Former PM warns Scottish independence could lead to deeper cuts
Breaking up the UK could lead to deeper cuts in public expenditure in Scotland, the former prime minister has warned.
Gordon Brown warns Scottish independence could lead to deeper cuts. Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville
In a lecture at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Gordon Brown also warned that the proposed second question on so-called devo max would be bad for Scotland.
He said: "If you break up the fiscal union, if you break up the sharing and pooling of resources across the UK, then it's clear that you will either have to cut public expenditure massively beyond what is being done at the moment, or you will have to tax Scottish people more."
Gordon Brown to attend Olympics opening ceremony. Credit: Reuters/Stephen Hird
The London Olympic Committee told a press conference today that former prime minister Gordon Brown will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics, and that "he does have tickets".
The appointment builds upon Mr Brown’s impressive commitment to education as a fundamental right of every child.
He has demonstrated unquestionable passion advocating extensively with world leaders, civil society, and the business community to keep the promise of quality education for all by 2015.
The Secretary-General is confident Mr Brown will be a genuine champion for the world’s most poor and that his passion and conviction will re-energise international action for everyone’s right to opportunity through education.
The Cabinet Office said it has no record of the telephone call Credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
The Cabinet Office said it has no record of a disputed telephone call in which Rupert Murdoch claims Gordon Brown said he was declaring war on the media mogul.
Mr Murdoch told the Leveson Inquiry in April that Mr Brown accused the Murdoch empire of declaring war on the government, which he had no choice but to "make war" in turn. Mr Brown responded this week at the Inquiry saying that the September call never took place. A Cabinet Office spokesman said:
" We can confirm that there is a record of only one call between Mr Brown and Rupert Murdoch in the year to March 2010. That call took place on the 10th of November 2009."
NHS Fife: 'highly likely staff member spoke about condition of Gordon Brown’s son'
In response to Gordon Brown's statement to the Leveson Inquiry John Wilson, Chief Executive of NHS Fife said:
Any breach of confidentiality in the NHS is unacceptable. We now accept that it is highly likely that, sometime in 2006, a member of staff in NHS Fife spoke, without authorisation, about the medical condition of Mr Brown’s son, Fraser. With the passage of time it has not been possible to identify all the circumstances.
We believe, however, that there was no inappropriate access to the child’s medical records. We are quite clear that conversations about patients are just as much a breach of confidentiality as looking into their medical records.
In the six years which have passed, NHS Fife has tightened up its procedures on patient confidentiality, and staff have had appropriate training. I have apologised to Mr and Mrs Brown and we have taken steps to ensure that what happened to Mr and Mrs Brown and their family should not happen again.
Brown: 'I did not contact Murdoch over switch of support'
The Sun's headquarters at Wapping Credit: Reuters/ITN
Gordon Brown said that after the Conservative Party gained the support of The Sun there was no point contacting the newspaper. Speaking to the Leveson Inquiry he said:
"I didn't return calls to News International. I didn't phone Mr [Rupert] Murdoch. I didn't talk to his son. I didn't text him or email him. I didn't contact him.
I'm surprised there was a story that I slammed the phone down on him and secondly there was a story from Mr Murdoch himself that I threatened him. This did not happen."
