Osborne’s austerity drive cut 270,000 public sector jobs last year
ONS says 71,000 jobs were cut from education and nearly 31,000 from the NHS as public sector workforce shrank to 5.94 million |
Fizz goes out of UK champagne market
Number of bottles shipped to UK from France fell last year following strong rise in the previous 12 months |
Tenants bear the brunt of economic downturn
Debt problems on the rise for those in rented accommodation as family finances and disposable incomes are squeezed |
Lloyds plunges to £3.5bn loss for 2011
• Shares in Lloyds Banking Group biggest faller in FTSE 100 |
Ministry of Defence spent £290m on consultants last year
Exclusive: MoD criticised for failing to look in-house for technical expertise while pressing ahead with 60,000 job cuts |
Jeremy Clarkson cleared over The One Show rant
Despite more than 30,000 complaints, Ofcom says viewers would have expected ‘provocative and outspoken’ comments |
Spring in the air with warmer weather forecast for UK
Met Office forecasts milder spell, but weather patterns show no sign of rainfall ending drought fears |
Brodie Clark report expected to criticise ministers and border officials
Home Office to release results of John Vine’s official inquiry into last year’s row over ‘lighter touch’ passport checks |