'Bullying' row remains prominent

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The Downing Street "bullying" story continues to play out in the papers, with all of them commentating on it in one way or another.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7037083.ece">The Times claims it has found evidence of a "culture of fear" </a> at the heart of government, amid Prime Minister Gordon Brown's denials that he mistreated staff.

The paper says it has seen a survey suggesting that a third of Cabinet Office civil servants want to leave.

It alleges that staff are afraid of speaking out.

'Implicated'

The head of the National Bullying Helpline, Christine Pratt, also remains very much in the headlines.

She tells the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">Daily Telegraph</a> that Mr Brown is personally implicated in at least one of the complaints received by the charity.

But some commentators, including <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/23/simon-hoggart-sketch-chillax-gordon-brown">the Guardian's sketch-writer Simon Hoggart,</a> say context is important.

He says staff at Downing Street should expect to work with "highly-stressed" people and if they cannot cope, maybe they are in the wrong job.

The <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1253014/Regulator-slams-energy-giants-profiteering-puts-105-heating-bill.html">Daily Mail is on a campaign against some of the UK's energy suppliers</a> as the freezing temperatures continue in many parts.

It accuses six major suppliers of making more than £100 from every customer without passing on savings from falling wholesale gas and electricity prices.

'Chaos'

Meanwhile the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7293970/Travellers-plans-in-chaos-as-British-Airways-staff-vote-to-strike.html">Daily Telegraph warns travellers that they could face up to 10 days of strikes by British Airways cabin crew.</a>

It says that the company could lose as much as £25m a day and the plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers could be thrown into "chaos".

Elsewhere, the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/bringing-up-a-child-now-tops-pound200000-if-youre-lucky-1907381.html">Independent reports that the cost of bringing up a child has soared to more than £200,000</a>

It says aggressive marketing ploys aimed at children, childcare costs and university fees are partly to blame.

The <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/">Daily Mirror</a> admits this sounds like a lot but urges readers to remember that some things in life are more important than bank balances.

It is something Cheryl Cole appears to have taken to heart as the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2864678/Cheryl-Cole-spent-the-night-with-a-handsome-dancer-and-his-dogdog.html">Sun reports the newly-single singer is dating a dancer.</a>