Lunchtime List No.34

~ The best and most relevant stuff in today’s papers and on the web ~

Thursday 26th February, 2009

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COMMENT OF THE DAY:

“House prices can no longer be used as a tool to gain electoral favour. It has been a disaster. But now we have an opportunity to re-adjust our economy to a more productive base and we must take it. Mortgages should be limited to 3x one income in a household and at a maximum of 90% of value. To do this millions of homes will need to be built as well. But the advantages are many. More of our people will have a decent secure home, money won’t be wasted on inflated house prices, consumption and saving would increase. We need those savings to invest in UK business.” Andrew Benington

The best comment of the week wins a bottle of House of Commons champagne!

ON LABOURLIST NOW

Roy Hattersley joins LabourList to tell us Labour politicians will need more courage if we are to overcome poverty.

Hazel Blears unveils her new, more communicative strategy to deal with violent extremism in Britain.

David Lammy posts on how we can out-organise the BNP.

Ken’s former right hand man at City Hall, Simon Fletcher, laments the loss of the London Underground boss to Boris.

Councillor Theo Blackwell excavates the big £4 million hole in the King’s Cross development project.

Mark Day from Progress asks whether four term limits are the democratic solution to under-representation.

Kerry McCarthy brings her excellent blogging over to LabourList to question the role in our society of reality TV.

We’ll have more posts going up throughout the day, so stay posted.

If you’re new to LabourList, have a dig around some of our earlier articles under the ‘Recent Posts’ section, or under each contributor.

Listen to our editor on yesterday’s Simon Mayo show, discussing political blogs (skip to 2h30m30s).

Also, Labour blogger Hopi Sen was on this morning’s Today programme.

*** Make sure you comment on the posts that interest you and if you want to post let us know. ***

OUR SYMPATHIES REMAIN WITH THE CAMERONS

Andy Grice tells the tale of brave Ivan, much loved son.

CLAW BACK FRED THE SHED’S PENSION

RBS have posted record losses and Alastair Darling outlines “Operation Broom” to clean up the banks.

LabourHome asks why the former RBS boss is getting such a huge pension.

LabourList has called for former RBS CEO Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension to be clawed back.

John Prescott has also joined the fight on his blog.

You can read the full political briefing on the government’s policy on RBS here.

LORD CASHCROFT

Now his wife is donating huge sums. Well will he come clean?

Meanwhile, the Tories have found a new way to launder money.

ROYAL MAIL

The unions outline their case against the plans for private investment.

Peter Mandelson puts forward his line.

The Guardian is develeoping its thesis this afternoon on what all this means.

Need the background? Here it is.

The author of the recommendations asks the unions for a better suggestion.

You can read the full political briefing on the government proposals for Royal Mail here.

And read or download the entire BERR report here.

LabourList will be rejoining the Royal Mail debate later, so stay posted.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS YESTERDAY – AFTER TWELVE YEARS IN GOVERNMENT, WHERE ARE WE ON FAIRNESS?

A new book asks: Has Britain become fairer under New Labour?

FINALLIST

Ed Miliband makes the case for clean coal.

Old hatchets buried? Bill Clinton on Barack Obama.

Is your MP a social networker?

Britain’s councils are getting ready to sack thousands.

Kevin Maguire asks where you were when Maggie fell (Watch the BBC2 drama tonight at 9pm).

HERO of the day: Sunder Katwala, for his brilliant letter to the Daily Mail asking them to clarify their position on immigration.

ZERO of the day: Lord Cashcroft. Come on, Michael, what’s your tax status?

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