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Permission granted for school expansion
By Bruce Thain Controversial plans for the expansion of a primary school were granted planning permission this evening. At a meeting of the Harrow Borough Council planning committee, permission was granted for the expansion of Vaughan Primary School, in The Gardens, West Harrow. The plans include the construction of a new two-storey building, a remodelling of the existing ...
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Tell Sid Public will be offered shares in Lloyds
The prospect of an eventual "tell Sid"-style sale of shares in Lloyds Bank was raised by George Osborne as he claimed Britain's economy had emerged from "intensive ...
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George Osborne ready to sell taxpayers stake in Lloyds Banking Group
Royal Bank of Scotland , in a move that could delay the bailed out bank's return to the private sector.In his annual speech to City grandees at Mansion House on Wednesday night, the chancellor said he was "actively considering options for share sales in Lloyds", in which the government has a 39% stake. Speculation is mounting that a partial sell-off of the state's Lloyds ...
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George Osbornes shift on bad bank model is welcome
George Osborne announced, the option of a good bank/bad bank split at RBS will be examined in detail. In any case, privatisation of RBS is "some way off", said Osborne, and Lloyds is top of the batting order for a sale of shares.What on earth is going on? Well, one thing is clear: the assembled forces of Lord Lawson and other members of the Banking Commission, the governor of the Bank ...
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Donald Macintyres Sketch David Cameron can be choosy about who he invites to dinner
Donald Macintyre writes political sketches for The Independent, having been Jerusalem correspondent since 2004, covering Israel and the Occupied Territories, as well as travelling for the paper to Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Libya and Egypt. As Political Editor and then Chief Political Commentator, he previously covered the John Major and early Tony Blair era. He has written for the Daily Express, ...
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Senior judges criticise Governments use of secret courts
The most senior judges in the land issued a damning indictment of the Government's policy on secret courts, accusing it of requesting unnecessary closed ...
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Andy McSmiths Diary When Prior knowledge appeared to be lacking
Andy McSmith is a senior reporter at The Independent. He has vast experience in political journalism and has also appeared on documentaries for BBC Radio ...
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Look out for the bats Mr Speaker | Simon Hoggarts sketch
David Cameron for having advised Norman Lamont on Black Wednesday - 21 years ago. What next? Can he blame the Tories for Gallipoli? Cameron abused Labour for not regulating the banks - even though he himself (as Miliband pointed out) had called at the time for less regulation. Miliband blamed Cameron for reducing the rate of tax for the rich, even though it was even lower during almost all the ...
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Met asked to investigate NHS regulator after Morecambe Bay trust report
Police have been asked to investigate allegations of a cover-up at the Care Quality Commission, stemming from the health regulator's failure to investigate an alarming rise in deaths in Morecambe ...
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Taliban peace talk plans lead Afghan women to fear loss of rights
Even the dimmest prospect of peace would be welcome in most countries that have endured more than three decades of conflict, but news this week that ...
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Letters International intervention in Syria
Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a press conference at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland where leaders called for a peace conference on Syria to be held. Photograph: Matt Cardy/AFP/Getty ...
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Syria crisis needs political solution David Cameron tells MPs
Syria , putting his strongest emphasis yet on a political solution to the crisis as he came under pressure from his own backbenchers and Labour not to supply weapons to the Syrian rebels.Cameron was reporting back to the Commons from ...
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Margate residents appeal against giant new Tesco
Angry residents of Margate have appealed to the High Court against the Government's decision to build a giant Tesco store on the ...
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Pathologist who botched G20 post-mortem abandons appeal against being struck off
The pathologist who botched the post-mortem of a man struck by a policeman at G20 protests in 2009 has abandoned his appeal against being struck ...
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US companies criticise UK healthcare firms charitable status and tax breaks
A flyer for the St John's hospice summer fair recently dropped on doormats across north London. The top half of the leaflet advertised the bouncy castle and candyfloss; the bottom half promoted Casualty First - "your private walk-in urgent care centre."Both the hospice and walk-in centre are parts of the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, a private healthcare operator that is ...
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England can win Champions Trophy without a doubt says Alastair Cook
Alastair Cook may already be in rare company, having led England to their second ICC 50-over final in the past 20 years, but he was quite happy to talk up the significance of Sunday's climax at Edgbaston after a seven-wicket victory against South Africa means England will face either India or Sri Lanka."It would be a massive achievement," Cook said after the win that offers ...
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Our banks are not merely out of control. Theyre beyond control | Joris Luyendijk
set up after last year's Libor scandal , identifies all the structural problems and nails the fundamental flaw in finance today: "Too many bankers, especially at the most senior levels, have operated in an environment with insufficient personal responsibility." Indeed, as they like to say in the City, running a mega-bank these days is like "Catholicism without a hell", ...
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England into final after easy win
Link to video: Alastair Cook delighted after England's Champions Trophy win over South Africa England strolled their way into Sunday's Champions Trophy final. If winning by seven wickets, with 75 deliveries in hand, represents a breeze in what had been anticipated to be a tight contest, then it could have been more of a hurricane had it not been for a fighting ninth-wicket ...
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New bonus boom in banking sector as Government’s cut in top rate of income tax takes effect
Bankers' bonuses leapt to record levels in April as the Government's cut in the top rate of income tax came into effect, new figures revealed ...
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PM is dragging his feet on bank reform Labour on attack as bonuses leap to record level
Bankers' bonuses leapt to record levels in April as the Government's cut in the top rate of income tax came into effect, new figures ...
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Cricket-England ease into final as South Africa choke again
(Adds quotes) * England to meet India or Sri Lanka in final * South Africa bowled out for 175 By Mark Meadows LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Hosts England sauntered into the Champions Trophy final after South Africa 'choked' in yet another semi-final when they were bowled out for 175 in fairly benign conditions at The Oval on Wednesday. South Africa were favourites heading into ...
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Pioneering free school fails awarded lowest Ofsted grades
Michael Gove , Ofsted inspectors have published the highly critical report into the Discovery Free School, in Crawley, West Sussex, which opened in September 2011.Inspectors were severe on the primary school's leadership, saying its governors failed to grasp the school's "serious shortcomings", while school leaders "believe the school is far better than it is".The ...
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Queues expected after accident on A316 in Twickenham
News Drivers can expect delayes this evening after an accident in Twickenham on the A316. The cause of the accident is not yet known but police are on the scene. The accident, near St Margaret's roundabout, has caused slow moving traffic. Transport for London officers are still trying to get information about the accident but said there is slow moving traffic in the ...
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Duchess of Cambridges natural birth safest for the baby
With the news that the Duchess of Cambridge is planning a natural birth rather than a Caesarian section, Mervi Jokinen of the Royal College of Midwives explains why it is "best for the woman and best for the ...
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Proteas choke to gift England final spot
Hosts England have sauntered into the Champions Trophy final after South Africa "choked" in yet another semi-final, when they were bowled out for 175 in fairly benign conditions at The Oval. South Africa were favourites heading into the tournament, but limped through the group stage and have now bowed out in eight major international last-four clashes, winning only one. England, not ...
Britain Feature
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Britain losing interest in leading?
Britain was once the most powerful country in the world, it ran an empire that was the envy of every other colonial power, and gave the world a number of modern institutions that are still widely used today, most notable in the realm of political systems and democratic checks and balances. But Britain today is a shadow of what it once was, some might say it is just another country, nothing special.
Perhaps it’s a little harsh to say there’s nothing special about the UK. The United Kingdom remains an influential country in international politics, especially throughout the Commonwealth, and the capital city, London, is headquarters to some of the world’s biggest companies and home to one of the largest stock exchanges in the world. Read more
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