Welsh Cavalry campaign goes to Downing Street (From South Wales Argus) - South Wales Argus
Welsh Cavalry campaign goes to Downing Street
4:12pm Thursday 14th June 2012 in News 
DEFIANT supporters of the Welsh Cavalry took their fight to save the regiment to Downing Street today.
Armed with a petition with more than 3,000 signatures, supporters of the regiment, officially known as the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, attended a rally and photo call in Parliament Square, before advancing to No.10.
The regiment, which traces its history back for more than 300 years, is under threat of disbandment or amalgamation with another regiment as part of the upcoming strategic defence review, with job cuts possible as the army is cut from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2020.
Chris Gibbons, 54, from Magor, served in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards for 22 years, seeing active service in Northerrn Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq during the first Gulf war.
Speaking to the Argus from Parliament Square, Mr Gibbons, said: "Fifty-five of us came down on the coach from Cardiff and there was another 50 or so who made their own way down here.
"I want the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary to think again about disbanding this historic regiment. They are putting a lot of people’s jobs and their families under huge pressure.
"I am proud to have served this regiment and I am not prepared to see it become part of history."
Jessica Morden, MP for Newport East who attended the rally , said: "A lot of people have contacted me who are very concerned about the future of the regiment and the strength of feeling has been obvious."
Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn, said: “Any plans to destroy the identity and proud history of one of Wales’ oldest army regiments due to the Tory-led government’s cuts would be a massive blow to Wales.
“I met with Guards from Gwent during today’s rally at Westminster and I stand full-square behind them.”
UPDATE 2-Hollande urges common euro debt, greater ECB role - Reuters UK
* Hollande says imagination needed for new instruments
* Says debt redemption fund, join euro bonds are options
* Monti says more progress needed on euro zone governance (Adds details from French source)
By Elizabeth Pineau and Steve Scherer
ROME, June 14 (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande called on Thursday for the euro zone to adopt bold new mechanisms to insulate member states and their banks from market turmoil, such as a joint fund to pay down debt, putting him on a collision course with Berlin.
After a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in Rome, Hollande said he would urge EU leaders at an end-June summit to adopt a series of measures to strengthen economic growth and financial stability in the euro zone and deepen economic integration.
Hollande said he had submitted details of his proposals to European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
"We need imagination and creativity to find new financial instruments," Hollande told a joint news conference with Monti.
"To deepen financial union, there are many options such as a financial transactions tax and joint debt issuance, including euro bonds, euro bills or a debt redemption fund," he said.
The French leader, who took office last month calling for a change of direction in Europe away from German-inspired austerity, urged closer cooperation between member states on financial regulation to break the link between struggling euro zone states and their weakened banking systems.
He called for the bloc's ESM permanent rescue fund, which is due to start operation next month, to be given a banking licence to allow it to borrow money from the ECB to bolster its firepower.
Hollande's bold proposals appeared to place him at odds with German Chancellor Angela Merkel who on Thursday rebuffed pressure for Europe's largest economy to underwrite debt or guarantee bank deposits in the euro zone, despite soaring borrowing costs in Italy and Spain.
Hollande has long advocated a growth pact for Europe including a financial transactions tax and joint bonds to finance infrastructure projects, more lending by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and more effective use of structural funds.
Hollande is due to present his a position at a four-way meeting with Monti, Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on June 22, a week ahead of the summit, and is hoping to make progress towards a consensus.
"The aim of June 22 is to have a four-way contribution and an agreement between at least two parties on a joint position. A four-way agreement would be fantastic," a French source said.
France believes at least 100 billion euros, preferably more, are needed in structural funds, project bonds and new capital for the EIB, the source said.
The source also said there was no deadlock between Germany and France on the issue of mutualised debt in the form of euro bonds, which France wants to be implemented in the next few years.
Monti, whose government has found itself in the market's sights despite undertaking reforms, voiced support for Hollande's growth agenda and said bolder steps toward integration were required in Europe.
"We both agreed that the progressive improvements made to euro zone governance are not enough to shield the euro from market turbulence," he told the news conference.
"We discussed some proposals for common bonds and we were very much in agreement on the need to increase investments that are productive for the economy - from the private sector, from the public sector, and from private-public partnerships."
Three days ahead of Greece's elections, Monti said that both he and Hollande wanted the country to remain in the euro zone. (Additional reporting by Vicky Buffery and Daniel Flynn in Paris; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Ron Askew; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Global social media survey finds discrepencies between employers' and staff opinions on its use - HRmagazine.co.uk
It's latest Global Workforce Index, found 44% of UK employees feel that social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, is impacting negatively on workplace productivity. However, only 6% of the British workforce has been told to stop using social media at work.
Employers are not making the most use of social media, either as a recruitment tool or as a means of boosting their employer brand.
But the need to harness the potential of social media is clear - one third of employees said they were more likely to use social media than traditional methods to search for jobs, and as many as 30% consider it important that their employer has a social media presence.
The findings, the second in the series from the Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) also revealed 73% of staff feel it is not appropriate to share opinions about work on social media, suggesting people have an automatic tendency to assume these opinions would be negative rather than positive mentions promoting the employer brand.
And more than half of UK employees worry that mixing personal and professional connections through social media could cause problems at work
Andrew Cook, general manager UK and Ireland at Kelly Services, said: "We need to dispel the myth that social media is for leisure time only. If used well, it can be an essential communication tool for your existing workforce to engage with customers and be vital in finding and attracting new talent to your business.
"Equally, boosting employer brands by raising your corporate profile through social media is increasingly important. Most people fear discussions about their current employer could be negative, when in fact your workforce can be your best social brand ambassadors.
"Many companies view social media as inherently risky due to its immediacy and tone, but those employers that are embracing it as part of their recruitment strategy are reaping the rewards."
These are the second findings from the latest, KGWI, an annual survey conducted by Kelly Services. Almost 170,000 people in 30 countries participated in the survey, including more than 3,500 in the UK. The last results were released in April and found that employers across the UK are disengaged, with less than half being currently happy in their job and over a third frequently thinking about quitting.
Barlow tops 2012 celebrity dad poll (From Bournemouth Echo) - Daily Echo
Barlow tops 2012 celebrity dad poll
7:02pm Thursday 14th June 2012 in National Entertainment News © Press Association 2011
Gary Barlow really is top of the pops - after being named celebrity dad of the year.
The Take That star, who is also number one in the singles chart, collected the prize ahead of the birth of his fourth child.
He pipped reigning champion Peter Andre to the title, which is officially called the Premier Inn Celebrity Dad Of The Year 2012.
It comes just days after he organised the Queen's spectacular Diamond Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace and his track Sing, written for the jubilee, is the current chart-topper.
It is the first time Gary has won the accolade and earlier this year he posted a message on Twitter telling Andre to "stand aside".
Gary, 41, was chosen in a public vote. The X Factor panellist said winning the award felt "amazing".
"I've been waiting for it for a long time," he said. "My kids are really excited and I don't think they can quite believe it. Being a dad is a really important part of my life and it means a lot to have won this award."
Barlow already has children Daniel, Emily, Daisy and his wife Dawn is expecting another girl.
Also in the running for this year's award were rapper Jay-Z, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Prime Minister David Cameron, who recently left his daughter at a country pub by mistake. The award is supposed the ability to balance public life with the demands of parenting.
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