By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter He was speaking to the Federation of Small Businesses but was his real message to Numbers 10 and 11? Chris Grayling, Employment Minister and one of the most senior members of the Tory Right on the frontbenches, used a speech last night (PA and Telegraph) to say that the […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The Daily Telegraph splashes this morning with a Downing Street report recommending that it be made easier for firms to sack unproductive workers. Far be it from me to suspect that Number Ten has leaked its findings to cheer the party's right after Monday evening's challenging events. So let […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. "If child poverty really is to be abolished, the Government's anti-poverty programme must reach beyond raising incomes, and address the human dimension of poverty in a holistic way – increasing good parenting, aiding family stability, raising levels of educational attainment and healthcare and thus boosting children's life chances." Select […]
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter Today Cameron pledged to bring about the end of forced marriages, describing them as "the most grotesque form of a relationship" and "little more than slavery". In a speech on immigration, he said "we should not shy away from addressing" the problem of forced marriage. Rather than announcing plans to […]
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter In his address to the party conference today, Iain Duncan Smith reiterated the promise that David Cameron had made to proceed with, and implement tax breaks for married couples. Duncan Smith said that the tax breaks for married couples were not "about government interfering in family life" but "about government recognising […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Poorer people should be the priority for any tax cuts the Coalition Government makes, Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said yesterday evening. He also indicated that Britain could seek a retrospective treaty change in the battle over European Commission demands over foreign benefit claimants. Speaking at […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter. Just 48 hours before the Tories gather in Manchester for their annual conference the issue that has often caused the party most internal tensions is looming large again. Sometimes the issue of Europe is dismissed as an issue of secondary importance to voters but (1) yesterday's talk of a […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter. The Telegraph continues to provide awkward reading for the government. After weeks of battering the planning reforms it splashes with an attack on Iain Duncan Smith's flagship plan to introduce the Universal Credit. George Osborne, it shouts, is warned of "disaster" over welfare reforms. My instinct is that this […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter Unemployment figures released this morning were negative for the government. The figures show that for May through to July 2011, unemployment increased by 80,000 – bringing the total up to 2.51m. Chris Grayling, the Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions with responsibility for employment, told the […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter. Sky is reporting an Asda supermarket survey this morning and its finding that the average household is worse off by £11-a-week. Discretionary income is down by 6.4% on last year. It's not just supermarkets, of course, that are producing the huge squeeze on living standards. Electricity and gas prices […]
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling gave this speech in Doncaster yesterday in which he called for a "war on antisocial behaviour", to be based on five central principles: There have to be consequences for every act of antisocial behaviour; Parents must not be allowed to abdicate responsibility for their children's behaviour; A tougher approach to […]
Theresa May has branded the Department for Work and Pensions as "not fit for purpose" after it emerged that last year alone it paid out £73 million in benefits to people who had died. The figures were uncovered in a written answer to a parliamentary question asked by her predecessor as shadow work and pensions […]
Here is the final installment of answers to the questions you recently posed to shadow work and pensions secretary, Theresa May. Here she covers questions relating to work and unemployment. We published Theresa’s first and second tranches of replies to your questions on the site earlier today. Question from George Lees: It would seem to […]
We have already published the first installment of answers to the questions you recently posed to Theresa May, the newly appointed shadow secretary of state for work and pensions. Here is her second set of answers, covering issues surrounding pensions and her responsibilities as shadow minister for women. Her final responses are here. Question from […]
Last month we asked ConservativeHome readers to submit questions for Theresa May, the newly-appointed shadow secretary of state for work and pensions. Here is the first installment of her answers, covering her qualifications for the role and some general questions about welfare reform. Her remaining answers will be posted in two further installments later today, […]