The Daily Express has published yet another slavering and distorted attack on benefit claimants, the day after the Work and Pensions Select Committee issued a forthright attack on misleading tabloid coverage. Under the headline “SICK BENEFITS: 75% ARE FAKING” the paper has printed a 700-word story by deputy political editor Alison Little based on exactly the sort of statistical fudging that [...]
Category Archives: Coalition government
Government suggests scrutiny role for “independent” TaxPayers’ Alliance
A Cabinet Office white paper, published on Friday (while no-one was looking) promises wide ranging and controversial reform of essential public services. Specifically it calls for the opening up of services to private providers, so as to tackle the “unfairnesses” of the public sector. So what happens when the commissioning process goes awry, and the [...]
Jeremy Hunt misleads the house over Prime Minister’s contact with Coulson
Answering questions from the House following his statement on the BSkyB deal, Jeremy Hunt told members that the Prime Minister had said he had not been in touch with Andy Coulson since his resignation. This isn’t strictly true. In fact, on Friday, Mr Cameron told a press conference that Coulson “became a friend and is a friend”, [...]
The cabinet of the living dead: who will expire first?
The growing scandal around Ken Clarke’s disgusting remarks on rape brought the following observation from Fraser Nelson earlier this afternoon: “By my count, this is five Cabinet members now in ‘dead man walking’ category: Clarke, Cable, Huhne, Spelman, Lansley. #zombiecabinet” Will someone please put them out of their misery?
Eric Pickles tells councils: don’t answer FOI requests on spending
In a move somewhat out of kilter with efforts to portray his department as the vanguard of openness in government, ”transparency champion” Eric Pickles has attempted to block councils releasing data on spending. In June 2010, Pickles called for councils to publish details of all spending over £500 in full and online, saying: “Getting council business [...]
Is Andrew Lansley’s special adviser on the brink?
As election fever took hold of the Westminster village last week, it was quietly briefed that Number 10 had dispatched cavalry to assist the beleaguered Health Secretary. Sean Worth, David Cameron’s top health adviser, would be moving to the Department of Health along with another official who would bolster the press team: “Sean is very, very highly regarded [...]
Quote of the day: Tory special adviser calls Lib Dems “yapping dogs”
The coalition bitchfight ushered in by the AV campaign is looking less like “clearing the air” or a “controlled release of tension” with every passing hour. Scrapbook’s favourite quote of recent days may come from an anonymous Conservative adviser quoted in the Daily Mail: “The Lib Dems are yapping dogs.” It’s looking doubtful the fracas will end at 10pm [...]
Tory council blocks Nick Clegg election visit
While the coalition at Westminster insist that they remain on friendly political terms, things are a little bit more strained in local authorities where the two parties are battling each other for control. South Gloucestershire Council refused Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg permission to hold a question and answer session in one of its buildings. [...]
