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| Plymouth Argyle fans on 800-mile trip Sixty Plymouth supporters dodging blizzards and motorway chaos on 24-hour round trip to see team take on NewcastleEven they couldn't agree whether they were very keen or just a bit crazy. Sixty hardy fans of Plymouth Argyle FC were dodging blizzards and motorway chaos today during an 800-mile round trip to watch their team take on Newcastle United in the FA Cup.The gruelling journey was expected to take around 24 hours and cost a good few of them two days' work. What's more, there was no guarantee they would make it through the snow ‑ and there was a chance the match could be called off.And if they did get there, and the game did go ahead, most expect to see their beloved team lose."Why do we do it? I can't really answer that," said Bryan Holden, a 41-year-old forklift truck driver. "I know lots of people must think we are mad but we love our team. That's what this trip is all about."Holden's trip began even earlier than the rest, as he had to journey up from Cornwall to Devon to meet the coach. "I know it's pretty stupid," he said. Chances of winning? "Pretty slim."The Guardian caught up with the two official coaches at Strensham services, in Worcestershire, four hours into their odyssey. The younger fans (some had taken a sneaky day off school) were throwing snowballs in the car park. One very young lad was building a snowman. A few miles away in the Malvern hills there were 6ft snowdrifts.Eighty-two-year-old Peter Hall preferred to smoke his pipe under a canopy at the entrance to the service station. Hall worked for the club for almost 40 years, is now vice-president and travels to every away game possible. "I'll hopefully be having a doze on the way back. It's nice and comfortable and warm on the coach."Friends Doreen and Moira said they went "everywhere" with the team, which wisely travelled by plane. Doreen said: "This is the most snow we've seen on a trip. As long as we can get there and the game is played it'll be worthwhile."They had paid £45 for the coach fare, £15 for their match tickets and had to find the money for meals and drinks on the way, as well as standing to lose two days' wages. Some will be a few hundred pounds out of pocket.Another supporter, Mark Havard, said: "We won't be very happy if the match is called off." He sighed when asked why he did it. "Good question. I've followed Argyle since I was five and go to every game. You just keep going. I may be a bit mad, I don't know."With that the lads at the back launched into a rendition of In Plymouth's Fair City and the coach rolled onward.Plymouth ArgyleNewcastle UnitedFA CupWeatherTransportSteven Morrisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Labour tries to block Lord Ashcroft's Tory cash Electoral Commission is under pressure to finish its investigation into peer's millions before next electionLabour is investigating legal action to block Tory peer Lord Ashcroft from funding the Conservative election Âcampaign in a dramatic, last-ditch attempt to wreck David Cameron's push for Downing Street.The party's high command, worried about being outspent by the Conservatives, believes it has a case to cut off the flow of Ashcroft's millions during the campaign because the peer is still subject to an inquiry by the official spending watchdog, the Electoral Commission.Labour fears that investigations by the commission into Bearwood Corporate Services, an Ashcroft-owned company that has given more than £3m to the Tories, could drag on beyond the election. It argues that it would be wrong, and undemocratic, for the Tories to beneÂfit from funds that could yet be judged inadmissible by the commission.In a parallel attempt to thwart the Conservatives' key source of money, the Observer can also reveal that Gordon Brown has authorised the party's most senior official, general secretary Ray Collins, to write to the commission urging it to complete its inquiry before the general election.The move will be seen as an attempt both to unnerve the Tories, by making them more reluctant to use the Ashcroft money, while also pressuring the Âcommission to bring forward a decision that could have disastrous consequences for Cameron's campaign.If the commission decides that ÂBearwood was not a trading company when the donations were made, the Tories could be asked to pay an equivalent amount to the Treasury. Labour is also examining what the consequences would be if the Electoral Commission ruled after the election that the donations were inadmissible."There would be a case to say the election in those seats had been bought with money that should not have been spent and that it should be rerun," said one Labour source.In the letter, Collins urges the commission's chief executive, Peter Wardle, to "ensure this [investigation] is concluded well before the next general election".Collins points out that the commission's "critical" investigation into Bearwood Corporate Services is already one of the longest it has conducted and argues that "the British people will want to see your findings before they cast their votes".He also tells Wardle: "As you are aware, the next general election will be a crucial one for our country. Lord Ashcroft is not only the major Conservative party donor, funding a large number of their key seats, he is also running the Conservative marginal seats campaign. In this respect Lord Ashcroft is already a key figure in determining the outcome of the next general election."The commission began making inquiries into Bearwood's donations in October 2008 after concerns were raised that it may not be a genuine UK trading company. Overseas residents can make donations to British political parties if they are made through British-registered companies that conduct most of their business in Britain. Bearwood gave the Tories £1,600,893 in 2008 alone, making it the party's biggest source of funds that year.Ashcroft, the Tory party's deputy chairman, does not make donations to the Conservative party in an individual capacity, because to do so donors have to be listed on the electoral roll. He refuses to reveal whether he is registered to vote and he regards his tax affairs as private. Ashcroft is convinced that the commission will find nothing wrong with his donations to the Conservative party.In his answer to Collins, Wardle says he understand the concerns but stresses that "thoroughness and accuracy" are paramount in any such inquiry and that therefore it is not possible to conclude when it will be concluded.A Conservative party spokesman said: "This is a matter for the Electoral Commission. We are co-operating fully with their inquiries."Separately, it has emerged that the Electoral Commission is to review the accounts of the British National party. The BNP submitted a revised set of accounts earlier this month, following concerns that the original set it had given to the commission had not been approved. Following an assessment of the revised accounts, the commission decided that it is "reasonable to assume" a breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act has occurred.The development is a significant credibility blow to the party's leader, Nick Griffin, who has attacked MPs for not being transparent in their financial affairs. Senior party members could face a fine or a custodial sentence if the commission proceeds to a formal investigation.Michael AshcroftParty fundingConservativesLabourJamie DowardToby Helmguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Labour drew up list of embassies to shut Tories say Foreign Office memo shows officials have been ordered to work up plans for cuts due to falling value of poundThe government is said to be drawing up a secret hit list of embassies to be closed as the effects of the sharp fall in the pound on Britain's spending plans abroad are felt.David Lidington, the shadow junior foreign minister, said that an internal Foreign Office memorandum claimed that officials had been ordered to work up plans for substantial cuts "which could be implemented soon after the election".The memo stated that further cuts "should not be achieved by salami-slicing but instead by stopping activity, closing posts and reducing staff numbers", according to Lidington.The charge followed Lady Kinnock's announcement in the Lords yesterday that programmes to tackle terrorism and radicalisation in Pakistan had been cut because of the currency plunge.The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, admitted today that the falling pound was causing difficulties for his department and the Foreign Office. He said he was having to make "hard choices" to ensure that the war in Afghanistan was affected.Ainsworth said the budget for Afghanistan remained the "overwhelming priority", but added: "It doesn't take a genius to know if that if the pound exchange rate changes then that gives us issues, it gives us difficulties and we have to deal with those difficulties."Our priorities are still our priorities and, if necessary, we will move money in order to protect those priorities and that means we will have to take hard decisions elsewhere."Chris Bryant, the junior foreign minister, confirmed that the Foreign Office budget had been left with a shortfall of £110m, a figure expected to grow in 2010-11 due to further fluctuations in sterling. But he denied that anti-terror spending had been cut, saying that the budget for counterterrorism programmes was rising year on year.Answering an emergency Commons question, Bryant said the percentage of that sum being spent in Pakistan had also risen.Bryant made his comments after Kinnock, the minister for Africa and the UN, sparked concern on all sides by disclosing in the House of Lords last night that programmes to tackle terrorism and radicalisation in Pakistan had been hit as a result of a decision to transfer exchange rate risks from the Treasury to the Foreign Office.The Conservatives criticised David Miliband, the foreign secretary, for the removal two years ago of the Overseas Price Mechanism, the system that, under a deal with the Treasury, made up for shortfalls in the Foreign Office budget that were the result of exchange rate changes.Lidington said it was "appalling" to see Gordon Brown talking about the fight against terrorism while Kinnock was outlining the impact of exchange rate problems on the counterterrorism programme.Urging ministers to "come clean" about the issue, he demanded a "full list" of the cuts being made due to the exchange rate "debacle".Kinnock's revelation in the Lords came hours after the prime minister told the Commons that the "crucible of terrorism" on the Afghan-Pakistan border remained the "No 1 security threat to the west".Speaking on a visit to a housing estate in Stevenage today, the prime minister said: "Counter-terrorism expenditure in Pakistan and generally is increasing this year and will increase next year."Bryant told MPs this morning that around 50% of the FCO's budget was spent on currency with exchange rate volatility and that the estimated impact picked up by Kinnock yesterday for 2009-10 had already been disclosed in December in response to an MP's question.Despite this shortfall, the counterterrorism budget rose from £35m in 2008-09 to £36.9m this year with a further projected rise to £38m in 2010-11, said Bryant.He said counterterrorism was the "overriding and single most important element" of the work done by the FCO."The total amount of money we're spending on counterterrorism is rising in each year and the percentage of the amount of money we're spending in Pakistan has increased."Pakistan now receives 28% of the total amount of counterterrorism spending ... We believe these are the appropriate priorities."Bryant said the amount spent in Pakistan had risen from £3.7m in 2007-08 to £6.2m in 2008-09 and £8.3m in 2009-10.He said the government had been "absolutely open" about problems with currency fluctuations and denied there had been any attempt to "obfuscate or hide" the fact that the estimated impact was over £100m in 2009-10.No final decisions have been made about next year's budget.Kim Howells, a former foreign minister who is now chair of the intelligence and security committee that oversees MI5, MI6 and other intelligence agencies, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning that he was surprised at the timing of Kinnock's comments, but not the content."It is well known that obviously if a currency devalues against other currencies than you buy less than your money," said Howells.He said he did not believe these cuts would affect "the hard end" of counterterrorism activities, before adding: "Undoubtedly what it will affect are those softer diplomatic efforts ... for example, trying to convince the Pakistani government and the regional governments in Pakistan that they should try to improve the material lives of people that will make them less susceptible to the overtures of al-Qaida, the Taliban and so on."Terrorism policyUK security and terrorismGlobal terrorismPakistanGordon BrownForeign policyHélène Mulhollandguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Retirement age 'should be scrapped' Equality commission says an ageing population and increased willingness among older people to work should see default retirement age scrappedWorkers should be able to stay in their jobs beyond the age of 65, and employers should be incentivised to allow older employees to work flexibly, the UK's equality watchdog said today.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the ageing population and an increased willingness to work among older people meant it was time for the government to scrap the default retirement age, a law which allows firms to force staff to finish work at 65.It said scrapping the rule would remove the "safety net" for employers and encourage more radical approaches to issues such as flexibility, handling the performance of workers of all ages, and improving occupational health.Hand-in-hand with this change, EHRC said, the government should extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and consider introducing incentives for flexible employers, with a particular emphasis on the over-50s.The commission said the economy "would be the biggest winner" from the proposed changes, with research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research suggesting that extending working lives by 18 months would earn Britain £15bn.The government is currently looking into changes to the rule, and has indicated it could eventually scrap it entirely.A survey of 1,500 workers by the commission suggests a rule change would be welcomed by many workers. It found that 64% of women and 24% of men wanted to remain economically active after the state pension age (currently 65 for men and rising to 65 for women by 2020).Around 60% said they wanted to continue working but on a part-time basis, while 40% said they would like to stay in their current jobs but with greater flexibility in hours worked.The commission's deputy chair, Baroness Margaret Prosser, said it was time to move away from systems put in place when people died not long after reaching state pension age."Britain has experienced a skills exodus during the recession, and as the economy recovers we face a very real threat of not having enough workers – a problem that is further exacerbated by the skills lost by many older workers being forced to retire at 65," she said."Keeping older Britons healthy and in the workforce also benefits the economy more broadly by decreasing welfare costs and increasing the spending power of older Britons."Our research shows that to provide real opportunity to older workers, abolishing the default retirement age needs to be accompanied by a concerted drive by government, employers and agencies to meet the health, caring and work needs of the over-50s to enable them to remain in the workplace. Greater flexibility can help to deliver this."A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said the government's long-term aim was to consign fixed retirement ages to the past."We have already committed to bringing forward our review of the default retirement age to this year. We are taking evidence now from business and individuals on the impact of retirement ages," he said."Our review will reach a decision after full consideration of the evidence on whether the default retirement age is still appropriate."Discrimination at workWork & careersSocial exclusionEqualityOlder peopleHilary Osborneguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Eight-day fire strike called off Industrial action is called off after fire authority bosses agree to refer a long-running dispute with firefighters to an advisory panel. news.bbc.co.uk |