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Could have accepted chief of staff's resignation sooner, Harper admits

The Canadian PressMay 23, 2013 12:48
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged for the first time Thursday that "perhaps" he could have responded more quickly to the news that his trusted chief of staff had footed the $90,000 bill for Sen. Mike Duffy's disallowed housing expenses. Harper conceded that he could have accepted the resignation of former right-hand man Nigel Wright earlier than he ultimately did — four days after Harper and the rest of Canada learned the stunning news about the personal cheque Wright wrote the senator.

UK opposition party leader says Google tax behavior "wrong"

May 22, 2013 08:33
By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Google Inc's tax affairs came under renewed scrutiny in Britain on Wednesday when the leader of the opposition Labour party accused the Internet company of wrongly going to "extraordinary lengths" to avoid paying tax. In comments designed to politically outflank Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of next month's G8 summit on what has become a high-profile issue, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said he was disappointed that Google paid so little tax.

British PM 'proud' of gay marriage bill but economy now focus

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 06:31
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday he was proud MPs had voted to back gay marriage but admitted the debate has been divisive and said his focus would now be on economic matters. The Conservative leader offered an olive branch to party activists opposed to the same-sex marriage bill by promising there would be no more laws on social issues before the next election in 2015. "If you are saying to me, 'Is this the first of many other issues like that?', no it isn't," Cameron told BBC radio, the day after the bill cleared a crucial parliamentary hurdle.

Britain's gay marriage bill passes major hurdle

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 17:45
A bill to legalise gay marriage in Britain passed a crucial hurdle in parliament on Tuesday, despite efforts by lawmakers from Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party to wreck the plans. Members of the House of Commons voted by 366 to 161 in favour of the same sex marriage bill, a majority of 205, and it will now go to the unelected House of Lords for consideration. There was applause as the result was read out, although the bill is likely to face stiff opposition when it is debated in the Lords next month, especially from the bishops.

Scotland's economy 'robust enough for independence'

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 15:01
Scotland can afford to go it alone as an independent country, its first minister Alex Salmond insisted on Tuesday as his administration claimed the British government was holding back economic development north of the border. Launching a paper outlining Scotland's economic strengths ahead of a referendum next year, Salmond argued that independence would unlock its potential as it could decide its own investment priorities.

Scotland says better off without Britain, but with the pound

May 21, 2013 13:30
By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Ending Britain's 306-year rule would allow Scotland to reverse generations of economic mismanagement and free its lawmakers to boost economic growth, say Scottish nationalists campaigning to split from the UK. Independence would not only bring the long-standing and sometimes-troubled union to an end, but allow tax cuts and investment focused on boosting exports to spur growth on the Scottish side of the border.

Britain's gay marriage bill set to pass major hurdle

Agence France-PresseMay 21, 2013 11:32
A bill to legalise gay marriage in Britain was set to pass a crucial hurdle in parliament on Tuesday, after Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to strike a last-minute deal with the opposition to stop members of his own party wrecking the plans. Lawmakers in the lower House of Commons were expected to approve the bill following a marathon debate on Monday, which saw Cameron join forces with Labour to defeat a "wrecking amendment" backed by dozens of rebellious right-wingers from his Conservative party.

Gay marriage law strains UK Cameron's leadership, government

May 20, 2013 23:30
By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron's flagship gay marriage policy is set to deepen a rift in his own party on Monday with many of his own lawmakers preparing to defy him in a sign of growing strains on his leadership and his coalition government. Up to half of Cameron's 303 lawmakers in the lower house of parliament are expected to back an amendment that the government says would sabotage its efforts to legalize gay marriage.

Anti-immigration leader comes under fire on Scottish trip

Agence France-PresseMay 16, 2013 20:16
Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) had to be rescued from a Scottish pub by police in a riot van after protesters disrupted his press conference on Thursday. He sought sanctuary in a pub in Edinburgh's historic central street, the Royal Mile, after being accosted by protesters chanting "scum, scum, scum". Farage was in the Scottish capital to launch his party's campaign north of the border as he looks to build on the party's growing popularity in England.

Britain moves closer to EU referendum law

Agence France-PresseMay 16, 2013 10:31
Britain moved closer to a referendum on Europe after a eurosceptic lawmaker said on Thursday that he would put forward legislation backed by Prime Minister David Cameron guaranteeing a vote by 2017. Cameron ordered all Conservative lawmakers to give their full backing to the bill, which the party rushed out earlier this week in a bid to satisfy the increasingly rebellious eurosceptic wing of the party.
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