Reform Media Summary

1 May 2008

Economy

In an article in the Yorkshire Post yesterday Andrew Haldenby, Director of Reform, discussed the recent disquiet and strikes over public pay. He said: “What is required is a move to a reformed public pay system which is decentralised and which has a much closer relationship between what people are paid and what they do” (Yorkshire Post).

There is further coverage of Reform’s report on social mobility, “Shifting the unequal state: From public apathy to personal capability”, in the Guardian Public magazine. The author comments that a “more significant omission … is what should be done to ensure downwards mobility, freeing space for children of poor households to rise …. Unless the sons and daughters of the well off fall, there’s no room at the inn for the children of the poor”. The report can be found at www.reform.co.uk (Guardian Public, p.47).

In its bi-annual Financial Stability Report, the Bank of England predicts that the worst of the global crisis could be over. John Gieve, Deputy Governor of the Bank, said: “While there remain downside risks, the most likely path ahead is that confidence and risk appetite will return gradually in the coming months” (FT, p.1, p.2; Mail, p.19, p.81 [Alex Brummer]; Telegraph, B.1).

Further coverage of the Competition Commission’s report into alleged price-fixing by supermarkets. Irwin Stelzer praises the actions of the Office of Fair Trading in “what is the first serious, concerted assault on cartel behaviour in Britain” (Times, p.53; FT, p.2, p.2; Mail, p.6, p.81; Telegraph, B.2 [Damien Reece], B.3).

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicts that the credit crunch will worsen public borrowing by at least £16 billion in this financial year and next (Times, p.44).

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, told the IOD annual conference yesterday that “when possible we will cut [corporation] tax” (Times, p.51; FT, p.1, p.3, p.14 [leader]).

Nationwide: annual house prices have fallen for first time since 1996 (Times, p.17; Independent, p.8 [Sean O’Grady]; Guardian, p.4).

New figures show that the increase in road tax on high emission cars will render many older cars almost worthless (Times, p.4).

Continued coverage of the credit crunch financial crisis. Bankers in the UK have launched a counter-attack against the Bank of England’s Governor, Mervyn King, after his criticism of the industry’s multimillion pound bonuses. The New Statesman leader comments “The banks need the state’s help – so they should abide by its rules” (Independent, p.36, p.36, p.39 [Jeremy Warner]; Spectator, p.35 [Tim Curzon Price]; New Statesman, p.4).

Health

In an article on Liberal Democrat Voice Helen Rainbow, Reform’s Senior Research Officer describes Reform’s health report, “Demand for a new era: The future of health”, that was released yesterday. She writes: “There is a growing awareness, across all parties, of the challenges that the service faces as it copes with rising population and consumer demand. The service faces fundamental issues arising from a number of factors including changing demography, advances in medical technology and increased expectations on the part of patients. These changes necessitate a paradigm shift: the focus of the service needs to change from outputs to outcomes”. The report can be downloaded at www.reform.co.uk (Liberal Democrat Voice).

Reform’s report “Demand for a new era: The future of health” is also covered in the Health Service Journal. Ingrid Torjesen writes that “The NHS constitution should include a financial charter setting out how commissioners must achieve value for money, rather than just a set of anodyne values” (HSJ, p.7).

Law lords find that Government measures to block foreign doctors from applying for training posts were illegal (Times, p.15; FT, p.3; Mail, p.19; Telegraph, p.2).

Research by scientists at the US National Institute of Health has found that aspirin may reduce a woman’s risk of developing the most common kind of breast cancer (Independent, p.17; Mail, p.28; Mirror, p.6; Telegraph, p.6; Express, p.4; Telegraph, p.6; Express, p.4).

Researchers from Columbia University have claimed that children who live in streets lined with trees are less likely to develop asthma (Independent, p.15; Telegraph, p.6).

Education

In an interview with the Independent, Lord Adonis, the Schools Ministe, discusses future links between academies and schools in the independent sector. He says: “I think we’re getting quite close to the point where it has become mainstream for private schools and the independent sector to become involved with academies” (Independent Education, p.4).

Up to a quarter of parents in some boroughs will not receive their first choice of primary school (Times, p.30; Mail, p.17).

A report by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust has found that pupils are more likely to achieve straight A grades at GCSE if their year group contains a high majority of other pupils with high abilities (Mail, p.17).

Irwin Stelzer writes in the Spectator: “[Ed] Balls’ 100 per cent tax on cultural and intellectual assets hard-earned by parents and passed on to their children threatens to reduce parents’ incentives to work hard and contribute to the nation’s intellectual capital” (Spectator, p.18).

Roger Brown, Professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, comments on public funding of Oxbridge and questions whether creating “an even bigger gap in resources and prestige between them [Oxford and Cambridge] and other members of the Russell group” is sensible (Independent Education, p.3; THE, p.8).

In a speech to the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, John Hayes, the Shadow Minister for Higher Education, criticised the Government’s failure to improve university participation among the working classes (THE, p.14).

Lord Leitch told the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee that his call for universities to respond to the demands of employers is not utilitarian, but rather “it is about a flexible approach to higher education that is demand-led” (THE, p.14).

Home Affairs

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice reveal that a record number of criminals were awarded early-release last month, in an attempt to ease problems of over-crowding. Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice Secretary, accused Labour of “putting the public at risk” (Mail, p.29; Sun, p.2).

The Association of Chief Police Officers confirmed last night that the current policy, with regards to cannabis, of “confiscate and warn” would continue. This comes despite Gordon Brown’s determination to have the drug reclassified as Class B, a policy designed to “send a tough message” to young people about its use (Guardian, p.1; Mail, p.2; Telegraph, p.2).

Times focus on transformation of the Angola jail in Louisiana (Times T2, p.4).

Reportedly a company has been turning residential homes into bail hostels without consultation (Times, p.4).

Nearly 20,000 prisoners in England and Wales are now “doubled up” in single cells according to new figures. New evidence of overcrowding emerged yesterday as prison governors expressed their disappointment over Gordon Brown’s decision to cancel a £1.50-a-week increase in prisoners’ wages (Guardian, p.9)

Politics

On election day, the Times reports that the Prime Minister is planning a “relaunch” campaign including a draft Queen's Speech at the end of this month (Times, p.1, p.6 [London], p.7 [Peter Riddell], p.8, p.19 [leader], p.20 [Mary Ann Sieghart]; Mail, p.12, p.13 [Quentin Letts], p.14 [Stephen Glover]; Mirror, p.10 [leader], p.10; Telegraph, p.1, p.10, p.20 [Iain Martin], p.20 [George Bridges], p.21 [leader]; Express, p.8, p.12 [leader]; Independent, p.4, p.4, p.6 [John Curtice], p.6, p.28 [leader], p.29 [Steve Richards]; Sun, p.8 [leader], p.10 [Gordon Brown], p.11 [David Cameron]).

Writing in the Mirror, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, urges people to vote “Labour” at today’s local elections, saying “your priorities are our priorities”. Mr Brown argues that: “Labour councillors are working hard to build safer, cleaner and greener communities and to provide high-quality services” and warns of the dangers of Tory spending cuts (Mirror, p.11).