Fears of a double dip recession in western economies continue to mount. The key measures of confidence in the US and Europe have collapsed while Germany has experienced the sharpest one month drop since records began in the 1970s.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, former home and education secretary and senior Labour backbench MP David Blunkett announces his blueprint for a National Volunteer Programme which would give thousands of young people nine-month community volunteering  placements in return for money towards university tuition fees or training. He proposes the scheme could be funded by selling off the government’s  stake in state owned RBS and Lloyds TSB banks

One in 10 workers is worried about the prospect of working into old age, according to a study by Baring Asset Management published today. An additional 11% of those surveyed said they expect to work well into their 60s and 70s due to a lack of sufficient pension savings.

School meal campaigner and former dinner lady Jeanette Orney comments on the importance of healthy affordable school meals as consumer watchdog Which? warns that parents face a 25% increase in school meal costs when the school term starts in September.

Entrepreneur Luke Johnson calls for a bold new Start-Up Act in the UK which he says will stimulate entrepreneurship and growth by tackling tax, red tape and funding.

According to a report out today, female executives continue to lag behind their male counterparts with the pay gap between men and women at the top level of business widening by £10,546.

A clash between David Cameron and Ed Miliband yesterday in the Commons over whether politicians and bankers may have played a part in provoking this month’s riots.

Chancellor George Osborne and Vince cable are seeing eye-to-eye over banking reforms which are designed to protect savers.  Mr Cable wants regulators to force banks to ring-fence their high-street banking and keep riskier investments separate from ordinary customers.

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