. Still, he's made his point, gaining 1.77m followers in less than 24 hours, easily beating poor old David Cameron, who languishes down the table with * [...]
David Cameron’s former adviser Steve Hilton: Bank bosses should be paid the same as top civil servants May 19, 2015 David Cameron's former director of strategy has argued that the bosses of some large banks should be paid the same as top civil service employees. Steve Hilton, now based in Silicon Valley since stepping down from the role in 2012, claims that banks that require bailing out should be considered part of the public sector. [...]
Healthcare needs radical reform – but Cameron must brace for the backlash May 18, 2015 The new government’s policy on public services was launched yesterday by the Prime Minister, with an uncompromising statement of NHS reform. He pledged more competition, including in the private sector. He promised wholesale changes in the delivery of services, so that GPs, hospitals and other services work together and prevent ill health in the first [...]
Why David Cameron’s legacy hangs on tackling four huge economic challenges May 18, 2015 I once asked one of Margaret Thatcher’s senior advisers whether her governments had been “too obsessed with economics”. “Economics,” he replied, “is not the most important thing in life, or in public policy. But it is something that governments can really mess up”. Recent events have made me reflect on that sentiment. When David Cameron [...]
David Cameron to appoint Joanna Shields as web safety minister May 17, 2015 Joanna Shields, the former Facebook executive turned Conservative peer, is set to be appointed as minister for internet security in the new government. Baroness Shields is formally listed on the government’s website as a minister in the department for culture, media and sport. However, she has not yet been given a full portfolio by Conservative [...]
David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon talk Scottish devolution as PM bids to save the union May 14, 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon will meet face-to-face for the first time today since last week’s General Election. The election ushered in big victories for both Cameron’s Conservatives and Sturgeon’s SNP, with the Prime Minister’s party securing an outright national majority and the Scottish nationalists winning 56 of Scotland’s [...]