Diplomat Denies Sturgeon Backed Cameron

Tories Pledge 1980s-Style Housing 'Revolution'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 05 April 2015 | 16.12

A 1980s-style housing "revolution" doubling the number of first-time buyers by 2020 has been pledged by the Tories, if they are elected.

The plan would mean half a million people a year getting their feet on the housing ladder, George Osborne said.

Labour claims Britain's chronic housing shortage is being fuelled by Coalition schemes such as Help to Buy and no action is being taken to boost supply.

Ed Miliband's party unveiled plans on Saturday to take the new ISA scheme for first-time buyers announced in the Budget and use it to finance wide-scale house building.

But Mr Osborne told the Sunday Telegraph he was determined to push even harder to open home ownership to more people.

He said as many as one million people would enjoy direct government help to purchase properties over the next parliament.

"I think we can deliver a revolution in home ownership," the Chancellor told the newspaper.

"We want to see a massive increase in the number of people who can own their own home because home ownership is an absolutely core Conservative belief and aspiration that we support.

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"In the next parliament I would like to see over a million more people helped into home ownership by a Conservative government.

"I would like to see us double the number of first-time buyers up to half a million. That is the kind of level we saw in the 1980s. There is no reason why our country can't achieve that again.

"That's a goal we set ourselves today."

Since 2010 there have been 1.2 million first-time purchases and Mr Osborne wants at least 2.4 million more over the next five years

Shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds said: "More warm words on housing from the Chancellor will be cold comfort to the record number of young people and families priced out of home ownership over the past five years.

"Under this Tory-led government we've seen the lowest levels of housebuilding in peacetime since the 1920s and home ownership has fallen to a 30-year low.

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"Labour's Better Plan will ensure Britain builds the homes working people need.

"Labour will get at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020, backed by a comprehensive plan - the first in a generation - and a £5bn Future Homes Fund to support the building of homes for first-time buyers."

The Tory pledge came as a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times showed the party overtaking Labour to move into a one point lead by 34% to 33%.

But Opinium research for The Observer had the Conservatives down one point on 33%, level-pegging with Labour (unchanged), while UKIP was up one point on 14%.

Liberal Democrats were down one on 7%, Greens were unchanged on 7% and the Scottish National Party were up one on 4%.

In a dramatic development on Saturday, an inquiry was ordered into the leak of a UK Government account of a private meeting between SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and the French ambassador.

The Daily Telegraph published the diplomatic memo which suggested she had indicated that she would prefer to see Conservatives remain in power after the 7 May General Election.

Ms Sturgeon complained of a "dirty tricks" attempt to halt the party's advance.

She said it was "100% untrue" that she had expressed such a preference - a denial backed by French diplomats at the meeting.

But the memo was seized on by Labour leader Ed Miliband as a "damning revelation" of the SNP leader's true views.

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Sturgeon: Help Me Lock Cameron Out Of No 10

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has offered Ed Miliband a new deal to help him take power and "lock David Cameron out of Downing Street".

Writing in the Observer, Ms Sturgeon challenged him to take his party into an anti-austerity alliance with the SNP - despite Mr Miliband ruling out any formal coalition.

Her words come a day after claims – strenuously denied by the SNP leader – that she had told the French ambassador she wanted Mr Cameron to stay as prime minister.

:: Full Coverage of General Election 2015

According to a leaked memo about the February meeting, she allegedly said Mr Miliband was not "prime minister material".

But Ms Sturgeon has reinforced her earlier offer to the Labour leader, telling him: "If together our parties have the parliamentary numbers required after 7 May, and regardless of which is the biggest party, will he and Labour join with us in locking David Cameron out of Downing Street?"

The SNP leader also uses the article to repeat denials that the memo claims are "100% untrue – having been comprehensively rejected by both the French ambassador and consul general".

A coalition government seems a likely result after next month's election, with the result seemingly on a knife-edge and no one party looking like getting an overall majority.

The Conservatives have seized on the prospect of a Labour-SNP coalition with posters showing Mr Miliband in the pocket of Ms Sturgeon.

The Labour leader has insisted "there will be no SNP ministers in any government I lead" - but crucially has not vetoed a looser arrangement that would see the party offering voting support to shore up Labour.

The SNP is glowing from a big boost in popularity in the wake of last year's independence referendum and - ironically - is expected to rob Labour of many of its Scottish MPs.

Ms Sturgeon was also seen by many as the best performer in the leaders' TV debate.

With just over four weeks to go, latest opinion polls put the Tories and Labour virtually level-pegging.

:: Track how the major parties are faring in the latest opinion polls with the Sky News poll of polls, which averages all the latest polls to get the overall picture.

Opinium research for The Observer has the Conservatives down one point on 33%, the same score as Labour (unchanged).

UKIP was up one point on 14%; Liberal Democrats down one on 7%, Greens unchanged on 7% and the SNP were up one on 4%.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times has the Conservatives overturning a four-point Labour advantage to now lead 34% to 33%.

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Police Get More Time To Question Syria Suspects

Police have been given more time to question six people arrested in Dover on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences.

The five men and one woman were detained around 8am on Friday in the port's departure area.

Officers now have until 8am next Friday to charge or release them, or apply to detain them further.

Police said four of the men arrested are from Birmingham and in their 20s.

A 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman of no fixed address were also held.

They are being questioned at a police station in the West Midlands area.

The force said the suspects were not a family group, were not accompanied by children and did not pose any immediate risk to public safety.

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Family Had Concerns Over 'Syria-Bound' Brit

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 16.12

There were reportedly concerns about the behaviour of a British man in the months before he was arrested for allegedly trying to cross illegally into Syria.

Waheed Ahmed, 21, was among nine members of the same family who were detained in Turkey on Wednesday and are set to be deported later today.

British police have been searching the home of his father Shakil Ahmed, who is a Labour councillor in Rochdale.

Mohammed Shafiq, who is a friend of Shakil Ahmed, said of Waheed: "There were concerns in the last six months to a year about a change in his behaviour.

"And a change in his attitude towards various different issues."

He also told Sky News: "That was causing concern for people in the community and his family."

Waheed Ahmed was with his aunt, two cousins and the wife of one of his cousins when they were stopped by authorities in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. They had also taken four children with them.

The 21-year-old will be sent back to the UK along with Zareeda Bi, 47, Maboob Yasin, 22, Habib Yasin, 24, and Samia Bi, 22, and the youngsters aged one, three, eight and 11.

Most of the group flew from Manchester on 27 March and Waheed Ahmed joined them three days later on a flight from Birmingham.

Shakil Ahmed, who represents the Kingsway ward on Rochdale Borough Council, said the group were on holiday but he had thought his son was on a work placement in Birmingham.

"My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there.

"If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities.

"I just want to speak to my son and get him home as soon as possible so I can find out what's going on."

Usman Nawaz, who went to the same school as Waheed Ahmed in Rochdale, said mosques and his school in Rochdale were not to blame for Waheed's actions.

The 25-year-old, a former member of the Young Muslims' Advisory Group and mentor to young Muslims through Rochdale's Youth Council, said: "For some it's an adventure but for some they think that they are doing something noble.

"The ideology which is peddled, this very hardcore understanding of the faith, one which is state sponsored by Saudi Arabia, that has to be challenged and it's quite difficult to challenge it in a coherent manner when the Saudi ideology has the backing of petrodollars."

A friend of Waheed Ahmed believes he could have travelled for humanitarian reasons.

Bassat Yussu said: "We used to talk about Palestine and Syria and what was going on around there and sometimes he used to collect charity money."

Neighbour Mohammed Sharif said he "never had suspicion about the family" and remembered Waheed as a "nice quiet young lad" who would "speak to you with respect".

Officers are trying to establish their reason for travelling to the Syrian border.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said: "What is obviously concerning is why a family were seemingly attempting to take very young and vulnerable children into a war zone.

"Such a volatile and dangerous environment is no place for them whatsoever."

The group is understood to have been kept in a police station in Turkey on Thursday night and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was unable to confirm when they were expected back in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police believe around 600 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq since the conflict began, while around half are thought to have returned to the UK.

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Six Arrested In Dover In Syria Terror Probe

Six people are in police custody after being arrested in Dover on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences.

The five men and one woman were detained around 8am on Friday in the port's departure area.

West Midlands Police are searching a number of addresses in Birmingham and say it is part of an ongoing investigation.

Police said four of the men arrested are from Birmingham and in their 20s.

A 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman of no fixed address were also held.

They are being questioned at a police station in the West Midlands area.

The force tweeted: "The suspects, who are not a family group and were not accompanied by children, did not pose any immediate risk to public safety."

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Diplomat Denies Sturgeon Backed Cameron

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A senior French official says claims that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said she would rather see David Cameron than Ed Miliband as PM after the election are incorrect.

A Daily Telegraph report claims a leaked UK government memorandum - likely from the Foreign Office - sets out an account of a meeting between Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador to the UK Sylvie Bermann.

The memo was written by a British civil servant after a conversation with France's consul general in Edinburgh, Pierre-Alain Coffinier, who was present.

But speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Mr Coffinier said that no preference for Prime Minister was discussed at the meeting in February.

"At no stage did anyone comment on their preference regarding the elections," he said.

"I didn't say that. I did not. I don't know (how it ended up in the memo)."

Sky's James Matthews asked: "Did you tell a civil servant that Miss Sturgeon had expressed a preference for David Cameron?"

He replied: "No. No."

The memo reportedly said: "Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the (First Minister) stating that she wouldn't want a formal coalition with Labour; that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats ... that she'd rather see David Cameron remain as PM."

It added that Ms Sturgeon said the Labour leader was not "prime minister material".

But in a direct tweet to the journalists who wrote the story Ms Sturgeon wrote: "Your story is categorically, 100%, untrue ... which I'd have told you if you'd asked me at any point today."

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here

A spokeswoman for the First Minister added: "It must be a belated April Fool.

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Gallery: Latest Polls In Race For No 10

On April 1, a Sun/YouGov poll gave Labour a very narrow lead over the Tories, with UKIP on 12% and the Liberal Democrats on 7%.

The following day, the same source put the Conservatives in the lead, and boosted UKIP and the Lib Dems by a point each.

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The TV debate on Thursday was a chance for voters to hear from the party leaders, with polling showing approval for UKIP's Nigel Farage and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon at similar levels to Ed Miliband and David Cameron.

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The following day, YouGov/The Sun still had the Tories in the lead, with Labour close behind.

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But a Mirror poll had the situation reversed, with Labour in a narrow lead over David Cameron's party - and UKIP on 18%.

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"As Nicola has said on numerous occasions, she wants to see the back of a Tory government which is decisively rejected by the people of Scotland and unlike Labour, the SNP is the only party that has promised to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street."

Mr Miliband said: "I think these are damning revelations.

"What it shows is that while in public the SNP are saying they don't want to see a Conservative government in private they're actually saying they do want a Conservative government.

"It shows that the answer at this General Election is that if you want the Conservatives out the only answer is to vote Labour for a Labour government."

Ms Sturgeon's performance in the televised debate has focused attention on her party's potentially pivotal role in forming the next UK government.

Tories described the prospect of a Labour government propped up by the votes of the Scottish nationalists as a "lethal cocktail".

The party said such an alliance would destabilise the country and undermine the economic recovery.

She was branded "the most dangerous woman in Britain" by the Daily Mail. Polls suggest the anti-austerity SNP could snatch dozens of Labour seats north of the border.

Meanwhile, campaigning continues into Easter with Labour unveiling a plan to build 125,000 homes by creating a £5bn housebuilding fund.

The Tories, meanwhile, are unveiling a pledge to force pornography websites to use effective age-verification tools to keep out under-18s.

Ms Sturgeon is due to join the annual Scrap Trident group march in Glasgow, only a short distance from the Faslane home of nuclear-armed submarines.

The latest Survation/Mirror poll puts Mr Miliband ahead of Mr Cameron, with 33% and 31% of the vote respectively.

UKIP polled at 18%, the Liberal Democrats 9%, the SNP 5% and Greens 3%.

These results are markedly different from a YouGov/The Sun poll which was published on Thursday night.

It suggested that the Conservative Party had hit a three-year high - with 37% of those questioned stating they would vote Tory if the General Election was tomorrow.

Labour was on 35%, the Lib Dems on 7%, UKIP on 12% and the Greens on 5%.

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Written By Unknown on Kamis, 02 April 2015 | 16.12

By Nick Ravenscroft, Sky News Reporter

The British Medical Journal has accused drugs companies which make and market a medicine for a common eye disease of undermining trials of another, cheaper drug so as to maximise profits.

The NHS could save more than £100m a year if doctors were allowed to prescribe Avastin for a common eye condition, says the BMJ.

The drug's current licence allows it to be used for certain cancers, but not age-related macular degeneration.

The condition sees older people slowly lose their central vision until they have only some peripheral vision.

Some 700,000 people in the UK are affected.

But whereas Avastin costs less than £65 per dose, Lucentis, the drug which is licenced for the eye disease, costs £742 per dose.

The BMJ suggests drugs manufacturers have tried to "derail" clinical trials into the cheaper drug's use for age-related macular degeneration.

The companies involved have strenuously denied doing anything wrong.

Novartis, which markets Lucentis in Europe, told Sky News it is taking the allegations seriously.

The company said it was committed to research and development into serious eye disease.

It added that it routinely discusses clinical trials with medical professionals to ensure standards are high.

The BMJ is urging the UK medical authorities to approve Avastin for macular degeneration which it says is safe, effective and cheaper.

But the General Medical Council (GMC) says although it sympathises with doctors, European law does not allow them to prescribe medicines on the basis of cost.

GMC chief executive Niall Dickson said: "Doctors cannot prescribe an unlicensed medicine on grounds of cost where a licenced product is available.

"At the same time we do support the efficient use of NHS resources and we are sympathetic to the argument that a better solution needs to be found for the use of Avastin in the treatment of AMD."

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Harry To Train With Australian Special Forces

Prince Harry is preparing to spend time in Australia where he will train with the country's special forces and Aboriginal soldiers.

Harry, a British Army captain, is due to begin his four weeks with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) next week.

During his time in the country the Prince will spend time in Perth, where he will train with the Special Air Service and in Darwin, where he will work with members of Norforce, the mostly indigenous unit that patrols northern Australia.

He will also train on helicopter simulators at an army barracks in Sydney.

The royal officer, who is known as Captain Wales, is said to be very much looking forward to the placement.

His spokesman said: "Prince Harry is tremendously looking forward to starting his four week attachment with the ADF.

"It has been an opportunity he has been keen to explore for a couple of years now and is delighted to be able to do it before completing his military service with the British Armed Forces later this year.

"Prince Harry has trained and served alongside Australian armed forces on operational tours to Afghanistan; he has met them during the Invictus Games; and even trekked to the South Pole with a couple of Australian soldiers.

"Those experiences reinforced the huge admiration and respect he already had for Australian servicemen and women and has stoked his enthusiasm even more to build on those relationships in the next four weeks."

A statement released by the ADF said: "Defence's focus for this attachment is to provide Captain Wales with an authentic military experience in the Australian army that builds on his previous experience with coalition forces and complements his work with wounded, injured and ill service personnel."

On Monday, Harry will take part in his only scheduled public appearance while in Australia when he lays a wreath at the country's Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier in Canberra.

The Prince will then tour the First World War and Afghanistan Galleries at the Australian War Memorial and meet members of the public.

He is also expected to spend some time learning how wounded servicemen and women are supported in Australia.

Harry will join his father the Prince of Wales at the Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey on 24 and 25 April

When he leaves the Armed Forces in June, the royal is due to spend some of the summer in Africa carrying out voluntary conservation work.

In the autumn, the Prince will volunteer with the Ministry of Defence's Recovery Capability Programme supporting the rehabilitation of wounded, injured or sick service personnel, while he considers what to do next.

Harry has previously revealed he is undecided on what to do for employment in the long term, saying: "I am considering the options for the future and I am really excited about the possibilities."

During his 10-year military career the Prince completed two tours of duty to Afghanistan and qualified as an Apache Aircraft Commander.

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Rise In Teachers Abused Online By Parents

The number of teachers being abused online by parents and children has risen sharply.

Some 40% of teachers say they have been attacked by parents on social media in the past year - up from 27% from the 2014 figures.

School staff are facing sexist, racist and homophobic comments, as well as offensive remarks about their appearance and competence, according to the NASUWT union.

The number of teachers who have suffered abuse from either pupils or teachers in the past 12 months is 60% - a huge rise from 21% last year.

One post about a teacher read: "I hope she gets cancer."

A heavily pregnant teacher was called an "ugly f*****g b***h", while others have had photos posted alongside words such as "b***h" and "t**t".

One teacher said they were harassed for nine months by children who sent sexually explicit messages and set up a fake social media account in their name.

In another example, a teacher was described as a "bitch" for making her child do PE without her inhaler.

The most common age of pupils dishing out abuse was 14-16 (57%). Five percent were aged 7-11.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "It is deeply worrying to see that the abuse of teachers has risen by such a huge margin this year.

"Equally concerning is that it appears that more parents are the perpetrators of the abuse.

"The vile, insulting and personal comments are taking their toll on teachers' health and wellbeing and undermining their confidence to do their job.

"Many teachers tell us that they suspect they are being abused online but dare not look, for fear they could never walk into their school again to have to face their abusers.

"While there has been some improvement in action taken on reported abuse, there are still too many cases where no appropriate action is taken and teachers are being left devastated, humiliated and traumatised."

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Labour To Cut Rates For Small Businesses

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 16.12

Labour will pledge to reverse the Government's final cut in corporation tax to pay for a reduction in rates for small businesses.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls will also promise smaller firms they will be the first to benefit from future tax cuts if Labour takes power in the General Election.

Mr Balls is expected to say today that reversing the corporation tax cut would allow Labour to slash business rates on 1.5 million small business premises.

:: For full coverage of the General Election 2015 click here

Labour argues that 17 small firms would benefit from the cut for every large business helped by the reduction in corporation tax.

The party argues the coalition spent £7bn over the last parliament cutting the main rate of corporation tax to the benefit of larger firms, while revenues from business rates rose by £3bn.

Mr Balls will visit a small business later today where he is expected to say: "Unleashing the potential of smaller businesses to grow, create more good jobs and raise living standards is a vital part of Labour's better plan.

"This is part of our plan to deliver a simpler and fairer tax system for small businesses. This is the right priority when money is tight.

"And it will mean that the tax burden on small businesses will be lower with Labour than under the Tories."

The announcement comes a day after the launch of Ed Miliband's business manifesto was overshadowed by a row over Labour's use of business leaders' quotes in an advert for the party's stance on the EU.

Mr Miliband faced a backlash over the advertisement in the Financial Times, published as Mr Miliband warned voters that leaving the European Union was a "clear and present danger" to British business.

The Conservatives have argued that abandoning the cut in corporation tax would jeopardise economic security.

Treasury Minister David Gauke said: "This would be the first time corporation tax has risen in over 40 years and Labour's plans could cost 96,400 jobs - it would put people's economic security at risk.

"The Conservative Party is helping businesses small and large as part of our long-term economic plan - we don't divide them up for the sake of making a political point."

Labour's pledge comes as Prime Minister Cameron is promising a Conservative government will help business create two million new jobs over the course of the next parliament.

The Liberal Democrats will also promise an additional £3.5bn over the next parliament, with the aim of "revolutionising" adult and child mental health care.

16.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

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Popular Posts Today

Tories Pledge 1980s-Style Housing 'Revolution'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 05 April 2015 | 16.12

Sturgeon: Help Me Lock Cameron Out Of No 10

Police Get More Time To Question Syria Suspects

Family Had Concerns Over 'Syria-Bound' Brit

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 16.12

Six Arrested In Dover In Syria Terror Probe

Diplomat Denies Sturgeon Backed Cameron

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Drug Companies Accused In Eye Disease Row

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 02 April 2015 | 16.12

Harry To Train With Australian Special Forces

Rise In Teachers Abused Online By Parents

Labour To Cut Rates For Small Businesses

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 16.12

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