Karen Buckley Search: Police Find Remains

Election Challengers Set For Live TV Debate

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 16 April 2015 | 12.27

The five party leaders who are the challengers in next month's General Election will go head-to-head later - with the absent David Cameron and Nick Clegg hitting the campaign trail instead.

Ed Miliband, Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru), Natalie Bennett (Green Party), Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) and Nigel Farage (UKIP) will square up for another televised debate.

They drew lots to decide where they will be standing on the night and the order they will be speaking.

Mr Miliband will be positioned to the far left next to Ms Wood and Mr Farage to the far right next to Ms Sturgeon with Ms Bennett in the middle of the group.

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The 90-minute programme will be shown on BBC1 from 8pm.

The leaders will be allowed to make short opening statements at the beginning of the programme, starting with Leanne Wood.

Then David Dimbleby will invite five questions from the audience of 200 voters.

Each leader will have one minute to get across their party's stance on each subject before 10 minutes of free debate.

Finally there will be closing statements with the last word going to Nigel Farage.

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Karen Buckley Search: Police Find Remains

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Human remains have been found on a farm north of Glasgow by officers searching for missing student Karen Buckley.

Formal identification has yet to take place but police believe they may be those of the missing 24-year-old.

Her relatives have been informed of the discovery on the outskirts of Milngavie.

Ms Buckley was last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning after a night out in Glasgow.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested and police said they were "following a definite line of enquiry".

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Gallery: Police Search Discover Remains In Search For Missing Student

The search for the missing student shifted to the area around High Craigton Farm, to the north of the city, on Wednesday

The road to the farm was closed off

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Fire service vehicles were later seen heading to the farm. Hours later police revealed that remains had been found

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Ms Buckley spent Saturday night with friends at Glasgow's Sanctuary nightclub but disappeared around 1am

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Police earlier searched near the flat in Dorchester Avenue where the student spent several hours on Sunday before apparently leaving around 4am

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The student, from Cork in Ireland, vanished in the early hours of Sunday after spending the night with friends at Glasgow's Sanctuary nightclub.

She told them at around 1am she was going to the toilet but failed to return and left her jacket behind.

CCTV spotted her leaving the club.

The student began an occupational therapy degree at Glasgow Caledonian University in February and was previously a nurse at the Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, Essex.

Her parents flew from Cork to help with the search and told a news conference they were "desperate" for help.

"We just want Karen home safely, we are desperate. She is our only daughter, we love her dearly," said her mother Marian.

The student's handbag was found on Tuesday in the city's Dawsholm Park, but on Wednesday the search shifted north of the city.

Dozens of officers began searching a remote country lane between Glasgow and Drymen, cordoning off the road to High Craigton Farm.

A helicopter was seen circling over woodland and police on scrambler bikes searched the area.

Officers also asked residents whether they had seen any bonfires there over the past few days.

Police had previously asked for information about a grey car spotted in the area between 11am and 3pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, a fundraising page set up by Ms Buckley's former classmates to cover her family's expenses in Scotland has raised more than £3,000.

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Written By Unknown on Rabu, 15 April 2015 | 12.27

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

Nick Clegg has pledged to protect spending on education from ages two to 19 as a central part of the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

The Lib Dem leader says his party, unlike Labour or the Conservatives, will maintain funding for nurseries, schools and further education institutions in real terms and per pupil.

The pledge is nevertheless dependent on an economic plan that - like that of their coalition partners the Conservatives - depends on balancing the country's books by 2017-18.

Beyond that point, the party says it will allow public spending to rise in line with growth which, on current projections, would allow substantial investment in education and health.

On the NHS, the Lib Dems have pledged to meet what is described as a potential funding shortfall of £8bn per year by the end of the next parliament.

The Lib Dems are focussing on tried and tested policy ideas for their manifesto.

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Alongside investment in public services is a continued focus on increasing the personal tax allowance, a policy that was on the front of the party's 2010 manifesto and found such great favour with the Conservatives that it is now one of their own most-trumpeted accomplishments.

The 2010 manifesto, which in several key areas laid the foundations for five years of coalition government, was nevertheless scarred by a commitment to scrapping tuition fees which, when subsequently abandoned, destroyed the party's currency with a substantial number of supporters.

As a result, one can expect journalists and Lib Dem activists alike to be scouring the fine print to ensure there are no unwelcome surprises in their latest offering.

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UKIP Manifesto Promises Voters 'Real Change'

By Robert Nisbet, Sky News Correspondent

Nigel Farage will launch UKIP's election manifesto today with a direct appeal to struggling working families around the country.

He is trying to draw traditional Labour voters in the north of England, as well as disaffected Conservative voters in the south.

Mr Farage has set a number of pledges to try to entice support, including creating 6,000 police, prison and Border Agency jobs for armed service veterans.

He is also promising to cut rates for small businesses, increase defence spending to 2% of GDP in line with NATO obligations, and introduce an Australian-style points system to manage the number and skills of people coming into the UK.

Mr Farage will argue: "For the first time in 100 years, there is real change on the horizon. All you have to do is vote for it."

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The problem for UKIP is that it has relatively inexperienced and understaffed local networks to ensure supporters get to the polls on 7 May.

Although it consistently polls at between 12 and 15%, it does not have the party machinery of either the Conservatives or Labour.

The manifesto launch will also throw red meat to core supporters in what the party calls "serious, fully-costed policies that reflect what UKIP is all about: believing in our country".

The party says it will reduce the burden on the low-paid and unskilled, including a promise to help young people get onto the housing ladder by removing stamp duty on the first £250,000 for new homes built on brownfield sites.

It is also pledging to build a dedicated military hospital and abolish hospital parking charges, stopping what it calls the "the tax on illness".

UKIP is also vowing to invest an extra £12bn in the NHS, with another £5.2bn put into social care.

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Tories Put Right To Buy At Heart Of Manifesto

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 14 April 2015 | 12.27

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

David Cameron will say he leads the "party of working people" as he unveils a Conservative policy to extend the Right-to-Buy scheme to a further 1.3 million families.

The promise will be one of two big housing announcements in the Tory manifesto as the Prime Minister launches his detailed election pledges in Wiltshire.

As well as extending the ability to purchase your home at a discount to housing association tenants, the party will promise a £1bn fund for building 400,000 new properties on brownfield sites.

Mr Cameron will say: "At the heart of this manifesto is a simple proposition. We are the party of working people, offering you security at every stage of your life."

He will talk about young people looking for training, people trying to find a decent job, to buy their own home, needing help with childcare or relying on the NHS.

Other Tory policy pledges will include:

:: Raising the personal allowance for tax to £12,500

:: Increasing the starting salary for the 40p rate to £50,000

:: Raising the inheritance tax threshold for family homes to £1m

:: An annual £8bn boost for NHS funding

Mr Cameron's claim that the Conservatives are the party for workers comes after Labour said it wanted to be seen as the fiscally responsible option for government.

Mr Miliband has sought to highlight a number of policies put forward by the Conservatives that are unfunded - saying every Labour manifesto pledge will be fully paid for.

A senior Conservative source told Sky News that his party was not worried by the Labour promise because it meant the opposition was choosing to talk about an area in which it was "weakest" in the eyes of the public.

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He claimed the Conservatives had a "track record" that meant its promises would be believed.

The Right-to-Buy allows people to buy their home at a discount but has so far been available only to those in council homes, with some housing association tenants accessing the weaker "right to acquire" and some having no rights.

Under the new plans they will all be able to apply for the main scheme which can lead to a discount of up to 70% depending on the length of the tenancy. The homes will have to be replaced.

A Tory Government would fund the Brownfield Regeneration Fund, and replacement of properties sold under the extended Right-to-Buy, by requiring local authorities to manage their housing assets more efficiently.

They would also have to sell off their most expensive properties and replace them in the same area with normal affordable housing as they fall vacant.

Ministers say this will lead to the sale and replacement of about 15,000 homes a year, or around four in every thousand social properties.

Mr Cameron will add: "Conservatives have dreamed of building a property-owning democracy for generations, and today I can tell you what this generation of Conservatives is going to do.

"The next Conservative Government will extend the Right-to-Buy to all housing association tenants in this country; 1.3 million extra families; a new generation given the security of a home of their own.

"So this generation of Conservatives can proudly say it: the dream of a property-owning democracy is alive - and we will fulfil it."

He will call on voters "not to waste the past five years".

Labour says the plans are unfunded, accusing the Tories of turning to the "magic money tree" to put forward its ideas.

Emma Reynolds, Labour's Shadow Housing Minister, said: "Having exhausted the magic money tree, the Tories now want people to believe that they can magic up billions of pounds a year from selling off a few council homes.

"Under David Cameron home ownership is at its lowest point for three decades - there are over 200,000 fewer home owners since 2010."

Ruth Davison, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the National Housing Federation said: "While extending Right to Buy will see some people being able to buy their own home with help from the taxpayer, these are people already living in good secure homes on some of the country's cheapest rents.

"It won't help the millions of people in private rented homes who are desperate to buy but have no hope of doing so, nor the three million adult children living with their parents because they can't afford to rent or buy."

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Green Manifesto To Pledge 'Peaceful Revolution'

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

The Green Party will launch its manifesto vowing to combat austerity which it says has "failed" and should be ended by a "peaceful political revolution".

The party has been more prominent than ever before in this election campaign, though its chances of building on its current tally of a single seat (Brighton Pavilion) remain limited.

The party leader, Natalie Bennett, is expected to argue its proposals represent a "genuine alternative to our tired, business-as-usual politics".

While ecological policies remain central to the Green brand, the party is making inroads into Labour and Liberal Democrat territory.

The party calls for what it describes as a fairer society, with the wealthiest paying substantially more in taxation and a desire to create many more jobs paying the living wage.

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

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In national polling, the Greens have at times leaped ahead of the Liberal Democrats at around 7 or 8%.

However, under a first-past-the-post voting system they are likely to struggle to translate their success into larger parliamentary representation.

Nevertheless, what party leaders describe as the "Green surge" is making Labour and Lib Dem rivals anxious and is shifting the dynamic in some marginal seats.

The Greens' cause has not been helped by some halting performances by Natalie Bennett, most notably an interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari where she struggled to recall elements of party policy.

In recent weeks there are signs the leader has steadied the ship. She acquitted herself professionally in ITV's recent debate - but the knives will be out if there are any signs of frailty at this high-profile event.

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Election 2015: Party Pledges At A Glance

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 12.27

These are the policy pledges and stances of the parties who could be in the mix to form a coalition after the General Election on 7 May.

:: CONSERVATIVE

Health: Ring-fence the NHS budget and meet the health service's funding needs in full by providing £8bn a year of funding by 2020

Immigration: Four years before migrants can claim benefits like tax credits

Education: Protecting schools budget and creating three million apprenticeships

Housing: 100,000 new homes for first-time buyers and extending Help to Buy to 2020

Energy: Backing for nuclear power and shale gas extraction

Welfare: Freezing working-age benefits for two years from April 2015 and lowering benefits cap to £23,000

Inheritance Tax: Family homes will be taken out of inheritance tax by introducing a new allowance which effectively increases the threshold for tax to £1m.

Tax: Pledge to raise income tax threshold to £12,500

Defence: After severe cuts, no more reductions in the size of the regular Army. Trident to remain

EU Referendum: Pledged an in-out referendum in 2017

Transport: Rail fares frozen in real terms for five years

Volunteering: Fifteen million people will be able to take three days' paid leave a year to do voluntary work

:: LABOUR

Health: Guaranteed GP appointment within 48 hours, a dedicated midwife before and after childbirth, and prioritise mental health issues. Extra £2.5bn a year funded through 'mansion tax'

Immigration: New migrants to get no benefits for at least two years and tougher border controls

Education: A drop in the tuition fee ceiling from £9,000 to £6,000 annually

Housing: Building 200,000 homes each year by 2020, with rent reforms banning letting fees

Energy: Freezing gas and electricity bills until 2017 and reform the energy market

Welfare: Give working parents 25 hours of free weekly childcare for three- and four-year-olds

Tax: Will scrap non-dom status. Also plans to crackdown on tax-dodgers, hoping to cut avoidance and evasion by at least £7.5bn a year

Defence: A commitment to renewing the Trident nuclear deterrent

EU Referendum: No referendum pledge unless significant treaty change proposed by EU

Economy: The minimum wage would rise to £8 an hour over the next five years

:: LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Health: Extra £1bn each year for the NHS with a priority on mental health

Immigration: Exit checks at borders and English language tests for Jobseekers' Allowance

Defence: Push to reduce the number of Trident nuclear submarines

Education: Guaranteed qualified teachers, with a curriculum set by independent experts

Housing: Build 300,000 houses a year by 2020 and cap rent increases. A Help to Rent scheme to help young people leave home with a government-backed loan. A Rent to Own scheme in which first-time buyers can build up a share in their home through renting

Welfare: Withdraw free TV licence and Winter Fuel Payment from 40% taxpayers and a 'yellow card' system for benefit claimants who break rules

Tax: Have set out their tax plans, promising "light at the end of the tunnel" with moves to eliminate Britain's deficit by 2017/18.

Energy: Legal targets for clean air and water to be introduced, plus a full charging network for electric cars

EU Referendum: Support a referendum on whether Britain remains an EU member next time there is a large new treaty proposal. Support Britain remaining in the EU

Online privacy: A Digital Rights Bill to protect people's data

:: SNP

Immigration: Supports a Canadian-style citizenship system to attract high-skilled immigrants

Health: Cut NHS bosses by a quarter and meet the £8bn funding requirement through increases in government spending

Defence: Campaign for the removal of Trident submarines from Scotland

Education: Keep tuition fees at zero in Scotland and build and refurbish schools

Housing: Oppose the bedroom tax and help to build new homes

Welfare: Extend paternity leave while protecting benefits for older people in Scotland

Energy: Wants better support for marine renewables and a nuclear-free future

EU Referendum: Wants Scotland to have a veto over a future referendum on EU membership

Economy: Increase minimum wage to £8.70 per hour by 2020

:: PLAID CYMRU

Immigration: Push for the closure of detention centres and allow asylum seekers to work in Wales while waiting for case decisions

Health: Hire 1,000 doctors in Wales and increase research and development funding

Defence: Pass an act to support health of military personnel

Education: Compulsory foreign language GCSE and teach more Welsh history and culture

Housing: Written tenancy agreements to be compulsory. Oppose the bedroom tax. A VAT cut for the construction industry to 5%

Welfare: Living pension for those aged 80 or over, and no means testing for child-related benefits

Energy: Reduce emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020. Opposition to nuclear power stations in Wales

EU Referendum: Agreement with the SNP that each UK nation should have its own vote

:: UKIP

Immigration: Australian-style points policy system and a priority lane for UK passport holders

Health: £3bn extra each year for the NHS paid for by EU withdrawal. Visitors and migrants must have medical insurance

Defence: Deport any migrant who has committed a terrorist act, create a Veterans Department and spend 2% of GDP on defence

Education: Scrap sex education lessons for the under sevens and have more grammar schools

Housing: Protect greenbelt land and have local referenda for major planning decisions

Welfare: Child benefit for first two children only, increase Carers' Allowance, scrap bedroom tax

Energy: Abolish Department of Energy and Climate Change and scrap green energy subsidies

EU Referendum: Key policy is in-out EU referendum

:: GREENS

Immigration: Non-dangerous illegal migrants allowed to stay in the UK if they have been here for five years or more

Health: End to all types of NHS privatisation and promotion of tobacco and alcohol products

Defence: Immediate and unconditional nuclear disarmament, limit military so adequate to ensure security "but no more"

Education: End performance-related pay, abolish SATS, and raise school starting age to six

Housing: Build 500,000 social rented homes by 2020 and scrap Right to Buy

Welfare: Citizens' Income of £72 a week paid whether someone is in work or not, ban zero-hours contracts and scrap welfare cap

Energy: Insulation for all, investment in renewable energy, and ruling out nuclear and gas power

EU Referendum: Referendum on membership is backed by the party

Transport: Cut rail fares by 10% and spend £30 a head on walking and cycling measures

:: RESPECT

Immigration: "Colour-blind" points-based immigration system weighted to Commonwealth countries

Health: Raise pay for NHS staff and introduce free care for the elderly

Defence: Campaign against war, abandon Trident nuclear programme, and withdraw from NATO

Education: Abolish tuition fees and give free school meals to all children

Housing: Comprehensive programme of council house building and end to Right to Buy scheme for council homes

Welfare: Stop using Atos as benefit claim assessors, and introduce a living wage

Energy: Invest in alternative energy and support public investment in home insulation

EU Referendum: Hold an in-out referendum on Europe during the next parliament

:: SINN FEIN (Refuse to take their seats in Parliament)

Immigration: No policy position

Health: Wants extra money for health services and backs free at point of use NHS system

Defence: Party believes in Irish neutrality

Education: Supports the rights of the Irish language community in the education system

Housing: Opposes bedroom tax and wants a programme to build new homes

Welfare: Opposes austerity and the "welfare cuts agenda"

Energy: Opposes fracking and supports exploring alternative energy sources

EU Referendum: Wants separate referendum in Northern Ireland

:: DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY

Immigration: Supports tightening immigration laws

Health: Increase care in the community while cutting hundreds of millions of pounds of alleged waste in the NHS

Defence: Wants a commitment to maintain defence spending

Education: Remove cap on number of students in Northern Ireland and create specialist technology institute

Housing: Introduce a register for private landlords, and fund new builds while maintaining existing social homes

Welfare: Simplify the social security system and pilot automatic payment of benefits

Energy: Aim to secure 40% of energy from renewable sources by 2020

EU Referendum: The party supports an EU referendum

:: ALLIANCE PARTY OF NORTHERN IRELAND

Immigration: Ensure UK holds up its obligations to look after refugees, and have rational immigration debate

Health: Reduce reliance of accident and emergency services and focus on illness prevention

Defence: The party opposes Trident's renewal

Education: Additional funding for children on free school meals and sex education in schools

Housing: Create a free and cheap insulation programme and put together an affordable homes programme to help first-time buyers to buy a home

Welfare: Repeal the bedroom tax

Energy: Develop a climate change act for Northern Ireland and invest in renewables

EU Referendum: Supports UK's continued EU membership and opposes any membership referendum

:: SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC AND LABOUR PARTY

Immigration: Committed to international co-operation and the principle of free movement of citizens

Health: Has a plan for shorter waiting times and more hospital beds. Opposes privatisation

Defence: Will continue to vote against unnecessary military intervention abroad

Education: Improve parent choice for early years education with more funding for nurseries and primary schools

Housing: Supports increasing the supply of social housing. Wants a private landlord register

Welfare: Generally backs the welfare state to eradicate poverty

Energy: Sceptical about whether fracking should be allowed. Supports renewable energy investment

EU Referendum: Pro-Europe and against an in-out EU referendum

:: ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY

Immigration: Zero-tolerance approach to racism coupled with a "transparent and fair" immigration policy

Health: Offer mental health solutions and improve access to GPs and support for the elderly

Defence: Secure implementation of military covenant in Northern Ireland and grow the reserve and cadet forces

Education: Supports a single education system for all religions

Housing: Wants a mortgage-relief scheme and incentives for house building

Welfare: Improve the accuracy of benefit eligibility assessments, and support the working poor

Energy: Increased penalties for fuel laundering and exploiting renewable energy sources

EU Referendum: Believes the relationship between the UK and EU should be reviewed and renegotiated

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Labour Launches 'Responsibility Lock' Manifesto

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Economic responsibility will be front and centre of Labour's manifesto, being launched in Manchester later.

The party will use the first page of the election document to make a 'Budget Responsibility Lock' pledge, claiming every policy is paid for.

The manifesto states: "Not one commitment requires additional borrowing. We are the first party to make that pledge and with this manifesto it is delivered."

Ed Miliband will promise that all of his party's commitments will be fully-funded, refuting Conservative claims that Labour's plans would lead to economic chaos.

He will say: "The very start of our manifesto is different to previous elections.

"It does not do what most manifestos do. It isn't a shopping list of spending policies.

"It does something different: its very first page sets out a vow to protect our nation's finances; a clear commitment that every policy in this manifesto is paid for without a single penny of extra borrowing."

The party says it will cut the deficit every year, placing the promise on "the first line of Labour's first budget".

Labour also says it will legislate to require all major parties to have their manifesto audited by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

:: Election 2015: Party Pledges At A Glance

Mr Miliband will also attack Tory economic plans saying: "In recent days you have seen the Conservatives throwing spending promises around with no idea of where the money is coming from, promises which are unfunded, unfair and unbelievable.

"That approach is bad for the nation's books. And nothing is more dangerous to our NHS than saying you will protect it without being able to say where the money is coming from. You can't help the NHS with an IOU."

This is a direct attack on the Tories' extra £8bn pledge on the NHS announced on Friday and it is striking that Labour now thinks it stands as the party of economic credibility.

But speaking ahead of Labour's manifesto launch, Chancellor George Osborne said: "It's clear Labour's manifesto will be a dangerous cocktail of higher taxes and more debt that will cost jobs and cut incomes.

"Labour must now answer two questions: Which taxes are they planning to increase to pay for it? And what is Ed Miliband willing to trade in the event he needs to be propped up by the SNP?"

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Tories Promise To Slash Inheritance Tax

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 April 2015 | 12.27

The Conservatives have said they will take family homes out of inheritance tax by introducing a new allowance which effectively increases the threshold for tax to £1m.

David Cameron said that if his party wins the 7 May election, parents will be offered a new £175,000 allowance to enable them to pass property on to children tax-free after they die.

For properties worth more than £2m, the allowance will be gradually tapered away so that those worth more than £2.35m do not benefit.

Inheritance tax is currently payable at a rate of 40% on the value of an estate above the £325,000 threshold - or £650,000 if a couple takes advantage of the existing allowance.

It is thought around 22,000 families will benefit from the move by 2020 and Mr Cameron said the costs would be paid for by a £1bn raid on pension tax relief for people earning more than £150,000.

Mr Cameron will say today: "We will take the family home out of inheritance tax.

"That home that you have worked and saved for belongs to you and your family.

"You should be able to pass it on to your children. And with the Conservatives, the taxman will not get his hands on it."

Conservatives promised a £1m inheritance tax threshold in the 2010 election, but were blocked by Liberal Democrats from implementing it when in coalition.

Labour Treasury spokesman Chris Leslie said the move was a "panicky promise from the Tories".

He added: "The Tories made a promise on inheritance tax before the last election and they broke it.

"At a time when our NHS is in crisis and most working people are paying more under the Tories, it cannot be a priority to spend £1bn on a policy which the Treasury says would not apply to 90% of estates.

"The Tories would choose to give a £140,000 tax cut for a house worth £2m while they have increased VAT on families and pensioners."

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Meanwhile, Labour has revealed its plans to crackdown on tax-dodgers if it wins the election, hoping to cut avoidance and evasion by at least £7.5bn a year by the middle of the next Parliament.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said it would take a Labour government to "call time" on the Tories' "lax approach", adding that Labour would set targets for HMRC to reduce tax avoidance by at least £7.5bn a year.

He said: "We will close the loopholes the Tories won't act on, increase transparency, toughen up penalties and abolish the non-dom rules.

"And our first Budget will make sure that, following an immediate review of HMRC, it has all the powers and resources it needs to come down hard on tax avoidance and evasion."

Conservative Treasury minister David Gauke said: "Ed Miliband and Ed Balls turned a blind eye to aggressive tax avoiding and evading for 13 years when they were in charge - they were the tax avoiders' friends."

The Lib Dems have also set out tax plans, promising "light at the end of the tunnel" with moves to eliminate Britain's deficit by 2017/18.

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Nick Clegg said his plan has "a heart as well as a brain", trying to drive home his claim that his party will cut less than the Conservatives and borrow less than Labour.

Spelling out plans for a consolidation totaling £27bn by 2017/18, made up of £12bn in additional tax, £12bn in public spending reductions and £3bn in welfare cuts, Mr Clegg will challenge the other parties to spell out in similar detail how they would balance the nation's books.

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Tory Poll Boost As UKIP Fall To Two-Year Low

The Tories have gained three points to lead Labour in a new poll that puts UKIP on its lowest tally for two years.

The Opinium survey for the Observer has the Conservatives up three from a week ago on 36% - an apparent boost after several polls in recent days gave Labour a lead.

Ed Milband's party are also up a point on 34%.

These gains have largely come from UKIP, who are down three points on 11% - their lowest Opinium tally since 2013.

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While the two major parties appear to be consolidating their positions, the Liberal Democrats are unchanged from 10 April on 7% while the Greens fall one point to 6%.

Another poll by YouGov for The Sunday Times puts Labour and the Conservatives neck-and-neck on 34%.

Meanwhile, a bounce in popularity for several leaders following TV debates appears to have faded.

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The net approval rating for Mr Miliband falls in the Opinium data from -15% to -18%; Nigel Farage of UKIP falls from -13% to -20%; and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg falls from -30% to -33%.

Conservative leader David Cameron remained the most popular leader on -2%.

The Opinium data is based on an online survey of 1,916 adults on 8 and 9 April.

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NHS Battleground: Parties Unveil Rival Plans

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 11 April 2015 | 12.27

David Cameron has pledged to protect the NHS by meeting its funding needs "in full" and Labour is to announce plans to provide an extra 3,000 midwives to guarantee one-to-one maternity care.

While the countdown to the too close-to-call general election continues, the main parties are trying to win over crucial undecided voters for whom the NHS is a key issue.

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The Prime Minister has promised to fund the five-year reform plan put forward by NHS chief executive Simon Stevens by pumping at least an extra £8bn a year into the health service by 2020.

This will mean that over-75s will be guaranteed same-day access to GPs, patients will be able to see doctors out of regular office hours and the NHS will provide a full range of services seven days a week, according to Mr Cameron.

Mr Stevens predicted in a report in October that, if health spending rose only at the rate of inflation, growing demand for care would leave the NHS in England with a £30bn funding gap by 2020.

He said around £22bn of that could be met through "efficiencies", but the remainder would have to come from government funds.

Up to now only the Liberal Democrats had committed to finding the extra money.

Mr Cameron said his track record showed he could be trusted to protect the NHS, with annual spending up £7.3bn in real terms but he did not say where the extra funding needed would come from.

Speaking about his severely disabled son Ivan, who died in 2009, Mr Cameron added: "As someone who's been supported by the NHS at the most difficult time in my life, I'm utterly committed to ensuring it is there for everyone when they need it too.

"That's why I'm backing the NHS's own plan with the cash required to ensure it can continue to deliver an amazing service to patients and their families in the future."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a strong economy was needed to support a strong NHS.

He added: "We need to do much more to ensure our vulnerable elderly can be treated in the community.

"That is why we are building on our decision to bring back named GPs for the over 75s, by ensuring that as a part of this they are guaranteed a same day GP service when they need it.

"This means family doctors can focus on giving elderly people the care they need and prevent unnecessary trips to hospital."

But a Labour Party spokesman said: "The Tories are briefing the same story they've done five times before. There is still no firm commitment, still no idea where the money coming from - and they still can't be trusted on NHS."

And a Lib Dem spokesman said: "The Conservative ideological obsession with cutting the size of the state means they cannot afford this unfunded spending commitment.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party who has committed to giving the NHS the £8bn it needs and have set out how we will pay for it.

"Tory spending plans will not help the NHS but rather destroy vital public service and decimate basic entitlements."

Labour will publish a mini-manifesto later including a new right to a dedicated midwife before and after childbirth.

Joining Mr Cameron in seeking to highlight his own personal experience of the NHS, Labour leader Ed Miliband told of the "brilliant care" he and wife Justine received when their sons Samuel and Daniel were born.

Evoking the popular 1950s-set TV programme, he said: "Call The Midwife shouldn't just be a TV programme from the past but part of our NHS future too.

"We need to ensure the NHS can offer every woman the personalised one-to-one care we expect from a modern and thriving health service.

"Our fully-funded plan will provide the extra staff including midwives needed to give them the time to care. Because it is time to care for our NHS."

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Obama And Castro Share Historic Handshake

US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have greeted each other at a summit in Panama - a symbolically-charged gesture, as the pair seek to restore ties between their countries.

For Barack Obama this will surely be amongst the highlights of his presidential legacy.

He's in Panama for a gathering of leaders from across the Americas - but it's a meeting that has taken place on the sidelines of the summit which will attract the headlines.

That meeting has taken place with Raul Castro.

Touching down in Panama City, even getting invited is a first for the Cuban President - after half a century in exile for his communist country.

The two men had spoken by phone - hours before they were due to meet.

It was only the second conversation between the leaders of the US and Cuba in 50 years.

Four months ago Mr Castro and Mr Obama simultaneously announced an ending of hostilities.

President Obama said starkly: "Fifty years of isolation hasn't worked."

It was quite a statement. But words come easy to the eloquent president. Now it's time to show Cuba has come in from the cold.

The handshake between the two leaders is symbolic proof of that.

It isn't technically the first time they have shaken hands.

There is a grainy image of them fleetingly meeting at the Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 2013.

But this time the handshake is supposed to mean more because it comes after the leaders' December declaration of a new beginning.

Speaking in Panama, President Obama said: "As we move towards the process of normalisation, we'll have our differences government to government with Cuba on many issues, just as we differ at times with other nations within the Americas, just like we differ with our closest allies, there is nothing wrong with that.

"But I am here to say when we do speak out we're going to do so, because the United States of America does believe, and will always stand for, a certain set of universal values."

And that means probably taking Cuba off America's designated list of state sponsors of terrorism. Something which infuriates Cuba.

The rapprochement will also open the door towards loans and aid for Cuba after decades of a crippling trade embargo. And that is a move worth its weight in gold.

Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 after overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.

For half a century, the leader of the first communist country in the western hemisphere was a thorn in America's side.

In 2006 after abdominal surgery he started the transfer of power to his brother Raul who took the landmark step in 2014 of appearing with the US President.

Removing Cuba from the terror list will be a major step if ties really are to be rebuilt between the US and Cuba.

An historic moment after 50 years which has seen America try to isolate Cuba and finally acknowledge it as a neighbour.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Voice Of Cricket' Richie Benaud Dies

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 10 April 2015 | 12.27

Tributes have poured in for former Australian cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud who has died in a Sydney hospice, aged 84.

Benaud, widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the game's history, had been receiving radiation treatment for skin cancer since November.

Channel Nine, the Australian network where he took the lead commentator's position in 1977, said he had died in his sleep on Thursday night local time.

Nine's head of sport, Steve Crawley said: "You didn't have to know Richie to love him - everything about him.

"Best in the business bar none.

"We will miss him the way you miss loved ones. And at the same time we will thank our lucky stars he came our way at all."

Nine Entertainment Co's chief executive David Gyngell said Benaud's death had "robbed" the world of "not only a national treasure but a lovely man".

Australia's prime minister Tony Abbott, who has offered Benaud's family a state funeral, tweeted: "A sad day for Australia. We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. What an innings. RIP Richie Benaud."

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe tweeted: "RIP Richie Benaud. My deep gratitude for all you gave to the sport of cricket as a player and as a broadcaster. Sad, sad day."

And Piers Morgan wrote: "RIP Richie Benaud. The greatest cricket commentator of them all & a wonderful man. Mourning Everyone."

Benaud played 64 test matches as an all-rounder between 1952 and 1964, taking 945 wickets in 259 first-class matches and making 11,719 first-class runs, scoring 23 centuries at an average of 36.50.

He was the first man to achieve 2,000 runs and 200 wickets at test level.

Benaud will be remembered by millions for his measured, laconic brand of commentary and he was as popular in England, where he worked on television from 1963 to 2005, as he was in his homeland.

Speaking about his commentary work, he once said: "My mantra is: put your brain into gear and if you can add to what's on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.

"What I want most from being a television commentator is to be able to feel that, when I say something, I am talking to friends."

The news arm of Cricket Australia, www.cricket.com.au, described him as "an Australian test great who nurtured a generation's love for the game with his commentary".

They added: "After Don Bradman, there has been no Australian player more famous than Richie Benaud."

He became one of the greatest commentators in world cricket before a car crash outside his Coogee home in 2013 left him with two fractured vertebrae.

The injuries and cancer combined to keep him away from the job he loved in his final years, but he made occasional pre-recorded appearances on Channel Nine and he rallied to record a moving tribute to Phillip Hughes when the Australia batsman died last year after being struck by a bouncer.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Walter Scott Killing: Cop's Dashcam Released

By Sky News US Team

Dashcam video has emerged showing a black South Carolina man running from his car after a traffic stop by a white officer, who gave chase before shooting him dead.

The footage, released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, does not show Officer Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott but does reveal more about the minutes before the killing in North Charleston last Saturday.

Slager, who has been charged with murder and dismissed from the police, is seen approaching a car and asking the driver for his licence and proof of insurance.

The patrolman tells Mr Scott he has been pulled over because of a broken brake light. After a brief exchange, the officer returns to his patrol car.

The 50-year-old gets out of the vehicle, and Slager tells him to stay in the car. Several seconds later he leaves the black Mercedes-Benz again and runs away.

After Slager gives chase, someone can be heard shouting: "Taser, taser."

The 33-year-old patrolman said in a call to a dispatcher that he fired his weapon because Mr Scott took his stun gun and he feared for his life.

But he was charged over the killing after a separate video, filmed on a mobile phone by an onlooker, showed the officer firing eight shots at Mr Scott's back as he flees.

In the second video, Mr Scott does not appear to be armed.

A post-mortem examination has found Mr Scott had multiple gunshot wounds on the back of his body.

His father has said his son, a father of four, may have run away because he owed child support money and did not want to go to jail.

The dashcam video emerged as a man who was hit with a stun gun by Slager in a 2013 incident said he would sue.

Mario Givens, 34, told a news conference Slager came to his house, pushed in the door and fired the stun gun at his stomach.

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Gallery: Walter Scott's Death Sparks Protest

Demonstrators rallied on Wednesday against what they described as a culture of police brutality

The protest came after a white officer, Michael Slager, was caught on video killing 50-year-old Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was apparently running away

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12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sex Offenders Could Be 'Influenced' By Genes

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 April 2015 | 12.27

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Genes passed down within families could significantly increase the risk of men committing sexual offences, according to groundbreaking research.

The first study of its kind has shown that men are four times more likely to carry out a sex crime if their father has been convicted for a similar offence.

The risk jumps to five times if men have a brother who has been convicted, the study of more than 21,000 sexual offenders shows.

Genetic factors account for 40-50% of the risk, with the remainder coming from the environment that men grow up in and other medical or social influences, according to results in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers stress the overall risk is small - just 2.5% of brothers of sex offenders are likely to commit similar crimes themselves.

There is no genetic inevitability that relatives of sex offenders will commit crimes themselves.

Lead scientist Professor Niklas Langstrom, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said: "It is important to remember that it's nothing mystic.

"People get worried about the fact that there's a strong genetic component in problematic human behaviour.

"Of course, you don't inherit in some kind of robotic way so that you will grow up to be a sexual offender."

Co-author Professor Seena Fazel, of Oxford University, said: "We are definitely not saying we have found a gene for sexual offending or anything of that kind.

"What we have found is high-quality evidence that genetic factors have a substantial influence on an increased risk of being convicted of sexual offences."

Professor Fazel said social workers already working with families could use the finding to target education and preventative psychological therapies "where they could do most good".

"The things that we think might be underlying the risk are impulsivity, boundary setting, relationship skills and problem solving.

These are behaviours that can be amenable to psychological treatments."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tories Attack 'Weak' Miliband With Subs Pledge

The Conservatives have accused Ed Miliband of seeking to trade away Britain's nuclear deterrent to secure power in the General Election.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon will today promise to maintain a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent by building a fleet of four Successor Ballistic Missile Submarines if the Tories win power on 7 May.

In a speech in London he will warn that the Labour leader is prepared to "barter away" Britain's Trident programme in a bid to gain the support of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

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Labour denies the claim and has accused the Tories of resorting to the "language of smear".

Mr Fallon is expected to say: "(Ms Sturgeon) has told Ed Miliband that scrapping Trident - our country's vital nuclear deterrent - is a red line she will not cross.

"If he wants the keys to Number 10, he must abandon any plans to renew our current Vanguard ballistic missile submarines."

With the polls suggesting the SNP could be the third largest party in another hung parliament, Ms Sturgeon has made clear that the price of their support after the election would include scrapping Trident.

Speaking in her second televised debate in 24 hours last night, Ms Surgeon said the SNP would never vote in the Commons to renew Trident nuclear weapons.

Mr Fallon is expected to hit out at Ms Sturgeon's party in his speech, saying the SNP's "childlike world-view" would "sacrifice the long-term security of the UK and play into the hands of our enemies".

Writing in The Times ahead of his address, Mr Fallon said: "Ed Miliband stabbed his own brother in the back to become Labour leader.

"Now he is willing to stab the United Kingdom in the back to become prime minister."

He added: "From hour one, day one, this unwritten, unseemly, unholy alliance would bankrupt Britain and begin to break up Britain.

"It would sow chaos, instability, division. And all because of a weak Ed Miliband's lust for power and his willingness to enter Downing Street in Nicola Sturgeon's pocket."

Labour responded to the claims by accusing the Tories of running an "increasingly desperate" campaign, adding that Mr Miliband supports the renewal of Trident.

"As Ed Miliband has already made crystal clear national security is not a matter for negotiation. We support renewal of Trident along with a renewed focus on multilateral disarmament," said Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker.

"Labour is committed to maintaining a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent, delivered through a continuous at-sea deterrent. This is not up for negotiation with any party."

"The Tories are resorting to the language of smear. They are increasingly desperate as their campaign lurches on in confusion and chaos."

Mr Fallon said that Britain has kept a ballistic missile submarine at sea to deter a nuclear attack for 46 years.

He added that, with as many as 17,000 nuclear weapons around the world and concerning moves from Russia and North Korea, renewing Trident is "the only responsible choice".

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Would Abolish 'Non-Dom' Tax Status

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 08 April 2015 | 12.27

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to say he will abolish "non-domiciled" status if he wins the General Election.

"Non-dom" residency allows around 116,000 individuals to exempt their offshore income from UK tax for an annual charge.

In a speech in Warwickshire, Mr Miliband will say that the rich should not be allowed to "operate under different rules".

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

"The next Labour government will abolish the non-dom rule. And we will replace it with a clear principle - anyone permanently resident in the UK will pay tax in the same way," he is expected to tell his audience.

The party expects the move to raise "hundreds of millions of pounds" which will be used to reduce the deficit.

There are an estimated 116,000 non-doms living in the UK who only have to pay UK taxes on money they bring into the country.

Their income from overseas investments does not have to be declared.

The 200-year-old rule has been criticised for being open to exploitation by a jet-set elite looking to minimise their tax liabilities.

However, it is argued that the tax law encourages skilled workers and large investors from abroad to locate here and contribute to the UK economy.

Mr Miliband will say: "The problem is it isn't true. It is a recipe that doesn't work for most working people, doesn't work for business and doesn't work for Britain.

"It works against every business and working person in this country who has to pay more as a result, everybody who relies on public services like the NHS, everybody who believes in Britain and a fair and modern country.

"The United States doesn't do it. No other major country in the developed world does it. No one would propose doing it now if didn't already exist. One rule for some and another for others? It is unjust, it does not work, it holds Britain back and we will stop it."

In 2008, Labour announced plans to charge non-doms £30,000 a year if they had been resident in the UK for seven of the previous 10 years.

George Osborne increased this to £90,000 for those who have lived here for 17 out of the past 20 years.

But a spokesman for Ed Miliband said: "UK citizens should pay tax on all gains, anywhere in the world."

He added: "There should be no different rules between rich and poor."

Famous "non-doms" include some of Britain's richest individuals, such as Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cop Charged After Black Man Shot Dead In US

A South Carolina police officer has been charged with murder after he shot dead a black man who appeared to be fleeing from him.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said investigators charged 33-year-old policeman Michael Slager after video emerged of the shooting in South Carolina.

The footage appears to show Slager firing eight shots at 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, who was running away at the time.

The altercation took place on Saturday and began when Mr Scott was pulled over for a traffic stop.

The video shows the two men engaged in a brief scuffle before Mr Scott appears to run away.

The officer is seen with his weapon raised before firing at the fleeing man. Scott falls face-first to the ground.

Authorities say the officer opened fire after earlier striking Mr Scott with a stun gun.

Mr Summey told a news conference: "He (Slager) will be charged with murder.

"That's not something that we like to hear, or like to say. But it goes to say how we work as a community.

"When you're wrong, you're wrong. If you make a bad decision, I don't care if you're behind the shield or just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision."

He added: "We as a city want the (victim's) family to know that our hearts and our thoughts are with them."

Speaking at a press conference early today, the victim's brother Anthony Scott said: "We can't get my brother back and my family is in deep mourning for that.

"But, through the process, justice has been served. I don't think that all police officers are bad cops, but there are some bad ones out there.

"I don't want to see anyone get shot down the way my brother got shot down."

North Charleston Police say Slager was arrested by officers of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also launched an investigation into the shooting, which comes after a series of police killings of unarmed black men.

The deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island have both led to nationwide protests.

North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers confirmed that Mr Scott was shot as he was running away from the officer.

"I have been around this police department a long time and all the officers on this force, the men and women, are like my children," he said.

"So you tell me how a father would react seeing his child do something? I'll let you answer that yourself."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Attacks Tory Record On GP Opening Hours

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 April 2015 | 12.27

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

Labour has claimed that almost 600 fewer GP surgeries are currently open during evenings and weekends compared to the last parliament.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham says coalition policies on health are forcing people to queue lengthy periods to access a GP, with many visiting accident and emergency instead.

The Conservatives dispute the claim, which comes one month before voters go to the polls, and insist out-of-hours access to doctors is being extended.

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Mr Burnham said Labour introduced an extended hours scheme which in 2009 funded 77% of surgeries to open their doors on evenings and weekends.

He said the coalition has cut funding from £3.01 per patient to £1.90 per patient, meaning that by 2013/14 only 72% of surgeries were offering extended hours.

Labour says its figures were sourced from a parliamentary question and are up to date.

Mr Burnham said: "Today, across the country, people will face the frustration of joining a queue to see their GP - in some places the lines will go out of the surgery door.

"After five years of David Cameron, patients at hundreds of surgeries can no longer get a GP appointment when they need one."

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Labour's figures are "wrong", and pointed to the Prime Minister's Challenge Fund as evidence the Conservatives have boosted access to GPs.

Mr Hunt said the scheme covered 1,100 practices and helped 7.5 million patients see GPs out of normal hours.

He said: "We are extending this scheme to cover over 1,400 additional practices, helping 10 million extra people by this time next year.

"The next Conservative government will deliver a truly seven-day NHS, putting right a problem which began with Labour's disastrous 2004 GP contract.

"You can only have a strong NHS if you have a strong economy.

"Ed Miliband as prime minister - propped up by Alex Salmond and the SNP - would wreck the economy, risking the funding our NHS needs. Patients would pay the price."

The dispute comes a month before voters head to the ballot box and as the Prime Minister warns about the potential "disaster of an Ed Miliband government".

Mr Cameron will embark on a four-country tour of the United Kingdom today, with events to be held in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He is expected to push his message that the Conservatives have led an economic revival in Britain.

He will also appeal for potential UKIP voters to "come home" to the Conservatives in order to avoid a Labour election win.

Speaking ahead of today's campaign visits, Mr Cameron said: "We have one month to save our economy from the disaster of an Ed Miliband government."

"We have one month to save Britain from his mountain of debt; one month to save Britain from his punitive taxes."

He added that the Labour leader was pursuing policies which are "anti-business and anti-aspiration".

During campaigning over the Easter weekend, Labour accused the Conservatives of plotting a secret tax cut for millionaires after the General Election.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls predicted a Tory-led government would hike VAT - something Mr Cameron has ruled out - and slash the top rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will set out proposals to raise the threshold at which people start paying income tax to £11,000 next year, with a promise of a further rise to £12,500 by 2020.

The income tax cut will be funded by increasing tax on shareholders' dividend payments, Mr Clegg said.

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tony Blair Lends Support To Miliband Campaign

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Tony Blair will today call on the country to support Ed Miliband, in a sign the leading lights of New Labour are prepared to throw their weight behind his campaign.

In an attempt to silence rumours of a rift between the two men, the former Prime Minister will say: "I want Labour, under Ed's leadership, to be the Government of our country on May 8th. I believe we can and will do it."

Mr Blair will claim that David Cameron's pledge to offer a referendum on Britain's EU membership would put jobs, businesses and the UK's world standing at risk.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

He is expected to say: "I believe passionately that leaving Europe would leave Britain diminished in the world, do significant damage to our economy and, less obviously but just as important to our future, would go against the very qualities and ambitions that mark us out still as a great global nation."

Mr Blair is a controversial figure within the Labour party, despite winning three elections.

In 2011 delegates at the Labour conference booed when Mr Miliband mentioned his name in a speech.

There has also been speculation about a rift between the former Prime Minister and the current Labour leader.

He was an ally of David Miliband, who lost to his brother in the 2010 leadership battle.

In a speech in his old constituency of Sedgefield, Mr Blair will praise the Labour leader's refusal to offer a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

He will say: "It is greatly to Ed Miliband's credit that he resolutely refused to make that trade.

"He faced down calls to follow the Tory concession from the media and many inside our Party. In doing so, he showed real leadership.

"He showed that he would put the interests of the country first.

"He showed that on this, as on other issues, he is his own man, with his own convictions and determined to follow them even when they go against the tide. I respect that."

Mr Blair will deliver his speech alongside his wife Cherie Blair and Phil Wilson, his successor as Labour MP for Sedgefield.

He will also criticise UKIP, who are threatening to take votes off Labour in some northern constituencies.

Mr Blair is expected to say: "Are they the standard bearers of an open-minded culturally tolerant Britain?

"Are creativity, innovation and curiosity about what we can learn from the world their hallmarks? We know what this movement to wrench us out of Europe is based on.

"UKIP talks about a new politics. But their politics is the oldest politics in history."

12.27 | 0 komentar | Read More

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