LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Conservatives pledged to cut public spending to rein in a huge budget deficit and called for a sweeping overhaul of the economy as they kicked off their campaign for this year's election on Saturday. The Conservatives, favourites to win the vote, stole a march on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party by announcing they were going into campaign mode, even though the election could still be five months away. "We are starting our campaign to win the general election today," centre-right Conservative leader David Cameron said in a speech in Oxfordshire. Cameron made clear that the main election battleground will be the economy and how to rein in government borrowing forecast to reach 178 billion pounds this year. The fast-growing national debt was "the greatest single risk to sustained economic recovery," Cameron said. "That's why we've been clear about our intention to cut public spending."
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Conservatives pledged to cut public spending to rein in a huge budget deficit and called for a sweeping overhaul of the economy as they kicked off their campaign for this year's election on Saturday.
The Conservatives, favourites to win the vote, stole a march on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party by announcing they were going into campaign mode, even though the election could still be five months away.
"We are starting our campaign to win the general election today," centre-right Conservative leader David Cameron said in a speech in Oxfordshire.
Cameron made clear that the main election battleground will be the economy and how to rein in government borrowing forecast to reach 178 billion pounds this year.
The fast-growing national debt was "the greatest single risk to sustained economic recovery," Cameron said. "That's why we've been clear about our intention to cut public spending."
A Conservative government would not rule out raising taxes in order to shrink the UK's soaring deficit, shadow minister Ken Clarke has said.The shadow business secretary told the Sunday Telegraph it would be "folly" to rule out increases, including on VAT, alongside cuts in public spending. "Coming out of a recession when you have such a severe deficit, you can't rule out putting up taxes," he said.
A Conservative government would not rule out raising taxes in order to shrink the UK's soaring deficit, shadow minister Ken Clarke has said.
The shadow business secretary told the Sunday Telegraph it would be "folly" to rule out increases, including on VAT, alongside cuts in public spending.
"Coming out of a recession when you have such a severe deficit, you can't rule out putting up taxes," he said.
Coming out of a recession...
The USA's turn for dark political comedy will come in November. I have little hope it will be less of a farce. But our farce is likely to top yours if only because it is so much larger in scale. What glorious leaders we both have. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
Expect Ken to be sidelined pretty soon. keep to the Fen Causeway
NuLab's greatest achievement was to demonstrate that they could announce the same money for the same project 3 times in 18 months and get a great headline each and every time. All they want to do is be in charge of the news cycle, they don't want to do anything. Except perhaps line their own pockets.
How will tories do anything, they'll cut services for anybody who earns less than than the average wage. Poor people will get screwed especially hard, people claiming unemployment will be harrassed more because they're scroungers.
Meanwhile they'll put normal people's taxes up. Increasing VAT is a great way to increase inequality because it falls harder on the poor and average wage earners. I imagine that anyone on a salary, however high will find their taxes increasing. After all, the tories don't get salaries cos they own companies, collect dividends or have (tax free) bonuses. Tories don't pay tax, that's what accountants are for.
It won't actually achieve anything, but it will look like activity with purpose and that's all that's necessary. keep to the Fen Causeway
Businesses should find it easier from today to offer services in other member states because of the entry into force of EU legislation prohibiting the imposition of 'discriminatory' requirements on businesses from other EU countries. Examples of requirements that are banned under the legislation - known as the services directive - include economic needs tests and residency requirements. The legislation also removes barriers to cross-border shopping and cross-border business-to-business sales, and obliges member states to create a website where foreign businesses can find and fill out all the administrative forms necessary to set up a branch or subsidiary in that country. The Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis estimates that the legislation will bring €60 billion-€140bn of economic benefits to the EU, equivalent to 0.6%-1.5% of the EU's gross domestic product. It appears, however, that a number of member states have failed either to meet the deadline for putting the directive onto their statute books, or to take all the necessary operational steps so that it fully applies in practice. According to sources closely following the implementation of the directive, Greece, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland are among those that have failed to complete the operational steps.
Businesses should find it easier from today to offer services in other member states because of the entry into force of EU legislation prohibiting the imposition of 'discriminatory' requirements on businesses from other EU countries.
Examples of requirements that are banned under the legislation - known as the services directive - include economic needs tests and residency requirements.
The legislation also removes barriers to cross-border shopping and cross-border business-to-business sales, and obliges member states to create a website where foreign businesses can find and fill out all the administrative forms necessary to set up a branch or subsidiary in that country.
The Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis estimates that the legislation will bring €60 billion-€140bn of economic benefits to the EU, equivalent to 0.6%-1.5% of the EU's gross domestic product.
It appears, however, that a number of member states have failed either to meet the deadline for putting the directive onto their statute books, or to take all the necessary operational steps so that it fully applies in practice.
According to sources closely following the implementation of the directive, Greece, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland are among those that have failed to complete the operational steps.
Ukraine's presidential election campaign entered its last two weeks on Saturday with the final opinion polls predicting victory for Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych. Ukrainian law prohibits the publication of any opinion polls less than 14 days before an election. Voting is due to take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 17. Campaigning finishes on the Friday, with voters given the Saturday to consider their choice in an atmosphere of quiet. The Central Election Committee has registered 18 candidates, including Yanukovych, incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko, current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and former Rada speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Polls predict that no candidate will secure an outright majority in the first round, with Yanukovych expected to garner around 30% to 20% for Tymoshenko.
Ukraine's presidential election campaign entered its last two weeks on Saturday with the final opinion polls predicting victory for Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych.
Ukrainian law prohibits the publication of any opinion polls less than 14 days before an election. Voting is due to take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 17. Campaigning finishes on the Friday, with voters given the Saturday to consider their choice in an atmosphere of quiet.
The Central Election Committee has registered 18 candidates, including Yanukovych, incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko, current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn and former Rada speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
Polls predict that no candidate will secure an outright majority in the first round, with Yanukovych expected to garner around 30% to 20% for Tymoshenko.
Ukraine is eager to end the marathon round of talks that would guarantee the fourth and final tranche of a $16.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of this year. The government hopes to assure this loan ahead of upcoming presidential elections. According to the New York Times, the IMF is playing a waiting game with Kiev and plans to withhold the $3.5 billion final tranche until after the presidential elections, which are due to be held January 17. The loan was approved in the midst of the global financial crisis, in late 2008. Yet it appears, the results of the upcoming presidential election will be a crucial factor in sealing the deal for the final disbursement of the IMF "lifeline," or cash injection, on which Ukraine's faltering economy depends to stay afloat. In addition to these loans, Ukraine has requested an additional $2 billion in urgent "emergency loans," according to the Financial Times, in order for it to ensure the flow of natural gas through its transit country, which originates in Russia and is destined for Western European markets. Ukraine has seen its gas supply shut off in the past by Moscow, due to its failure to pay Russia outstanding energy debts. The Moscow-Kiev gas disputes, or "wars," which often center on pricing and delayed payments owed on the Ukrainian side, has led to interruptions in gas exports to several E.U. member states in the midst of winter. This has added to the perception abroad of Ukraine being an unreliable trade partner.
Ukraine is eager to end the marathon round of talks that would guarantee the fourth and final tranche of a $16.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of this year. The government hopes to assure this loan ahead of upcoming presidential elections. According to the New York Times, the IMF is playing a waiting game with Kiev and plans to withhold the $3.5 billion final tranche until after the presidential elections, which are due to be held January 17. The loan was approved in the midst of the global financial crisis, in late 2008. Yet it appears, the results of the upcoming presidential election will be a crucial factor in sealing the deal for the final disbursement of the IMF "lifeline," or cash injection, on which Ukraine's faltering economy depends to stay afloat.
In addition to these loans, Ukraine has requested an additional $2 billion in urgent "emergency loans," according to the Financial Times, in order for it to ensure the flow of natural gas through its transit country, which originates in Russia and is destined for Western European markets. Ukraine has seen its gas supply shut off in the past by Moscow, due to its failure to pay Russia outstanding energy debts. The Moscow-Kiev gas disputes, or "wars," which often center on pricing and delayed payments owed on the Ukrainian side, has led to interruptions in gas exports to several E.U. member states in the midst of winter. This has added to the perception abroad of Ukraine being an unreliable trade partner.
Kazakhstan, run with an iron fist for the past 18 years by Nursultan Nazarbayev, assumed the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) the world's largest security organisation which also promotes democracy in member states.Given Kazakhstan's human rights record, critics in the West have questioned the OSCE's decision to vote Kazakhstan in as chairman of the organisation. Nazarbayev has cracked down on opposition and closed down newspapers critical of the regime. Human rights activists have also been arrested and legislation, which restricts the use of the internet was passed last year. OSCE foreign ministers expressed concern over these developments. In 2007 the OSCE voted in favour of handing the rotating chairmanship to Kazakhstan in exchange for improvements in its human rights record.
Given Kazakhstan's human rights record, critics in the West have questioned the OSCE's decision to vote Kazakhstan in as chairman of the organisation.
Nazarbayev has cracked down on opposition and closed down newspapers critical of the regime. Human rights activists have also been arrested and legislation, which restricts the use of the internet was passed last year.
OSCE foreign ministers expressed concern over these developments. In 2007 the OSCE voted in favour of handing the rotating chairmanship to Kazakhstan in exchange for improvements in its human rights record.
Almost a quarter of voters in Iceland have signed a petition against plans to repay money lost by foreigners when an Icelandic online bank collapsed. The petition urges the president to veto the bill that allows the move, and calls for a referendum on the issue. Iceland's parliament has approved the plans to reimburse 3.8bn euros (£3.4bn) lost by Dutch and British savers when the Icesave scheme failed in 2008. Many taxpayers say they are being made to pay for the bank's mistakes. The compensation amounts to some 12,000 euros for each citizen on the island nation of 320,000.
The petition urges the president to veto the bill that allows the move, and calls for a referendum on the issue.
Iceland's parliament has approved the plans to reimburse 3.8bn euros (£3.4bn) lost by Dutch and British savers when the Icesave scheme failed in 2008.
Many taxpayers say they are being made to pay for the bank's mistakes.
The compensation amounts to some 12,000 euros for each citizen on the island nation of 320,000.
So Iceland's government is trying to sell its people into slavery by giving in to bullying to accept debts they have no moral obligation for. Its no wonder that the people object. They've toppled one government over the financial crisis; will another one be following shortly?
In a dramatic development last night, president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said that legislation passed by the Icelandic parliament late on Wednesday was controversial and he would need time before signing it into law. "I have noted that a large number of people have signed a petition against the law and I have also listened to remarks made by a number of legislators during the debate," he said after meeting government ministers. His intervention could reignite a diplomatic row between the UK and Iceland which has dragged on for 18 months. If he withholds his signature, the legislation would go to an unprecedented referendum, where it would face strong opposition. Presidential approval has only been withheld once before since Iceland gained independence in 1944.
"I have noted that a large number of people have signed a petition against the law and I have also listened to remarks made by a number of legislators during the debate," he said after meeting government ministers.
His intervention could reignite a diplomatic row between the UK and Iceland which has dragged on for 18 months. If he withholds his signature, the legislation would go to an unprecedented referendum, where it would face strong opposition.
Presidential approval has only been withheld once before since Iceland gained independence in 1944.
