Civil liberties campaigners need to look at the bigger picture
The Convention on Modern Liberty has a packed agenda, and I hope it is an event which will lead to some real substantial action. Our liberties have been under attack like never before, yet so far the response has been woefully inadequate and timid, with a few notable exceptions.
But, the biggest problem is that everyone is busy fighting fires and few are standing back to wonder how the whole thing caught alight in the first place.
I’m the first to commend fellow campaigners for their extraordinary efforts, and my hat goes off to the campaigns against 42 days and, just recently, against the secrecy of MPs’ expenses (not strictly a ‘liberty’ issue, but a symptom of the same problem). However, there is no clear narrative being built up about what is really the problem.
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Top Stories and Blog Review –
Nationwide
City watchdog head demands change
After offending Indians, Miliband soft on China
Frustration over mixed-sex wards
British Gas defends ‘measly’ price cut
International
Fatah fears Gaza conflict helped Hamas
UN fears “systematic war crimes” during Gaza
Gaza chemical weapons inquiry begins
Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders
Sweden’s fix for banks: nationalize them
Sri Lanka presses rebels, but mounting cost
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Sarah
Blairwatch: America sent an email to the world this week… Friday Fun.
Bleeding Heart Show: Is Appealing For Gaza.
Harry’s Place: Journalists are planning to go on strike.
Indigo Jo: Obama will allow us to Google the White House website.
MediaWatchWatch: Reports on an unfair prosecution.
New Humanist: Obama had to retake his oath. Without a Bible. Oops…
Stumbling and Mumbling: Does money help people avoid going bankrupt? Apparently not.
The Langar Hall: How does the economic downturn affect immigrants?
Martin Bright leaves New Statesman
New Statesman magazine’s political editor Martin Bright is leaving the magazine. He had been political editor since October, 2005.
Update: A press release has statements from the magazine. continue reading… »
Guardian launches ‘Liberty Central’
With apologies to Unity, it seems the Guardian has appropriated this term for a new website to coincide with the Convention on Modern Liberty.
Pilger stays at New Statesman
Contrary to a report in the Media Guardian earlier this week, John Pilger will stay at New Statesman magazine.
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This crisis is not the Blitz
What’s going on right now is not the Blitz, and nor is it a national plague resulting from our laziness and incompetence. In some ways, the rhetoric of economic responsibility is reassuring; we are individually powerful enough to affect whether or not we sink or swim as a nation.
But what if you have no economic clout whatsoever? I certainly don’t. There is, in a practical sense, absolutely nothing you can do to stop or reverse the recession, other than trust Gordon Brown and James Purnell and their captain-of-industry mates – who helped cause this mess in the first place, which is rather important.
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Spot the bonehead…
There are some things in life that just don’t mix. Cats and Dogs. Chalk and Cheese. Stephen Green and the Mental Health Act. Politicians and Photoshop…
In fact, can someone please explain just exactly why it is that its impossible for any politician and/or one of their bag carriers to go anywhere within about six feet of a copy of Photoshop without making a complete and utter fool of themselves. continue reading… »
Who cares about the white working class?
For a good decade, ‘class’ was something of a swear word in British politics, almost taboo. The government seldom talked about class, preferring terms such as ‘hardworking families’ and ‘social exclusion’.
Some commentators argued that this was part of a broader strategy to woo middle-class voters and occupy the political centre, which has come at the cost of alienating core working-class voters.
However, if a small, but significant, number of statements made recently by senior Labour politicians are anything to go by, the Labour Party is taking heed of this loss of support, and their tone might be changing as a result.
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Top Stories and Blog Review – 22nd Jan
(photo courtesy of Zoriah)
International
Obama begins to close down Guantanamo
Al-Qaida members linked to 7/7 detained
Iceland’s biggest political protest for 60 years
Elsewhere
British Gas to cut prices by 10%
Brown’s U-Turn on MP Expenses
Police enter another Tory MPs office
Cost of Olympics rises again
Poor government guidance on crime statistics leads to errors
FSA calls for more banking regulation
Pay as you throw “dead in the water”
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Lee Griffin
Lib Dem Voice was one of the first of many bloggers to rejoice at Brown’s MP expenses U-Turn.
Chicken Yoghurt is getting spammed by Labour, are you?
Norfolk Blogger has an exclusive of a terrible CPS cock-up.
Shami Chakrabarti thinks we should take the initiative of Obama and make this year the one for positive liberal change.
Cato @ Liberty details why the closure of Guantanamo is a good thing for justice.
Carons Musings is a little concerned that MPs aren’t making best use of their time to introduce new bills to parliament.
Alix Mortimer reluctantly writes about identity politics
Mark Reckons that the 10% staff bonus for Northern Rock is a slap in the face for tax payers
Progressive London conference – who’s coming?
Former mayor Ken Livingstone’s re-election strategy concerted attempt to hold Boris accountable kicks off this Saturday with the Progressive London conference. I’m not in favour of him standing again for Mayor but want to see what it will be all about.
Of this parish, Adam Bienkov of ToryTroll and Jess McCabe of F Word will be speaking, as will be our comrades from BorisWatch (represented by Tom), Noel Hatch of Compass Youth and Sam Tarry from Hope Not Hate. Anyone else going?
The fully unveiled agenda is below…
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» Revealed: govt to restrict abortion counselling despite Nadine Dorries vote
» Would raising the tax threshold actually help the poorest?
» To win London, Ken Livingstone has to step outside his comfort zone
» This trade agreement with India will destroy thousands of lives
» UK debt hasn’t hit £1 trillion – mostly because of QE
» The benefits of being a “burden” on society
» Today’s economic figures will simply confirm UK’s “lost decade”
» Have Labour realised the election is more than three years away?
» Violence in the office
» Want a more responsible capitalism? Reform how pensions work
» The world is entering the third phase of the crisis, warns ILO
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