Former MP Sir Irvine Patnick dies

30 December 2012 Last updated at 18:55 ET

Former Conservative MP Sir Irvine Patnick has died at the age of 83.

He was MP for Sheffield Hallam for 10 years, from 1987 to 1997, in Margaret Thatcher and John Major's governments.

Sir Irvine recently apologised for repeating "inaccurate" information about the Hillsborough tragedy which he said he was given by police officers.

A statement issued by his family said Sir Irvine "died peacefully", and had been a "much loved" husband and father who would be "sadly missed".

Sir Irvine was criticised in the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report on the Hillsborough disaster.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium during the FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest in 1989.

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He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew"

End Quote Patnick family statement

September's report confirmed him as one of the sources for a notorious Sun newspaper story that smeared Liverpool fans after the disaster.

It found that the story, under the headline "The Truth", had come from a news agency based on conversations with South Yorkshire Police and Sir Irvine.

Sir Irvine subsequently apologised, saying that he had passed on information from police that was "inaccurate, misleading and plain wrong", for which he was "deeply and sincerely sorry".

In October, Labour MP Steve Rotherham called for Sir Irvine to be stripped of his knighthood.

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson echoed the call, arguing that Sir Irvine had "brought the Honours system into disrepute" and helped to bring "overwhelming misery" to the people of Liverpool.

Synagogue vice-president

In a statement issued following his death, his family said: "Sir Irvine Patnick OBE, died peacefully on 30 December 2012, aged 83, in Sheffield.

"He was a much loved husband of Lynda and father of Suzanne and Matthew.

"He'll be sadly missed by his brothers and by all all his family and friends."

Sir Irvine was born in Sheffield, educated at its Central Technical School and later went to Sheffield Polytechnic.

He entered Parliament in 1987, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in Hillsborough in 1970 and 1979.

As the only Conservative MP in the county, he was credited with coining the phrase, "the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire", which he intended as criticism but was adopted with pride by many in the area.

He was made a Conservative government whip in 1989, but admitted that he missed the broadcasting appearances no longer open to someone in that role.

"It's like seeing a very juicy meal that you want to get to and finding there is an invisible barrier stopping you getting towards it," he said.

Sir Irvine was vice-president of Sheffield's Kingfield Synagogue, life president of Sheffield Jewish Representative Council, and a former national vice-chairman of the Maccabi sports and youth organisation.

His former constituency of Sheffield Hallam is now held by the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

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Duncan Smith condemns tax credits

30 December 2012 Last updated at 20:37 ET

The work and pensions secretary has attacked the tax credit system put in place by Labour, saying it had resulted in "a sorry story of dependency, wasted taxpayers' money and fraud".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith said the credits - to top up the incomes of the lower-paid - were "haemorrhaging money".

He said fraud and error in the system under Labour had cost £10bn.

Even for true claimants, "tax credits were not fit for purpose", he said.

Tax credits are paid based on estimates given by claimants for their income for the year ahead, with HM Revenue & Customs responsible for reclaiming any overpayments at the end of the year.

"In the years between 2003 and 2010, Labour spent a staggering £171bn on tax credits, contributing to a 60% rise in the welfare bill," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The system, he said, "was wide open to abuse".

The so-called "income disregard" - the amount a person's income can rise before their claim must be reassessed - was raised from £2,500 to £25,000 in 2008.

"It will come as no surprise therefore that fraudsters from around the world targeted this benefit for personal gain," Mr Duncan Smith said.

The government is planning to slash the disregard to £5,000.

Mr Duncan Smith also said that officials carried out far fewer checks on tax credit claims than benefit claims, despite estimates that one in 12 tax credit claims were incorrect or fraudulent, compared with fewer than one in 25 benefit claims.

The government believes there is more than £300m to be saved over the next three years by reducing fraud and error, and also wants to reclaim £400m in unpaid debts.

"Even for those in genuine need of support, tax credits were not fit for purpose," Mr Duncan Smith said.

"They were haemorrhaging money while at the same time trapping people in a system where those trying hard to increase the amount of hours they worked weren't necessarily better off."

Mr Duncan Smith is leading an overhaul of the welfare system that will see a number of benefits replaced by a new universal credit that is designed, he says, "to make work pay at each and every hour".

He also accused previous Labour governments of boosting tax credit payments ahead of the last two general elections in "an attempt to gain short-term popularity".

"It knew what it was doing - this was a calculated attempt to win votes," he said.

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Call for new drug policy research body

30 December 2012 Last updated at 23:15 ET

A new body is needed to assess existing and alternative drugs policies, and could be partly funded by assets seized from dealers, campaigners have said.

The UK Drug Policy Commission said billions of pounds a year were spent tackling drug problems, "without always knowing what difference it makes".

The new body would collect and share evidence so policy-makers were not "driving blind", the UKDPC said.

It called for politicians to establish a cross-party forum on the issue.

In October, the UKDPC published the results of a six-year study of drug policy suggesting that of £3bn a year spent tackling drug problems in the UK, at least £2bn was not supported by clear evidence.

In its latest study, titled How to Make Drug Policy Better, the body said there was a lack of serious discussion about policy, as well as a lack of research and testing of different strategies.

"We have not been taking evidence seriously," said chief executive Roger Howard.

"We need a body that takes responsibility for collecting and sharing evidence. Until we get serious about this, we will continue to be driving blind with many of our drug policies.

"At the moment, no-one can say that much of what we are doing in enforcement and prevention offers value for money."

Decriminalisation

The report is based on interviews with former home secretaries, drugs ministers, senior civil servants and policy experts.

It complained about a lack of leadership on the issue, adding that a high turnover of ministers and civil servants was also hindering progress.

Since the 2010 election, it said, there had been four drugs ministers and three Home Office civil servants with lead responsibility for drugs.

The report suggested a new independent body could provide leadership, assess drug and alcohol strategies and commission new research.

As well as receiving funding from various research councils, there could be a strong case for channelling assets seized from drug-related crime, the UKDPC suggested.

Earlier this month, the cross-party Commons Home Affairs Committee urged the government to establish a royal commission to consider alternative policies - including possible decriminalisation.

But Prime Minister David Cameron quickly ruled out the suggestion, saying: "I don't support decriminalisation. We have a policy which actually is working in Britain."

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Tube cleaners in strike over pay

31 December 2012 Last updated at 01:54 ET

London Underground (LU) station cleaners have begun a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said members working for Initial and ISS contractors would not turn up for work for two days from 5:30 GMT.

A spokesman from ISS said the company was disappointed the RMT had called the strikes as it planned to introduce new pay rates in March.

LU said it did not expect Tube services to be affected.

The RMT's general secretary Bob Crow said the cleaners were doing "some of the dirtiest jobs" on minimum pay.

'Social justice'

Mr Crow said: "It is these same staff who have played a key role in keeping services clean and safe who are now forced again by their employers to take action for a living wage and recognition of their efforts.

"2013 has to be about equality, inclusiveness and social justice and that's what our cleaners are standing up for as the spotlight shines on London."

The RMT said workers also planned to stage a mass picket at King's Cross station for two hours from 07:00.

A statement from LU said: "This is a dispute between ISS, Initial and the RMT which we urge all parties to resolve without any unnecessary strike action."

It said Transport for London fully supported the mayor's London Living Wage, which was increased to £8.55 per hour in November.

An ISS spokesman said: "We have already informed the union that we will be introducing the London Living Wage for all of our staff supporting Transport for London at the end of March.

"It is a real shame that the RMT has asked its members to give up pay when it knows that we have already agreed to introduce the new pay rates with our customers."

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Cosmetic ops 'hard sell' opposed

31 December 2012 Last updated at 02:02 ET

People responding to a public consultation on cosmetic surgery have called for a ban on cut-price deals and aggressive sales techniques.

Responses from patients, the public and industry, are being published as part of the review set up after the PIP breast implant scandal last year.

A final report, by Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS medical director, is due in March.

A spokesman for cosmetic surgeons said procedures should not be sold as "a commodity".

The health secretary asked Sir Bruce to look at the regulation and safety of products used in cosmetic surgery and the care given to patients both during and after their treatment.

'Time to think'

Among the suggestions included in the interim report were calls for less aggressive selling of cosmetic procedures and tighter restrictions on advertising, for example a ban on two-for-one and time-limited deals - and on offering cosmetic surgery as competition prizes.

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Review panel member Vivienne Parry says "people are not made aware of the risks"

Providing patients with photos of expected bruising and scarring, as well as more detail on the risks associated with surgery should be standard procedure too, a respondent said.

GP Dr Rosemary Leonard, the BBC Breakfast doctor and review committee member, said patients should always talk to a doctor first.

"It is wrong that the first consultation is with a sales person rather than a medical professional.

"Surgery - indeed any cosmetic intervention - is a serious step, and a patient must be told about the immediate side effects after surgery as well as any potential long term effects on their health."

Rajiv Grover, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) welcomed the call to end the practice of sales people holding consultations.

He said: "We're pleased that the report - and public opinion - so strongly reflects our own views.

"We have made the comparison between cosmetic surgery being sold as a commodity, much as a washing machine or off-the-shelf beauty products, many times before.

"Medical procedures simply cannot continue to be promoted in this manner and although it is tragic that it has taken a crisis of the magnitude of PIP to make the world sit up and take notice, it seems we're finally making headway towards a safer environment for patients.

"It's time to scrub up and take action to restore confidence in our sector."

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UK is making 'real progress' - PM

29 December 2012 Last updated at 19:01 ET

David Cameron has used his New Year's message to say the UK is "heading in the right direction".

The prime minister said 2012 was "tough" but people can look forward to 2013 with "realism and optimism".

In the video address released on Sunday, he admitted he had "no quick fixes" to the UK's economic problems.

But he said there has been "real progress" on cutting Britain's financial deficit, welfare reform and improving school standards.

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"Start Quote

On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it"

End Quote David Cameron British Prime Minister

Meanwhile, a leaked internal memo suggests senior Lib Dems have been urged to spread the message that the Conservatives cannot be trusted to help build a fairer society.

And Labour has responded to David Cameron's New Year message by saying the prime minister had "promised change" but "nothing is changing for the better".

In his message, Mr Cameron said "this is, quite simply, a government in a hurry", adding: "There's a reason for that."

He added: "Britain is in a global race to succeed today. It is a race with countries like China, India and Indonesia; a race for the jobs and opportunities of the future.

"So when people say we can slow down on cutting our debts, we are saying no. We can't win in this world with a great millstone of debt round our necks.

"When people say we've got to stop our welfare reforms because somehow it is cruel to expect people to work, we are saying 'no'. Getting people into good jobs is absolutely vital, not just for them, but for all of us.

'Right direction'

"And when there is a fight on our hands to change our schools, we are ready and willing to have it, because having a world-class education is the only way our children are going to get on in this world."

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"Start Quote

This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people"

End Quote Michael Dugher Labour party vice chairman

Mr Cameron said: "On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it."

He said that the deficit was forecast to be a quarter smaller at the New Year than it was when the coalition government came to office; that there are almost half a million more people in work; and more than 1,000 new academy schools have opened.

He also hailed moves to take millions of low-paid workers out of income tax, freeze council tax bills and deliver the largest-ever increase in the state pension.

Mr Cameron avoided the issues of Britain's future in the European Union - which he is due to give a speech about in the coming weeks - and gay marriage, both of which have caused divisions within the Conservative Party.

Lib Dem memo

Instead, the prime minister said he looked back on 2012 as "an extraordinary year for our country", characterised by the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the successful Olympics and Paralympics.

Meanwhile a leaked internal memo suggested Lib Dems are being encouraged to criticise their Tory coalition partners as well as the Labour opposition.

The memo from the party's head office to its MPs, peers and staff says they should criticise not just the Labour opposition but their Conservative coalition partners in the year ahead.

The memo suggests voters should be reminded that the Tories wanted to "look after the super rich".

And Michael Dugher, Labour's vice chairman, said the prime minister's message was "a case of more of the same".

He said: "Cameron promised change but nothing is changing for the better. Britain's economy is failing under his policies over the last year, with nearly one million young people out of work.

"Prices are still going up faster than wages and borrowing is going up not down, over 7% higher this year than last year.

"This prime minister is out of touch, he stands up for the wrong people and he's failing to deliver for working people."

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Police controversies hit trust - Vaz

29 December 2012 Last updated at 22:56 ET

Public confidence in the police has been hurt by a "dangerous cocktail" of controversies including the critical Hillsborough report and Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" row, a senior MP has warned.

Labour's Keith Vaz, chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, also said government restructuring of the service had undermined police morale.

He urged talks between government and police at this "defining moment".

The committee begins an inquiry into police practices next month.

This will look into issues of training, accountability and integrity, and the effectiveness of processes for dealing with internal corruption and malpractice.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Mr Vaz said: "Crime may be low but confidence in the police service appears just as low and their morale is even lower."

About the "plebgate" row, Mr Vaz wrote: "What appears to have happened to Andrew Mitchell could well have been a Christmas special script. The chief whip had to resign following a 60-second 'incident' in, of all places, Downing Street."

Mr Mitchell's resignation followed an accusation that, during an argument while leaving Downing Street on his bicycle in September, he had called police officers "plebs" - a claim he has always denied.

CCTV footage has since emerged appearing to cast doubt on officers' version of events, and a serving Met police constable has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and suspended from duty.

Mr Vaz went on: "Take a police officer apparently masquerading as a member of the public, a confidential log book finding its way into the public domain, add the results of the Hillsborough Inquiry, which have resulted in thousands of serving and former police officers being investigated, and the fact that 26 out of the 43 police forces do not have a permanent chief constable, and you have a dangerous cocktail.

"This is a defining moment for policing. Cool heads, clear thoughts and strong leadership are required."

'Radical change'

However, while he acknowledged that some restructuring of policing was needed, he said the government's changes had been "too rapid and too far-reaching".

Currently almost half of officers questioned said they would prefer a different job, Mr Vaz suggested, and more than 90% felt the force lacked government support.

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The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?"

End Quote Keith Vaz Chairman, Commons Home Affairs Committee

"Some of the causes of disquiet are not the result of change but of the way change has been handled.

"One of the first rules of management is to ensure that during a period of radical change you carry your workforce with you. Unfortunately this has not happened," he said.

"With these profound changes taking place the last thing you should do is start to alter the pay and conditions of those who will implement the reforms without entering into a proper dialogue with them.

"The Government was wrong to change police pension arrangements retrospectively. It was unfair and forced out a number of experienced officers."

Mr Vaz argued that the prime minister had to open "a constructive dialogue with the police service" that would continue at annual summits involving senior officers.

"The big questions now are what do we want from our police service and how much are we prepared to pay for it?" he said.

"We need a Royal Commission that sets out a new Magna Carta for policing in this century."

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Warning of 'nation divided' by cuts

30 December 2012 Last updated at 00:09 ET

The government's cuts programme could lead to "problems on our streets" and "the break-up of civil society", three Labour council leaders have warned.

The leaders of Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield councils believe the cuts unfairly penalise northern England relative to the South.

They were "in danger of creating a deeply divided nation", the three said in a letter to the Observer newspaper.

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair".

The letter was a response to the latest cuts to council budgets announced earlier this month - of 2%, in addition to the reductions of about 28% already forced on authorities.

It was written by Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes, Sheffield leader Julie Dore, and Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson.

They believe northern English cities have been hit harder by the coalition government's austerity programme, partly because of the withdrawal of support to deprived areas in place under the previous government.

"Rising crime, increasing community tension and more problems on our streets will contribute to the break-up of civil society if we do not turn back," the council leaders warned.

"The unfairness of the Government's cuts is in danger of creating a deeply divided nation. We urge them to stop what they are doing now and listen to our warnings before the forces of social unrest start to smoulder."

A government spokesman said funding for councils was "fair", and that local authorities could protect front-line services by dipping into their reserves and eliminating waste.

The Observer quoted a Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman as saying: "Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help pay off the inherited budget deficit.

"This is a fair settlement - fair to north and south, fair to rural and urban areas and fair to shires and metropolitan areas."

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Most 'spent less on Christmas'

30 December 2012 Last updated at 02:16 ET

A majority of consumers spent less on their Christmas shopping this year than they did in 2011, according to a survey by the consumers' association Which?

Nearly half used credit cards, overdrafts and other borrowing to help fund their purchases, the survey of 2,100 people across the UK suggests.

Nine out of 10 agreed that they felt under pressure to spend too much during the festive season.

Just under half - 46% - used some form of debt to help them meet their bills.

Nearly a quarter claimed they would not otherwise have been able to afford their Christmas shopping.

Credit cards were the most popular form of borrowing, although a substantial proportion also relied on authorised overdrafts from their banks.

A majority reported they had found the Christmas period financially tougher than last year, and more than half of those questioned also said that they had cut back on their seasonal spending.

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Most of us like to splash out on family and friends at this time of year, so the news that millions of people have drastically cut back on Christmas spending or taken out loans to cover Christmas costs shows just how squeezed household budgets are right now"

End Quote Richard Lloyd Which?

However, the message from the retail industry so far is that Christmas sales were acceptable, and may have been a little higher than last year.

The survey suggested 54% of consumers expected their Christmas budgets to be even tighter next year.

The average amount put on credit was £301, while for those who went into their savings, the average was £380.

Around 12% of consumers used authorised overdrafts, 8% spent on store cards and 5% simply borrowed money from friends or family.

Nearly half (48%) of those asked said they did not buy as much food and 45% bought less high quality food than last year because of increasing food prices.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Most of us like to splash out on family and friends at this time of year, so the news that millions of people have drastically cut back on Christmas spending or taken out loans to cover Christmas costs shows just how squeezed household budgets are right now.

"It also shows how far we are from a consumer spending-led economic recovery."

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UK braced for more rain to end year

30 December 2012 Last updated at 03:12 ET

Widespread flood warnings are still in force across the UK, with more downpours expected on Sunday.

Rain is expected in Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland later.

There are currently more than 88 warnings and about 225 alerts in force in England and Wales, with 11 alerts and 10 warnings in Scotland.

Forecasters say there is a "good chance" that 2012 will be the wettest year in the UK since records began.

And for much of the UK, the final weekend of the year will close in the same manner that characterised the previous 12 months.

"There are a few showers at the moment in the west and then as we head into the latter part of the afternoon, we will see rain spreading into parts of Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, north-west England and south-west Scotland," said BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton.

Winds will also be strong, especially in the north-west of the UK, turning very windy overnight, he said.

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Travel and weather information

From the BBC:

Elsewhere:

Rain and winds will be widespread on Monday, but things should improve by the evening, when many people should be able to venture out to celebrate the New Year in dry conditions.

After days of flooding that brought parts of the UK to a standstill, river and groundwater levels are still high in many areas.

England's south-west, south-east and Midlands regions will continue to be affected, as well as large chunks of Wales, the Environment Agency said.

Its flood risk manager, Katharine Evans, said: "With more heavy rain forecast, it is still as important as ever to be prepared for flooding, keep up to date with the latest warnings and if you are at risk, to move valuable items to safety.

"Our teams will continue to work around the clock to protect communities from flooding, and we would urge people to stay safe by not walking or driving through flood water."

Met Office figures show that 2012 will go down as one of the wettest years since records began in 1910 and it could yet be the wettest.

On Friday, the Met Office said just 46mm (2in) of rain was needed to fall before 31 December to break the record for the UK, with 1,291.2mm (50in) having been recorded between 1 January and 26 December.

A new record has already been set for England, with 1,095.8mm falling in 2012 up to Boxing Day.

Buses continue to replace trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, and the line is not expected to reopen until New Year's Day at the earliest, National Rail said.

Services also continue to be disrupted between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth, and Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple.

To access more information, from your mobile, visit the BBC Weather and BBC Travel News sites.

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