£260m of new money for training!

In the budget Alistair Darling promised £260m for training and subsidies – is this great news or just spin? Only time will tell what impact this will have but with the skills problem and the number of unemployed growing in the UK the fear is that this is just a drop in the ocean.

Focussed training, can and will make a difference for job opportunities but the real question is whether the government are committed to seeing these policies through in the long-term?

Someone reign him in!

The faux pas(s) of Silvio Berlusconi never cease to amaze me.

First his compliments on Mr Obama's fine suntan, then a reproach from the Queen and his snub of Merkel... ill-mannered and ill-considered; but I can handle that.

This week however he's giving wholly inappropriate advice to L'Aquila earthquake victims to 'see it like a weekend of camping', and in this morning's paper we have news of his flirting with a L'Aquila doctor. And still the Italian press love him.

Please. PR advisor. Somebody. Reign him in.