Boris Johnson chooses a good day to bury bad news

Zero Discrimination Day: why LBGT rights matter worldwide

By Michael Cashman

When Ed Miliband appointed me his LGBTI global envoy he displayed once again his grasp of the wrongs that exist in the world and our need to be part of the resolution of these defining issue. His lead was followed this month when President Obama appointed Randy Berry as State Department LGBT envoy. And this is extremely important because when oppression and discrimination are on the increase that is precisely when we need to give our voice to the voiceless. […]

One million more families will have to pay the Bedroom Tax if the Tories win in May, figures show

One million more families will have to pay the Bedroom Tax if the Tories win the election in May, according to figures examined by the Labour party. These figures show that 220,000 more families would have to pay the tax each year of the five yearlong Tory government. As it stands, of those paying the tax – which on average amounts to £14 more a week in rent for an extra bedroom and £25 for two or more – one […]

Two-thirds are in favour of Labour’s tuition fee pledge, poll finds

YouGov polling on behalf of The Times Red Box, has found that two-thirds of people are in favour of Labour’s plan to cut tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000 a year. As we reported on Friday, Labour announced they would cut tuition fees and increase the maintenance grant by £400. They would fund this by reducing tax reliefs given to the country’s wealthiest pensioners. This policy would come in to force for those entering universities in September 2016. YouGov have […]

East Coast: Why privatisation is not the end of the line for rail reform

By Lilian Greenwood

I am writing this article on board what the Conservative Party hopes is one of the last publicly run trains in Britain. On Sunday, East Coast will be privatised. The nation’s stake – its share in the East Coast Main Line company – will be sold to Stagecoach and Virgin Trains for a meagre £11 million. The East Coast livery will be quietly replaced by a new brand, as if the last five and a half years never occurred. Why […]

Dugher criticises Cameron for “ideological sell off” of East Coast ahead of privatisation tomorrow

Tomorrow, East Coast Main Line will be taken over by private companies Virgin and Stagecoach.   Ahead of this, Michael Dugher, Shadow Transport Secretary, will give a speech in Leeds in which he’ll outline how Labour would allow public sector companies to “take on lines and challenge the private sector on a genuinely level playing field.” They’d do this, he says, within the first 100 days of government.  . Dugher is expected to say: “The end of East Coast Trains will […]