Home

Cabinet contenders: departmental debates confirmed – 8 in the morning, March 16th

8am

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

* Peter Mandelson will debate Ken Clarke on business, and other cabinet ministers will also discuss policy on live TV debates with Andrew Neil in the weeks before the election.

* The number of ministers should be cut by a third, reports parliament’s public administration committee.

* The European Commission has warned that the UK is not on course to cut its deficit in line with EU rules by a deadline of 2015.

* Last minute talks between Unite and BA are unlikely to have led to the strike being called off.

* Ladbroke’s outgoing boss has tipped Labour to have most seats in parliament after the general election.

* “Politician, scholar, football fan, reader, writer, storyteller, husband, stepfather and loyal friend”: Michael foot is laid to rest in London.

* Liberal Conspiracy says the “splintering of Stoke’s working class eventually found expression in its politics” and reports on Labour’s collapse there.

* The Guardian asks: Why isn’t every company like John Lewis?

Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband.

View all articles by Alex Smith
Subscribe to our daily email

More from LabourList

DONATE HERE

Do you value LabourList’s coverage? We need your support.

Our independent journalists have been on the ground during this local and by-election campaign, which marks the first key electoral test of Keir Starmer’s government. 

We’ve been out and about with Labour activists and candidates across the country from Bristol to Hull, and will soon be heading to Cambridgeshire and Lancashire – as well as Runcorn and Helsby. We’ve also polled readers for their views on the campaign.

LabourList relies on donations from readers like you to continue its fair, fast, reliable and well-informed news and analysis. We don’t have party funding or billionaire owners. 

If you value what we do, set up a regular donation today.

DONATE HERE