 Hello again
 Brown envious of Obama? |
The bitter rivalry is finally over. After months of politicking, he has reached the top. He is now the darling of the media, admirers flock to hear him speak, the balance of power in his party is shifting in his direction... Gordon Brown must be rather envious of Barack Obama. It all gets a bit harder when you've been in the job a while... Or indeed, not quite a year. 42 days  David Davis against 42 days |
Next week MPs in Westminster will vote on the Counter-Terrorism Bill. The government's had a hard week of bargaining and has offered a series of amendments to win round its critics; greater judicial oversight, a limit on the time the power to detain without charge stays active, parliamentary approval of the power's use within seven days. But beyond all the legal wranglings, what are the human arguments surrounding detention without charge? We'll be hearing from one man who lost his son to terrorists on why he thinks the government has it right. And I'll talk live to the Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, on why he still thinks the government's wrong.  Plans for road pricing shelved in some regions |
Road Pricing - a collision course? The government's beset by angry motorists on every side... high prices at the pumps, a rise in vehicle excise duty for older, bigger cars on the horizon, a hike in fuel duty expected in the autumn. What would you do in their position? Maybe raise the cost of driving a little more? Road pricing has been a government aspiration for nearly a decade... And Manchester could be the next place to road test the policy. But does the government really have the nerve to introduce congestion charging now? And wouldn't it be electoral suicide? Gillian Hargreaves has battled through Manchester's rush hour to find out more.  What price the parish precept? |
Parish power And as if that wasn't enough tax - ever heard of your parish precept? Not content with organising the local entries to Britain in Bloom, parishes are gaining more power. If you live in the 90% of the country that's covered by town and parish councils, you'll be paying a parish precept. Part of your council tax bill, but unlike the rest of it, not subject to government capping. With the result that some parishes have seen their precepts rise by over 200%. That is a lot of hanging baskets. Tune in on Sunday 08 June to find out more. Jon
Disclaimer: The BBC may edit your comments and cannot guarantee that all emails will be published.
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Political Cartoon Gallery
Bookmark with:
What are these?