Reform Media Summary

6 May 2008

Politics

Following Reform’s meeting on NHS reform at Number 11 Downing Street last Wednesday the Sunday Times published a report criticising sponsorship of the meeting. Contrary to the implication of the article, Reform is entirely transparent and open in seeking sponsors for events and conferences. We believe in common with other think tanks that this funding is important to be able to further the debate about critical public services issues (Sunday Times, p.2).

In the Mail on Monday, Frank Field MP said of the ten pence rate of tax: “I believe that the Prime Minister will be as good as his word, that the package will cover as many of the ten pence losers as possible and that it will be fully backdated” (Mail, Monday, p.6-7).

Further coverage of the local elections. Gordon Brown says he understands how “hurt” voters feel (Guardian, Monday, p.1, p.26 [leader]; Independent, Monday, p.1, p.24 [leader]; FT, Monday, p.1; Mirror, Monday, p.10; Times, Monday, p.1, 4-5; Telegraph, Monday, p.4; Sun, Monday, p.6-7; Express, Monday, p.6-7; Mail, Monday, p.6-7).

The political difficulties of the Government continue to generate widespread coverage. Peter Riddell writes that a better economy is more important than a draft Queen's Speech in restoring the Government's fortunes (Times, p.2, p.2 [Peter Riddell]; Mail, p.15; Guardian, p.4, p.27 [Polly Toynbee]; Mirror, p.6; Telegraph, p.20 [Anthony Browne]; FT, p.2; Independent, p.6).

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is under growing pressure to support a referendum on Scottish independence after two of his closest allies in Scotland signalled they could support nationalists’ demands for a vote on splitting up the UK (Guardian, p.5).

Further coverage of Boris Johnson's victory and first steps (Times, p.15; Independent, p.6; Mirror, p.19; Express, p.5, p.12 [Macer Hall]; Telegraph, p.4).

The Express reports that MPs could increase their salaries by 25 per cent to more than £75,000 (Express, p.1, p.12 [leader]).

The Times reports that a company advised by the public affairs company of Lord Clement-Jones, the Liberal Democrat's chief fundraiser, has donated to the Party (Times, p.11).

Health

The NHS will today claim public support for a plan proposed by Lord Darzi, the Health Minister, to amalgamate GP surgeries into ‘polyclinics’. A consultation on the London plan, seen by the Guardian, showed 51 per cent of people and organisations were in favour of amalgamating almost all GP practices into 150 polyclinics, with 29 per cent against and 20 per cent undecided (Guardian, p.7).

Medical charities write to the Times today to call for the abolition of prescription charges. Up to three million NHS patients could lose the right to obtain prescription drugs from their GP under proposals to boost the development of rural pharmacies in Britain. Ministers want more people to use pharmacies in order to take the pressure of GPs (Independent, p.13; Times, p.12).

Statistics released by the Children’s Society show that there has been a rise in eating disorders and self-harm incidents amongst boys and girls under ten over the past five years (Telegraph, p.8).

Research by academics at the University of London’s School of Pharmacy has found that the number of children being treated with anti-psychotic drugs has almost doubled in recent years “despite the lack of conclusive evidence” demonstrating their superiority to more conventional treatments (Telegraph, p.8).

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have concluded that parents of autistic children are twice as likely to have had a psychiatric illness (Guardian, p.8).

Breastfed babies are more intelligent than those weaned on formula milk, according to the most comprehensive study conducted on the issue (Guardian, p.10; Mail, p.23).

Economy

The heads of several FTSE-100 companies have raised concerns over proposed legislative changes that they say will add millions of pounds to their tax bills (Guardian, Monday, p.20).

A study by researchers at the Hull University Business School, Cranfield School of Management and St Andrews University suggests that policies to boost enterprise need to take account of regional differences as self-employed men in the north of England are likely to be better educated and create more jobs than their southern counterparts (FT, Monday, p.30).

An investigation by the Times on Monday claimed that up to 500,000 women who took time off to work to bring up their children are in line for £1 billion in unpaid state pension benefits (Times, Monday, p.4).

Local election results in Manchester mean that a congestion charge scheme is unlikely (Times, p.25).

Times review on taxation on foreign income (Times, p.40).

Gordon Brown is warned of the dangers of higher levels of corporate taxation in terms of firms relocating to lower tax regimes. Martin Temple, Chairman of EEF manufacturer’s body, said “I wouldn’t say it’s a major trend yet, but if we don’t watch it, we’ll get this [exodus] … it’s very dangerous territory” (FT, p.1, p.2, p.15; Telegraph, p.4, p.21 [leader]).

A report by the Confederation of British Industry estimates that 18,000 jobs will be lost in manufacturing in the second quarter of this year (FT, p.2).

Further coverage of the housing market. Former Bank of England policy maker Professor Stephen Nickell comments on the credit crisis: “what we are seeing now is a loan strike. It’s almost as if we are back in the bad old days of mortgage rationing. No one will lend to first-time buyers” (Express, p.4; FT, p.3; Telegraph, p.1, p.20 [Liz Hunt]).

The Prime Minister was last night accused of failing to axe the unpopular “bin tax” after aides suggested it could be dropped. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last night insisted that trials of the new charge system, which could cost households an extra £50 a year, were going ahead (Express, p.5).

Deloitte economic adviser Roger Bottle warned yesterday the Bank of England might be forced to cut interest rates to as low as 3.5 per cent by the middle of next year as economic growth slows (Express, p.46; Telegraph, B.1; FT, p.3; Times, p.41).

Education

More than a thousand headteachers quit their jobs early last year due to pressure, according to figures released last week by the National Association of Head Teachers (Independent, Saturday, p.12).

Analysis by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has found that new tough A-levels will widen the gap between state and independent schools (Telegraph, Monday, p.12).

Beverley Hughes, the Children’s Minister, was warned by head teachers at the National Association of Head Teachers’ annual conference that pressure to do well in school league tables is having a detrimental effect on children’s education (Guardian, Monday, p.9).

A report by The Institute for Public Policy Research calls for tough new tests to remove incompetent teachers from classrooms (Independent, Monday, p.9; FT, Monday, p.4; Telegraph, Monday, p.12).

Mick Brookes, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers criticises the “back to work culture” in the UK for many parents neglecting their children by “dumping” them at schools for up to ten hours a day (Independent, Monday, p.9).

In a report by the Times on Monday, the Conservative Party claims that a £165 million package of student support due to be introduced in September will benefit undergraduates from middle-class families while providing only minimal support for the poor (Times, Monday, p.15).

Ministers will today announce a major review of the way that dyslexic children are taught in schools. Sir Jim Rose, the former Ofsted inspector, will be asked to review the help given to pupils. Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said he believed Sir Jim’s review would provide “firm evidence of the way forward” (Independent, p.4).

The number of GCSE and A-level students allowed extra time to sit their exams has almost doubled in two years. Campaign for Real Education chairman Nick Seaton said: “It looks as though youngsters are getting wise to loopholes in the system and exploiting them to the full” (Mail, p.18)

Leading researchers at Birmingham City University say there are double the number of contract cheats in UK universities there were a year ago (Guardian, Education, p.1).

Further coverage of teachers’ unions pay disputes with the Government (Guardian, Education, p.2).

Writing in the Telegraph Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, defends Oxford as an “elite” rather than an “elitist” institution. He goes on to argue that increasing equality of higher-educational opportunity is a “vast socio-economic project stretching back towards birth” and the “idea that everything would be fine if a few of our top universities ‘sorted themselves out’ on access and admissions is absurd” (Telegraph, p.20).

Professor David Hargreaves, Associate Director of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, predicts that within a decade traditional year groups will disappear from schools with pupils grouped by ability rather than age (Telegraph, p.6).

Home Affairs

The Express on Monday reported that nearly 14,000 prisoners have escaped from open prisons since 1997. Nick Herbert MP, Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “It is unacceptable these institutions are coming under such pressure to take unsuitable prisoners that we see the risk of absconds and therefore a risk to the public” (Sun, Monday, p.2; Express, Monday, p.4).

Detective chief inspector: money spent on CCTV has been largely wasted because the police have not considered how to use images in court (Times, p.13; Guardian, p.2; FT, p.4).

Further coverage of prison overcrowding and drug trafficking. According to Hussain Djemil, a former drugs treatment chief, half of all prisoners are drug addicts and that drugs worth £100 million are traded in prisons every year (Guardian, p.7; Express, p.2, p.12 [leader]).

A report by the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee finds that Labour’s plans to curb binge drinking with “alcohol disorder zones” is overly bureaucratic and likely to be ineffective (Telegraph, p.2; Mirror, p.24).

It has been alleged that police officers are being told to downplay offences such as burglary and car theft in order to reduce official crime figures (Telegraph, p.10).