17 Kent schools are expected to be closed today due to strike action by members of the National Union of Teachers. A number of other schools will only open partially - some reduced to just a few classes functioning normally. The NUT - the largest teaching union - is taking industrial action over pay.
Another effort to derail significant investment in Rochdale Borough's Public Transport was defeated by the Lib Dems at a meeting of the Borough Council. The Conservatives were trying to force a referendum just 35 days after any announcement of the Transport Innovation Bid. The debate was marred as the Deputy Leader of the GMPTE and Labour Group Leader Allen Brett abandoned his principles and left to avoid a backlash from his Greater Manchester Labour Colleagues and avoided the vote that the Lib Dems won easily.
Council Leader Alan Taylor announced at last night's council meeting that the Borough will see an extra two sergeants and sixteen constables, leading to an extra four officers in each township.
BRITISH National Party district councillors have been slammed as a "disgrace to the council and the community" after condemning a multi-faith forum representing various religions which has been set up in the district.
Controversial new policies for the future development of Bedford Borough have been branded 'deeply flawed' by Liberal Democrats. The Core Strategy and Rural Issues Plan, passed at last week's meeting of the borough council but opposed by the Liberal Democrats, imposes weak environmental standards on the 17,500 new homes due to be built in the borough by 2021 and could permit over-development and urban sprawl across unsuitable sites.
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Labour MPs today called off their revolt over the abolition of the 10p income tax rate after Alistair Darling promised to compensate poor households who will lose out. The Chancellor said he would use the minimum wage, tax credits and winter fuel payments to compensate the estimated 5.3 million families who will suffer financially from the abolition of the 10p rate. Changes, he said, would be backdated to April 2008. Frank Field responded by saying he would withdraw his rebel amendment that had attracted the signatures of 45 Labour MPs and threatened Gordon Brown with his first Commons defeat as prime minister. Both Nick Clegg and David Cameron raised the issue at Prime Minister's questions today. Nick said that the lowest earners were being made deliberately worse off by the Government's tax changes, and criticised Labour for doing the job of the Tories.