Daily Archives: November 3, 2011

Kiran Stacey Labour attacks Osborne for hurting pensioners

November 3, 2011 12:50 pm by Kiran Stacey

Labour is in a slightly difficult position about how to respond to the news in the FT today that the Treasury is looking to slash benefits by linking them to earnings or even freezing them temporarily.

Although Cameron said he wouldn’t “balance the books on the back of the poor”, Labour knows that attacking the government for hypocrisy on this point could make it look like they are standing up for benefits’ claimants – or “scroungers” as they are thought of by many people.

Instead, the opposition will want to pick its battles. At the moment, the Treasury is still actively considering applying this change to all benefits and pensions, which would affect a lot of people who don’t fall into the “scrounger”. Read more

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Posted in Conservatives, David Cameron, Treasury, UK economy, UK politics |

Jim Pickard Is there any evidence for Cameron idea that more women execs would curb high pay?

November 3, 2011 12:20 pm by Jim Pickard

David Cameron made his claim again yesterday during PMQs that having more women on the boardroom would lead to more restraint.

He made a similar comment on Friday while in Australia, saying more female directors would have a “beneficial effect” on boards and lead to less disproportionate remuneration.

(Income Data Services found a 49 per cent jump in the total earnings of all FTSE 100 directors, taking their average package to just under £2.7m. This followed an increase of 55 per cent in the previous year.)

But the idea that a heavier female presence in the boardroom would act as a curb on lavish pay has been met with some scepticism from experts.

Deborah Hargreaves, chair of the independent High Pay Commission, told me Read more

Posted in Conservatives, David Cameron, UK economy, UK politics |