Huffington Post to launch a UK version

by Newswire    
March 25, 2011 at 9:30 am

Arianna Huffington is to launch a UK edition of the Huffington Post this summer, as the US news and current affairs website recently acquired by AOL moves to expand internationally.

The multi-millionaire, who sold Huffington Post to AOL for $315m (£195m) in February, told the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit on Thursday that the takeover meant she could accelerate plans to hire journalists and create a UK-specific site.

Huffington Post UK will follow the same model as the US version – hiring a core team of paid writers and editors, while at the same time signing up unpaid bloggers who will have their writings showcased on the site. Huffington Post currently employs 200 writers and journalists

…more at the Media Guardian

Labour is right to admit it didn’t regulate banks, but where are the bold ideas?

by Sunny Hundal    
March 25, 2011 at 9:10 am

Ed Balls made a startling admission last night in Labour’s response to the Budget:

But it was also the fault of governments and central banks –including Britain’s – who did not see the financial crisis coming and should have been tougher in regulating the banks.

When the City and the Conservatives called for lighter regulation, we should have ignored them and been tougher still. Every Government in the world got that wrong – and I’d like to say sorry for the part that I and the last Labour government played in that.

It may have been an obvious admission to make, but I didn’t see that coming.
continue reading… »

Why Germany was wrong to abstain over Libyan UN vote

by Guest    
March 24, 2011 at 6:22 pm

contribution by Marie-Noelle Loewe

Germany’s decision to abstain from the vote in the UN Security council demonstrates that when it comes to taking international responsibility, it remains undecided about what its role should be.

But before accusing Germany of cowardice and indecision, one has to understand certain aspects of the national German psyche.
continue reading… »

An example of the damage done by ‘Big Society’ cuts

by Guest    
March 24, 2011 at 1:45 pm

contribution by Councillor Joe McManners

We’ve heard that the ‘Big Society’ can take over community work as the state shrinks. We’ve also heard that the cuts actually may damage volunteerism and civic society.

Here’s a real life and pretty poignant example from my neck of the woods how these cuts are short termist, damaging and will damage civic society.
continue reading… »

Electoral reform: why failure will not breed success

by Sunny Hundal    
March 24, 2011 at 11:30 am

There seem to be a bunch of lefties who are opposed to the Alternative Vote on the basis that it does not go far enough.

Fair enough – I agree it doesn’t go far enough. But the idea that losing the referendum on AV will somehow boost chances of alternatives such as AV+, STV is mind-boggling naive.

Let me explain why.
continue reading… »

Enterprise Zones: a waste of money and destructive to communities

by Guest    
March 24, 2011 at 9:02 am

contribution by Gary Dunion

In a display of loyalty to the memory of Margaret Thatcher, George Osborne yesterday announced he’s bringing back Enterprise Zones.

There will be 21 in total. Ten locations have been chosen by Osborne, so we will see EZs in Birmingham and Solihull; Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Greater Manchester, the West of England, the Tees Valley, “North Eastern” (whatever that means), the Black Country, and Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire. continue reading… »

Watch: The excellent ‘Andrew Lansley rap’

by Sunny Hundal    
March 24, 2011 at 8:30 am

(contains moderate strong language)

That is some serious lyrical genius…
via @CathElliott

Osborne’s budget eviscerated by the Mail!

by Sunny Hundal    
March 23, 2011 at 11:27 pm

Ouch! The front-page of the Daily Mail is a joy to behold.

That the newspaper didn’t fall for Osborne’s trickery not only means the honeymoon is well and truly over, but that the ‘squeezed middle’ is a bigger problem than Osborne admits.

Labour unveils post-budget attack leaflet

by Newswire    
March 23, 2011 at 7:46 pm

Labour has unveiled its post-budget leaflet today, attacking the Conservatives over their policies.

The leaflet is titled: “It’s hurting, but it’s not working”.

.

Key Conservative policies were attacked by even neutral charities such as Shelter:

Today’s announcement will help less than one per cent of people struggling to get on the housing ladder, leaving them more likely to win the lottery than be helped through this small-scale scheme.

A short analysis by the think-tank IFS said the budget “was not a big fiscal event”, adding that fiscal forecasts had changed… “and for the worse”.

Watch: The best video against the cuts

by Sunny Hundal    
March 23, 2011 at 4:44 pm

The TUC held a 60-second ad contest, with a theme of public spending cuts, last month and received a record-breaking 41 entries.

Fourteen entries were shortlisted – many of which will be shown on the big screen in Hyde Park at the March for the Alternative.

The (awesome) winner is below. More videos at False Economy.

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