Daily View 2×2: 30 June 2009

By Richard Huzzey | Tue 30th June 2009 - 9:38 am

2 Big Stories

A high-powered think tank report for the IPPR by Paddy Ashdown and oher defense gurus has questioned expenditure on trident and conventional forces:

The UK should consider slashing defence spending by up to £24bn and revisit plans to renew its Trident nuclear deterrent, a think-tank report says.

Meanwhile, the row over future cuts-and-spending continues in Britain, over-shadowing Gordon Brown’s new Building Britain;s Future document:

Brown unveiled a manifesto entitled Building Britain’s Future and a draft Queen’s speech containing 12 bills. The overall aim was to downgrade Whitehall public service targets in favour of individual rights, with some enforceable by the community and others by individuals.

Ministers argued that after months on the back foot, Brown had delivered a policy programme that contained eye-catching measures and a more coherent reform framework for public services.

2 Must-read Blog Posts

Bernard Salmon comments on a new poll about Scottish devolution and independence.

Darrell Goodliffe observes the death throes of the Labour party.