The Spectator

Portrait of the Week – 4 February 2006

A speedy round-up of the week's news

issue 04 February 2006

The government was twice defeated in the Commons in votes on the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, making its provisions less broad. The government produced a form with a box to tick for people who wanted to prevent life-saving treatment being given them in future; this was according to the Mental Capacity Act, 2004, which comes into effect in 2007. A White Paper on health proposed treating more people outside large hospitals; but a question of funding remained. Mr David Blunkett, the disgraced former Cabinet minister, said his ‘sense is that there is a new understanding’ between Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, and Mr Gordon Brown about the latter replacing the former; ‘So good on them,’ Mr Blunkett said. Mr Simon Hughes, a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, became the latest MP of his party to say that he had had homosexual experiences, days after he said he hadn’t.

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