Northern Europe
Britain: Labour seeks draconian congestion charge for Greater Manchester
By Robert Stevens and Joe Newham, December 11, 2008
Some 1.9 million people in the Greater Manchester region are being asked to accept a £5 a day congestion charge in tomorrow’s referendum.
The tragic death of Baby P
By Julie Hyland, December 4, 2008
There have been mountains of coverage on Baby P’s death, much of it bordering on the pornographic. But if other children are to have the protection they require, there has to be some comprehension o...
Britain: The political issues raised by the arrest of Damian Green MP
By Julie Hyland, December 2, 2008
A number of political issues are raised by the arrest of Conservative Member of Parliament Damian Green by anti-terrorist officers.
Britain: Woolworths and MFI go bust
By Robert Stevens, December 1, 2008
In the past week, two of Britain’s most well established retail chains, Woolworths and MFI, have gone bust.
A budget for British business from Darling and Brown: Too little, far too late
By Chris Marsden, November 26, 2008
Extraordinary claims are being made for Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report and even more extraordinary hopes are being pinned on it.
Sweden: Left Party seeks coalition with Social Democrats
By Jordan Shilton, November 26, 2008
Recent months have seen stepped-up efforts by the Swedish Social Democrats to negotiate terms for a potential coalition after the next general election, due in 2010.
Britain: More revelations about secret shoot-to-kill policy at de Menezes inquest
By Paul Mitchell, November 25, 2008
The inquest into the shooting of innocent Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes on July 22, 2005, has revealed more about Britain’s secret shoot-to-kill policy.
Britain: New round of job losses announced as part of global cutbacks
By Julie Hyland, November 24, 2008
Last week saw a fresh wave of job losses in the UK, some 3,600 in total, as part of mainly global cutbacks. The latest announcements mean that in the last fortnight, major household names have announc...
British court ruling increases risk of home repossession
By Mike Head, November 17, 2008
A British court ruling allowing lenders to seize properties after only two missed mortgage payments has made a mockery of claims by the Brown government to be protecting ordinary people from losing th...
British corporate giants axe thousands of jobs
By Mike Head, November 15, 2008
Major British firms are slashing thousands of jobs, but not just because of the economy’s slide into recession. They are also using the slump to carry through permanent job-cutting and restructuring...
British banks: Feeding frenzy at taxpayers’ expense
By Jean Shaoul, November 11, 2008
Two former Scottish banking executives have announced a bid to take control of the failed bank HBOS to stop the government-brokered takeover by Lloyds TSB and keep it “independent”—at taxpayers...
Guardian journalist on Obama’s election: An “armed insurrection” averted
By Chris Marsden, November 10, 2008
One of the most extraordinary statements made on Barak Obama’s victory in the presidential elections was by Martin Kettle in Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
