Alan Duncan under pressure
‘A Conservative MP who was secretly recorded saying politicians have had to “live on rations” after the expenses row has come in for renewed criticism.
Ex-sleaze watchdog Sir Alistair Graham said shadow cabinet member Alan Duncan’s comments could be offensive to people struggling in the recession.’ – BBC
’The shadow leader of the Commons, whose political career has often flirted with controversy, made the comments – which he said were a joke – to an undercover filmmaker.
“No one who’s done anything in the outside world or is capable of doing such a thing will ever come into this place ever again the way we’re going,” Mr Duncan was heard saying. “I spend my money on my garden and claim a tiny fraction based on what is proper,” he said. “I could claim the whole bloody lot but I don’t . . . I’m afraid the world has gone mad.”’ – Jim Pickard, The FT
Obama healthcare reforms
‘The health debate in the US is taking an ugly turn with Barack Obama and other Democrats pushing reform being compared with Nazis and one congressman having a swastika daubed outside his office.’ – Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian
‘It is discouraging, to put it mildly, to see this acrimonious re-run of the arguments about “Hillarycare” 15 years ago over something that, to most Europeans, is beyond dispute: the right of everyone to decent healthcare they can afford. It seems to defy a basic sense of justice that, at any one time, more than 40 million Americans have no health insurance and that the financial damage from losing a job is compounded by the loss of the insurance that went with it.’ – Leader, The Independent
France and Germany exit recession
’The French and German economies both grew by 0.3% between April and June, bringing to an end year-long recessions in two of Europe’s largest economies.’ – BBC