Sunday morning catchup

A few pieces from the news that need covering but I have not got the time to do full justice to:

1. The Times reports that:

"Public sector workers earn 7% more on average than their peers in the private sector — a pay gulf that has more than doubled since the recession began.

Official figures show that staff employed by the state are enjoying bigger pay rises, working fewer hours and receiving pensions worth up to three times as much as those in the private sector.

Civil servants, National Health Service staff, council officials and other public sector workers have enjoyed a “golden age” under Labour, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times.

The analysis was validated by Straight Statistics, a group that campaigns for the accurate reporting of official data.

Since Labour came to power in 1997, the number of public sector workers has increased by 914,000 to more than 6m, just over a fifth of the workforce.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that average annual earnings of public sector workers rose to £22,405 last year — compared with £20,988 paid to the average private sector worker. "

Still think the Conservatives can the general election with the size of Labour party vote that the Labour government have created?


2. The Mail reports that:

"Harriet Harman will become the public face of Labour's general election campaign as the party looks to shore up its core support.

The deputy leader will host daily televised media briefings and tour television studios.

Senior strategists believe that Miss Harman will strengthen Labour's appeal to women and middle England voters who are turned off by Gordon Brown."

Who are these senior strategists? DO they really believe that Harriet Harman appeals to middle England voters? Repels more like.


3. The Telegraph reports that:

"hundreds of UK companies selling anything from hair loss treatments to electronics have mysteriously registered to buy and sell carbon permits in the Scandinavian nation (Denmark) – mostly in the last 18 months.

...

While many are bound to be genuine individual private traders playing the carbon markets, investigators are examining the possibility that some of these unknown UK-based companies have used the system to commit "carousel" fraud linked to VAT. "

Anyone surprised?


4. THe Telegraph reports that:

"Relatives of those who died in the Lockerbie bombing are launching a new legal bid to force the Government to hold a public inquiry.

UK Families Flight 103, the relatives' campaign group, will use human rights laws in a bid to uncover the truth about the terrorist attack, which claimed 270 lives in December 1988.

The group has hired Gareth Peirce, the prominent human rights solicitor better known for her work representing terror suspects, to devise a legal strategy to secure the inquiry for which families have long campaigned.

...

The development comes after Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, rejected the group's latest demands for an independent review of the bombing. He informed them of his decision in a letter, dated Christmas Eve, which was received by the relatives last week.

In the letter, Mr Brown said: "All of the matters which you have raised in support of the case for an inquiry are points which were raised at the original trial or the appeal in Scotland, and I do not see that it would be in the public interest to air them again at an inquiry.""

Gordon Brown will not allow a public enquiry because he has probably been informed who the real perpetrators were - Syria and why the blame was laid on a Libyan. Hopefully an incoming Conservative would be more willing to let the truth emerge.


5. The Telegraph report that:

"A Somali axeman who tried to murder the Danish cartoon artist responsible for controversial drawings of the Prophet Mohammed had links to al-Qaeda, police said. "

I am so surprised...


6. Times of India reports that:

"In a serious security lapse that revived concerns about counter-terrorism security measures, a stowaway on an Air India flight hid in the plane's toilet to fly to India. The lapse occurred on a special Haj flight operated by AI on the Medina-Jaipur sector on Friday, with 273 passengers on board"

I can't say that I am surprised, I have flown on internal Indian airlines and they are not hugely organised flights.


7. The Tap is running a series of worrying articles on the true level of the UK's debt. I challenge you to read these articles and not become profoundly depressed for the economic future of the UK.