Friday, November 19, 2010

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

The Independent - UK RSS Feed

'Never had it so good' Tory apologises

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:59 PM PST

Prime Minister David Cameron has delivered a stinging rebuke to a senior adviser who suggested that most Britons had "never had it so good".

Whitehall files show how public money is spent

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:01 PM PST

The Home Office is spending millions of pounds a month on travel agents' fees to deport failed asylum seekers, according the most comprehensive breakdown of Whitehall spending ever produced.

Government advisors back heavy cut in visa

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Tough new limits stopping tens of thousands of students and skilled workers entering the UK were recommended yesterday by the Government's advisers on immigration.

Jailed policeman wins appeal over assault in cell caught on CCTV

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

A police officer who was jailed after being caught on CCTV throwing a woman head first onto the concrete floor of a cell has had his conviction overturned.

How Thatcher first stamped her authority on life at No 10

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

On Monday, the nation will have an anniversary to celebrate or mourn – according to taste – because it will be 20 years to the day since Margaret Thatcher announced that she was standing down. To mark the date, the National Archive Office has released online more than 100 bundles of papers that crossed Mrs Thatcher's desk during her first few months in office, complete with her handwritten comments and her constant underlining of words or phrases that struck her as important.

Torture settlement brings hope to last British inmate in Guantanamo

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Government has agreed to step up its efforts to bring home the last Briton held at Guantanamo Bay as part of a multimillion-pound settlement to end legal action over allegations of MI5's complicity in torture.

Prison threat for phone and internet firms

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Directors of of mobile phone and internet companies who snoop on customers' private information face up to two years' imprisonment under tough new wire-tapping regulations being drawn up by ministers.

Cameron condemns 'leaky' defence department

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

David Cameron slapped down his Defence Secretary Liam Fox yesterday for running a "leaky" department as the Government was embroiled in a "spin row" over its big cuts in defence spending.

Tory peer says majority have 'never had it so good'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

A senior adviser to the Prime Minister apologised last night after claiming that most of the population had "never had it so good".

Benefit policy based on figures culled from web

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

Iain Duncan Smith misled Parliament by passing off figures from a property comparison website owned by the Daily Mail as official government figures.

Osborne warned austerity policy may be too harsh

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Chancellor may have to revisit his deficit reduction programme, the Treasury has been warned, as the latest figures on Government borrowing suggest that official forecasts may be too optimistic.

Counter-terror officers probe forest blast

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:23 AM PST

An explosion in a remote forest area was being investigated by counter-terrorism officers today.

Hint of extra holiday for royal wedding

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:21 AM PST

David Cameron held out the prospect of an extra bank holiday next year to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Life term for double murder dentist

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:11 AM PST

A dentist was sentenced to life imprisonment today for the murders of his wife and his ex-lover's husband who were poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes almost 20 years ago.

Government 'faces immigration cap dilemma'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:17 AM PST

The Government faces an "unpalatable choice" between an immigration policy that will damage the economy or the possibility of failing to fulfil a key promise, a think-tank said today.

'Weakness of flesh led Tommy Sheridan to swingers' club'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:45 AM PST

Tommy Sheridan visited a sex club in Manchester out of "weakness of the flesh", it was claimed in court today.

Hotelier spared jail for locking up teenager

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:13 AM PST

A millionaire hotelier who locked a "desperate" 18-year-old girl in his bedroom for 10 hours wept as he was spared jail today.

Cameron takes dig at Liam Fox over 'leaks'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:09 AM PST

David Cameron delivered an apparent dig at Defence Secretary Liam Fox today, saying his department had a "problem" with leaks.

Poundworld fined over faulty thermometers

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:46 AM PST

Discount retailer Poundworld has been fined £5,000 for selling dangerously faulty digital thermometers and other medical items, it was announced today.

Benefits for addicts 'should not be withdrawn'

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:23 AM PST

Withdrawing welfare benefits from addicts who refuse treatment is not a good idea, the Government's drugs advisers said today.

Woman bled to death in car stabbing incident

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:19 AM PST

A 27-year-old woman bled to death after an artery in one of her legs was severed during a car journey, police disclosed today.

Policeman jailed for cell assault cleared on appeal

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:16 AM PST

A police officer jailed for throwing a woman head-first on to the concrete floor of a cell was today cleared on appeal.

27 held after drug gang raids

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:14 AM PST

More than 200 police officers took part in co-ordinated raids across the UK in an operation targeting drug gangs, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said.

Britain slumps another £10bn into the red

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:08 AM PST

Britain slumped into the red by another £10.3 billion last month despite a leap in business tax and VAT revenues, figures revealed today.

Police cuts need not affect front line, says Theresa May

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:23 AM PST

Police forces could cut costs without affecting the front line, Home Secretary Theresa May said today.

TfL accused of lying over unmanned Tube stations

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:22 AM PST

Transport for London was today accused of "lying" over staffing levels on the Tube after the biggest rail union said a leaked document showed some stations were being left unmanned.

Pc sacked after non-consensual sex allegation

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:12 AM PST

A police constable has been sacked after having non-consensual sex with a drunken woman in a railway station police locker room.

Axe murder charge dropped

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:08 AM PST

A 55-year-old man accused of the murder of a private investigator 23 years ago walked free from the Old Bailey today after the case against him was dropped.

Huge fire brings Nottingham traffic chaos

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:54 AM PST

Commuters faced severe disruption this morning after a large fire in a disused city centre building.

White Britons 'could be minority by 2066'

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 11:42 PM PST

White British people will be a minority in their own country by 2066 if current immigration levels continue, a population expert has claimed.

Clean-up under way in flood-hit Cornwall

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 11:39 PM PST

A major clean-up was under way today as flood-battered Cornwall recovered from devastating torrential rain.

Four quizzed after man found dying in van

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 11:37 PM PST

Detectives were questioning four suspects today in connection with the murder of a man who was found dying in the back of a van.

Police continue MI5 'torture' investigation

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

The Metropolitan Police will continue its investigation into the secret services over torture claims made by former Guantanamo inmate Binyam Mohamed, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed yesterday.

John Prescott 'spent lavishly' on office comforts

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 04:00 PM PST

John Prescott's office authorised spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on "indoor plant landscaping" and "silver service" waiters when he was Deputy Prime Minister.

posted by Greg Shaw at Friday, November 19, 2010