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| Politics live blog: Thursday 10 May 2012 | Politics live blog: Thursday 10 May 2012 |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 9.55am: For the record, here are the YouGov GB polling figures from last night. Labour: 44% (no change since Tuesday night) Conservatives: 31% (no change) Lib Dems: 9% (up 1) Ukip: 8% (no change) | |
| Labour lead: 13 points | |
| Government approval: -39 | |
| 9.47am: According to Paul Waugh, we're also getting a Commons statement from Andrew Lansley on his decision not to publish the risk register relating to the Health Act. That will come at around 12.30pm, after the business statement (10.30am) and the Hammond statement about fighter jets (around 11.30am). | |
| 9.30am: Alan Johnson, the Labour former home secretary, told Radio 5 Live this morning that he would have resigned if he had made the mistake that Theresa May did in relation to Abu Qatada and the deadline for his appeal to the European court of human rights. I've taken the quote from PoliticsHome. | |
On an issue like this, it is so difficult, I'd have resigned over it. For all kinds of reasons this is such an important issue that Theresa May was absolutely right to get this guy out of the country, but to mess up her dates is a horrendous mistake and it just looks like amateur hour in the government. | |
| 9.22am: Nick Herbert, the policing minister, was on Sky this morning talking about today's protest by police officers. (It's not a strike, because they are not allowed to go on strike. The officers marching have had to take time off to join the protest.) Herbert said he thought the protests were mainly about pensions, and that the government's pension cuts were justified. I've taken the quote from PoliticsHome. | |
I think that many of those who are marching today are really marching about pay and conditions, and what I would point out is that these changes to pensions, which I believe are entirely justifiable, are applying across the public sector, as is the two year pay freeze, which is very important to help deal with the deficit. The fact is that actually people are now living longer - of course that's a good thing - but ten years longer than they would have been expected to in the 1970s. The costs of public sector pensions have gone up, just in the course of my lifetime, by a third, and most of that increase has actually fallen on the employer i.e. the British taxpayer. | |
| 9.00am: There's a nationwide public sector strike today - you can read our story about it here - and even MPs are affected. There are pickets outside the House of Commons and yesterday, at the start of the Queen's Speech debate, the Speaker, John Bercow, took the unusual step of telling MPs that some of the police officers who are here normally on a Thursday would be away. | 9.00am: There's a nationwide public sector strike today - you can read our story about it here - and even MPs are affected. There are pickets outside the House of Commons and yesterday, at the start of the Queen's Speech debate, the Speaker, John Bercow, took the unusual step of telling MPs that some of the police officers who are here normally on a Thursday would be away. |
| Please be vigilant and tell the Serjeant at Arms about any concerns you have on the subject. Wear your photo identity pass while you are on the parliamentary estate—this is particularly important over the next 24 hours, as there will be a number of police officers on duty, covering for absent security officers, who cannot be expected to recognise members. | Please be vigilant and tell the Serjeant at Arms about any concerns you have on the subject. Wear your photo identity pass while you are on the parliamentary estate—this is particularly important over the next 24 hours, as there will be a number of police officers on duty, covering for absent security officers, who cannot be expected to recognise members. |
| We'll be covering the strike on a separate live blog. Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, has already put out a statement about it this morning. | We'll be covering the strike on a separate live blog. Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, has already put out a statement about it this morning. |
| It is very disappointing that a handful of unions insist on carrying on with futile strike action which will benefit no one. We would urge these union leaders to reconsider their position. Pension talks will not be reopened and nothing further will be achieved through strike action. | It is very disappointing that a handful of unions insist on carrying on with futile strike action which will benefit no one. We would urge these union leaders to reconsider their position. Pension talks will not be reopened and nothing further will be achieved through strike action. |
| In March we set out our final proposed agreements on pension reform following more than a year of intensive discussions with trades unions. Our reforms ensure that public sector pensions will remain among the very best available and that they can be sustained for the future. | In March we set out our final proposed agreements on pension reform following more than a year of intensive discussions with trades unions. Our reforms ensure that public sector pensions will remain among the very best available and that they can be sustained for the future. |
| Public sector workers are being asked to work a bit longer and pay a bit more, but they will continue to get a guaranteed pension which is index-linked and inflation-proofed. Most staff on low and middle incomes will receive a pension at retirement as good as what they expect today, and for many it will be even better. | Public sector workers are being asked to work a bit longer and pay a bit more, but they will continue to get a guaranteed pension which is index-linked and inflation-proofed. Most staff on low and middle incomes will receive a pension at retirement as good as what they expect today, and for many it will be even better. |
| It's hard to tell what political effect the strike may have, but I'll be covering any reaction here. | It's hard to tell what political effect the strike may have, but I'll be covering any reaction here. |
| As for the rest of the day, it's a bit mixed, although Andy Coulson's evidence to the Leveson inquiry should be interesting. Here's what's in the diary. 10am: Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor and David Cameron's former communications director, gives evidence to the Leveson inquiry. We'll be covering it live on a separate live blog. | As for the rest of the day, it's a bit mixed, although Andy Coulson's evidence to the Leveson inquiry should be interesting. Here's what's in the diary. 10am: Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor and David Cameron's former communications director, gives evidence to the Leveson inquiry. We'll be covering it live on a separate live blog. |
| 10am: Michael Gove, the education secretary, speaks at the Brighton College conference. | 10am: Michael Gove, the education secretary, speaks at the Brighton College conference. |
| Around 11.30am: Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, makes a statement in the Commons confirming the government's decision to abandon its plan to buy the preferred fighter for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers. | Around 11.30am: Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, makes a statement in the Commons confirming the government's decision to abandon its plan to buy the preferred fighter for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers. |
| 12pm: Off-duty police officers march through Westminster to protest about cuts to their pay and conditions of service. | 12pm: Off-duty police officers march through Westminster to protest about cuts to their pay and conditions of service. |
| Around 12.30pm: Theresa May and Yvette Cooper open the Queen's Speech debate on home affairs. | Around 12.30pm: Theresa May and Yvette Cooper open the Queen's Speech debate on home affairs. |
| As usual, I'll be covering all the breaking political news, as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a lunchtime summary at around 1pm and another in the afternoon. | As usual, I'll be covering all the breaking political news, as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a lunchtime summary at around 1pm and another in the afternoon. |
| If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. |
| And if you're a hardcore fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. | And if you're a hardcore fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. |