Miliband hits out at welfare cuts
ED Miliband today accused David Cameron of pursuing a strategy of “divide and rule” after the House of Commons voted in favour of legislation to impose real-terms cuts on welfare.
Last night’s vote exposed tensions between the coalition parties, with four Liberal Democrat MPs – including ex-minister Sarah Teather – rebelling by voting against the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill, while former leader Charles Kennedy abstained.
Mr Kennedy later said he wanted to see changes to the legislation, which caps benefit rises at a below-inflation 1% for the next three years, before it becomes law.
Coalition audit to be published
DAVID Cameron and Nick Clegg are set to publish a dossier detailing progress on 480 pledges made by the coalition Government, which will acknowledge that some targets have been missed, it has emerged.
Official sources said the document would be published on a Government website this week, and the Daily Telegraph reported that it could be as early as today.
The Deputy Prime Minister last month promised a “candid” audit of the Government’s performance, but this did not feature in the Mid-Term Review published with great fanfare on Monday.
Military ‘vulnerable to cyber risk’
THE armed forces are now so dependent on information technology that their ability to operate could be “fatally compromised” by a sustained cyber attack, MPs warned today.
The Commons Defence Committee said the cyber threat to UK security had the ability to evolve at “almost unimaginable speed” and questioned whether the Government had the capacity to deal with it.
It called on ministers to take a more hands-on approach to ensure proper contingency plans were in place.
Miliband’s ‘door open’ for brother
ED Miliband says “the door is open” for his brother David to join the Labour front benches.
Speculation in Westminster that the former foreign secretary may be preparing the way for a return to frontline politics was reignited when he made a barnstorming speech attacking the Government’s “rancid” policy on benefit cuts.
The elder brother’s address in the Commons echoed criticisms made by the Labour leader, who accused David Cameron of pursuing a “divide and rule strategy” by trying to pitch low-paid workers against the unemployed.
Cooler weather brings fire respite
RECORD temperatures across southern Australia cooled today, reducing the danger from scores of raging wildfires but likely bringing only a brief reprieve from the summer’s extreme heat and fire risk.
Australia had its hottest day on record with a nationwide average of 40.33 Celsius, narrowly breaking a 1972 record of 40.17C.
Yesterday was the third hottest day at 40.11C. Four of Australia’s hottest 10 days on record have been in 2013.
