Freezing taxes in Hackney
Luke Akehurst reports that Hackney Council has decided for the fourth year in a row not to increase their council tax, one of three Labour-controlled London boroughs to do so.
No one likes paying council tax, particularly when times are tough economically, and Hackney is also investing more money in frontline services, rather than paying for tax cuts by cutting the services people rely on. But if you were a Hackney councillor, would you vote for a tax freeze? Or are there other options which would do more to promote liberty, freedom and social justice? continue reading… »
Top Stories and Blog Review – 21st Jan
Nationwide
Fresh bid to reform monarchy Catholic law
NHS constitution being unveiled
Rape trio sentence to be reviewed
9k arrested in Christmas drink/drive campaign
Financial crisis
‘Sell any sterling you have. It’s finished’
Mervyn King paves way to start printing money
Stricken UK banks shunned by overseas lenders
Downturn ‘hitting women harder’
Inauguration
Jubilation and resignation as world reacts to Obama
Obama halts all regulations pending review
Obamas first inaugural dance to Beyonce
Wall Street shares plunge on inauguration day
Elsewhere
UN chief demands investigation into Israeli attack
Few Israelis near Gaza feel war achieved much
New hope for lifting women in science
Tensions in the Mideast reverberate in France
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by ….
Why ditching John Pilger is bad for the left
New Statesman magazine is ditching John Pilger as one of its regular columnists, as Dave Osler points out. Keep in mind I’m not one of Pilger’s biggest fan following his race-baiting in calling Obama “a glossy Uncle Tom”.
Nevertheless, I think this is a bad idea for two reasons.
continue reading… »
Two events: on prostitution and trafficking
Wednesday 21 January 2009
Speaker Fiona Mactaggart, MP
Subject Sexual exploitation, trafficking and prostitution.
Venue 7.30pm, the Cole Room, 11 Dartmouth Street, London SW1H.
continue reading… »
Help keep Parliament transparent
Update MySociety point out that Parliament has withdrawn the debate on MPs expenses because of external pressure. Result!
Guardian reports:
Gordon Brown today made a dramatic retreat from plans to exempt MPs’ expenses from the Freedom of Information Act.
The surprise announcement during prime minister’s questions follows the overnight collapse of a bipartisan agreement between Brown and David Cameron, the Tory leader, to back a parliamentary order exempting MPs’ expenses from the act.
A British Obama? No, We Can’t.
Can we have a ‘British Obama’?
Sorry, Sadiq. Sorry Sunder. In fact sorry everyone who’s got caught up in the excitement over America’s first Black president, but no we can’t have a British Obama…
…because this is not America, and we’re not Americans.
continue reading… »
Obama inauguration – speech
Updated, now with speech highlights:
On foreign policy, a clear repudiation of Bush and the war-mongers that urged and defended him over Iraq.
continue reading… »
Why are leftwing publications so dull?
I have in the past worked for Tribune and Red Pepper, and written for New Statesman and the Morning Star. For the sake of sentiment alone, I naturally wish all of these fine publications well.
But in truth, these days not even nostalgia combined with a vague sense of duty can motivate me to read any of them regularly. And if such titles cannot get people like me to fork out for a subscription, it is little wonder that they are – without exception – struggling to survive.
Unfortunately there is no nice way of putting this to the many friends of mine, including an ex-wife, who do their valiant best to keep the left press from complete collapse. But the basic problem here is that almost all the content of the above is tailor-made to fit the description ‘worthy but dull’. Sorry, but there you have it.
continue reading… »
Amnesty accuses Israel of war crimes
Human rights group Amnesty International accused Israel of war crimes on Monday, saying its use of white phosphorus munitions in densely populated areas of Gaza was indiscriminate and illegal.
continue reading… »
Top Stories and Blog Review – 20th Jan
It’s Inauguration Day
Dr Martin Luther King on a black President
2 churches, black and white, see inaugural hope
Obama’s Legoland Inauguration (video)
Authorities mount record security effort for safety
Lincoln Memorial Inauguration Concert (pics)
Crowd to test cell phone networks
Wall Street’s inauguration rally
Shoes thrown at Bush on final day
John McCain to seek higher-profile role
Obama may reverse abortion policy early
In McCain country, acceptance of Obama grows
On first day, Obama to dive into foreign policy
Nationwide
Full state takeover of RBS as stock crashes
Bloodbath of the banks (part two)
HSBC: we do not need state aid
Church may ban BNP members
Britain to suffer ‘deepest slump since 1946
A good day to bury bad news?
DAILY BLOG REVIEW / by Sarah Ismail
Desi Pundit – Posts extracts from a 50-year-old speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
The Dyslexia Debate has been hotting up. John Rack and our Unity (cross posted at my place) both agree that Dyslexia is very much a DisAbility.
MediaWatchWatch: Genoa has banned the Atheist Bus.
Natalie Bennett: Margaret Cavendish was definitely a ferminist.
New Humanist Editor: Why Christians have a problem with Super Mario.
OpenDemocracy: The Open Democracy writers offer their thoughts on Obama.
Shiraz Socialist: Would be happy to be proved wrong about Obama.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» 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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