Blog Profile / Richard Moss
| URL : | http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/richardmoss/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Local Interest / England | |
| Posts on Regator: | 112 | |
| Posts / Week: | 1.1 | |
| Archived Since: | July 6, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
UKIP in big local election push
They've become a force in European elections, and have been getting decent poll ratings for some time. But in May's local elections UKIP would love to make the kind of breakthrough that could bury accusations it's a single-issue party. And...Show More Summary
Margaret Thatcher and the North East
There's been much debate about Margaret Thatcher's political legacy in the days since her death. I have little doubt she is the most significant UK politician of my lifetime. And she has certainly never been forgotten in the north-east...Show More Summary
Green light for the Heseltine plan?
On the face of it the government's decision to back the bulk of Lord Heseltine's blueprint for growth looks good news for England's cities. But some are already wondering whether the government's pledge of support actually amounts to...Show More Summary
Eviction fears over housing changes
The government says it'll empower tenants, but there's growing concern that changes to the way housing benefit works could lead to more evictions. Housing benefit as a separate payment will begin to disappear from October when it gets...Show More Summary
Play reveals the whips' dark arts
It's the part of government we don't see - the engine room some say. But now you can get a chance to get a glimpse inside the whips' offices - or at least a recreation of them. The National Theatre's This House takes place largely in...Show More Summary
Should UK copy Norway's EU example?
As the UK builds up to a possible referendum on EU membership, people will be searching for hints at what life might be like outside the union. And one country many Euro-sceptics are keen to point to is Norway. Despite several referendums...Show More Summary
Strep B screening call for mothers
It's a bacteria that lives harmlessly in many of us, but for new-born babies it can be lethal. Group B Streptococcus infection kills around 40 babies every year and leaves a further 25 with serious disabilities. Ruth Caisley, from Haltwhistle,...Show More Summary
Why aren't there more disabled MPs?
Although one in six people have a disability, only a handful of our MPs are disabled people. And it seems despite the success of the likes of Jack Ashley and David Blunkett, the political representation of disabled people hasn't really...Show More Summary
Are old age benefits next for cuts?
They receive around half of the government's welfare budget but so far older people have largely dodged the austerity bullet. Unlike working age benefits, their pensions will go up by at least the rate of inflation for the next few years. While...Show More Summary
New police commissioners push up tax
They've been in office for less than three months but the new police and crime commissioners are already having to make a big decision. Should they look to raise council tax to bring in extra funds, or should they listen to the government...Show More Summary
Is it all over for waste plans?
For the second time in 14 years the hunt for a long-term solution to Britain's nuclear waste stockpile seems to have foundered in Cumbria. In 1999 Cumbria County Council rejected plans for a rock laboratory that could have paved theShow More Summary
The council tax benefit bombshell
Another benefits bombshell could be on the way for some of the poorest in society. Just as they adjust to the idea that their benefits will rise below inflation for the next three years, some now also face paying council tax for theShow More Summary
Sting joins protest at arts cuts
As a council leader you have to be prepared to slug it out with the political opposition. But you might not expect to have to take on the likes of Sting, Mark Knopfler and Bryan Ferry. Yet that's what's facing Newcastle Council's leader...Show More Summary
Can the Youth Contract deliver?
Every politician agrees that the scourge of youth unemployment needs to be tackled. The government has put £1 billion into the Youth Contract to try and do just that. One of the key tasks is being carried out by private companies. The...Show More Summary
Labour victory in Middlesbrough
There were two parties celebrating after the by-election declaration. It was a good, comfortable win for Labour's Andy McDonald. The party's majority dropped by 500 from 2010 but its share of the vote actually increased. Realistically...Show More Summary
UK needs prosperous north to grow
Those of us who live and work up north know that it's far from grim. Apart from having some vibrant cities and amazing countryside, it also has economic success stories. But a new report suggests more needs to be done to unlock its potential...Show More Summary
Middlesbrough by-election contest
Like many parts of the North East, Middlesbrough has remained loyal to Labour through thick and thin. Since the current parliamentary seat was reinstated in 1974, Labour has won every election with some degree of comfort. They're certainly...Show More Summary
Tory becomes Cumbria's first PCC
The Conservatives will be delighted to have won in Cumbria. But they know the result might have been very different. Had independent candidate Mary Robinson made it to the second ballot, they feared she might win by taking many of the...Show More Summary
Teach criminals to write says MP
For decades our prison population has been growing but now one Conservative MP has come up with a solution - force inmates to learn to read and write. It is estimated around half of prisoners cannot read or write. Hexham backbencherShow More Summary
Horden shootings gun law campaign
On New Year's Day 2012 David Rowe confronted a scene of unimaginable horror. He found his partner, her daughter and his partner's sister dead or dying from gunshot wounds at a house in Horden in County Durham. Next to them was theirShow More Summary