It is wholly appropriate that they should also have the right to vote on the decisions that affect them, and to have a fair say in who is elected to represent them at local or national level.

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Indeed, the biggest pro-growth economic impact would come from extending those same policies to taxpayers above those thresholds, because they control more discretionary resources to invest, and those rates also affect everyone below those thresholds now who would be above them if their investments and business ventures were successful.

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He points out that the self-employed are also working fewer hours, even though the directive does not affect them.

ECONOMIST: Working time

The council says it would also have opened them up to legal challenges by way of judicial review, which may affect future decisions on potential school closures in the area, under the 21st Century Schools programme.

BBC: Cwmcarn High School