RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: When is a bribe not a bribe? Apparently, it's when taxpayers' money is used to stop NHS staff blowing the whistle on clinical malpractice and criminal negligence in hospitals. This week it was revealed that the health service has spent more than £2million on 52 secret severance deals containing strict gagging clauses to prevent disgruntled ex-employees speaking out. And these payments are only the tip of the iceberg.
Stephen Hester's departure is a huge gamble, and one I fear will backfire
ALEX BRUMMER: The sudden departure of Stephen Hester from the Royal Bank of Scotland came as a bolt from the blue to the financial community. The reality is that Osborne, his team and a tame RBS board wanted someone else more willing to do the Chancellor's work. As the biggest shareholder in the bank Osborne has the right to call the shots. But one cannot help thinking that changing the captain at this stage could be a huge error and, in the end, actually slow repair and recovery.
STEPHEN GLOVER: The Bishop of London should stop whingeing about baby boomers
Last week, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls announced that, if re-elected, Labour will cap state pensions, which have so far escaped cuts. In the tax year just ended, welfare for pensioners accounted for £110billion out of £202billion spent on benefits. And on Monday the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, suggested that 'the fortunate generation' of which he is part - he is 65 - had 'absorbed' much of the increase in public spending. He said that this raises 'severe questions of inter-generational equity'. But I want to dispute the widespread notion, endorsed by the Bishop, that baby boomers (which I define as people born between 1946 and 1955) are unfairly privileged.
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