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The News section lists important news items recently published, regarding government policy and issues affecting UK citizens.
News story: Woolwich incident – government response
Following the fatal incident in Woolwich on Wednesday 22 May the Prime Minister asked the Home Secretary Theresa May to hold a meeting of the government’s emergency co-ordination group, COBR (Cabinet Office Briefing Room).
News story: G8: PM writes to crown dependency leaders
As part of the Government’s efforts to agree concrete action to tackle tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance during the G8, the Prime Minister has today written to the leaders of crown dependencies and overseas territories about their role in getting the UK house in order.
Government accused of using ‘anti-GP rhetoric’ to mask its own failings
Jeremy Hunt accused of demoralising GPs and causing fear among patients before speech attacking ‘inaccessible’ doctors.
Police and crime commissioners budgets soaring, say MPs
Commons committee says new ‘crime tsars’ are more expensive than traditional police authorities.
Woolwich attack: meat cleaver, knife and jihadist claims filmed on mobile
A man suspected of staging a terrorist attack that left a British soldier dead near a military barracks in London, was caught on camera clutching a meat cleaver and knife in hands apparently covered in the blood of his victim, as he justified the violence as part of a jihadist-inspired fight against the west.
Ministers hold emergency meeting after fatal attack in London street
One dead and two injured in what is feared to be a terror-related attack in Woolwich.
BBC increases pay offer to lowest earners in bid to head off strikes
Bectu general secretary says £50 hike to pay rise for staff earning less than £60,000 a year is an insult.
US pushes Europe to amend arms embargo on Syrian rebels
John Kerry seeks support for British-led move as means of pressuring Bashar al-Assad to enter into peace negotiations.
Royal Mail workers balloted on privatisation plans
Union sends ballot papers to 112,000 postal workers calling on them to back stance against selloff and consider industrial action.
Google boss calls for a ‘rational and predictable international tax system’
Eric Schmidt rejects Ed Miliband’s criticisms of tax affairs, saying firm fears being ‘double or quadruple taxed’ under any changes.
Google chief rejects Ed Miliband’s call for ‘responsible capitalism’
Eric Schmidt says search giant follows international rules after Labour leader criticised company over tax practices.
Shale gas investments ‘could be worth £4bn a year to UK economy’
The fuel could become a ‘new North Sea’ energy business, and create more than 70,000 jobs, according to a new report.
Nationwide profits leap 56% amid acquisition speculation
Building society warns of ‘challenges to short-term profitability’ but says its financial position is ‘strong and robust’.
Government needs ‘clear strategy’ to privatise Lloyds and RBS, says IMF
Bailed out banks attempt to reassure City they will not need to tap investors – or taxpayers – for fresh capital.
Government will ‘stick to its plans’ when IMF delivers verdict on economy
No 10 says it will not anticipate what IMF will say but insists government has right economic approach.
IMF urges Treasury to speed up sale of Lloyds and RBS
Fund says disposal of £65bn bank stakes should be priority as Lloyds shares reach level considered as break-even for taxpayer.
One in five retiring in 2013 ‘will be below poverty line’
Study by Prudential finds many people are facing a bleak financial outlook, with 14% relying solely on state pension.
David Laws vetoes plan to force schools to check immigrant status of pupils
Liberal Democrat schools minister tells Michael Gove, the education secretary, the proposal is a ‘non-flyer’.
Mark Carney warns Europe against lost decade of austerity
Fall in UK consumer prices index gives incoming Bank of England governor room to manoeuvre.
FTSE 100 within sight of all-time high
Rightwing Tory rebels call on peers to reject gay marriage bill
Opponents of bill say peers have every right to oppose it because it was not in coalition agreement or any party manifesto.
Bradley Manning prosecutors seek to prove WikiLeaks suspect ‘aided enemy’
Military lawyers tell last hearing before trial they have dropped one of 22 counts but will still press most serious accusation.
NHS chief to step down next year after criticism over Mid Staffs scandal
Sir David Nicholson, who came under intense pressure after Francis report, tells ‘surprised’ Jeremy Hunt he plans to retire.
A&E overcrowding could lead to more deaths and serious illnesses, MPs told
Hospitals face rising threat of mortality as shortage of beds poses substantial risk to vulnerable patients, warns expert.
Bumper SSE results expected to provoke consumer outrage
Scottish & Southern Energy predicted to announce profits of up to £1.4bn at a time when many are struggling to pay their bills.
Royal Mail profits surge ahead of planned sell-off
Annual profits rise to £324m as the government prepares to sell the 497-year-old postal service.
Bank of Ireland reverses mortgage rate increase for 1,200 borrowers
Following a review, some of the 13,500 customers told to expect a rise in the cost of their loans have had a reprieve.
Osama bin Laden death images should stay top secret, says court
Conservative Judicial Watch group suit denied as appeals court says US government right to classify pictures.
Multinational CEOs tell David Cameron to rein in tax avoidance rhetoric
Burberry, Tesco, Vodafone and BAE Systems join CBI chief in lobbying PM to stop moralising on tax ahead of G8 talks.
Google faces new pressure over tax claims
Revenue and Customs is investigating fresh lines of inquiry after interviewing whistleblower who gave evidence to Whitehall.
Tim Peake’s space station mission could put a rocket under Britain’s economy
UK space businesses set sights on £1bn orders as Major Tim becomes first British astronaut chosen to visit ISS.
Petrol price rigging inquiry contacts oil traders
Glencore and Vitol among those receiving ‘request for information’ as part of cross-border investigation
Cameron refuses to say if he will quiz Google boss Eric Schmidt over tax
Spokesman refuses to be drawn on whether Cameron will question Schmidt, who is attending a meeting of PM’s business advisory committee.
EU bonus cap could double bankers’ salaries, City regulator warns
FCA chief Martin Wheatley says attempt to cap bonuses of those earning above €500,000 will lead to pay rises.
Up to 60% of whiplash claims are fraudulent or exaggerated, MPs told
Transport select committee examining scale of whiplash payouts told 10-60% of claims were probably not entirely genuine.
Legal aid cuts will lead to state-sponsored miscarriages of justice | Sadiq Khan
Chris Grayling’s ill-thought-out plans could devastate confidence in our legal system.
High inflation here to stay, says leading forecaster
Despite impact on household budgets, Item Club said Bank of England was right to stick to its guns by allowing inflation to overshoot.
Pressure and job insecurity felt by UK workers at 20-year high
Survey reveals British employees’ concerns over pay and their lack of control in the workplace.
Scottish independence could threaten thousands of banking jobs
Finance and banking jobs in Scotland would be at risk if major firms opt to pursue larger markets in England, warns Treasury.
Yahoo’s $1.1bn Tumblr takeover is a bold roll of the dice
CEO Marissa Meyer risks blowing the blogging platform’s cool – but the deal could rejuvenate the tech giant’s ad business.
Tory co-chairman Feldman to face meeting over ‘swivel-eyed loons’ claim
Party board’s involvement likely to dismay No 10, which has spent weekend rubbishing reports in Times and Daily Telegraph.
David Cameron writes to Britain’s tax havens, calling for transparency
PM urges havens to ‘get our own houses in order’ before G8 summit in June, where he claims tax avoidance will be a priority.
Scottish bank customers warned over deposit protection scheme
After independence Scottish banks may have trouble matching the Financial Services Compensation Scheme’s guarantee.
Average London house price rockets past £500,000
Price rise stokes fears of a new house price bubble being fuelled by cheap mortgages and coalition schemes to revive market.
Sir Mervyn King: don’t demonise bankers
Outgoing Bank of England governor blames regulatory failure for banking crisis and not individuals.
UK spends £2bn housing homeless in B&Bs, hostels and shelters
Rising private rents, lack of affordable housing, benefit cuts and low levels of home-building force costly short-term solution, investigation finds.
Marks & Spencer under fire over online tax arrangements
Exclusive: Retailer accused of scheme in which goods shipped to Europe from UK are invoiced to Irish subsidiary at lower rate.
EU ridiculed for banning olive oil jugs from restaurants
Move to ensure olive oil is served in non-refillable bottles condemned as weirdest decision since curvy cucumber ruling.
News story: PM holds talks with President Obama at start of US trip
The Prime Minister has used talks with President Obama at the White House to discuss using this year’s G8 summit at Lough Erne to help spur strong and sustainable global economic growth.
Fury at corporate tax avoidance leads to call for a global response
Anger over the financial affairs of multinationals such as Google, Amazon and Starbucks is gathering momentum in Westminster. Now the UK is poised to lead the debate about international tax reform at next month’s G8 summit.
At Google we aspire to do the right thing. So we welcome a debate on international tax reform | Eric Schmidt
The chairman of Google responds to criticism that companies such as his are not paying their fair share of taxes.
London bankers plan to dodge new EU crackdown on bonuses
Banks may increase salaries to compensate for EU plans bringing 10 times more London bankers within pay net.
News story: Queen’s Speech 2013: overview
The government has published a Queen’s Speech based around backing people who work hard and want to get on in life.
Green Deal debt may have to be repaid before property sold
Homeowners wishing to sell may find buyers are not prepared to take over Green Deal loan attached to the property’s energy bill.
News story: Statement on PM phone call with Nawaz Sharif
The Prime Minister spoke to Nawaz Sharif earlier today to congratulate him on his party’s success in the recent Pakistani elections.
Tory chair Andrew Feldman: I did not make ‘swivel-eyed loons’ remark
Conservative co-chairman taking legal advice following online rumours that he made remark about party activists.
‘Bedroom tax’ prompts surge in pleas for council aid
More than 25,000 people applied for DHP to help cover April rent, compared with 5,700 in same month last year.
Ministry of Justice brings in auditors to investigate tagging contracts
Team to examine deals with Serco and G4S for electronic tagging and monitoring of offenders which have cost £107m over past year.
UK’s climate change adaptation team cut from 38 officials to just six
Former senior official John Ashton attacks government for ‘spooking potential investors’ in energy infrastructure.
Alexander Litvinenko widow accuses William Hague of sabotaging inquest
Marina Litvinenko speaks out after coroner agrees to exclude material suggesting Russian agencies were involved in killing.
Nigel Farage and Alex Salmond trade insults in battle of nationalists
SNP leader accuses Farage of touting obnoxious policies after Ukip leader labels protesters ‘fascist scum’.
Google chief Eric Schmidt to meet David Cameron after tax row
Meeting follows row over Google’s tax affairs but No 10 denies multinational tax arrangements are on agenda.
Fire and rescue services in England should merge, says report
Fire services could slash costs by sharing stations with police and ambulance crews, says former chief adviser.
Call centre ‘enthusiast’ helps customers navigate automated menu maze
Nigel Clarke launches Please Press 1 website, which provides key codes to menus for hundreds of UK companies.
Jenkin calls for parliamentary commission on future of civil service
Public Administration Select Committee chair says ministers have not provided ‘effective leadership’ within departments.
Amazon faces whistleblower’s claims over UK business tax practices
Margaret Hodge, chair of public accounts committee, signals company interview to come on tax arrangements.
MP on Google tax avoidance scheme: ‘I think that you do evil’
Google and Amazon face fresh attack over claims that their multibillion-pound UK-facing businesses should not be taxed.
Special traffic courts to deal with motoring cases under ministers’ plans
Ministry of Justice says move will free up magistrates courts, where half a million motoring cases a year are heard.
Police watchdog criticised for errors in investigation into death in custody
IPCC says it can no longer stand by report that cleared officers over death of Sean Rigg after review finds series of mistakes.
Lloyds chief pledges to pull out of tax havens
António Horta-Osório, CEO of 39%-taxpayer owned bank, makes pledge after shareholder demanded to know why bank was the seventh biggest user of such facilities.
Parliament too alcohol fuelled, say MPs
Alcohol Concern survey of 150 MPs from all parties finds one in four believes parliament has an unhealthy drinking culture.
Most people expect to be worse off than parents in retirement – except Chinese
Survey finds Chinese optimistic about their retirement years, while French, Germans and Spanish are pessimistic.
Pope Francis attacks ‘cult of money’ in reform call
Pontiff says politicians need to be bold in tackling the root causes of the economic crisis.
David Cameron hints coalition will reach compromise over childcare
PM confident of finding way forward over plans to relax child-to-staff ratios, also denying bias against stay-at-home mums.
Nigel Farage flees barrage of abuse from Edinburgh protesters
Party leader takes shelter in police riot van as demonstrators chant: ‘Ukip scum off our streets’.
International Monetary Fund warns on quantitative easing costs
Eonomists at the IMF found the Bank of England could sustain losses of anything up to 5.5% of GDP, or almost £80bn, when it sells the government bonds back into the market.
Police watchdog criticised for errors in investigation into death in custody
IPCC says it can no longer stand by report that cleared officers over death of Sean Rigg after review finds series of mistakes.
Legal highs flooding UK pose immense overdose risk, warns drugs tsar
Users face growing threat from 200-plus synthetic drugs in circulation across UK, says government’s chief drugs adviser.
Up to 3.5 million people owed tax refund, says HMRC
Revenue & Customs says up to 5.5 million taxpayers paid too much or too little in 2012-13.
BMA warns of coalition policies failing children on a grand scale
Doctors’ union report condemns austerity drive that hits most vulnerable and drives inequality, poverty, and ill health.
Google branded devious over tax arrangements
MPs react with incredulity to claims the company did not carry out advertising sales in the UK, despite £3bn a year in revenues.
Royal Mail appoints firm to set up share scheme
Royal Mail said it has conditionally appointed Equiniti to set up £300m employee share scheme, as postal service moves step closer towards privatisation.
EU referendum: why did Tories publish a draft bill, and what happens next?
Everything you need to know about the moves to hold a referendum on Britain’s EU membership in 2017.
EU referendum bill to be put forward by Tory MP
No 10 confirms that Tory MPs will be instructed to vote for bill but will not have the support of their coalition partners.
Google denies trying to disguise how it operates to minimise tax bill
Vice-president stands by evidence given to Commons committee last year after he is told whistleblowers have contradicted him.
FCA to collect mortgage borrowers’ personal data
Regulator’s proposals could spark privacy row and may have data protection and human rights implications.
Unions condemn RBS job cuts
Royal Bank of Scotland cuts 1,400 jobs in its high street banking arm.
David Cameron confident of backing for his vision to end extreme poverty
UK PM says final meeting of UN panel on development after 2015 agreed to focus on ending extreme poverty by 2030.
Dixons enjoys sales boost after collapse of rival companies
Owner of Currys and PC World says half its like-for-like sales growth in last quarter came from former Comet customers.
UK Uncut loses legal challenge over Goldman Sachs tax deal with HMRC
Judge rules deal was not unlawful but criticises former tax boss for taking into account potential embarrassment to Osborne.
PM backs Theresa May over right to anonymity of criminal suspects
Home secretary proposes suspects should have right when arrested but should be named if and when they are charged.
George Osborne urges business leaders to hold their nerve over austerity
Chancellor says he will stick to economic policy as Bank of England forecasts better growth and lower inflation.
Companies guilty of oil price fixing will face charges, says David Cameron
Prime minister describes allegations as ‘very serious’ and says those who manipulate prices will feel ‘full force of law’.
Legal aid cuts prompt top lawyers to leave the bar for careers on the bench
Applications to become judges double as squeezed barristers and solicitors head for the ‘purple lifeboat’ of the judiciary.
Fresh questions for Amazon over pittance it pays in tax
Guardian investigation shows key role of British-based staff in pushing tax rulebook to its limits.
From Suffolk book plant to British readers but will novel generate UK tax?
Journey of new novel shows how book printed and published in Britain – and bought on Amazon – is taxed in Luxembourg.
HS2 rail project has £3.3bn funding shortfall, warns spending watchdog
MP condemns ‘farcical’ government business case amid concerns over whether regions will benefit economically.
Low income families forced to spend a third of net income on housing
A shortage of private rented sector housing is putting pressure on living standards, according to a new report.
Google Play Music All Access: search giant launches rival to Spotify
Tech giant’s new service, unveiled at Google I/O developer conference, will be available for $9.99 a month in US.
David Cameron raises prospect of 1980s-style RBS sell-off
PM’s comments fuel speculation that ministers might consider British Gas-style sell-off of government’s share in bank.
Only 12 months to save final salary schemes, says pensions minister
Steve Webb says there may be ‘no point trying to apply electrodes to the corpse’ but a version could be saved.
HMRC has questions to answer over Amazon and Google’s tax bills | Nils Pratley
Surely when a company employs staff in the UK to conduct trade with UK customers it is doing business in the UK – if HMRC thinks its hands are tied it had better explain why.
Amazon paid £3m tax on £4bn UK sales
Online retailer’s tax charge brings to £6m the total corporation tax raised from Amazon.co.uk in a decade.
UK unemployment starts to rise again
Number of people out of work increased 15,000 in the first quarter of the year as jobless rate pushed up to 7.8%.
Nadine Dorries may stand for election as joint Tory-Ukip candidate
Maverick backbencher says other Tory Eurosceptics could seek Ukip endorsement as a way of ‘healing the rift on the right’.
All sides in Syria have weapons ‘except the good guys’, says British official
Foreign office official suggests Syrian opposition has insisted on getting access to arms before agreeing to enter talks.
‘Recessions can hurt, but austerity kills’
In the US, more than five million people have lost access to health care.
DWP finds no evidence of secret regime of jobcentre benefits targets
Report rejects existence of targets but accepts action is taken against jobcentres that sanction benefits less than others.
Benefits rule risks closure of night shelters forcing hundreds onto streets
Salford among councils invoking legality that stops housing benefit for nights spent by claimants in emergency shelters.
UK signals support for EU import of Canadian tar sands oil
Leaked papers show UK rejects proposal to classify oil from tar sands as highly polluting, a label that would deter EU countries from importing it.
US Congress critical of UK inquiry into 1989 killing of Pat Finucane
Congressional committee holds hearing into murder of Belfast solicitor after British government went back on inquiry promise.
The reason France has gone into double-dip recession | Ann Pettifor
This isn’t a uniquely French problem – EU nations of various political hues are in trouble because of a fixation on austerity.
British maker of death penalty drugs adds new restrictions for US buyers
Hikma Pharmaceuticals moves to avoid ‘unintended purposes’ for drugs amid growing European boycott on sale to the US.
Nick Clegg shifts ground over EU referendum
Liberal Democrat leader says it is matter of ‘when, not if’ plebiscite on UK’s future relations with EU will be held.
Petrol price investigation into BP and Shell ‘serious and important’, says Nick Clegg
Deputy prime minister backs European commission in its action against alleged oil market manipulation.
Boris Johnson’s call for tax-raising powers for London boosted by report
London Finance Commission says capital should be able to raise levies on sales, betting, alcohol and tourists.
HSBC warns on jobs as cost-cutting continues
In a strategy update, bank shifts focus to fast-growing markets and considers bigger dividend payouts to shareholders.
Unemployment: the key UK data and benefit claimants for every constituency
UK unemployment has started to rise again. See how the national claimant figures have changed and get the numbers in each parliamentary constituency.
Grant Shapps pushes Clegg to back ‘in-out’ EU referendum bill
Tories step up pressure on Lib Dems to agree to draft bill citing ‘hypocrisy’ of party’s abandoned 2010 pledge.
