UK
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New chief executive calls for “opening up” of Britain’s National Health Service By Ben Trent
Incoming National Health Service chief executive Simon Stevens has called for the “opening up” of healthcare and “reshaping our care system”. Continue reading
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UK Labour pledges itself to legally binding savage cuts By Julie Hyland
The United Kingdom’s opposition Labour Party has pledged to introduce laws to enforce “tough” fiscal rules if it wins the election in 2015. Continue reading
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Video: The UK Doubles Down on Austerity
John Weeks: The UK announces tens of billions of dollars of cuts to social programs despite a poor economic recovery Continue reading
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Osborne’s Britain: poverty, insecurity and cuts
Few people, other than the rich and the ruling elites, celebrated when some faltering growth crept back into the economy in the latter part of last year. This was because few could feel any benefit from it in any part of their lives. As the growth was talked up wages and living standards continued to… Continue reading
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Campaigning Lewisham GP to stand in Euro elections for new National Health party By Caroline Malloy
London GP Louise Irvine, who led the successful ‘Save Lewisham Hospital’ campaign, is standing for European parliament for the National Health Action Party in a bid to stop privatisation and NHS cuts. Continue reading
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UK gets carte blanche to expand nuclear power, fracking under new EU energy goals
New energy goals set out by the European Union for 2030 will allow Britain to meet emissions targets by building more nuclear power plants instead of wind farms and expand fracking operations, despite criticism by green campaigners. Continue reading
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Sleepwalking into an information grab by private health? By Jane Fae
NHS England has still not done enough to inform patients of the privacy-busting implications of the new ‘care.data’ scheme, former home secretary David Davies tells openDemocracy. One of the most ambitious privacy-busting information grabs of the new century looks set to resume shortly. Following a minor reverse last year, the way is once more being… Continue reading
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Charges for migrants and visitors set precedent for wider assault on Britain’s NHS By Tony Robson
The UK Conservative-Liberal Democrat government is set to introduce, for the first time, charges for accident and emergency (A&E) treatment for temporary migrants and overseas visitors. Until now, charges have only applied to subsequent treatment as an inpatient or outpatient. Continue reading
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Mental health – a Cinderella service no more? By Alex Langford
Acknowledging the need to improve mental health services by any politician is a positive step. For such a policy to attract the Deputy Prime Minister himself is even better. So why has the reaction from mental health professionals been at best cautiously muted, and at worst dismissive? Continue reading
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UK housing benefit changes threaten mass evictions By Eileen Rose
Open season has been declared on housing benefit recipients who live in private rented accommodation. Continue reading
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NHS: Why this year’s Davos could be bad for our health By John Hillary
Tomorrow sees the start of the World Economic Forum, the annual Davos gathering at which the transnational capitalist class looks to the year ahead and celebrates its continuing domination of the global economy. Open only to invited guests from the highest echelons of the corporate and government elite, the event sees no need to be… Continue reading
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Ex-UK minister of defence and former army chief of staff named in Iraq war crimes case By Jean Shaoul
Britain has been referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague over allegations of war crimes committed during the occupation of Iraq. There was a call for an ICC investigation under Article 15 of the Rome Statute into the actions of senior British officials during the conflict. Continue reading
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US embarrassment “trumps British justice” in drone victim’s case By David Swanson
The Court of Appeal today ruled that, despite Mr Khan’s arguments being “persuasive,” they accepted the British Government’s claims that the case should not proceed as “a finding by our court that the notional UK operator of a drone bomb which caused a death was guilty of murder would inevitably be understood…by the US as… Continue reading
The New Dark Age 