Monday, November 08, 2010

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Whitehall hit squad

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Britain's most senior civil servant is to call in a group of key private sector businessmen to advise permanent secretaries on how to make thousands of job cuts in the public sector. Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, wants the civil service to learn from private companies how to reduce in size and reform without cutting services and important functions.

Archbishop attacks manual labour plan

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Plans to make the long-term unemployed do unpaid manual labour for their benefits could push vulnerable people into a "downward spiral of despair", the Archbishop of Canterbury warned yesterday.

Cameron to play balancing act with trade and human rights

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

David Cameron will fly to China today at the head of a delegation of more than 40 business leaders in a drive to win a multi-billion pound export boost for British business in the world's fastest-growing major economy.

Retail giants shamed by UK sweatshops

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Clothing on sale in the high street is being made in Britain in dirty, dangerous and "appalling" conditions, according to secret television footage which will intensify pressure on a fashion industry hit by a series of sweatshop scandals.

Bonfire society chief hurt by rocket

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

A member of one of Britain's oldest bonfire societies remained in a critical condition in hospital last night after being struck in the chest by a rocket at a celebration in Lewes, east Sussex.

Labour to target Tories over Coulson

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

David Cameron will face fresh questions over the fate of his communications director Andy Coulson this week, after the Labour Party made it clear it expects the Prime Minister to address the issue directly.

Lib Dem defects after 'six months of Clegg U-turns'

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Nick Clegg has been dealt a blow by a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate's decision to defect to Labour in protest at his leader's acceptance of Conservative policies and abandonment of key elements of his party's programme.

Sex killer evades police despite DNA and CCTV evidence

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

In a small children's play area, in the early hours of the morning, Michelle Samaraweera was raped and murdered by a man police believe she had never met before. The man followed her as she walked home, attempted to befriend her and then attacked.

Sex before marriage is a path to misery, teenagers are told

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Teenagers are to be warned that sex before marriage is "ugly and destructive and will lead to misery and regret".

A civil proposal for marriage

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

How about this for a proposal? Darling, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. The thing is, I don't approve of marriage. It's riddled with historical baggage and is a discriminatory system still forbidden to our gay friends. So why don't we publicly declare our love by challenging Britain's marriage laws and register a heterosexual civil partnership? They'll say no, of course, but at least we can battle them in the courts for years.

£3m cocaine haul seized by police

Posted: 07 Nov 2010 01:03 AM PST

A haul of cocaine, believed to have a street value of up to £3 million, was seized following a crime squad operation, police said today.

posted by Greg Shaw at Monday, November 08, 2010