And so, a pointless war against Syria has been averted – for now. Not that you would think it as BBC News has been in overdrive since Thursday’s vote. Bulletins jammed with Syrian war porn – classy. But at least some of the media have been doing a proper job at holding the government to account. Step forward The Daily Record yesterday and The Indy this morning. Unsurprisingly, given successive governments’ predilection to sell weapons and weaponisable components to any tinpot dictator that can stump up the readies, so it appears our Conservative-led Coalition government – the administration that has not only led the charge for war with Syria, but has been pressuring Obama to let the missiles fly – previously approved the export of “dual use” chemicals to the regime that are essential components in the manufacture of nerve agents. These exports were to take place 10 months into the civil war. I say “were” because by chance they were never delivered. Continue reading
Posted in Lib-Dems
The serious threat to trade union freedom: in your parliament this week
Last week the TUC expressed serious concerns about the far – reaching consequences of the government’s Transparency of Lobbying, Non Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill, due for a second reading next week.
Such concern is hardly surprising, for this is a Bill that not only represents a threat to basic liberties generally, but to trade union freedom specifically. So much for the Illiberal Democrats, who promised that they would be the guardians of freedom when in government. Continue reading
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The danger of the lights going out is very real
Ed Davey, the Energy secretary, has just reassured us that he is very sure that the lights will not go out. Given the credibility of politicians’ promises, particularly from this Coalition, that’s all right then. Or is it?
The energy watchdog Ofgem has warned that power blackouts could arrive as early as 2 years time. It also noted that the UK buffer of spare electricity would no current trends fall from 4% of national supplies to 2% by 2015. Hospital trusts are already beeing contacted across the country to reduce demand at peak times by using diesel-fired generators. In addition, hotel chains and water utilities are being asked to make big savings every year by implementing the National Grid demand reduction scheme. Continue reading
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Ken Livingstone will stand for Brent Central in the 2015 election
Update (12:00): Ken Livingstone is not really the Brent Central candidate – this was an April Fools.
The man, the legend, who first became an MP in Brent East from 1987 to 2001, has broken his vow never to enter an election again after the Brent Central Labour Party made an eleventh hour call to make Ken Livingstone their General Election candidate of 2015.
Though Ken said, as he failed to gain re-election as mayor, that his campaign and eventual loss to Boris Johnson would be his last, it seems that the Labour left-winger has one last fight within him – to take the seat away from Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather. Continue reading
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“State-school” Clegg, and when did selfishness become the norm?
“Nick Clegg to send son to state school”, muttered the headline in the “most viewed” column on the BBC News website. This was a not-unpleasant surprise for me – for when a public figure says they are “considering” going private, it usually means the decision has already been made.
It is of course a relief that at least one politician will not go for full-fronted individualism and shamelessly buy into the notion that privilege in our society is bought. Not that privilege needs to be bought for the son of the deputy prime minister, who was himself educated at top private school Westminster. Not that the London Oratory is not a school filled with people whose parents have bought them privilege in another way.
But despite it being treated as the norm for public figures, I’ve found myself asking over and over again: what sort of society do we live in where selfishness can be considered honourable behaviour?
