President of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes MP, has taken time out to officially launch Rochdale Borough Liberal Democrat's manifesto for 2008 alongside Rochdale MP Paul Rowen. Mr Hughes came to Littleborough and talked to local residents over a cup of tea at Littleborough Coach House.
Commenting on the outcome of Ofgem's summit today where energy companies promised to renew their efforts to tackle fuel poverty, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Webb said:
Dundee LibDems today (Tuesday 22nd April) criticised as "thoroughly inadequate" Labour's announcement of a review into poverty, following backbench pressure over the abolition of the 10p Income Tax rate.
Gordon Brown's attempt to head off a defeat over the abolition of the 10p income tax band appears not to have won over rebel Labour MPs. 39 have signed an amendment challenging the decision - enough to beat the Government if repeated in next week's Commons vote. Party whips have told MPs a vote against the bill will be a vote of no confidence in the government. During second reading debate on the Finance Bill yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper said an inquiry into child poverty would be expanded to include low earning households without children. Labour MPs have continued to criticise the scrapping of the 10p rate. "Gordon Brown should just stand back and say, maybe I didn't quite get the sums right," said Ian Gibson MP.
![Gordon Brown [© Crown Copyright 2005]](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/c/csm_gordon-brown-crown-copyright-2005_c39513e1fc.png)
In the current turmoil over the government's removal of the 10p tax threshold, voters have the right to ask: why didn't anybody notice at the time, when the measure was first brought in by Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, in the 2007 Budget.
A 'bionic eye' may hold the key to returning sight to people left blind by a hereditary disease, experts believe.
