Teacher's Strike Possible If Talks Break Down

Teachers are considering a fresh walkout just weeks after strike action forced schools across England and Wales to close.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) meeting for their annual conference today will debate the possibility of industrial action next term unless "significant progress" is made in talks with the Government.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "We have a motion that's going to be put to delegates which envisages industrial action in late June if we don't make progress in the talks with the Government in May.

"But the first priority is for a minister to actually come to those talks and we'd like to make progress on a list of things."

That list includes performance-related pay due to be introduced from September, heavy workloads and pensions.

The national walkout on March 26 saw 12% of schools shutting their doors, according to the Government, but thousands more were disrupted.

Any further strike action would be held in the week starting Monday, June 23 after the majority of GCSEs and A Level exams are over.

Teachers gathering for the conference called on Education Secretary Michael Gove to listen to their concerns.

"Certainly I will be thinking about voting to strike," said one. "Where I work people are concerned about the work loads, targets and the pressure Government puts on teachers."

Last month's national walkout organised by the NUT

Another told Sky News: "If Mr Gove would just listen to us and negotiate with us then strike action wouldn't go forward but he has to listen to us."

A poll commissioned by the NUT shows that two thirds of parents support teachers' right to strike.

But for the Lamberti family it smacks of double standards.

Mother-of-two Clare Lamberti said: "We applied for a day's holiday to take the girls away for the weekend and they turned it down.

"They said it would disrupt their education but obviously a day here and a day there for strikes, that's going to disrupt their education.

"One rule for them ... one rule for us obviously."

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is also holding its conference this weekend.

Both unions will be discussing concerns over the growing number of unqualified teachers taking classes.

Of 7,000 teachers surveyed, 53% told the NASUWT they worked alongside unqualified staff. That rose to 61% in academies.

But in a separate poll by the NUT, 82% of parents said schools should only employ qualified teachers.

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British Gas Bonus Claims To Be Investigated

Claims that British Gas workers have been paid large bonuses to inflate customer bills are to be investigated by the energy regulator, Ofgem.

It comes after a former employee claimed the energy company encouraged its sales staff to sign up charities, churches and small businesses to its highest-priced tariffs in order to boost their own earnings.

British Gas has strongly denied the allegations.

The whistleblower, who worked for the company between 2010 and 2013, told the Daily Mail the firm's policies were designed "to rip off" customers.

He claimed sales agent typically earned between £4 and £37 in commission per deal if they persuaded existing customers to renew contracts.

But by moving a customer to a more expensive deal they could earn more than £400 a time, he alleged.

"People were desperate to make the salaries they had been promised, so everyone inflated the prices," he told the paper.

"Scout clubs was a favourite one; churches, charities, small businesses, where people would just go for the maximum 5p notch-up," he added.

Ofgem will investigate whether the sales activities were 'honest and fair'

A British Gas spokeswoman said: "British Gas strongly refutes any suggestion that employees are paid commission on any prices charged to residential customers."

British Gas Business managing director Stephen Beynon said his sales agents are paid commission, but he denied any suggestion that contracts were negotiated inappropriately.

"This is a highly regulated market, and every part of the sales negotiation process is closely monitored," he said.

"Sales agents in British Gas Business do receive commission, but we are reducing its importance.

"We're leading the way in addressing the variability in price that customers face in this market, and we'll continue to do so."

Ofgem said in a statement: "There are strict rules in place which require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to ensure information provided is accurate and not misleading, and that sales activities are conducted in a fair, honest, transparent and professional manner.

"Ofgem is an evidenced-based regulator and we would encourage anyone with information that an energy company is not complying with Ofgem rules to provide us with this."

The allegations come days after Ofgem fined British Gas Business for a series of failures including blocking firms from switching to other suppliers.

Ofgem said British Gas Business would pay a total penalty of £5.6m of which £800,000 would be in fines, on top of £1.3m already paid to 1,200 customers who paid higher bills because they were not notified when their contracts were due to expire.

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Axelrod Role Is 'Seriously Bad News For Tories'

The man credited with masterminding Barack Obama's back-to-back presidential victories will play a key role in Ed Miliband's General Election campaign.

David Axelrod's appointment has been described by the Labour party as "seriously bad news for the Conservatives".

Mr Miliband said: "It's excellent news that David has agreed to help One Nation Labour win the next election and build our campaign to change Britain so hard-working people are better off.

"He will be a huge asset to our campaign as we work to show the British people how we can change our country for the better."

Following the announcement, Mr Axelrod said: "I've had several conversations with Ed Miliband over the course of the last year in which I have been struck by the power of his ideas, the strength of his vision and the focus he brings to solving the fundamental challenge facing Britain.

"We can't just have prosperity hoarded by a few where people at the top are getting wealthier and wealthier but people in the middle are getting squeezed."

He will work alongside Douglas Alexander - Labour's shadow foreign secretary and the chair of Labour's general election strategy

Mr Axelrod will arrive in London next month for two days of strategy meetings with Mr Miliband, deputy leader Harriet Harman, and other senior shadow cabinet members.

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House Price Increases Create 'Generation Rent'

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

The booming housing market is causing a generation of young people to become inreasingly pessimistic about their chances of getting on the property ladder, according to a new study.

Halifax's 'Generation Rent' report found that despite the launch of schemes like Help to Buy to give a boost to people with small deposits, 36% of 20 to 45-year-olds felt they have no realistic prospect of owning their home in the next five years.

Around half of those polled in England, Scotland and Wales agreed Britain will become a nation of renters in the next generation and 20% of people aged 23 to 27 said they have no desire to own their own home.

A fifth of people surveyed said they had no desire to own their own home

Caroline Hill, 23, told Sky News she would rather rent than buy.

"I can see myself being able to buy in the future but I'm just really not interested in doing so," he said.

"My parents have always been renters and I think that has had a big effect on the way I feel about it."

Danny Palmer, 27, is frustrated the market is running away from him.

"I think it's going to be really difficult for me to get onto the property ladder purely because rent these days is taking up about 40% of my salary, and that's before bills, living costs and anything else," he said.

Estate agents say high prices mean potential buyers are moving into rentals

Halifax mortgages director Craig McKinlay, said: "We may be heading towards the point where the aspiration to own a nice home will be replaced by the aspiration to simply live in one.

"It seems that people are now beginning to accept a lifetime of renting and this would not only change the way the property ladder looks in the future, it could even bring into question whether or not it will exist at all for some people."

The report warned that any future collapse in the number of first-time buyers - the "life blood" of the housing market - will have a knock-on impact on people trying to move up the property ladder.

If some existing home owners are unable to trade up because of a lack of potential buyers for their property, the market will be brought to a standstill, the report warns.

Woking estate agent Yassar Latif, said: "People who were thinking of buying, but have been let down by the rise in prices, have moved towards rentals now."

The Government has said that Help to Buy and plans to build more houses should ease the problem. But despite this, only around 30% of the people polled believed Help to Buy was working.

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School Places: Parents Warned About 'Crisis'

Families are facing a "growing crisis" when it comes to getting their children into primary schools, the head of a teaching union has said.

The warning comes as figures indicate tens of thousands of youngsters have missed out on their first choice of school.

One school in Bristol was so oversubscribed it had 4,000 applicants competing for just 40 places.

Council across England have been warned they must increase school capacity by 20% by 2016 if they are to cope with the increasing number of children.

Dr Mary Bousted, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, accused the Education Secretary Michael Gove of failing to deliver on his main responsibility "to provide school places for the nation's children".

For the first time parents across the country learned whether their children had secured places at the school of their choice on the same day.

Dr Mary Bousted says the Government is failing children

The picture emerging on National Offer Day showed significant disparities across the country, with an expected one in five children missing out on their first choice in areas such as Bristol and London.

According to the Local Government Association, some areas - Costessey in Norfolk, Purfleet in Essex and central Croydon in south London - will see 75% more pupils than school places by next year.

The increasing squeeze on school places has been blamed on a rising birth rate and the impact of immigration.

Dr Mary Bousted said: "We know there is a growing crisis in primary school places and we know the Government, for all the money they say they are throwing at the problem, simply haven't got the mechanism (or) the ability to plan school provision where it's needed.

"They have divested themselves of the levers to manage this situation."

She added: "It's no surprise there's a crisis in primary school places, because Michael Gove has divested himself of his first key responsibility, which is to provide school places for children."

The Department for Education said it has given councils more than £5bn to establish new school places, with more than 260,000 created already.

But Lydia Gibbs, primary teaching and curriculum lead for the Reach Academy in Feltham, west London, said: "There is a shortage of primary school places throughout the country.

"There is a sense of competition that parents would love to have their children come to our school. I know that because we were oversubscribed for reception places."

Last year the school had 160 applications for just 60 primary school places.

Bristol Cathedral School received 100 applications for each of its 40 places.

Lou Birbeck, whose twin girls failed to win spaces there, said it was hardly surprising her application had been unsuccessful, given the level of competition.

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Co-op To Unveil £2.5bn Losses As Crisis Deepens

By Mike McCarthy, Sky News Correspondent

The Co-operative Group is set to announce losses of up to £2.5bn after a series of "catastrophically inept decisions".

It is coming under increasing pressure to reform as it faces the biggest crisis in its history.

Former city minister Lord Myners, who was brought in help push through reform, has accused managers of making catastrophically inept decisions.

However he is is set to step down amid internal resistance to his plans.

One Co-operative insider told Sky News he was in doubt where responsibility lay for the group's latest ills.

Jim Lee, an active member for 25 years, said:  "The blame lies ultimately with the board.

"Clearly we have to look again at how that board came to be put together.

"Clearly we have to look at the personnel on that board and clearly we have to change those things in the future."

Elections to the board are based on a complex three-tier structure with area committees and regional boards.

Critics say it is an outdated system which is ill-equipped to function in a globalised 21st century business environment.

There has been no evidence so far of Co-operative customers switching to other brands, but the series of crises do seem to be affecting confidence.

Outside one Co-op bank in the Lancashire town of Rochdale, where it was founded in the mid-19th century, customers told Sky News they were growing concerned.

One woman said:  "I've always been a Co-op member. My mother was and my grandma was and we've always dealt with the Co-op."

But asked if she would consider banking elsewhere, she said:  "Well we've got money in other places but it just depends how it goes.  I'll be watching - let's put it that way."

Financial analyst Brenda Kelly said apparent differences at the top of the Co-operative Group were hampering the chances of recovery.

"To reform the Co-op will take time, but ultimately having agreement within Co-op itself will help shareholders get some confidence that they might get back on the front foot."

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Security Before Camp Bastion Raid Criticised

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

British commanders must take some blame for inadequate security at Camp Bastion when it was attacked in 2012, a parliamentary report has concluded.

Fifteen Taliban insurgents broke through the perimeter fence on September 14, 2012, killing two US Marines in a battle lasting into the following day.

Eight British and eight American military personnel and one civilian were injured. Six US Harrier jets were destroyed.

Fourteen of the insurgents were killed and the remaining one wounded, captured and interrogated.

That night one of the guard towers, Tower 16, was left unmanned, allowing the attackers to approach the base unseen.

All towers are now manned constantly by a team of guards working on rotation.

The Defence Select Committee report also noted concern that poppies were being cultivated immediately outside the fence, allowing Afghans to approach the walls easily and at will.

Camp Bastion is the HQ of the British military operation in Afghanistan

This could have allowed potential attackers to get a good sense of the base, up close, in preparation for an attack.

However, no evidence was found that requests for improved force protection were turned down on cost grounds.

"We are satisfied that as far as possible, the vulnerabilities which led to this extraordinary attack have now been addressed," committee chairman James Arbuthnot said.

"But we recommend that the MoD capture the lessons identified as part of its wider efforts to learn lessons for future operations."

A similar report in 2013 found two US commanders accountable for failures to adequately protect the base, but because the attack took place in the British section of Camp Bastion, the committee said British commanders should have had more responsibility.

The Ministry of Defence turned down a request for an interview but commenting on the report's findings, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "The MoD is not complacent and always seeks to capture and learn lessons from current operations.

Watchtowers at the base are now constantly manned

"Commanders in the field have to prioritise resources against potential threats in theatre and at the time a threat to Camp Bastion was considered to be lower than to other ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) assets in Helmand.

"UK commanders have identified and acted upon all lessons following the attack on Camp Bastion in 2012."

The committee criticised the MoD for not revealing information they requested, specifically details of the security situation in Helmand during the years leading up to the attack.

"The Committee were unimpressed by the evidence from the Chief of Joint Operations, who explained that the number of security incidents was unusually high in Helmand Province in 2012.

"The Committee was told the focus of ISAF commanders had been on security incidents elsewhere in Helmand Province and on threats from insider attack.

"Unfortunately the MoD has declined to provide the Committee with comparable details of the level of security incidents recorded in Helmand for previous years as this information was classified.

"This would have allowed the Committee to make an informed assessment of the relative threat levels in the area at the time."

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Thousands To Miss Out On First Choice School

Thousands of children will miss out on their preferred primary school place in the first National Offer Day.

Emails and letters will be sent to parents across England but increasing pressure on schools mean many will be left disappointed.

Education hotspots Bristol and London will be among the worst affected with one in five children not being admitted to their school of choice.

"There is a shortage of primary school places throughout the country," said Lydia Gibbs, primary teaching and curriculum lead for the Reach Academy in Feltham, West London.

Last year the school had 160 applications for only 60 primary school places.

"There is a sense of competition that parents would love to have their children come to our school. I know that because we were oversubscribed for reception places," she added.

National Offer Day marks the first time councils across England will co-ordinate offers for primary school places.

Demand is believed to be increasing due to higher birth rates and immigration, with the number of children entering reception classes at primary schools this September among the highest in years.

Parents are now going greater lengths to secure places at the most popular schools.

A poll by Netmums revealed more than a fifth of those questioned (21.2%) had bought a house closer to their preferred school, with a further 17% renting nearby.

The survey also found around one in six (16.2%) parents had started thinking about primary schools when their child was still under one, with a further 9.3% considering it when they were expecting and 6.9% thinking

about the issue before they fell pregnant.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said more needs to be done to ensure every child has a school place.

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'Scotland Split Would Damage Britain's Defences'

Scottish independence would damage the "very heart" of Britain's maritime defence force, according to the head of the Royal Navy.

Admiral Sir George Zambellas wrote in the Daily Telegraph: "I believe that independence would fundamentally change maritime security for all of us in the United Kingdom and damage the very heart of the capabilities that are made up of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Fleet Air Arm.

"While the continuing United Kingdom would eventually adapt and cope, the deeper impact would be felt in Scotland, which would no longer have access of right to the security contribution of one of the finest and most efficient navies in the world."

Admiral Sir George Zambellas

He also insisted an independent Scotland's "claim on the Royal Navy would greatly weaken the carefully evolved 'whole', as bases, infrastructure, procurement, spares, personnel and training face a carve-up".

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said an independent Scotland would lead to "long and protracted negotiations" over defence issues such as the Trident nuclear weapons.

During a visit to Glasgow later, he is expected to say "defence provides the security and the peace of mind that underpins almost every single other area of this debate".

The Scottish independence referendum is scheduled for September 18.

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Councils Accused Of Cashing In On CCTV Fines

Councils have been accused of using CCTV cameras to collect millions of pounds in parking and traffic fines.

Big Brother Watch disputes claims by many local authorities who say the cameras are used to ensure the safety of the public and not to raise funds.

According to figures obtained by the group under the Freedom Of Information Act, local authorities issued £312m worth of fixed penalty notices for traffic contraventions.

Emma Carr, deputy director of Big Brother Watch, said: "The use of CCTV and spy cars for parking enforcement should be banned.

"The fact that no councils publish proper statistics about how these cameras are used highlights that many know that their CCTV operation is about raising money, not about public safety."

London boroughs accounted for around 90%, or £285m, of the cash raised.

The top five highest revenue-raising councils were Camden, Ealing, Lambeth, Westminster and Harrow.

Brandon Lewis, Minister for Local Government, said: "It is clear that CCTV is being used to raise money in industrial volumes for town halls, breaking the constitutional principle that fines should not be used as a source of revenue.

"The public want to see CCTV being used to catch criminals not to persecute shoppers and hard-working people."

Councillor Peter Box, chair of the Local Government Association's Economy and Transport Board, said: "It is frustratingly familiar to hear Big Brother Watch again peddling the myth that councils are enforcing parking regulations just to raise money.

"Road safety campaigners, schools, disability and pedestrian charities and councils have all come together to warn the Government that banning CCTV parking enforcement will put school children and disabled pedestrians at risk and worsen road safety."

The figures provided in the report cover the period March 1, 2008, to March 1, 2013.

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Boy Critical After Falling From Moving Coach

A nine-year-old boy is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after falling from a moving coach near King's Lynn in Norfolk.

The boy fell from a side door as the 71-seater double-decker travelled along the A47 trunk road.

On board were 20 children and 10 adults from Stamford Rugby Club in Lincolnshire, who were travelling home from a tournament at Holt in Norfolk

Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 3.45pm on Sunday.

The boy was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn. No one else was injured.

Superintendent Dave Marshall said: "This is a serious incident which has left a nine-year-old boy fighting for his life.

The boy is in a critical condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

"The circumstances of how the boy came to fall from the coach will form part of our investigation and it would be inappropriate to speculate further at this stage.

"The boy's parents, who were travelling with the teams, are being supported by specially trained officers."

The other passengers were taken to a rest centre at King's Lynn Police Station, where alternative travel arrangements have been made.

The road is expected to remain closed for some time and local diversions have been put in place.

Officers are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident.

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Man Dies After Finishing London Marathon

A 42-year-old man has died after running the London Marathon.

The unnamed man collapsed after crossing the finishing line and received medical attention.

But he was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital.

In a statement, the event's organisers Virgin Money expressed their "sincere condolences" to his family.

"We will not be releasing any further details of this tragic incident and would ask for your understanding in this matter," it said.

"We would like to emphasise that our immediate concern is for the family of the deceased.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this difficult time."

A total of 36,000 competitors took part in the 26.2 mile event, which started at Blackheath and Greenwich parks and ended on The Mall.

The men's race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, while compatriot Edna Kiplagat finished first in the women's event.

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UKIP Poll Boost: Tory And Lib Dem Support Falls

Nigel Farage's UKIP has been given a boost in a new poll which puts support for the party at 20%, four points higher than last month.

It comes after he was said to have come out top in the head-to-head clashes with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg over Britain's future in Europe.

It is UKIP's highest rating in a ComRes survey, while the Conservatives have scored their lowest rating so far this year at 29%, down three.

In the new poll for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, the Tories are six points behind Labour which are unchanged on 35%.

The Liberal Democrats have fallen to just 7% - a dip of two points and their lowest since they went into coalition with the Conservatives in 2010.

Mr Farage's personal rating also appears to have received a boost after the recent debates.

Nigel Farage was said to have come out top in the debates

The UKIP chief has enjoyed a seven-point bounce since February, taking him to 27%.

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg is down one point to 12%, while Prime Minister David Cameron has dropped four points to 27% and Labour leader Ed Miliband is down two points to 20%.

Mr Cameron's rating may have been dented by his handling of the expenses furore involving former culture secretary Maria Miller.

Some 62% of voters believe he showed a serious lack of leadership in the way he dealt with the case.

Most voters, 62%, believe constituents should be able to force sitting MPs to defend their seat in a by-election if enough people sign a petition demanding it, the research found.

A second poll also puts Labour in a six-point lead

Sky News Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana said: "We're only a few weeks out from the European elections and UKIP are kind of what the Lib Dems used to be - the party that stands against the establishment.

"They used to just talk about Europe - now it is local, popular issues such as HS2.

"The Conservatives are really badly hit by UKIP rising because that tends to split the right.

"And pollsters say if UKIP get anything over eight points in a general election they would split the right and would stop David Cameron from winning an overall majority.

"So he will be very worried about that."

Meanwhile, a Opinium poll for the Observer newspaper puts the Conservatives on 30%, Labour 36%, Lib Dems 7% and UKIP on 18%.

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Nigel Evans' Defence Cost £130K Life Savings

Former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans says the cost of defending himself against sex charges over a five-week trial has deprived him of his life savings.

Speaking to The Mail On Sunday, the 56-year-old politician called for an investigation into the way the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) pursues high-profile cases.

Mr Evans said the CPS should pay his legal fees after he was acquitted at Preston Crown Court last Thursday.

He said the fight to clear his name has cost him his life savings of £130,000.

"Every penny is gone, in addition to the £30,000-a-year additional parliamentary salary I was paid as Deputy Speaker," Mr Evans told the newspaper.

"If someone is dragged through the courts through no fault of their own and is acquitted they should get their legal fees back from the CPS budget.

"Maybe that will make them focus on whether a case is worth pursuing."

Mr Evans was found not guilty of all charges, including one count of rape and four counts of sexual assault.

The charges were related to events involving seven men between 2003 and 2013.

On Friday, former shadow home secretary David Davis called on the Attorney General to launch a review into the way sex offence prosecutions are carried out.

He said Mr Evans' case highlighted "serious concerns" about the practices of the police and the CPS.

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