Government
- Gordon Brown has lifted the tax burden to breaking point and must slash public spending or risk plunging Britain's national accounts dangerously into the red, the International Monetary Fund warned. The alarm was sounded after the level of taxes reached its highest since the mid-1980s. The IMF urged the Chancellor to cut spending and to make "disciplined choices" in this summer's Comprehensive Spending Review. For the first time, the Washington-based institution said explicitly that it would be perilous to increase taxes any further, without driving away businesses and putting more pressure on households. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=PIR5RBYPYVW11QFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/03/06/ntax06.xml
- Motorists could find themselves facing a ceiling on the amount of carbon they are allowed to emit under proposals being considered in Whitehall. One option would see drivers buying and selling their personal carbon allowances if the Government succeeds in persuading the European Union to extend the emissions trading scheme to the roads. The idea was floated in a speech by David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, last night. Addressing an audience in Cambridge he said: "We need to consider whether surface transport could become part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/ncarbon06.xml
- Young children are failing to get a good education in half the nursery and primary classes for three to five year olds, school inspectors warn in a report. They are making insufficient progress in language and literacy, the most able are not being challenged and boys are already falling behind girls, says Ofsted. Girls are achieving rapidly by engaging in creative activities but in too many classes boys are allowed to play with equipment or chase each other in "raiding" games. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/neducate06.xml
Conservatives
- The Conservatives now have a record poll lead over Labour and would stretch it even farther if they were facing Gordon Brown or David Miliband. A Populus poll for The Times, taken last weekend, shows that Labour support has fallen this year and the Tories are eight points ahead - equalling the widest gap recorded by Populus. Conservative support has risen by two points since early last month to 38 per cent. While the party's rating has fluctuated from poll to poll, this is around the same as its average support in all published polls this year. More significant is the weakening in Labour support, down three points to 30 per cent, its lowest in any of the three main national polls since last November. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1475404.ece
- People in urban areas who want to save the planet would do better to use the washing machine at a lower temperature than buy a wind turbine, scientists said yesterday. The experts praised David Cameron, the Conservative leader, for setting a example by investing in green technology, but said he could go further by cutting electrical consumption. Simple steps, such as using the dishwasher only when full, turning off phone chargers at the mains when not in use and installing energy-efficient light bulbs would be more effective in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Money spent on fitting urban homes with wind turbines was largely wasted, and most other microgenerating technology had yet to prove itself, the panel of scientists said. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1475201.ece