The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill will have its second reading on Monday, if passed it would mean major changes for the UK electoral system.

Baby Florence meets cameras at Downing Street

Prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha have appeared at Downing Street with their new daughter for the first time.

Ukip delegates meet as leader hunt starts

Members of the UK Independence Party are meeting for their autumn conference in Torquay, as Former leader Nigel Farage confirms he will stand for leader.

Wales referendum question must be redrafted

The wording of the proposed question for next year's referendum on further Welsh Assembly powers should be redrafted to be more intelligible, according to the Electoral Commission.

Hague aide quits following 'untrue' allegations

William Hague's special adviser Christopher Myers has resigned, citing "untrue and malicious" allegations made about his relationship with the foreign secretary.

32 schools to reopen as academies

There will be 32 schools reopening as academies this month after taking up Michael Gove's offer to apply for academy status, government figures have revealed.

Ballot opens in Labour leadership contest

David Kidney: 'My life is back under my control'

Balls frustrated at Miliband 'soap opera'

Ministers warned 'not to mess' with construction industry

New MP interview

Julian Huppert - on top of the electoral cycle

Events

Dods Party Conference Events

We look forward to welcoming you to our series of fringe meetings at this year's party conferences.

27 October: Public Affairs News Awards

The Public Affairs News Awards are to be held on the evening of Wednesday 27 October 2010

4 November: Dods Parliamentary Researchers' Reception

Dods is to host its annual Parliamentary Researchers' Reception, in association with ePolitix.com and The House Magazine.

1 December: Dods Charity Champion Awards

Now in their eighth year, the DODS Charity Champion Awards portray a really positive side of politics.

Latest from Members

Coca-Cola's pay stinginess leaves a bitter taste

Workers at Coca-Cola's Edmonton plant will turn off the taps next Wednesday, September 8th as the first of a wave of 24-hour stoppages gets underway at the north London site.

David Blunkett MP visits Burngreave children's centre

Former education secretary David Blunkett MP saw first hand the hard work being carried out at Action for Children’s Burngreave Children’s Centre in Sheffield.

£5m funding for innovative R&D projects using genomics technologies

The Technology Strategy Board is to invest up to £5 million in innovative research and development projects using genomics-based technologies.

129 council chief executives in England paid more than £150,000 in 2009/10 new GMB study shows

As council chief executives are made expensively redundant one day and pop up in another job the next it is no wonder that the top council jobs are being seen as the best of all gravy trains says GMB

Assisted dying arrest highlights urgent need for law reform

RBS staff told of job loss 'horror story'

Member interview

Dangerous dog laws 'complete nonsense'

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11

Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill 2010-11

Editor's picks

Phone-hacking returns to haunt Coulson

Blunkett's startling admission on UK-US extradition treaty

Poll: D Miliband is voters' choice for Labour leader

Vote reform foes split on poll timing

May has deserted women in hunt for cuts, says Johnson

Brown reveals his big plans

Kelly inquest decision could be within weeks

Chris Bryant: Police and dirty politics

Thompson: BBC 'had massive bias to the left'


Dods Party Conference Events





Recent comments

In recent years, the UK criminal justice system has been subject to a constant barrage of new legislation and offences.

Those dealing with criminal cases day in and day out, including our police force, are overwhelmed and overstretched by a constantly changing criminal code.

This expansion of criminal law in recent years has criminalised an increased proportion of the population and further disrupted the balance between the power of the State and the freedom of the individual.

In most cases, a civil penalty may be more easily enforced and act as a better deterrent than using the full force of a prosecution for a criminal offence.

High level breaches of criminal law must still be prosecuted and defendants should always have the right to a fair trial.

The Law Society looks forward to working closely with the Law Commission to ensure that any suggested reforms are in the best interests of the community.

Linda Lee, President of the Law Society

Government agencies could seek alternatives to criminal prosecutions

A TUC poll earlier this year found that over two fifths of employees said they would consider using the right to request time off to train to ask for more training, including a third of employees who say that they currently receive no training from their employer.

To introduce a consultation in the middle of August with a 5 week deadline on a right which has been in existence for only 4 months and which is crucial to support workers who previously had no access to training flies in the face of any pretence this government has to secure an economic recovery based on a high skilled workforce.

The only reason for this consultation is to provide a sop to those employers who have no intention of investing in their workforces with an opportunity to avoid their responsibilities under the guise that it is a burden on business.

Roger Jeary

Workers could lose right for time to train

GuildHE members' submission to Lord Browne's Review of HE Finance supports greater student contributions, higher-earning graduates paying more than lower earners, and revisions to the student loan system.

However, as our submission pointed out, the normal tax system already recognises differential graduate earnings; a Graduate Tax could not improve upon this without greater complexity, and importantly, it does not give adequate guarantees that such new funding would pay for HE specifically.

GuildHE supports a greater graduate contribution through more competitive lending rates and loan thresholds, recognising that those who earn more should pay more back.

Higher Education Institutions have already seized the opportunities for greater efficiency given cuts already made. We expect Lord Browne's recommendations to secure the future stability of HE funding.

GuildHE

Cable's graduate tax will be 'progressive'



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