George Osborne to be investigated
Sky News is reporting that shadow chancellor George Osborne is to be investigated by the sleaze watchdog over his expenses. A few days ago we asked why, despite his expense claims, Osborne was still part of the shadow cabinet.
(via @AdamBienkov)
Andrew Gilligan – still working for Iranian state television
In an interview with the Guardian last year, the former Evening Standard journalist Andrew Gilligan was quoted as saying:
“But I don’t think [Ken Livingstone] is progressive. Livingstone is the ally of some of the most reactionary forces in this city. I’m thinking of Ian Blair, I’m thinking of property developers he’s in bed with, I’m thinking of City big business.”
But it’s a bit bizarre that this champion of ‘progressives’ is still working for Iranian state television in the UK – Press TV. This is while even more right-wing colleagues such as Nick Ferrari have resigned. Press TV had recently also promoted Holocaust denial. Gilligan refused to say anything then either. Very principled, our Gilligan.
Update: And he’s part of their ad campaign too!
What should be the Minimum Income Standard in 2009?
I wrote last year about a really interesting piece of research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which asked people to decide how much someone living in Britain today needs in order to be able to live on.
They have just released the updated version, Minimum Income Standard 2009. There are some really interesting and important findings:
continue reading… »
Israel and using “apartheid”
Talking about Israeli policies in terms of ‘apartheid’ is nothing new – you can find the claim going back at least 30 years. This kind of description for Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians became increasingly common through the 1980s and ’90s, until now, nine years since the Second Intifada began, ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ is held in dozens of cities worldwide and numerous trade unions, faith groups and politicians use the term routinely.
Nevertheless, to consciously use the ‘apartheid’ framework in critiquing Israeli policies past and present, with the presumed analogy with South African history, is still considered by some to be inappropriate or even completely unacceptable.
continue reading… »
BBC gets more complaint over Jackson than expenses
A Media Guardian story today uncovers the interesting nugget that the BBC has received more complaints over excessive coverage on Michael Jackson’s death than the expenses of its own senior management.
continue reading… »
It’s better not to support this Labour govt over Tories
Quoting an excellent article by Gary Younge last week, Alex Smith over at LabourList says that disillusioned lefties have little choice but to support Labour or at least get involved in the party to make themselves heard.
Going by the polls, Labour still remains the electoral alternative remain the Tories so it makes sense in one way. But I think there is a strategic reason for not supporting this New Labour administration.
continue reading… »
Legislation that amounts to nothing
One of the more cutting attacks of recent months on the government came not from the Conservatives but from that other continual provider of friendly fire, Frank Field. Writing about government business which was slowly winding its way towards conclusion, he said: “week after week MPs have been turning up but with almost no serious work to do. There is the odd bill to be sure. But there is no legislative programme to speak of … the whole exercise is vacuous.”
This misses the point that it is not the quantity of bills which are passed, and New Labour has in the past been rightly accused of legislative mania, but rather the quality, on which Labour again falls down on. The immediate answer to passing frenzies and quick to evaporate moral panics is always to get something on the statute book, regardless of how those laws will end up being used and the overall effect they will have.
continue reading… »
Labour MP resigns over expenses; second jobs scandal looms
The Telegraph this morning reports that Labour MP Harry Cohen has announced his decision to quit as an MP by the next election.
The MP had come under heavy criticism for his decision to claim more than £100,000 in second home expenses on a house in his constituency of Leyton and Wanstead, east London, within easy commuting distance of the Commons.
He was able to designate the Leyton property as his second home after registering a house 70 miles away in Colchester, Essex, as his main residence.
Though Tory MPs have paid back over a quarter of a million in expenses so far, Cameron has avoided firing any close friends / shadow cabinet members over their expenses.
But that scandal is likely to be over-shadowed by revelations over second-jobs, details of which are to be disclosed today. The disclosure of outside interests is more likely to affect the Tories. Cameron has already attempted some damage limitation by announcing that senior Tories will have to give up second jobs by the New Year.
But here too, there have been quietly muffled scandals. Last week it emerged that Michael Gove was paid around £1,250 per hour for articles for the Times. It was later revealed that Gove had also breached party rules by accepting money for writing about their policy area. Once exposed, Gove’s office hurriedly stated that he would donate those earnings to charity.
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