GORDON LYEW

2011-03-07T04:12:00.000-08:00

David Miliband has revealed his family’s ‘horror’ at the London School of Economics staging a lecture in his father’s name by the son of Colonel Gaddafi.

He spoke after the resignation of LSE director Sir Howard Davies over the university’s embarrassing links with the Libyan dictatorship.

A prominent feature of those links, which involved accepting a £1.5million donation from the Gaddafis, had been inviting the despot’s son Saif to deliver the Ralph Miliband memorial lecture last May, in honour of the late Marxist academic who taught at the LSE.

Fury: David Milliband told Andrew Marr of his horror at learning that Saif Gaddafi, right, had given a lecture in his late father Ralph’s name at LSE

Astonishingly Saif spared time yesterday from fighting the revolt against his father’s regime to attack former LSE friends as ‘cowards turning on us’. Saif faces being stripped of his LSE PhD over claims it was plagiarised and written by paid consultants.

Former Foreign Secretary Mr Miliband’s intervention came as he was interviewed on Andrew Marr’s BBC1 show yesterday.

The MP, who lost last year’s Labour leadership battle to his younger brother Ed and has since retreated from frontline politics, was asked about the speech given by Saif as part of the LSE’s Ralph Miliband lecture series.

Mr Miliband said: ‘It’s horrific. The Ralph Miliband Programme at the LSE was founded by a former student of my dad’s in the 1950s who said he’d learnt more about the Right in the seminars of my dad – who was obviously on the Left – because my dad believed in showing all sides of opinion.

‘The idea of Saif Gaddafi giving a lecture under his name is just horrific to him and horrific to the whole family obviously.’

However, Mr Miliband’s distaste at British links with Libya was not so obvious when Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi was controversially released from a Scottish prison on ‘compassionate’ grounds two years ago.

Al Megrahi was said to be on the brink of death from cancer, but is today living in Tripoli.

There were calls for Mr Miliband, who was then Foreign Secretary, to stop the release.

But it soon emerged that he apparently wanted Al Megrahi to be freed at some stage.

Scottish government papers revealed that his junior Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell had gone to Tripoli before the bomber’s release and assured the Libyan government that neither Prime Minister Gordon Brown nor David Miliband wanted Al Megrahi to ‘pass away in prison’.

More…

It also emerged that Mr Miliband’s fellow Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson had enjoyed private talks with Saif Gaddafi in Corfu shortly before the release, and there were claims it was linked to lucrative oil deals.

Yesterday Saif spoke out in Libya about the growing furore over the LSE donation and his PhD thesis, which included research conducted by the Monitor Group. Saif said: ‘I am proud of my work at the LSE, and of being an alumni.

Brink of civil war: Pro-Gadhafi soldiers and supporters poured onto the streets of Tripoli today, waving flags and firing their guns in the air in the Libyan leader’s main stronghold, claiming overnight military successes

‘This is the reason I became a benefactor. The way these people are now disowning me is disgusting.’

Saif became particularly close to Professor David Held and Dr Alia Brahimi, a research fellow who frequently visited him and his father in Libya.

Both academics have, over the past week, denounced Saif who said: ‘Just a few months ago we were being treated as honoured friends.

‘Now that rebels are threatening our country, these cowards are turning on us.

‘The way my former friends at the LSE have turned against me and my father is particularly upsetting.’

Col Gaddafi is also furious that people including former premier Tony Blair, who helped rehabilitate him to the world community, were now calling for him to go.

The dictator told a source: ‘These people saw Libya as a huge money-making opportunity but have all but abandoned us after taking our money for years.’

Failed Mission For SAS In Libya

2011-03-07T03:51:00.000-08:00

The SAS and British intelligence agents have now left Benghazi, where children spent part of Sunday playing on an armoured vehicle outside the offices of the rebel forces in the port city.

A British diplomatic effort to reach out to Libyan rebels has ended in humiliation as a team of British special forces and intelligence agents left Benghazi after being briefly detained.

The six SAS troops and two MI6 officers were seized by Libyan rebels in the eastern part of the country after arriving by helicopter four days ago. They left on HMS Cumberland, the frigate that had docked in Benghazi to evacuate British and other EU nationals as Libya lurched deeper into conflict. The diplomatic team's departure marked a perfunctory end to a bizarre and botched venture.

"I can confirm that a small British diplomatic team has been in Benghazi," said William Hague, the foreign secretary. "The team went to Libya to initiate contacts with the opposition. They experienced difficulties, which have now been satisfactorily resolved. They have now left Libya."

Audio of a telephone conversation between the UK's ambassador to Libya, Richard Northern, and a senior rebel leader was later leaked.

Northern suggested in the call that the SAS team had been detained due to a misunderstanding.

The rebel leader responded: "They made a big mistake, coming with a helicopter in an open area."

Northern said: "I didn't know how they were coming."

Despite the failure of the mission, Hague indicated that Britain would continue to try to make contact with the opposition.

"We intend, in consultation with the opposition, to send a further team to strengthen our dialogue in due course," he said. "This diplomatic effort is part of the UK's wider work on Libya, including our ongoing humanitarian support. We continue to press for Gaddafi to step down and we will work with the international community to support the legitimate ambitions of the Libyan people."

According to Guardian sources, the British intelligence and special forces unit were caught near the al-Khadra Farm Company, 18 miles (30km) south-west of Benghazi. A senior member of Benghazi's revolutionary council said: "They were carrying espionage equipment, reconnaissance equipment, multiple passports and weapons. This is no way to conduct yourself during an uprising.

"Gaddafi is bringing in thousands of mercenaries to kill us, most are using foreign passports and how do we know who these people are?

"They say they're British nationals and some of the passports they have are British. But the Israelis used British passports to kill that man in Dubai last year."

Rebel leaders said claimed the captives had been treated well and would be released as soon as the British government vouched for their identity with the rebel command.

The news follows Sunday Times claims that an SAS unit was being held by rebel forces it had approached in an attempt to open up diplomatic channels to opponents of Muammar Gaddafi.

Whitehall sources said on Friday it needed to learn more about the leadership of the anti-Gaddafi forces and find out what logistical support they needed, but would not give arms to the rebels, as an international arms embargo was in place.

British officials during the day declined to comment on reports that special forces were being held but defended the objective of the mission.

The defence secretary, Liam Fox said: "It is a very difficult situation to be able to understand in detail. There are a number of different opposition groups to Colonel Gaddafi in Libya who do seem relatively disparate. We want to clearly understand what the dynamic is here because we want to be able to work with them to ensure the demise of the Gaddafi regime, to see a transition to greater stability in Libya and ultimately to more representative government.

"So getting a picture of that is relatively difficult, as is widely reported. Communications are being interrupted, there are difficulties with mobile phones, with the internet potentially being interfered with.

"So we are trying to build a picture – it's essential that the government does that and it's essential that all western governments do that so we are able to get a clearer idea of what we are able to do in terms of helping the people of Libya."

David Cameron, speaking at the Tory party spring conference in Cardiff, repeated his call for "Gaddafi to go". "On Libya, our strategy is clear," he said. "We will continue to intensify pressure on the regime. We will continue to state clearly that international justice has a long reach and a long memory, and that those who commit crimes against humanity will not go unpunished. We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by this crisis, and continue to demand access for aid agencies to reach those in need.

And we will continue to plan, with our allies, for every eventuality. "

The Sunday Times reported Libyan and British sources confirming the SAS unit had been detained by rebel forces it had approached to secure a meeting with a junior diplomat to offer help in their fight against Gaddafi. The mission backfired when rebel leaders in Benghazi objected to foreign interference from governments which had not yet formally recognised them as Libya's legitimate rulers, it said.

Libya: Gaddafi's billions to be seized by Britain

2011-03-02T04:10:00.000-08:00

The US Treasury said banks were still "scouring their accounts" for any further funds connected to Muammar Gaddafi, as the US government seeks to put further pressure on his regime.

They have already blocked accounts of the Libyan Investment Authority, which is the sovereign wealth fund, and have frozen assets of the Libyan Central Bank, believed to be controlled by Colonel Gaddafi and his family.

In a Treasury briefing, financial intelligence official David Cohen did not name any banks or the number of banks with accounts, but said they were at "many major institutions"

A Libyan Central Bank building in Tripoli: its assets held in the US are blocked

The US order comes after the British government announced it too was taking action to freeze Gaddafi's assets in the UK so they could not be used against the interests of the Libyan people.

"These blocking actions by the United States and the UN, UK and EU, serve two very important objectives: depriving Colonel Gaddafi and his government of access to these assets and simultaneously safeguarding them for the Libyan people," said Mr Cohen.

As the search for any of Gaddafi's remaining money continues, forensic investigator Craig Scarr warned that the length of the Libyan leader's rule could complicate efforts to trace his cash.

Speaking on Jeff Randall Live, he said: "The problem comes when you're looking at a very long-standing regime where a high proportion of the time that regime has been recognised and accepted as a trading or investment partner."

Mr Scarr, who has previously worked with the FBI and Serious Fraud Office, explained that while Gaddafi clung on to power, investigators would be looking for two types of assets.

"The first is visible assets, where investments have been made when the regime was recognised," he said.

"Then when regimes get nervous about long-term recognition, they start moving into shadow assets, where investments are made on behalf of those people.

"That's when the investigation really gets interesting."

Mr Scarr added that attention would turn straight to Libyan records if and when Gaddafi fell, but he warned that by this time the paper trail may have gone cold.

"The objective is to repatriate the funds back to the people of Libya," he said, adding there was a "good possibility" that millions of pounds of their money had gone missing.

Riot police blocked anti-government protests

2011-03-01T03:52:00.000-08:00

Protesters are continuing to push for change across the Middle East and North Africa, while Egypt and Tunisia remain in turmoil as they head towards elections.

An Egyptian girl waves a flag in Tahrir Square

Egypt:
Travel bans have been issued for ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his family.

Adel el Saeed, a spokesman for the public prosecutor, said that the Mubarak family's financial assets had also been frozen while unspecified "complaints" were investigated.

Egypt's interim military rulers have been under pressure to distance themselves from the Mubarak regime, which was forced from power on February 11 after more than two weeks of protests.

On Sunday, at least 500 people gathered in Tahrir Square to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who was appointed by Mr Mubarak as he attempted to cling on to power.

Former interior minister Habib al Adly, who was in charge of Egypt's much-criticised police force until last month, will go on trial next Saturday, reports said.

Meanwhile, Arab League chief Amr Moussa has announced that he plans to run for the presidency in elections promised for later this year.

Moussa, a former foreign minister who enjoys wide popularity in Egypt, declared his candidacy after a constitutional reform panel recommended the relaxation of eligibility rules governing who can run for president.

Oman:
Protests have reportedly blocked access to the country's second biggest port, preventing any movement of shipping, after at least one person was killed in clashes with security forces.

It had been reported that up to six people had died as hundreds of demonstrators demanding more jobs fought police in the port city of Sohar, but Oman's health minister denied those claims.

At least one person was killed in protests in Oman

Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saidi also said police used rubber bullets, not live ammunition as some witnesses have claimed, against the crowds.

On Monday, security forces sealed off the main roads to Sohar, about 120 miles northwest of the capital of Muscat, in an attempt to isolate the protesters and keep crowds from swelling.

But several hundred people - mostly young men - were gathered at the town's main roundabout, demanding higher salaries, jobs for the unemployed youth and changes of some government ministers.

A supermarket was set on fire by the protesters, witnesses said.

Oman's ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said has moved to quell the protests, ordering 50,000 new state positions and a monthly stipend of $390 for job seekers. A day earlier, he replaced six cabinet members.

Yemen:
Opposition to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 32-year rule is spreading across the country with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in the northern cities of Ibb and Hudeida and Taiz, 125 miles south of the capital Sanaa.

The mass protests came as Yemen's opposition parties said they would not join a coalition government with Mr Saleh.

In capital Sanaa, witnesses said around 5,000 protesters, who have camped out in the streets, shouted: "We have one demand: the fall of the oppressor."

The Sanaa protests were swelled by members of several tribes, which are at the heart of Yemen's social system. Islamist groups also joined the sit-in.

Mr Saleh met armed forces commanders at the weekend, and told them they were responsible for maintaining security and stability in the face of a plot against Yemeni unity, reports said.

Bahrain:
Anti-government activists have blocked access to parliament, forcing the cancellation of a meeting of the 40-member upper chamber, which is directly appointed by the country's ruler.

Demonstrator stopped legislators reaching Bahrain's parliament

The demonstration appears part of a strategy to increase pressure on the Sunni Muslim elite by holding rallies at sensitive locations in capital Manama.

The monarchy has appealed for talks with the predominantly Shia Muslim protesters, who complain of being politically marginalised.

The US, a key ally of Bahrain, has backed the call for "national dialogue" and welcomed a cabinet reshuffle by King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa, which it said restated his "commitment to reform".

Algeria:
A man has died after setting himself on fire outside a government office over the weekend in a protest over problems with his identity card, the El Watan newspaper reported.

The death in Bordj Bou Arredidj was the fifth by self-immolation in Algeria since mid-January, soon after days of rioting across much of the country to protest soaring food prices. About a dozen people have carried out similar protests since then.

Riot police blocked anti-government protests on Saturday

The self-immolation of a young Tunisian in December unleashed weeks of protests that toppled president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.

Algeria has seen unprecedented protests against the rule of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in the wake of the Tunisian protests.

On Saturday, several hundred riot police blocked a new opposition attempt to stage an anti-government march in the centre of the Algerian capital Algiers.

Iran:
Iran has reportedly arrested opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who had been under virtual house arrest for calling on supporters to protest against the government.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said the two leaders had been moved secretly to jail from their homes.

Mr Mousavi's daughters said on his Kaleme website that they had been prevented from approaching the house since February 14.

Poll: Half Could Vote For A Far-Right Party

2011-03-01T03:45:00.000-08:00

Almost half of voters could back a far-right political party that did not promote violence and nearly two-thirds of white Britons say immigration was bad for the UK, a survey has found.

A significant minority want immigration to the UK halted until the economy recovers

Anti-racism campaigners the Searchlight Education Trust, which commissioned the research by pollsters Populus, described the results as "disturbing".

According to the poll, 63% of white Britons, 43% of British Asians and 17% of black Britons believe immigration has been a bad thing for Britain.

But it is British Asians who are most likely to say it should be halted - at least until the economy is back on track.

This view was supported by 38% of the British Asians polled, 34% of white Britons and 21% of black Britons.

The political class has been warned.

Labour MP Jon Cruddas

Overall, just over half (52%) agreed with the statement "Muslims create problems in the UK" and just under half (48%) would consider supporting a far-right party if it did not promote "facist imagery" or violence.

The Searchlight Educational Trust said the report "paints a disturbing picture of our attitudes towards each other and the unknown".

It "throws down a challenge" to mainstream political parties to better understand what is happening in the body politic, the Trust said, warning "dangers" lie ahead if these issues are not addressed.

While director Nick Lowles said there were positive findings - for example young people are more open to living in an ethnically diverse society - anti-extremism campaigners have "nowhere to hide".

Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas says a new language of identity needed

"The harsh truth is we are in danger of losing touch with the public on race, immigration and multiculturalism," he added.

Jon Cruddas, the Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham who has campaigned against the British National Party, wrote the forward to the report, entitled Fear And Hope - The New Politics Of Identity.

"Put simply, unless political parties step up and provide a new language of material well-being, of identity and belonging, then these political forces might refract into more malign forms," he wrote.

"As such, the political class has been warned."

Prime Minister David Cameron recently gave a speech criticising "state multiculturalism" and calling for the UK to have a stronger national identity and take a tougher stance against Islamic extremism.

High-Speed Rail Consultation Period Begins

2011-03-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Government has begun one of its largest public consultations ever on the proposed high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told business leaders the £32bn link will bring prosperity and employment by cutting journey times between the capital, the Midlands and on to the North of England and Scotland.

"The time for high-speed rail in Britain has come," he said.

"We must invest in Britain's future. We cannot afford to be left behind - investing in high-speed rail now is vital to the prosperity of future generations."

But a small number of protesters outside the ICC in Birmingham used a white elephant to illustrate their concerns that the new route will be an expensive failure.

Protester Gerry Marshall told Sky News: "It's ludicrous because there's a much better alternative.

"(There's) something called 'rail package two', which provides all the capacity needs we have - 135% increase in capacity for a cost of £2bn with relatively little disruption.

"It would be better to improve rail travel for the many, rather than just improve one line for the rich."

The consultation hopes to stimulate debate in the rest of the country to get a more balanced view.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond

Objections from those living along the proposed route have already seen at least half of it being altered.

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "We have to try and wake up public opinion in places like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Scotland to the huge opportunities and economic benefits that this project will bring.

"So far it's the people living on the line of the route... (who) are obviously the ones most aware of this project.

"The consultation hopes to stimulate debate in the rest of the country to get a more balanced view."

Initially the high-speed route will link London and Birmingham, with plans to then extend the line to create a Y-shaped network to Manchester and Leeds.

The Government estimates the link will generate £44bn in economic benefits over 60 years.

The consultation process will last until the end of July, with events taking place in towns and cities along the 140 mile route.

A small group of protesters against the proposed rail link in Birmingham

If the consultation goes well the Government is keen to bring a bill before Parliament in 2015, just prior to a general election.

That may well cause problems for the 16 Conservative MPs whose constituencies would be crossed by the high-speed line.

Cross-party support can also no longer taken for be taken for granted.

The Labour Party, which originally championed HS2 while in government, has now said it cannot make a "cast iron" commitment to the scheme.

The Government insists high-speed rail is essential if Britain wants to compete with other European countries.

It says the route will add much needed extra capacity to the busy West Coast main line, with 14 trains an hour, each with more than 1,000 seats.

Once completed the route will cut journey times between many cities to a level which it is hoped will dissuade people from taking domestic flights.

Last week 70 of Britain's most high-profile bosses gave their backing to the project.

However, the Government knows there is a well-organised network of opposition groups along virtually the entire route, meaning the project is unlikely to be given an easy passage prior to its construction beginning.

Couple 'doomed' to be turned down as foster carers, court told

2011-03-01T03:29:00.000-08:00

A Christian couple opposed to homosexuality have lost a court battle over their right to become foster carers.

Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, of Derby, said the city council did not want them to look after children because of their traditional views.

They claim they were "doomed not to be approved" due to their opinions.

The High Court ruled that laws protecting people from sexual discrimination should take precedence.

“Start Quote"

All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing”

End Quote Eunice Johns

The Pentecostal Christian couple had applied to Derby City Council to be respite carers.

They withdrew their application after a social worker expressed concerns when they said they could not tell a child a homosexual lifestyle was acceptable.

At the High Court, they asked judges to rule that their faith should not be a bar to them becoming carers, and the law should protect their Christian values.

Moral opinions

But Lord Justice Munby and Mr Justice Beatson ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation "should take precedence" over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.

They said that if children were placed with carers who objected to homosexuality and same-sex relationships, "there may well be a conflict with the local authority's duty to 'safeguard and promote the welfare' of looked-after children".

Analysis

The case is likely to be seen as a landmark decision, as senior judges ruled so decisively against any idea that attitudes might be justified purely because they were Christian in origin.

The court discriminated between kinds of Christianity, saying that Christians in general might well make good foster parents, while people with traditionalist Christian views like Mr and Mrs Johns might well not.

Such views, said the judges, might conflict with the welfare of children.

Significantly, the court said that while there was a right not to face discrimination on the basis on either religion or sexual orientation, equality of sexual orientation took precedence.

This was the most decisive ruling against the idea of Christian values underpinning English law since judges ruled last year that to protect views simply because they were religious would be irrational, divisive and arbitrary.

Today the message was that courts would interpret the law in cases like the Johns' according to secular and not religious values.

They rejected suggestions that the case involved "a threat to religious liberty", adding: "No one is asserting that Christians - or, for that matter, Jews or Muslims - are not fit and proper persons to foster or adopt. No-one is contending for a blanket ban."

Speaking outside the court in London, Mrs Johns said: "All we wanted was to offer a loving home to a child in need. We have a good track record as foster parents.

"We have been excluded because we have moral opinions based on our faith and we feel sidelined because we are Christians with normal, mainstream, Christian views on sexual ethics.

"We are prepared to love and accept any child. All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing."

The couple, who cared for about 15 children in the 1990s, have called for a public inquiry into the matter.

Derby City Council has welcomed the court's ruling.

A spokesman said the authority "valued diversity and promoted equality" and "encouraged and supported children in a non judgmental way, regardless of their sexual orientation or preference".

He added: "The court confirmed that the local authority is properly entitled to consider a prospective foster carer's views on sexuality when considering their application to become a foster parent and in fact, failure to do so would potentially leave it in breach of its own guidance as well as the National Minimum Standards."

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, said: "Thankfully, Mr and Mrs Johns' out-dated views aren't just out of step with the majority of people in modern Britain, but those of many Christians too.

"If you wish to be involved in the delivery of a public service, you should be prepared to provide it fairly to anyone."

But the Christian Legal Centre reacted to the ruling with dismay and warned that "fostering by Christians is now in doubt".

The organisation said the judgment "sends out the clear message that orthodox Christian ethical beliefs are potentially harmful to children and that Christian parents with mainstream Christian views are not suitable to be considered as potential foster parents".

Hello, Hello Wot Do We Have Hear A Troy Councillor Giving Insults

2011-03-01T03:13:00.000-08:00

A councillor branded people protesting against cuts at a Hull City Council meeting "retards" in a rant on Twitter.

Conservative group leader John Fareham made the comment after Friday's meeting, which saw the council approve a controversial £65m savings plan.

It read: "15 hours in council today very hard hitting day and the usual collection of retards in the public gallery spoiling it for real people."

Mr Fareham, who has since apologised, has been criticised by Mencap.

Unison has demanded action is taken over his "disgraceful behaviour".

'Abused for hours'

Plans approved at the meeting, which was delayed due to hecklers, included the axing of 1,400 jobs and cuts to day care centres, leisure centres and highway budgets.

The Bricknell councillor said the comment was "misguided", and added in a further Twitter post that it came after he was "abused for hours, returned home to excrement in house and saw intimidation".

“Start Quote

I apologise unreservedly. I got it wrong and I'm sorry”

End Quote Councillor John Fareham

He added: "I apologise unreservedly for the adjective (sic) in my earlier tweet about the intimidation by some people. I got it wrong and I'm sorry."

Unison regional organiser Steve Torrance said several people with physical and learning disabilities were in the public gallery at the time.

He added: "Not only are Councillor Fareham's remarks offensive and unwelcome generally, they are of particular concern given that members of the public with disabilities were present in the gallery throughout the council debate as well as the people who care for them.

'Offensive language'

"Unison will be petitioning the next council meeting calling for the council leader to defend the rights of disabled people not to be abused in this way and for action to be taken over Councillor Fareham's disgraceful behaviour towards members of the public and trade union members."

Mr Fareham was reprimanded by the Lib Dem-run council's standards committee last year for making derogatory remarks about other staff.

He was ordered to write a letter of apology and attend a training course.

A Mencap spokesman said: "Councillor Fareham has now apologised for using that language, both on Twitter and to Mencap.

"We campaign about the use of language offensive to people with a learning disability because we believe that it contributes to a culture where harassment and bullying of people with a learning disability is all too common."

China protest call smothered in police blanket

2011-02-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

An online call for anti-government protests across China on Sunday instead brought an emphatic show of force by police determined to deter any buds of the kind of unrest that has shaken the Middle East. This file photo shows a man arrested by police in front of the Peace Cinema, where internet social networks were calling to join a "Jasmine Revolution" protest, in downtown Shanghai February 20, 2011

An online call for anti-government protests across China on Sunday instead brought an emphatic show of force by police determined to deter any buds of the kind of unrest that has shaken the Middle East.

Lines of police checked passers-by and warned away foreign photo journalists in downtown Beijing and Shanghai after a U.S.-based Chinese website spread calls for Chinese people to emulate the "Jasmine Revolution" sweeping the Middle East and stage gatherings in support of democratic change.

Officials from China's ruling Communist Party have dismissed the idea that they could be hit by protests like those that have rippled across the Middle East.

But a rash of detentions and censorship of online discussion of the Middle East have shown that Beijing is deeply nervous about any signs of opposition to its one-party rule.

What started as a call for protest has instead become an opportunity for the Chinese government to brandish the big and sophisticated security forces funded by rapid economic growth.

In Shanghai, police bundled away at least seven men, one of whom had been taking photos. Reuters TV filmed several policemen forcing a man in a brown jacket into a Public Security Bureau van, while other police held up an umbrella to block the view.

In Beijing, uniformed police were joined by plainclothes officers who kept shoppers and journalists moving. Men in sanitation uniforms with armbands that said "Public Security Volunteer" used brooms to sweep pedestrians along.

An American news videographer was kicked and beaten repeatedly in the face with brooms and taken into police custody, witnesses said. Other reporters were detained by police and some were roughed up, including one from Taiwan whose hand was injured, they said.

A U.S. embassy spokesman said he was "disturbed" by reports of foreign journalists being physically harassed.

"We call on the Chinese government to respect the rights of foreign journalists to report in China and urge public security authorities to protect the safety and well being of anyone who is subject to illegal harassment or intimidation," embassy spokesman Richard Buangan said.

MCDONALD'S CLOSED BRIEFLY

It was impossible to tell who were simply shoppers and who had shown up to support silently the call to demonstrate.

Security was evident throughout Beijing's Wangfujing shopping street, one of the venues singled out as a protest site by the website, Boxun.com. Shoppers strolled along, but there were at least 40 public security vehicles at the south end of the pedestrian-only street.

Passage was partly blocked by construction fences that went up late in the week outside a McDonald's restaurant, which the Boxun message designated as a place for the gathering. The McDonald's was shut down on Sunday afternoon for about an hour.

"A few days ago some people were creating a stir over by the McDonald's, so they have stepped up security," said an employee at a nearby store. She said she did not want her name reported.

At least one news photographer was ordered into a police vehicle and forced to delete photos from her camera.

A similar call for protest a week ago brought out few people, and dozens of dissidents and human rights activists have been detained or warned to avoid such activities.

It is not clear who is behind the appeals for protests. The government has blocked text messages and web postings in China that contain references to jasmine.

The term "jasmine gatherings" comes from the protests in Tunisia that ousted long-time President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January in what supporters there called a "Jasmine Revolution".

US Vows Sanctions As World Rounds On Libya

2011-02-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts came to mind last night as to whether Obama was right to go it alone or should he should have waited until the UN passed a number of resolutions or is the US up to its own tricks again.

On the face of it there is not doubt that we have to buy and sell to dictators and all govts have to work with dictators whether we like or not. Tony Blair, and associations went to Libya to get the oil contacts all went head on in. In my opinion

The US has announced it is to impose sanctions on Libya and cut diplomatic ties as heads of state pledged to bring those responsible for atrocities there to justice.

Spokesman Jay Carney said the White House was finalising the process, working with European partners on additional sanctions and deciding whether to enforce a no-fly zone.

Sky News correspondents in the east of the country have found evidence that weapons including rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft weapons have been used on protesters against dictator Colonel Muammar Gadaffi.

Casualty figures are impossible to substantiate but the UN's high commissioner for human rights said they could run into thousands.

More deaths were reported in the capital, Tripoli, as the beleaguered Colonel Gaddafi made a public appearance urging his supporters to fight for him.

In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolved to call for an independent international inquiry into abuses perpetrated by the Libyan goverment and to call on the UN General Assembly to consider suspending Libya from its seat on the HRC.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told Sky News it supported the resolution.

"Our biggest fear is the targeting of civilians and the heavy toll in terms of casualties, fatalities, injured people... the numbers are varying and the information thus far has been very sketchy," he said.

"We don't know exactly what the extent of this is but what's been reported has been horrendous so far and our position on this has been very clear. So our biggest fear; what's happening to the civilian population.

"It's our view that civilians have the right to demonstrate and to express their opinions freely and we're just monitoring the situation very closely."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon demanded an end to the violence and said an international consensus was building to take action following reports of attacks on protesters and innocent civilians, including women and children.

"It is time for the UN Security Council to consider concrete action," he said.

"Let us be mindful of the urgency of the moment... the loss of time (will mean) the loss of life."

France and Britain's joint UN resolution will also ask the International Criminal Court to indict Colonel Gaddafi for crimes against humanity.

The ICC prosecutor has previously said the court could not intervene because Libya does not accept the court's jurisdiction.

The UN security council can, however, refer the situation to the court.

One way or another, just like Mubarak, he's finished. He just hasn't gone yet.

Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall on Gaddafi

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "On Monday, I will be attending the HRC in Geneva. I will be meeting with other Foreign Ministers including Secretary (Hillary) Clinton.

"We will continue to press for action on Libya as there have been gross and systematic human rights violations by the Libyan authorities that are utterly unacceptable and we condemn them absolutely."

UK Prime Minister David Cameron warned the Libyan regime "the world is watching you", and declined to rule out military action against the country.

People working for this regime should remember that international justice has a long reach and a long memory and they will be held to account for what they do.

David Cameron

He added the Government "will do everything it can" to get estimated 200 British nationals still stranded in Libya safely back home.

The US embassy in Libya has closed and its staff have departed on a charter flight for Istanbul, although sources at the State Department said operations there could resume "at any time".

Meanwhile, the Libyan ambassador's house in Washington DC there were scenes of celebration as the flag symbolising the Gaddafi regime was pulled down and pre-Gaddafi colours hoisted to the mast in its place.

The entire Libyan mission in Geneva has also quit in a public session, with the envoy telling the UN rights body that the diplomatic mission now served the Libyan people and their will.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first leader to call for Colonel Gaddafi to go, and he warned of "investigations and sanctions" over crackdowns on protesters.

Nato's secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has also called an emergency council meeting, adding further international pressure to Colonel Gaddafi.

"The situation in Libya is of great concern," he wrote on his Twitter account.

"Nato can act as an enabler and co-ordinator if and when member states take action."

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears on state TV

2011-02-24T02:22:00.000-08:00

It's a very sad day for demorcy for the amy to turn their gunds on their own people who are demostrating in a peaceful way for decomcrocy.

Libya's leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi, has dismissed reports that he had fled amid the unrest sweeping the country, calling foreign news channels "dogs".

Speaking to state TV from outside a ruined building, he said: "I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela," after rumours that he had flown to Caracas.

Col Gaddafi's statement came after security forces and protesters clashed in the capital for a second night.

The UN Security Council is to meet in closed session to discuss Libya.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made the announcement, after speaking to Col Gaddafi on Monday.

"I urged him that the human rights and freedom of assembly and freedom of speech must be fully protected," said Mr Ban.

“Start Quote

I want to clarify for them that I am in Tripoli not in Venezuela. Do not believe these channels - they are dogs”

End Quote Muammar Gaddafi Libyan leader

The Arab League will also hold an emergency session.

Eyewitness reports that military aircraft had fired on protesters in Tripoli have been backed up by Libyan diplomats who have turned against the leadership.

But Col Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said the aircraft had been used only to bomb army bases which had defected to the opposition.

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in western Egypt, says the regime now seems to be fighting on multiple fronts, trying to put down the protests and fighting a bitter battle against a growing number of army units that have risen up against the Libyan leader.

Libya's diplomats at the United Nations in New York called for international intervention to stop the government's violent action against street demonstrations in their homeland.

Here in Tripoli Col Gaddafi's forces are in control. This morning has been really quiet in the streets, there is very rare movement.

We've heard some reports that anyone who goes out in the street is stopped and asked for their destination and if there's no clear destination people might get arrested.

People in Benghazi confirm to me that the people are in control of the city, they have control over the radio.

They have set up committees to organise public life there but they also confirm that the army has control over the airport and the suburbs.

Deputy Permanent Representative Ibrahim Dabbashi said Libyans had to be protected from "genocide", and urged the UN to impose a no-fly zone.

Ali Aujali, Libya's most senior diplomat in the US, also criticised the country's leader. He told the BBC he was "not supporting the government killing its people".

The embassy in Malaysia condemned the government's actions after being briefly occupied by protesters who smashed a portrait of Col Gaddafi.

The ambassador to India said he had quit because of "unacceptable" violence against civilians.

Ali al-Essawi said he had heard from sources inside the country that the leadership had been using African mercenaries to combat the protests, and this had prompted Libyan troops to join the opposition, Reuters news agency reported.

Meanwhile Libyan state TV denied there had been any massacres, dismissing the reports as "baseless lies" by foreign media.

"You should know that this is part of the psychological warfare, lies and rumours which you should resist because they are aimed at demolishing your morale, stability and blessings for which they envy you," a statement said.

"Rumours are a poison which you should not drink. False news peddled by satellite TVs are arrows which you should deflect towards their throats."

'Satisfied'

Col Gaddafi appeared for less than a minute on state television shortly after 0200 local time (0000 GMT) on Tuesday.

Mid-East unrest: Libya

Col Muammar Gaddafi has led since 1969
Population 6.5m; land area 1.77m sq km, much of it desert
Population with median age of 24.2, and a literacy rate of 88%
Gross national income per head: $12,020 (World Bank 2009)

He was sitting in the passenger seat of an old, white vehicle and held up an umbrella to shield himself from the rain while speaking.

"I am satisfied, because I was speaking in front of the youth in the Green Square tonight, but the rain came praise to God, it is a good omen," he said.

"I want to clarify for them that I am in Tripoli not in Venezuela. Do not believe these channels - they are dogs. Goodbye."

It has been raining in Tripoli for much of the past two days.

One resident of Tripoli called the comment an insult.

"We thought that he'd just say he was sorry, or that he would just fix [it] or whatever, but something like this? This is insulting," he told the BBC.

Earlier, the newly established General Committee for Defence said its forces would cleanse Libya of anti-government elements.

A statement described the protesters as "terrorist gangs made up mostly of misguided youths", who had been exploited and fed "hallucinogenic pills" by people following foreign agendas.

Bombing raids

Our correspondent says Col Gaddafi has now lost the support of almost every section of Libyan society.

Foreign journalists work under tight restriction in Libya, and much of the information coming from the country is impossible to verify.

But the authorities have accepted that eastern cities such as al-Bayda and Benghazi - traditional pockets of resistance to the government - are now under the control of the opposition.

The unrest had not touched Tripoli until Sunday, when hundreds of protesters flooded the streets, only to be suppressed by security forces.

On Monday, state TV reported that a renewed operation had begun against opposition elements.

An eyewitness in the capital said the suburbs of Fashloom and Zawiyat al-Dahmani had been cordoned off by security forces.

Witnesses estimate that more than 50 people have been killed in Tripoli since Sunday.

Before the unrest spread there, Human Rights Watch estimated that 233 people had been killed. Other groups said the figure was much higher.

Libya's most senior diplomat in the US, Ali Aujali, has criticised Col Gaddafi's regime in a BBC interview

Amid the turmoil on the streets, senior officials have begun to desert the regime. Justice Minister Mustapha Abdul Jalil quit the government because of the "excessive use of violence", the Quryna newspaper said.

The US joined "international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya," said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed," she added.

EU foreign ministers released a statement condemning the "ongoing repression against demonstrators", and said they deplored the violence and death of civilians.

The violence has helped to push up oil prices to their highest levels since the global financial crisis of 2008.

International firms including BP, one of the world's biggest oil companies, are preparing to pull their staff out.

Thousands of Europeans have already fled the country.

David Cameron hails 'opportunity' on Egypt visit

2011-02-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

Frankly I think the timing of Cameron's visit is insensitive as David Cameron has met Egypt's new leaders, as the first world leader to visit the country since President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office.

The UK prime minister held talks with the head of the armed forces supreme council Mohamed Tantawi and caretaker Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq.

He said Egypt had a "great opportunity" to push for democracy.

Mr Cameron also described the violent suppression of protests in neighbouring Libya as "appalling".

Egypt's long-standing leader Mr Mubarak stood down 10 days ago amid widespread protests against his regime by pro-democracy activists.

Speaking on the flight to Cairo, Mr Cameron said: "This is a great opportunity for us to go and talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian rule, and see what friendly countries like Britain and others in Europe can do to help."

Part of the prime minister's agenda will be a call for the lifting of emergency laws, which have been in place for more than 30 years.

It is frankly astonishing for David Cameron to be here. Egypt is still in flux. It is only 10 days since the country's president Hosni Mubarak stood down.

The interim government is still very much only that. Tahrir Square, where Mr Cameron did an unlikely walkabout, may have returned to its chaotic, noisy self, but the tanks are still there.

The risks for the prime minister are obvious. He could be accused of lecturing the new regime - the old colonial West come to tell the Egyptians how to do their democracy - or he could be accused of legitimising a temporary military government simply by being here - an administration that may soon find the status quo rather comfortable.

But Mr Cameron rejects these views. For him, this is a moment of opportunity for Britain to encourage Egypt's government to press ahead with its move from military to civilian rule.

Read James Landale's analysis in full

Mr Cameron walked through Tahrir Square, the centre of the anti-Mubarak demonstrations, and met figures from the protest movement, although not representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood - the banned Islamic group which is thought to have widespread public support.

The prime minister had planned to make a trade-centred tour of the Middle East but altered his schedule to visit Egypt.

He told the BBC that Egypt's current military rulers had done some good things in terms of setting out the need for constitutional change, a referendum and parliamentary elections.

But he said they need to "do more, more quickly in terms of ending the state of emergency, allowing political parties to register and freeing political prisoners".

Mr Cameron said he had met "very brave" figures from the protest movement who "don't yet have confidence that this transition is real".

"As a friend of Egypt we want this transition to happen we want to help encourage the government to take those steps," he said.

BBC deputy political editor James Landale, who is travelling with Mr Cameron, said it was extraordinary for a British prime minister to engage in full-on diplomacy in a country that was still "in flux".

He said the prime minister believed that there was a window of opportunity for western leaders to give what his advisers are calling "candid" advice, but there was a danger he could be seen as lecturing or as legitimising a temporary regime.

William Hague: "Gaddafi may have left country"

But Mr Cameron said it was "right to come here to say that we support the aspirations of people in Egypt for a more genuine, open democracy".

"It's not a question of either lecturing or legitimising, it's saying we want Egypt to have a strong and successful future," he said.

The Egypt visit comes while anti-government protests are raging in Libya and Bahrain.

Asked about the violent treatment of demonstrators against Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya in recent days, Mr Cameron said: "We can see what is happening in Libya which is completely appalling and unacceptable as the regime is using the most vicious forms of repression against people who want to see that country, which is one of the most closed and one of the most autocratic, make progress."

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has been in Brussels for talks on the violence in Libya.

Oil firm BP has said it is preparing to evacuate some of its staff and their families from the country over the next day or so. The company has 40 foreign employees in Libya.

Potters Bar crash: Network Rail to plead guilty

2011-02-22T03:50:00.000-08:00

Network Rail has admitted health and safety failings over the 2002 Potters Bar crash, in which seven people died.

The company has said it will plead guilty to charges which were brought over the condition of tracks near the station in Hertfordshire.

Six passengers and a pedestrian died when a train from London to King's Lynn derailed on 10 May 2002.

An inquest last year concluded that a points failure was to blame. The company will be sentenced next month.

Peter Palfrey, chair of the bench at Watford Magistrates' Court, said: "In this case we have decided that the charge is so serious we cannot give punishment at this court."

'Almost unrecognisable'

Speaking outside the court, a Network Rail spokesman said the firm was pleading guilty because it had assumed all of Railtrack's responsibilities and liabilities when it took over the company in October 2002.

But he insisted that travelling by train was now safer than ever: "The railway today is almost unrecognisable since the days of Railtrack and the Potters Bar tragedy.

"All of the recommendations made by both the industry's own formal inquiry and the health and safety investigation have been carried out."

“Start Quote

The families had to go though an awful ordeal, and what still worries them is whether the safety concerns have been properly addressed.”

End Quote Louise Christian Solicitor

Six passengers - Austen Kark, Emma Knights, Alexander Ogunwusi, Jonael Schickler, Chia Hsin Lin and Chia Chin Wu - were killed in the crash.

The seventh victim, Agnes Quinlivan, was walking nearby and died after she was hit by debris.

More than 70 people were injured.

'An awful ordeal'

The Office of Rail Regulation launched proceedings over alleged breaches of health and safety law after the inquest into the crash last year.

Louise Christian, a solicitor representing some of the victim's families, said there was anger that the process had taken so long.

She expressed concern whether today's events would make a real difference. "The families had to go though an awful ordeal, and what still worries them is whether the safety concerns have been properly addressed for the future," she said.

"This is now a prosecution that can only result in a fine. There's a query whether that will bring about any real accountability, given that Network Rail is a not for profit company."

The Office of Rail Regulation said it was now considering whether it was in the public interest to continue prosecutions against Jarvis, the maintenance firm responsible for the tracks at Potters Bar.

Jarvis was due in court today facing a health and safety charge, but it was not represented when Network Rail entered its intended plea.

There will be another hearing on March 21.

Divisions lower hopes of G20 breakthrough

2011-02-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

The world's leading nations were divided on Friday night over plans to reduce global economic imbalances, with China determined to head off international criticism over its huge foreign exchange reserves.

France had hoped to strike a deal at the weekend on economic indicators that would be used to monitor imbalances, including current account balances, real exchange rates and foreign exchange reserves.

In an urgent appeal for agreement, Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, asked G20 finance ministers and central bank governors to look beyond a "mechanistic approach". "We do not have much time," he said in Paris.

"We will not succeed in everything. But the worst-case scenario would be to refuse to address the real subject -- the international monetary order ... I hope your discussions will not get bogged down in interminable debate on these indicators."

China, however, signalled its opposition to the monitoring plan. "We think it is not appropriate to use real effective exchange rates and reserves," said Xie Xuren, Chinese finance minister.

His comments further lowered expectations that any substantial agreement would be reached at this weekend's G20 meeting, which brings together advanced and emerging economies. The decision to adopt guidelines to help global rebalancing was adopted at the G20 summit in Seoul in November, and is intended to form a central part of this year's meetings.

"Of course you have to look at measures of imbalances," argued Tim Geithner, US Treasury secretary. In Seoul, the US failed to secure precise targets for current account surpluses, with a proposed limit of 4 per cent of gross domestic product.

While Germany supports using the suggested economic indicators for monitoring purposes, like China it opposes any specific targets.

"There is a vast majority of countries that support having these five indicators together," said Jörg Asmussen, Germany's financial state secretary.

Jim Flaherty, Canada's finance minister, said he believed there was agreement on two indicators -- the level of public debt and deficits, and the level of private savings -- but there was difficulty agreeing on the current account measure.

China wants a focus on trade figures, rather than the full current account.

In his opening speech before a working dinner in the Elysée palace, Mr Sarkozy also pushed for more regulation of the commodity markets, and an "innovative financing scheme" to help industrialised nations finance technology transfers to developing countries to deal with global warming.

He said that a "tiny levy on financial transactions" would be such an innovative scheme, appealing directly to Mr Geithner at least to consider the suggestion.

On commodity market regulation, Mr Sarkozy said that all markets should be subject to regulation, or they would be "governed by speculation". "I am suggesting a global strategy combatting volatility and regulating speculation," he said

Mixed-race adoption policy change

2011-02-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

There has been much talk of a Mix-race adoption policy whilst I agree in principal with a luke warm welcome the councils will have a long way to go on this subject matter. The council must in the first instance contiune to seek foster perants from BAME communites if it then can not then by all means go down the line of using white couples.

White couples should be allowed to adopt black and ethnic minority children under new guidelines for social workers in England.

Local authorities will be warned not to delay placing a child with a suitable family of a different ethnicity.

Many children from ethnic minorities do not get adopted because social workers have been keen to place them with families of the same background.

The move will be confirmed by Education Secretary Michael Gove on Tuesday.

Actions monitored

The law will not change but the new guidance will state that as long as prospective adopters show that they are able to care for the child then race should not be a factor.

They will also say that preventing families from adopting children of a different ethnic group is "unacceptable".

Each local authority will be closely monitored and those that persistently ignore the advice could have their adoption services contracted out to voluntary agencies.

Current advice states that social workers must give "due consideration to the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background", but does not specify whether race should be regarded as outweighing other factors.

Children's minister Tim Loughton announced in November last year that the government would be updating its guidance on adoption.

Currently, single people, married couples and cohabiting couples can all adopt.

Same sex couples can adopt in England, Wales and Scotland, but not in Northern Ireland.

Adopters in England and Wales must be aged over 21 (18 if one of a couple is the birth parent). There is no upper age limit, but the placing authority must be confident anyone adopting a child will have the energy required and be in good enough health to offer a stable home.

Likewise, if they can prove they have the energy, people will not be disqualified for being disabled, overweight or having a medical condition.

People must also show that the can financially support a child.

A criminal record will not automatically prevent someone from adopting unless they, or someone in their household, has been convicted or cautioned for offences against a child.

Ed Miliband urges Welsh Labour to vote against 'dogma'

2011-02-19T05:25:00.000-08:00

Labour leader Ed Miliband has urged Wales to "send a message" to the rest of the UK at May's assembly election.

Mr Miliband said that under Labour, Wales' devolved administration could show a "better alternative" to the "dogma" of the UK government.

He told Welsh Labour's annual conference in Llandudno he believed in the politics of the "common good".

He also accused Prime Minister David Cameron of wanting to "break apart" the NHS in England.

Mr Miliband said a vote for Labour on 5 May was a "vote for a different way".

He said: "Make no mistake, the result of these elections will send a message across Wales and across the United Kingdom.

"I want to see Carwyn [Jones] back as first minister in a Welsh Labour government in May. That's the best hope for Wales.

“Start Quote

Just like they wanted to sell off the forests to the highest bidder, now they want healthcare sold to the lowest bidder”

End Quote Ed Miliband Labour Party leader

"And for Britain: a Labour Welsh Assembly Government showcasing with every decision it makes how there is a better alternative to the dogma of the Conservative-led government at Westminster."

Labour is using the conference in Llandudno to pledge it will "stand up for Wales", attacking UK government decisions such as the shelved plans for a military training academy at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Making his second visit to Wales in a week, Mr Miliband said that in the assembly government - a coalition between Labour and Plaid Cymru - Wales had an administration that "understands the common good" and whose decisions were based on a "quite different vision - a Labour vision" to that in Westminster.

'Promise of Britain'

The planned rise in university tuition fees for students in England was "simply about individuals in a marketplace", he claimed.

Welsh students will avoid the hike under a subsidy being offered by the assembly government.

Everyone should care about whether bright youngsters can get into top universities regardless of their backgrounds, Mr Miliband said.

"That is the promise of Britain, the promise that each generation can do better than the last," he said.

He gave his support to the campaign for a Yes vote in next month's referendum on the assembly's law-making powers, attacking the Conservatives for accepting devolution "through gritted teeth".

The Tories were the "don't know party", he said.

"Or when it comes to Wales and especially the secretary of state: the 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' party," he added in a jibe at Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan.

'Real anger'

David Cameron's vision of a Big Society was based on a smaller state and was a "dangerous ideological mistake", Mr Miliband said.

This week's U-turn on selling off state-owned forests in England was an example of what happens when a government did not understand what mattered to people, he said.

He warned that the ill-feeling over the forests "will be nothing compared to the real anger" Mr Cameron will face in opposition to his "dangerous plans" for the NHS in England.

"Just like they wanted to sell off the forests to the highest bidder, now they want healthcare sold to the lowest bidder."

But Health Secretary Andrew Lansley dismissed the criticisms, and said Labour had no vision of their own for the NHS.

LABOUR 4 HIGH SPEED 2 - CAMPAIGN

2011-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

High Speed is good for growth, capacity and connectivity. It will close the north-south divide, promote green jobs and cut carbon emissions by reducing the need for domestic flights.

Labour should support the development of High Speed Two and wish to see Labour re-commit itself to the project as part of the policy review. It is wrong the Tory-led government only plan to legislate for a small part of the potential route and wish to see them amend the legislation to enable the full potential of Lord Adonis’ planned high-speed network.

Progress with the support of SERA and others, are campaigning for Labour to committee to the future of high-speed rail and call on the Tory-led government to ammend their legislation only allowing high-speed rail extend to Birmingham and so the whole country can reap the benefits of the high-speed network.

Sign the petition now:

Click here to sign our petition.

Promote the campaign:

Send the following tweet to support the campaign:

#ISupport the @Progressonline #Labour4HighSpeed2 campaign - sign the petition now: http://bit.ly/hNepw8 #Going4Growth

Use #labour4highspeed2 when promoting the campaign on twitter
Download a petition to circulate at a local meeting, workplaceor social venue <>
Pass a motion at your local branch or CLP meeting <>

Labour 4 High Speed 2 Campaign motion

This CLP believes:

High speed two announced under Labour was a bold, progressive step to a greener, more cohesive and connected Britain and crucial to getting the uk economy growing again
High speed 2 is best placed to lead a revolution in green jobs and cuts carbons by reducing the need for domestic flights.
The benefits of high speed 2 go beyond speed and carbon reduction and include the connectivity and capacity currently denied by the Victorian infrastructure of the current network.

This CLP resolves:

To support the Labour 4 high speed 2 campaign, which urges Labour to recommit to high speed 2 in our policy review
To circulate the petition around CLP members encouraging them to show their support
Contact the campaign organisers and provide a quote for their campaign site from the appropriate CLP officer.

Thank you for your support.

The government is promising to "make work pay" as it sets out plans to ensure people in work are better off than the unemployed

2011-02-18T04:59:00.000-08:00

Just a few observations in regards to proposed changes to the Welfare Reform Bill:

The unemployed were damned for being "workshy" today as Con-Dem ministers revealed the nastiest welfare squeeze in living memory on top of mass public and private-sector job losses.
As the coalition ruins livelihoods by imposing hundreds of thousands of job cuts under the slogan
"we are all in this together," Prime Minister David Cameron announced a "reform" package that unions argue blames the unemployed for being jobless.
David Cameron describes his Welfare Reform Bill as "the most ambitious, fundamental and radical changes to the welfare system" since the welfare state was set up.
That it may be, but equally valid adjectives would include unfair, discriminatory and mean.
Despite rhetoric about helping the unemployed into work, the real aim behind this Bill is to reduce welfare spending over the next four years by £5.5 billion - slightly less than the £6bn that the banks have devoted to bonuses this year.
"Never again will work be the wrong financial choice," the Prime Minister asserted as he launched the Bill.
The implication behind this statement is that a substantial proportion of those living on benefits do so as a lifestyle choice rather than there being a lack of jobs.
Cameron and his ministers know this reality, but they are determined to draw a line under what the banks did and to blame unemployed workers for the symptoms of a crisis that they had no part in creating.
Their stomach-churning "compassion" for the needy, the most vulnerable and those in old age is just words.
The government is set to train its sights on precisely those sectors of society that need help most and to drive down their living standards at the behest of the City and the rich.
What would this multimillionaire, who has never experienced any kind of deprivation, know of claiming benefits?
And yet he rewrites history to claim that, when the postwar Labour government set up the welfare state, individuals' sense of "private shame" was sufficient to deter them from claiming handouts unless they really needed them.
Now, according to him, couples live apart, the unemployed refuse jobs and people go on the sick because they are better off cheating the system than working.
In fact, the take-up of benefits was low in the late 1940s, '50s and '60s because there was virtually full employment. Youngsters leaving school did not fear a life on the dole queue.
But the Upper class's obsession with short-term profitability, its refusal to invest in Britain and its readiness to export investment - and jobs - overseas in search of higher returns have made mass unemployment a major feature across the country.
Instead of berating the unemployed for not having a job, politicians ought to have been directing investment into industry and employment.
According to Cameron, one in every £7 of government spending is devoted to welfare, amounting to £90bn a year, and this is not "simply not sustainable."
If anything is not sustainable, it is the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere that have swallowed billions of pounds to no avail, to say nothing of the human cost.
Weapons of mass destruction, such as the Trident nuclear submarine fleet, are also unsustainable, costing tens of billions and contributing nothing to society.

The government is promising to "make work pay" as it sets out plans to ensure people in work are better off than the unemployed.

A "universal credit", sanctions for those turning down jobs and a cap on benefits paid to a single family are among the changes outlined.

Planned housing benefit curbs for the jobless have been dropped but tenants 'under-occupying' homes face cuts.

Labour backs some changes but says help for people to find work is inadequate.

The changes, outlined in the Welfare Reform Bill, include:

A single universal credit to come into force in 2013
Tax changes to enable people to keep more income
Changes to the disability living allowance
More details of the back-to-work programme
Those refusing to work facing a maximum three-year loss of benefits
Annual benefit cap of about £26,000 per family
Review of sickness absence levels

The level of tax avoidance in Britain is also unsustainable, costing the exchequer around £80bn annually alongside a further £20bn uncollected because of staff shortages at HM Revenue & Customs that have been exacerbated by government-imposed redundancies.

The government does nothing about these unsustainable phenomena because they work to the benefit of the wealthy who still don't pay their fair share of taxation.

The coalition assault on working-class living standards forms part of its ongoing campaign to absolve the rich of any responsibility to contribute to society.

Central to the plan is the creation of a universal credit, a process which will begin in 2013 and continue into the next parliament.

The government says, with five million people of working age on out-of-work benefits and 1.4 million of those for nearly a decade, that unemployment has become entrenched in many communities.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the bill would "bring about the most fundamental and radical changes to the welfare system since it began".

Analysis

size=2 width="100%" align=center>

Iain Duncan Smith has become something of an evangelist for welfare reform.

But the task he faces is probably even more daunting than that faced by any recent government - most of whom also pledged to "make work pay".

The difficulty is that successful welfare reform in other parts of the world has always been carried out in boom times - when there are jobs and public money to help people find work.

There is also the sheer scale of the problem he faces, with more than five million people on out-of-work benefits.

The government is determined to move ahead at pace with more than half of all claimants moved on to the universal credit by the end of this parliament.

Lastly, the government has got an awful lot else on its reform agenda, with plans for sweeping change involving the NHS, schools, the police and the constitution.

He added: "Never again will work be the wrong financial choice... We are finally going to make work pay for some of the poorest people in our society."

'Wrong rewards'

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: "Our reforms will end the absurdity of a system where people too often get rewarded for doing the wrong thing, and those who strive to do the best by their families get penalised.

"The publication of the Welfare Reform Bill will put work, rather than hand-outs, at the heart of the welfare system."

Asked about dropping the plan to reduce housing benefit for the long-term unemployed, Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would "not be" in the bill.

He said: "Nobody will be worse off [under the changes]. They will be cash-protected."

Mr Duncan Smith also said: "The universal credit will make sure that the poorest in society will be better off."

The universal credit will see existing out-of-work and in-work entitlements, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit, paid as a single lump sum although it is unclear how many benefits will be included in the new payment.

Ministers believe this will make it easier for them to demonstrate the value of being in work, reduce administrative costs and the risk of fraud.

“Start Quote

Long-term unemployment has doubled not because of a sudden increase in work-shy scroungers”

End Quote Brendan Barber TUC general secretary

They argue that the current system actively discourages claimants from looking for work, or those on low-paid jobs from increasing their hours, as rates of tax and benefit reductions leave them worse off.

In future, the government is guaranteeing that for every £1 extra people earn, they will be at least 35p better off as a result of being in work.

Up to 2.7 million households will be better off as a result of the changes, ministers say, with more than a million of these - including many of the poorest - seeing an increase of £25 a week.

But the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that while the changes could benefit 2.5 million households, a further 1.4 million - including many lone parents and families with savings of more than £16,000 - face being worse off.

Ministers say transitional arrangements will be put in place to make sure no-one is worse off while they are being migrated to the new system - which will cost £2.1bn up-front to introduce.

That short-term cost, they insist, will reap considerably higher savings in the long term.

The government has dropped controversial plans to cut housing benefit by 10% for people out-of-work for more than a year - but the bill includes plans to cut housing benefit for tenants deemed to be "under-occupying" their homes.

The National Housing Federation attacked the move, claiming about 680,000 people living in local authority and housing association properties will lose some of their housing benefit, "with many people struggling to pay their rent and ending up being forced to leave their home".

Labour supports efforts to simplify the benefit system and back "conditionality" on benefits but says people should not be penalised for being unable to find work and the proposals do not provide a "panacea" for reducing unemployment.

"There is a big problem about a lack of jobs for people to move into," Shadow employment spokesman Stephen Timms said. "There just aren't the jobs there."

'Blaming the jobless'

Critics say the overhaul could leave vulnerable people worse off.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Long-term unemployment has doubled not because of a sudden increase in work-shy scroungers, but as an inevitable result of economic policies based on cuts that destroy growth.

"Of course no welfare support is perfect and a small minority play the system, but just as conjurors divert your attention when doing a trick, today's proposals are based on blaming the jobless for their own unemployment in the hope that voters won't notice the real cause."

But Katja Hall, chief policy director at the Confederation of British Industry, said: "Getting the UK working is crucial for securing economic growth. We welcome the government's plans to get people off benefits and into long-term employment and to tackle long-term sickness."

Sam Bowman of the Adam Smith Institute, a pro-free market think-tank, said: "The government's welfare reforms are a good step towards reducing people's dependency on benefits, but they are only part of the story.

"The minimum wage prices the most unskilled and inexperienced out of work and it should be abolished if the welfare reforms are to have the impact the government hopes."

Kate Wareing, Oxfam's UK poverty director, said it was a "step in the right direction" but lacked detail, adding that the government needed to make sure the "safety net welfare provides is not being pulled from under our feet".

Gavin Poole of the Centre for Social Justice think-tank, which was founded by Mr Duncan Smith, said: "It [the bill] offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul a dysfunctional and chaotic benefits system that locks people in poverty and stifles aspiration."

Let The Battle Commence on AV Votes

2011-02-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

A referendum on changing the voting system for general elections will now take place on May 5 after peers opposed to the Government's bill eventually backed down.

The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill received royal assent last night after a torrid passage through the Commons and Lords.

Ministers needed to get the Bill through Parliament before peers began their February half-term recess today in order for preparations to be made to hold the referendum at the same time as elections to the devolved institutions and local councils in England.

Earlier, for the second time in 24 hours, the Commons threw out an amendment by the Lords demanding that any referendum on dumping first-past-the-post elections for AV (alternative vote) should be binding only if there was a turnout of at least 40%.

This is a real milestone in restoring trust in our political system and making our democracy fairer

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

The AV system allows electors to rank candidates in order of preference.

The Bill was first debated in the Commons on September 6 last year.

But its passage through Parliament was held up by a dogged rearguard action from Labour peers, which saw the committee stage in the Lords drag on for 17 days, with late-night and all-night sittings.

Labour wanted to wreck the Bill because it also includes proposals to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, and create constituencies with roughly equal numbers of voters.

Voters can choose to ditch the first-past-the-post system

In a sign of how important the legislation was, Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called off an official visit to South America this week to help secure the Bill's passage.

After the Bill became law he said: "This is a real milestone in restoring trust in our political system and making our democracy fairer.

"Constituencies will be redrawn, so that votes are more equal throughout the country.

"And, for the first time, through a referendum, voters will have a say in the system they use to elect their MPs.

"Together, these measures will help put the expenses scandal behind us and start to restore trust in our political institutions."

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Who Knows What Will Happen To AV In The Lords

2011-02-16T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Commons has voted by big majorities to overturn a series of Lords' amendments over plans to cut the number of MPs and hold a referendum on changing the voting system.

In just a few hours, MPs voted to throw out moves passed during several weeks of debate in the Lords.

These include a proposal to make the result of a referendum on replacing first-past-the-post with the alternative vote (AV) non-binding if turnout was under 40%.

The other votes by MPs, all passed with majorities between 60 and 85, mean the Government’s proposals to cut the number of Parliamentary constituencies from 650 to 600 are still intact.

The scene is now set for a bruising battle of Parliamentary ping-pong between the Commons and the Lords, as the Bill goes back to the Lords on Wednesday.

The Lords must decide whether to reinstate their amendments or to back down.

Lords and Commons divided over voting system plans

In the key vote in the Commons, rejecting the 40% turnout threshold, voting was 317-247, a comfortable Government majority of 70

Opposition MPs are predicting that the Lords will attempt to defy the Commons on a tortuous and at times ill-tempered passage through the Lords.

Government ministers have feared a procedural crisis as Labour peers were blamed for deliberately slowing its progress.

Opposition to the Bill focused on the attempt to redraw the electoral map to reduce the number of MPs, with roughly equal numbers of constituents in each seat.

The Government has blamed a "small number of former Labour MPs" for the hold-up, which saw the Lords sit through the night on one occasion last month.

The Bill needs to be on the statute book before the Lords rises for its half-term recess at the close of Wednesday's business.

This is in order for the Electoral Commission to make preparations for a May 5 referendum on adopting the alternative vote (AV) system for Westminster elections.

Cameron's Big Soceity

2011-02-14T03:03:00.000-08:00

There more I research into the Big Society I am convince that it is looking more like a big con as I have said in my previous post. To date I can count the relaunch or the rebranding of the Big Society for the fourth time its no wonder why the creator of the big Society left in a very dark cloud with very little support from the Tory HQ Press Officers. Instead the creator of the Big Society just sitting in the office doing nothing to promote the so called Big Society he should have been promoting it to the business and communities at large. the mere fact is for the 30 something person lacks face in the Chinese Community by using the feeble excuse he wants to spend more time with his family. In actual fact his thinking is MONEY, MONEY NO MONEY NO TALK. Need I say anymore other than to say open your eyes then you will see what the Big Society really means. In my option the Big Society means cuts in public services, cheap labour, and do a lot of voluntary work. The question I would like to know will this bring food on your table? Andwer is NO

The Prime Minister has defended his flagship policy in a speech to social entrepreneurs in London, after weeks of criticism from volunteering groups, charities and politicians.

Mr Cameron rejected criticism that the concept was "too vague" and a "cover for cuts", insisting it was central to the "social recovery" the country needed.

He said: "This is my absolute passion.

"I think it's a different way of governing, a different way of going about trying to change our country for the better, and it's going to get every bit of my passion and attention over the five years of this Government."

Mr Cameron described the Government's deficit-reduction programme as only his "duty".

He went on: "What is my mission, what is it I am really passionate about? "It is actually social recovery as well as economic recovery, and I think we need social recovery because as I've said lots of times in the past, there are too many parts of our society that are broken.

"Whether it's broken families or whether it's some communities breaking down or whether it's the level of crime, the level of gang membership, whether it's problems of people stuck on welfare unable to work, whether it's the sense that some of our public services don't work for us, we do need a social recovery to mend the broken society and to me that is what the Big Society is all about."

He said people needed to "take more responsibility" and "act more responsibly".

The Government's response to any problem was only ever "half the answer", he said.

The Government will bolster the scheme with a series of new initiatives, including a £100m transition fund to help charities and social enterprises bid for new government contracts to provide services.

The venture capital veteran (and former Labour donor) Sir Ronald Cohen will be unveiled today as an adviser to David Cameron's Big Society Bank, I have learned.

Read Mark Kleinman's blog on the Big Society Bank

A Big Society bank will provide working capital for successful applicants and issue ISAs and pensions. It will be funded by £400m from dormant bank accounts and £200m from high street banks.

David Cameron also took on Labour critics who claim the initiative is a figleaf for spending cuts.

He has attacked "years and years of big government" taking away "more and more things that people should and could be doing for themselves."

The Prime Minister said: "Our society is broken and we need to fix it - and the Big Society will help us do that.

"I think our broken society all comes back to one word - responsibility. Too many people have stopped taking responsibility for their lives and the people around them."

The move comes amid growing criticism of David Cameron's Big Society plans.

Former Conservative Cabinet minister David Mellor called the initiative a "lead balloon".

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said investment in public services was needed if the Big Society was to flourish.

And Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, the outgoing head of Britain's largest volunteering charity, Community Service Volunteers, warned Government cuts were in danger of "destroying" the country's volunteer army.

China activist Chen Guangcheng 'beaten'

2011-02-12T04:20:00.000-08:00

A prominent Chinese activist and his wife are reported to have been beaten following the release of a video showing their house arrest.

Chen Guangcheng and his wife, Yuan Weijin, were badly injured by security officials, according to the group Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

It says the beating came after the release of a secretly shot film showing Mr Chen as a prisoner in his own home.

He said he has been under surveillance since his release from jail last year.

Mr Chen - a blind man who is one of China's best-known activists - was imprisoned after claiming the authorities had carried out forced abortions.

'Not life threatening'

Chinese Human Rights Defenders told the BBC that a trusted source informed the organisation about the attack.

"The person said the beating was related to the video that was released," said the defenders' spokeswoman Wang Songlian.

"The beating was not light, but not life-threatening either."

She added that the source had said Mr Chen and his wife had not been allowed to get medical treatment.

The BBC could not independently verify the claims made by the organisation.

The film showing Mr Chen under house arrest was released by the US-based campaign group China Aid

In it the activist said: "I've come out of a small jail and entered a bigger one."

His phone has been cut off, and men and vehicles block access to his house. Anyone who tries to help him is threatened, he said.

"I cannot take even half a step out of my house. My wife is not allowed to leave either. Only my mother can go out and buy food to keep us going," said the activist, who used to offer legal advice to local people.

Mr Chen has been held ever since he completed a four-year prison term in September.

He had accused local officials of coercing up to 7,000 women in his province, Shandong, into forced abortions or sterilisations.

He was convicted though of damaging property and disrupting the traffic.

Last month the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton highlighted Mr Chen's case, calling for his release together with the jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and another detained lawyer Gao Zhisheng.

Leaders Clash On Plans For Big Society

2011-02-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

I must say if at first you don't succeeed try and try again. When my friends tweeted, sent me messages on facebook and left messages on my voicemail I return all calls to them to say "I make Up My own Mind If and When I feel that Ed Miliband Did Okay I will praise Him When He Gets It Wrong We Have A right To Critise Him For Not Leading The Labour Party"

After a series of setbanks for the policy, Mr Miliband asked the Prime Minister: "How is your Big Society going?"

Mr Cameron claimed all MPs backed his idea of devolving power to councils and communities.

He said: "I believe probably every single member of this House of Commons spends time in their own constituency encouraging volunteering, encouraging philanthropic giving and wanting people to play a bigger part in a bigger society."

The Labour leader responded: "We all support thriving communities and that's why there is such concern for charities up and down the country."

He quoted Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, who is stepping down as head of Britain's Community Service Volunteers (CSV), after warning the Prime Minister his policies were "destroying the volunteer army".

The Prime Minister defended his policy on the Big Society

Mr Cameron said he did not agree with Dame Elisabeth, adding: "We are putting £470m across this spending review into charities and voluntary bodies."

The Prime Minister then went on to announce a boost for his Big Society agenda as part of the deal agreed by the Government and the banks.

He told MPs the Big Society bank will take £200m from the four major banks to invest in the voluntary sector.

Mr Cameron said Labour "put money into the banks, we are taking money out of the banks and putting it in to the Big Society".

But Mr Miliband said the Prime Minister's cuts were threatening his flagship policy.

He said Mr Cameron was "cutting too far and too fast and society is becoming smaller and weaker, not bigger and stronger".

Middle Classes 'To Feel Force Of Cuts'

2011-02-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

These very words will live to see the coalition via Ken Clarke to regret saying Britain's middle classes do not know what is about to hit them, Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has warned.

The Conservative minister said Middle England did not appreciate how hard the Government's spending cuts would affect their lives - but that would change this year once the cutbacks are felt.

Mr Clarke warned that there would be "no quick rebound" and it would be a "long haul" before the economy gets back to normal.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he said: "One reason we're going to get some political difficulty is that (while) the public knows we've got to do something about it, I don't think Middle England has quite taken on board the scale of the problem.

"That will emerge as the cuts start coming home this year. We've got to get on with it [but] it's going to be very difficult. If someone says it's not as bad as all that, I say (they) just don't realise the calamitous position we're in.

I don't think Middle England has quite taken on board the scale of the problem. That will emerge as the cuts start coming home this year.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke

"We're in for a long haul to get back to normality. There are so many uncertainties internationally, and I do not see a quick rebound."

Mr Clarke was chancellor of the exchequer in the last Conservative government.

His warning comes after shock figures showed that the economy shrank in the last three months of 2010, raising new fears of a possible double-dip recession.

Meanwhile, the country's biggest union will stage a huge rally later to launch a campaign against "catastrophic" cuts and thousands of job losses in youth services.

Unite warned that one in four youth services such as volunteering projects and youth clubs in England faced spending cuts of up to 30%.

Some local authorities, including those in Norfolk, Suffolk, Buckinghamshire and Manchester, were planning to axe youth services altogether after having central government funding slashed, said the union.

Around 1,000 young people, some as young as 12, are expected to join today's protest in Solihull, West Midlands.

Gloves Off Gove Councils Win Fight Over School Improvement Cuts

2011-02-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

The Government's spending cuts have been dealt a blow after six local authorities won the right to challenge the Education Secretary's decision to cancel school building projects.

The school improvement project had been announced by Labour

The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme - initially proposed by Labour - was drastically curtailed last July after the Coalition took power.

BSF was among the first education schemes to be cut back by Education Secretary Michael Gove.

But Mr Justice Holman, sitting in London, declared Mr Gove had unlawfully failed to consult them before imposing the cuts.

In five of the cases the failure was "so unfair as to amount to an abuse of power", said the judge.

The victorious authorities include Waltham Forest Council, Luton Borough Council, Nottingham City Council, Sandwell Council, Kent County Council and Newham Council.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is to look again at his decision

The judge said: "However pressing the economic problems, there was no overriding public interest which precluded consultation or justifies the lack of any consultation."

Mr Gove's decision-making process was also unlawful "because of his failure to discharge relevant statutory equality duties under the Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act and Disability Discrimination Act."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "We are delighted that the judge did not call into question the decision to end the wasteful and bureaucratic Building Schools for the Future programme.

"On the substantive points he concluded that it was a rational decision and that the authorities involved had no expectation of being allowed to proceed with their projects."

The ruling calls into question every school building scheme cut by Michael Gove and is a damning verdict on his competence as a Minister.

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham

"Mr Gove will now look again at his decision with regard to these authorities with an open mind, taking representations from them, he said.

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham said: "This ruling is a victory for all the communities and children betrayed by Michael Gove.

"They deserve no less than a full apology from him today and a commitment to act quickly on the court's finding.

"The ruling calls into question every school building scheme cut by Michael Gove and is a damning verdict on his competence as a Minister.

"He must tell us today how much public money he has spent trying to defend his botched and unfair decisions."

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "The councils involved are to be congratulated for making a stand on this issue.

"The coalition Government has shown time and again a reckless disregard for due process and consultation.

"Teachers, pupils, parents, and local councils were all sidelined. Since May 12, programmes, grants and organisations have been thoughtlessly abolished with little, if any, regard for the consequences.

"BSF was a classic example of this, and it's now come back to bite the Secretary of State."

Ed Miliband & Douglas Alexander MP celebrates Chinese New Year With Chinese Community Leaders

2011-02-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

Senior members of ‘Chinese Communites met up 9 Feb 11 at Portcullis House, Westminster, to celebrate ‘Year of the Rabbit’.

The Labour Party is proud of the vibrant Chinese community across the United Kingdom. They bring with them an international cuisine, diligent work ethics, cherished culture, and values that are akin to Labour’s.

Hard working families wanting the best for their children so that they can move up the social ladder, engaging in community organising, entrepreneurial zeal in running businesses, caring for our elders – these are intrinsic Labour values, which we can all be proud of.

Chinese and Labour values whether it is about individual, families or communities are aspirational and progressive. These values prepare us well for increasingly challenging times.

Sonny Leong, President of ‘Chinese for Labour’, gave the speech, as well as Ed Miliband MP and Douglas Alexander MP.

Chinese Communites and the Chinese media from all over the UK came to the event to listen to the leader of the Labour Party about the forgotton community.

PM Told Spending Cuts Will Hit 'Big Society'

2011-02-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

Now we know for sure exactly what the the so called Big Society stands for Big Con which equals big losts in both public and voluntary sectors with cheap labour. Its no wonder that the coalition is very divided about the Big Con if you see a earlier article written see http://gordonlyew.blogspot.com/2011/02/big-society-chinese-voluntary-sector.html

The Prime Minister has been warned spending cuts could see Britain's volunteers being turned away from projects.

Dame Elisabeth Hoodless said the cuts could undermine David Cameron's key policy of forming a 'Big Society'.

Dame Elisabeth is stepping down as the head of Britain's largest volunteering charity, the Community Service Volunteers, after more than 40 years.

She told Sky's political editor Adam Boulton that if money were withdrawn too quickly from projects then the future for volunteering would be "dire."

Dame Elisabeth said the Big Society had "immense potential" but criticised a lack of strategy from the government.

She also said there should be more opportunities for 18-year-olds to become involved in volunteering.

Her comments are another blow to the government's Big Society concept.

Liverpool City Council announced last week they would no longer support the project because of cuts to public spending.

It was one of four pilot areas for the scheme but withdrew last week.

Shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Tessa Jowell said: "The Tory-led government are on the brink of destroying this country's great tradition of community support and solidarity."

However Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude told Sky News the Big Society was "taking hold" and denied there was any cause for concern about the project.

Cameron Sparks Debate On Multiculturalism

2011-02-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

Currently there are certain Far Right Groups that does not want to see an end of Multiculturalism in the United Kingdom such as the EDL and BNP.

Whilst on the other hand Cameron has done us no favour with the timing of his speech criticised “state multiculturalism” in his first speech as prime minister on radicalization and the causes of terrorism. He also signaled a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism.

David Cameron was accused of playing into the hands of rightwing extremists today as he delivered a controversial speech on the failings of multiculturalism within hours of one of the biggest anti Islam rallies ever staged in Britain.

Muslim and anti-fascist groups questioned the prime minister's judgment and sensitivity to the issues, saying he had handed a propaganda coup to the hard-right English Defence League as 3,000 of its supporters marched through Luton chanting anti-Islamic slogans.

Some of crowd were jubilant, saying that Cameron "had come round to our way of thinking". Paul Bradburn, 35, from Stockport, said Cameron was "coming out against extremism".

He added: "The timing of his speech is quite weird as it comes on the day of one of the biggest EDL demos we've ever seen. If he wants to start sticking up for us, that's great."

Matt, 16, a school pupil in Birmingham who was at the march said: "He believes what we believe to some extent."

Downing Street issued a robust defence saying the prime minister was "absolutely unapologetic".

A spokeswoman said the speech had been "in the diary for months". She added: "The idea that he would be blown off course on an issue as fundamental as this by the English Defence League is ridiculous and extraordinary."

Cameron told the Munich Security Conference, attended by world leaders, that state multiculturalism had failed in this country and pledged to cut funding for Muslim groups that failed to respect basic British values.

He blamed the radicalisation of Muslim youths and the phenomenon of home-grown terrorism on the sense of alienation that builds among young people living in separate communities and the "hands-off tolerance" of groups that peddle separatist ideology.

Just a few hours later, EDL leader Stephen Lennon told the crowd they were part of a "tidal wave of patriotism" that was sweeping the UK.

Activists, some wearing balaclavas and others waving English flags, chanted "Muslim bombers off our streets" and "Allah, Allah, who the fuck is Allah". EDL supporters from Newcastle, Scotland, London, West Yorkshire and Sheffield joined Luton-based supporters. There were also flags representing German, Dutch and Swedish Defence Leagues.

Nick Lowles, director of anti-extremist group Hope Not Hate, said the timing of Cameron's remarks had allowed EDL members to claim the government was on its side.

"The prime minister's comments were unhelpful. On a day when extremist groups of varying persuasions were descending on Luton, his words were open to misinterpretation at best, and at worst were potentially inflammatory.

"Whatever the intention, the timing of this speech has played into the hands of those who wish to sow seeds of division and hatred."

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said Cameron had handed a "propaganda coup to the EDL and their extremists".

Labour also weighed in, attacking the timing of the speech and rejecting implications from Cameron that it had failed to address issues of Islamic extremism and the complex issues of multiculturalism during 13 years in office.

Former home secretary Jack Straw said it was "ill-timed" and "ill-judged". Former Labour minister Margaret Hodge said: "This is a hugely difficult area. I agree that there are some areas where we need strong assimilation – speaking English and abiding by British law.

"But Cameron appears to suggest we can impose a much wider assimilation with British values and the danger is that this approach will perversely entrench those separate identities that he wants to meld.

"The state has to be very cautious in using its power to mould cultural values. Comparisons with far-right groups on the day the EDL is mounting a demonstration is needlessly provocative.

"It is not merely the Muslim community's responsibility to combat extremism; we all have responsibilities, particularly to ensure that minority communities do not feel excluded."

As the row over the prime minister's remarks intensified, Tory co-chairman Baroness Warsi called for an apology from shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan after he accused Cameron of "writing propaganda for the EDL".

"For Sadiq Khan to smear the prime minister as a rightwing extremist is outrageous and irresponsible. David Cameron has made it clear that he wants to unite Britain around our common values and he has done so in measured language," she said. "It is right that we make it clear: extremism and Islam are not the same thing.

"And, as David said, it's important to stress that terrorism is not linked exclusively to any one religion or ethnic group."

The ‘Big Society’ & the Chinese Voluntary Sector

2011-02-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

The Tory-led government’s cuts to the voluntary sector are ignorant, ideological and incompetent and will impact on those in most need in the Chinese community

Chinese communities have been resident in the UK since the latter part of the 1800s, and remain the third largest minority in the nation. Over this period an extensive Chinese voluntary sector has built up in the UK, with Chinese Associations, Schools and Women’s Groups across the country. These organisations provide a range of services to young people and older people (including lunch clubs, assistance with accessing public services, welfare services, advice and counselling) as well as promoting Chinese language education and Chinese culture.

As a community, the Chinese face some particular challenges, including language barriers, isolation and a lack of social support, so these services are vital. It has been estimated that 70–80 per cent of first generation Chinese immigrants do not speak English. Mainstream services tend to be underused due to language. Many carers cannot always communicate with service providers, and are not always aware of the services available. Moreover, the help that is available tends to be inadequate, and not specific enough to meet their needs.

The stereotype of Chinese people in the UK directly shapes the service provision services for them. Chinese families are seen as being hardworking, self-reliant, keeping themselves to themselves and preferring to ‘care for their own’. This is despite the reality of changing family structures. Geographical dispersal and lack of political organisation mean that few Chinese people deal with their problems on a community basis, or actively promote their interests as a community. Consequently, many first generation Chinese are not fully integrated into the social mainstream and require specialist support services provided by the Chinese voluntary sector.

The Tories have been rather unsuccessfully being trying to promote their vision of a ‘Big Society’ and to boost 'mutual responsibility' by supporting a new culture of volunteering and encouraging people to take an active role in their communities.

A recent ‘Big Society poll’ (conducted by social action network i-volunteer) of over 1,000 members of civil society has found that 42 per cent believed that ‘Big Society’ is ‘politically rebranding existing community action’. A further 21 per cent saw the Big Society as a ‘cover for cuts’. A recent Harris poll for the Financial Times shows that only 25 per cent of the British public believe they should be ‘encouraged to give up some of their time to help support public services’ compared to 42 per cent in the US.

However, it is clear that the ‘Big Society’ is playing second fiddle to Chancellor Osborne’s deficit fetish and the toxic mix of policy agendas is proving to be extremely risky with potentially disastrous consequences.

Planning for the ‘Big Society’ to fill the empty space left by the retreating state is hard at the best of times; trying to do it whilst urging them to innovate, to conduct structural reform and to oversee massive funding cuts is going to be impossible. Reductions in direct and infrastructure funding to the voluntary sector combined with cuts to local authority funding are threatening the survival of many these organisations. Even transferring services between providers is time consuming, costly and expensive.

Numerous service contracts between voluntary sector and public sector bodies will end in March 2011. Voluntary sector organisations are increasingly fearful of their future, uncertain about sources of future funding and on their ability to maintain staffing levels. They are being forced to draw on their reserves, limit or reduce service provision and delay plans to invest in projects. Partnerships are crumbling and experience is being lost.

Up and down the country as NHS trusts and local authorities are searching for rapid, unstrategic short term cuts. Provider organisations are being asked to renegotiate contracts mid-year; some have been asked to submit new funding bids to meet short deadlines, to rapidly reduce or increase provision, or to form new delivery partnerships in unrealistic timescales. The smaller, local voluntary sector providers such as Chinese Associations and their service users are directly in the firing line.

The voluntary sector is easily ignored, its commitment to its beneficiaries easily exploited. But at a time when demand for these vital services is increasing, it will be our most excluded people and communities that this Tory-led government will be putting at risk.

Alleged Chinese cyber-spies penetrate Foreign Office computers

2011-02-05T03:36:00.000-08:00

Whislt I agree that c

yber-attacks

are on the increase I have to remind (16 pints )

William Hague that it is not just China alone that is using cyber-attacks what about the hard truths that all countries are in it togther.

William Hague speaks during the International Conference on Security Policy in Munich.

China has penetrated the Foreign Office's internal communications in the most audacious example yet of the growing threat posed by state-sponsored cyber-attacks, it emerged tonight.

William Hague told a security conference in Munich that the FO repelled the attack last month from "a hostile state intelligence agency". Although the foreign secretary did not name the country behind the attacks, intelligence sources familiar with the incidents made it clear he was referring to China. The sources did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

In his speech Hague was reflecting growing anger and concern within the government about the increasing threat posed by cyber-espionage – states, as well as individuals, using cyberspace to steal defence, diplomatic and commercial secrets.

"It is a new development. The UK is prepared to admit the attacks were state-backed," said Alexander Neill, head of the Asia programme at the Royal United Services Institute thinktank.

The foreign secretary said the FO attack came in the form of an email sent to three of his staff "which claimed to be about a forthcoming visit to the region and looked quite innocent". "In fact it was from a hostile state intelligence agency and contained computer code embedded in the attached document that would have attacked their machine. Luckily, our systems identified it and stopped it from ever reaching my staff," Hague said.

In another attack last year, the foreign secretary said Britain's defence industry was "deliberately" targeted. "A malicious file posing as a report on a nuclear Trident missile was sent to a defence contractor by someone masquerading as an employee of another defence contractor," Hague told an audience of western officials and businessmen. "Security meant that the email was detected and blocked, but its purpose was undoubtedly to steal information relating to our most sensitive defence projects."

Hague admitted that a third attack, apparently criminal, had succeeded in evading Britain's defences, with a version of the Zeus malware widely used to extract banking information and other personal details from targeted computers.

"In late December a spoof email purporting to be from the White House was sent to a large number of international recipients who were directed to click on a link that then downloaded a variant of Zeus," Hague said. "The UK government was targeted in this attack and a large number of emails bypassed some of our filters. Our experts were able to clear up the infection, but more sophisticated attacks such as these are becoming more common."

The foreign secretary said government was spending £650m on its cyber defences against such attacks, and working with the private sector. But he added that the international response was "fragmented and lacks focus".

Speaking to journalists later, Hague said: "We're witnessing an exponential rise in the misuse of cyberspace. In a decade, this could be out of control, and we have to start to do the thinking now."

He said Britain was offering to host an international conference this year aimed at establishing global standards.

"Many countries do not share our view of the positive impact of the internet, and others are actively working against us in a hostile manner," he said.

"However as liberal democracies we also have a compelling interest in supporting democratic ideals in cyberspace, and working to convince others of this vision."

General Sir David Richards, chief of the defence staff, last month said the UK needsed its own Cyber Command, similar to that set by by the US defence department. He said that the advance of cyber technology would lead to a "cultural change" in warfare which the UK must be prepared for."We must learn to defend, delay, attack and manoeuvre in cyberspace, just as we might on the land, sea or air and all together at the same time".

Violent battles in cities across Egypt

2011-02-03T04:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I watch the television with horror to see Violent battles in cities across Egypt and a young child who is innocent running from the scene of violence to safely.

His only crime is that he is hungry and his only hope of the future is to see or dream of freedom of expression in Egypt one day. Thousands of children in Egypt life depends on whether there will be a Islamic state or a coalition, or a democratic elections where the citizens of Egypt can choose who they want to run the country. Lets not forget that the children are the future of tomorrow therefore free and democratic elections must prevail.

Egypt's pro-democracy revolution descended into violence and bloodshed overnight as President Hosni Mubarak's regime launched a co-ordinated bid to wrest back control of city streets, crush the popular uprising, and reassert its authority.

Bursts of heavy gunfire rained into Tahir square just before dawn today and there were reports that three more people had been killed. Protest organiser Mustafa el-Naggar said he saw the bodies of three dead protesters being carried toward an ambulance, while another witness spoke of 15 people being wounded.

Clashes had continued into the early hours even though the pro-Mubarak supporters had been pushed back to the edge of the square and explosions – possibly from gas canisters – echoed around the area.

There were extraordinary scenes in the centre of Cairo as anti-government demonstrators fought running battles with organised cohorts of Mubarak supporters, exchanging blows with iron bars, sticks and rocks.

At one point pro-Mubarak forces rode camels and horses into central Tahrir Square, scattering opponents. At least three people were killed yesterday and up to 1,500 injured according to medical sources.

A palm tree and a building caught alight while fires were burning outside the historic Egyptian museum as petrol bombs were hurled back and forth between the two opposing factions.

The violence was immediately condemned by David Cameron, the Obama administration, and Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, who condemned what he described as attacks on peaceful demonstrators. The White House warned that if any of the violence was instigated by the government it should stop immediately, and also strongly criticised the beating of local and foreign journalists, including a CNN reporter.

But after Mubarak's announcement that he would not seek another term at elections due in September, the regime appeared to be in no mood to listen – and determined to regain control after a week of near anarchy.

The strident tone was illustrated by a startling public rebuff to Barack Obama. Rejecting his overnight demand that the promised political transition and reforms begin without delay, the Egyptian foreign ministry said bluntly that meddling by "foreign parties" was unacceptable and was "aimed to incite the internal situation".

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said: "Today's violence is again an indication of a criminal regime that has lost any commonsense. When the regime tries to counter a peaceful demonstration by using thugs … there are few words that do justice to this villainy and I think it can only hasten that regime's departure." Mubarak's announcement had been "an act of deception", he said. "But after today people are realising just what they're dealing with."

The trouble began when tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Tahrir Square ignored orders from the army to disperse. The army's move marked a change in tactics from previous days, when it declined to intervene, describing the protests as legitimate, and troops were feted by protesters.

At the same time Mubarak supporters, who had taken no part in events, began to gather, travelling in cars or by foot, numbering in the tens of thousands. Some said they had been bussed in from the countryside by the regime and claimed they had no intention of initiating a confrontation. Others said they had recently swapped sides, saying Mubarak had made enough concessions and he should have time to usher in change.

Initial sparring between rival groups quickly turned into running battles. Then, just before 2pm, armed with clubs, bats, knives and even homemade spears, a pro-Mubarak demonstration that had been gathering for several hours 800 metres from Tahrir Squareon the Nile Corniche, outside the state television station, charged in.

Guardian journalists in the square – close to both sides – witnessed pitched battles that turned the square into a warzone as anti-Mubarak protesters tried desperately to hold their ground and both sides tore up paving stones to use as weapons. Among those singled out for attack were journalists including Anderson Cooper of CNN and two Associated Press correspondents. A Belgian journalist – Maurice Sarfatti, who uses the byline Serge Dumont – was reportedly beaten, arrested and accused of spying.

At one stage tanks attempted to move between the two groups but did little to stop the escalating clashes. In one incident soldiers moved out of the way to permit pro-Mubarak demonstrators to reach their opponents. By late afternoon, groups of men were on roofs in Champollion Street, a few hundred metres away, hurling missiles down on those beneath them.

At just after six o'clock automatic weapons fire was heard. Some pro-Mubarak forces appeared to be plainclothes police, while others involved in the assault in Tahrir Square were said to have been paid by the regime. The interior ministry denied the reports, while the army denied firing on protesters.

In other cities the regime fought back strongly. In Alexandria, Mubarak supporters staged a furious counterprotest in a square that has seen protests for nine days, sparking violent arguments and altercations between rival groups.

The violence increased fears in western capitals that the crisis, far from being defused, was taking a more sinister turn. David Cameron said: "If it turns out that the regime in any way has been sponsoring or tolerating this violence, that would be completely and utterly unacceptable."

BBC editor Craig Oliver replaces Andy Coulson

2011-02-03T04:28:00.000-08:00

David Cameron yesterday marked a break with the era of Andy Coulson by appointing a senior BBC TV news editor with no links to the Murdoch empire as the new No 10 communications director.

Craig Oliver, who made his name revamping the News at Ten and who ran the BBC's general election coverage last year, will be paid £140,000 a year and will act as a political special adviser.

The recruitment of a senior BBC figure shows that Cameron and George Osborne, who met Oliver over the weekend, recognise that they need to place some distance between Downing Street and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

Coulson announced his resignation on 21 January after concluding that the swirl of allegations about illegal phone hacking from his time as News of the World editor had made his job impossible. Coulson has always denied knowledge of any wrongdoing.

Downing Street said that No 10's relations with News Corp had nothing to with the decision to hire a BBC executive. One source said: "Craig was simply the best candidate."

Fears of offending the Murdoch empire were highlighted yesterday when Tom Baldwin, Oliver's Labour counterpart, asked members of the shadow cabinet to show restraint on phone hacking and not to attack one newspaper group "out of spite".

In an email sent on his behalf, which was leaked to the New Statesman, Baldwin also called on shadow ministers not to link allegations of phone hacking with questions about News Corp's bid to take control of BSkyB.

The email said: "On phone hacking … this is not just an issue about News International. Almost every media organisation in the country may end up becoming embroiled in these allegations … We must guard against anything which appears to be attacking a particular newspaper group out of spite."

Further evidence that hacking was used regularly by the News of the World emerged yesterday when new details of the case brought by Nicola Philips, the publicist who is suing the newspaper, were published. Philips alleges the tabloid obtained a story about an affair between actor Ralph Fiennes and a Romanian singer by hacking into her mobile phone.

Philips, who was then working for celebrity publicist Max Clifford, brokered a deal between the singer, Cornelia Crisan, and the Sunday Mirror and the Mail on Sunday, to sell her story for £35,000. She says the News of the World learned of the story by listening to her voicemail messages. The paper tracked down Crisan and published details of her relationship with Fiennes on the same day as its rival titles.

The recruitment of Oliver was Coulson's last act before he left Downing Street on Monday. Coulson telephoned Oliver towards the end of the last week and arranged for him to meet Cameron and Osborne over the weekend.

Cameron said: "I am very pleased that Craig Oliver is to become the new director of communications at 10 Downing Street. Craig has formidable experience as a broadcast journalist. He will do an excellent job in explaining and communicating the government's programme."

Oliver, who voted Conservative at the general election but is not a party member, said: "I'm delighted to be joining David Cameron and his team at such an exciting and challenging time. It's difficult to leave the BBC after a fascinating few years, but this is an opportunity I can't turn down."

Oliver, 41, has been the controller of English at BBC Global News since June 2010 and was the BBC's general election editor last year. He has also worked as editor of BBC News at Ten and News at Six.

From 2002 to 2006, he was the head of output at ITV News. Before that he was output editor at Channel 4 News and at ITV News. He was educated at a Scottish comprehensive and studied at the University of St Andrews. He is married to the BBC News presenter Joanna Gosling, with whom he has three young daughters.

Oliver came to Cameron's attention – via Coulson – in the runup to last year's general election. Coulson broke ground by bypassing the press and giving stories straight to News at Ten.

Big society tsar Lord Wei 'doesn't have enough time to perform role'

2011-02-03T04:19:00.000-08:00

Lord Nat Wei has no private income to fall back on, and is cutting his voluntary hours to earn more money and see more of his family.

It could become the allegory of the "big society" age. The man appointed by the prime minister to kickstart a revolution in citizen activism is to scale back his hours after discovering that working for free three days a week is incompatible with "having a life".

Lord Wei of Shoreditch, who was given a Tory peerage last year and a desk in the Cabinet Office as the "big society tsar", is to reduce his hours on the project from three days a week to two, to allow him to see his family more and to take on other jobs to pay the bills.

A common criticism of the plans, under which the government hopes that communities will take over the running of local services such as schools and charity projects, is that people don't have time to run a public service on top of holding down a job and seeing their families.

Wei has told friends he is cutting his hours to allow him to earn more money and "have more of a life". He originally worked three full days a week and will now work two days, with the hours split over three, while taking on more non-executive directorships with private companies.

The role is voluntary and Wei had to to give up jobs in the charitable sector when he was appointed to avoid a conflict of interest. Whitehall sources said that when he was invited to take the role he had expected it to be remunerated but was told only the night before that it was a voluntary post and there would be no salary. Other unpaid coalition advisers include Lord Heseltine and the "digital champion" Martha Lane Fox – both millionaires.

Much of Wei's work has focused on how to free ordinary people from the daily grind to give them more time to do voluntary work and involve themselves in their communities under the big society plans. Since taking the post, Wei has had a relatively low profile and there have been suggestions that he has not made enough impact on the public understanding of 'big society'. The scheme is reported to be facing Whitehall resistance and the stretched capacities of local authorities.

Wei, 34, is a former management consultant who has no private income to fall back on. He was a member of Teach First's founding staff team, then worked for Ark, one of the biggest sponsors of academies, before setting up the Shaftesbury Partnership, a social entrepreneurial company.

A Cabinet Office spokesman suggested that Wei had worked extra hours in the early phase of the programme. "The government remains committed to devolving power to citizens and supporting a big society," he said.

• This article was amended on 2 February 2011. The original described Lord Wei as one of the founders of Teach First.

Voting Reforms May End In The House Of Lords

2011-02-01T04:29:00.000-08:00

A coalition plan to end debate with a ‘guillotine’ motion would have been defeated by crossbenchers. Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty

A two-week standoff in the House of Lords between Labour and the coalition over a constitutional reform bill was partially resolved today when ministers agreed to a key opposition demand on shrinking the House of Commons.

Labour agreed to abandon a filibustering campaign, which had forced peers to sleep on camp beds in committee rooms during overnight sessions, after the government announced that it would allow limited public inquiries when parliamentary constituencies are redrawn.

Ministers climbed down after it became clear that the government could not deliver on a threat made at the weekend to break convention in the House of Lords by bringing 15 days of debate to an end through a "guillotine" motion.

David Cameron, who had been spoiling for a fight with Labour, was advised that such a motion would be defeated after Baroness D'Souza, leader of the non-party crossbench peers, had said that peers "might as well go home and cease to exist" if a guillotine was imposed. D'Souza tabled a compromise amendment today which prompted Labour to say that it would allow the bill to complete its committee stage by Wednesday evening.

But Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the former lord chancellor, said Labour could not guarantee that the bill would reach its third and final reading stage in the House of Lords by a deadline of Monday 14 February because the party was still demanding more concessions. "This is not the end of the cold war, it is more like detente," he joked tonight.

The parliamentary voting system and constituencies bill, which is one of the most important elements of the coalition's constitutional reform programme, contains key elements for the Lib Dems and the Tories. It is designed to pave the way for a referendum on an alternative vote, due to be held in May, which was the main Lib Dem win in the coalition negotiations last year. It is also designed to deliver a key Tory manifesto pledge by reducing the House of Commons from 650 to 600 MPs by equalising the size of parliamentary constituencies to around 76,000 voters.

The government had been prepared to take the unprecedented step of imposing a guillotine motion in the House of Lords because the legislation needs to reach the statute book by 16 February to allow a referendum on AV to be held by May. The Boundary Commission also needs early notice to redraw parliamentary boundaries to take account of a smaller House of Commons.

The government abandoned its attempt to curtail the debate after all sides accepted the amendment from the crossbench peers. This will allow a public inquiry to be held on the redrawing of a parliamentary constituency if the Boundary Commission declares that one is necessary.

But Labour is still threatening to block the bill during its next stages unless the government gives ground in two further areas by agreeing to:

• Vary the size of the new parliamentary constituencies by 10% above or below the electoral quota size of around 76,000 voters. This would mean that constituencies could vary in size from 83,600 voters to 68,400 voters. Under the government's plans, constituencies can only be varied in size by 5% either way of the 76,000 quota. This means that a constituency should contain no more than 79,800 voters and no less than 72,200 voters.

• Establish a commission to make an assessment after the passage of the bill as to whether 600 is the right size for the House of Commons.

Falconer, who described the possibility of a guillotine as "an abomination", told peers that Labour needed the extra concessions to guarantee the bill's progress.

"Focusing only on the key issues on report, and employing the economy and focus your lordships will expect at report and later at third reading, the further timetable depends on further agreement on substantive issues between the parties. The crossbenches have played a critical part in getting us to the good point we are on the substantive issues. We commit ourselves to work hard now to try to reach the necessary further agreement."

Lord Strathclyde, the Tory leader of the house, told peers: "The government will be bringing forward a package of concessions at report stage of the bill and I'm sure that the whole house will welcome that. We are in the welcome position of having an agreement to complete committee stage by the end of Wednesday this week.

"But equally I am sure that I have no need to remind the house that we need to return this bill to the Commons by the end of Monday 14 February – this is two weeks today – if the referendum is to be held on May 5. From the soundings I have taken I feel confident the majority of members in all parts of the house share this aim."

The crossbench peers withdrew their amendment after the government accepted its premise.

D'Souza told peers: "It is perhaps unusual for a crossbencher to intervene at this late stage of a bill, particularly in a bill which has become so politicised. Crossbenchers are, in fact, independent and not politically aligned.

"However, something of an impasse had been reached towards the end of last week and I was encouraged by one or two people to see if there was any way in which we might play a useful role. I do so with great humility. The other thing that perhaps has moved me, certainly, and a number of other crossbenchers was the shadow or the threat of anything approaching a 'closure motion' in this house."

The agreement showed weaknesses on both the coalition and Labour sides. The coalition backed down after it became clear that opposition among its own peers and the crossbenchers meant that the guillotine motion would not pass. But Labour had to give ground and reach a deal because crossbenchers were losing patience with its aggressive tactics.

Article By Sonny Leong When you have a friend like Cameron, who needs enemies?

2011-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

As we usher in the new lunar year, the Year of the Rabbit, Chinese families everywhere will be gathering for their reunion dinner to forgive each other and pay respect to our elders.

Will China forgive Cameron for his foolish rant about ‘authoritarian capitalism’?

In his recent speech in Davos, David Cameron launched an extraordinary attack on 'authoritarian capitalism' as he warned businesses investing in those countries at their peril. Though he did not refer to China and Russia directly, observers were left in little doubt which countries he was referring to in his attack on 'authoritarian capitalism'.

'If you're looking to set up a headquarters abroad, are you going to invest where your premises can be taken away from you? Where contracts are routinely dishonoured?

Where there's the threat of political upheaval? Or are you going to invest where there are property rights, the rule of law, democratic accountability?

Is this a case of sour grapes? China attracted record levels of foreign capital in 2010. The country's Ministry of Commerce revealed inward investment totalled $106 billion (£66 billion) last year, an increase of 17.4 per cent on 2009. In December alone, foreign direct investment (FDI) into China stood at more than $14 billion.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal on his trip to China last October,

Cameron said:

“[The trip will] provide a further step forward in UK-China relations, adding momentum to our commercial relationship and cementing an economic and political partnership that can help to deliver strong and sustainable growth and greater security for us all in the years ahead.

“On this visit alone, Britain is set to sign new contracts worth billions of dollars involving companies across the UK and cities all over China.”

Apparatchiks in Beijing will not take lightly to Cameron’s Davos statement. On one hand he wants to do business with China, coupled with warm words encourage Chinese businesses to invest in Britain and with the other slaps China in her face. There is a well known Confucius saying, “If you drink with a friend, a thousand cups are too few; if you argue with a man, half a sentence is too much”. China must be feeling so.

A former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said, Western countries should be coming to terms with China: "(A) drift into escalating reciprocal demonisation" would be the worst outcome for Asia's long-term stability as well as for the China’s relationship with developed economies China has done more than any other economy to pull the world out of recession, and may remain an important engine of global growth for some years to come.

According to the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), China will shift from export-led and investment-driven growth to a more balanced pattern of economic development. As a result, China's growth rate may be significantly lower, but more sustainable. At the same time, the rest of the world can expect China to play a more active role in areas such as fighting climate change, poverty alleviation, global infrastructure development, and reform of the international monetary system.

The essence of liberal capitalism is its propensity towards universalism. In the pursuit of profit, capitalism pushes beyond local boundaries, whether village, town, region or country. The rise of modern capitalism in the late nineteenth century erupted into the international conflict that dominated much of the twentieth century.

Capitalist development has a long history in China. Prior to the early modern period China’s embryonic capitalism was far more developed than that of Europe. China’s capitalist development took place within the context of a powerful state that, in periods when the system functioned well, shaped the pattern of capitalist development in numerous ways to meet common social interests. This was the foundation of its hugely impressive long-run economic and social development. Confucianism nurtured a deeply developed concept of ‘duty’ which was the foundation of collective action and social prosperity.

Confucianism was a complete philosophy. It combined a carefully thought out system of morality for rulers, bureaucrats and ordinary people with a comprehensive analysis of concrete ways of both stimulating and controlling the market. When the system worked well the government attempted in anon-ideological, pragmatic fashion to solve practical problems that the market could not solve.

The need for ‘constructive engagement’ is more profound now than ever. ‘Destructive engagement’ will lead to disaster. Has the global financial crisis hastened the ending of globalised capitalism?

In the search for solutions to the multiple threats there is no alternative other than to work together across national frontiers, cultures and levels of development, to find a pragmatic, non-ideological, cooperative way to overcome these threats.

Cameron might come to regret his words when China holds back on buying any future UK gilts or worse starts selling UK government bonds. As this is a period for forgiveness, let’s hope China treats his silly comments as coming from a silly boy.

Unions have not ruled out strikes over pension cuts

2011-01-31T03:51:00.003-08:00

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said this was the issue on which the big unions were most united.

But he vowed the campaign against "deep and rapid" spending cuts would go on, with a mass protest on 26 March.

Ministers have not ruled out new laws to prevent co-ordinated strikes as a "last resort".

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said any "general strike" would, in any case, be illegal.

He said the government wanted a dialogue with unions but they had to recognise that public spending had to be reduced, he added.

'Huge event'

Mr Barber said: "No one is talking about a general strike, but of course these attacks on our members could well give rise to industrial action around specific disputes.

"Today's meeting showed a clear determination for unions to work together on industrial issues including, as a last resort, industrial action when members support it."

He said the government had agreed to talks with unions over the future of public sector pensions and ministers had "now accepted that they will not force through changes in the March budget".

Union leaders may talk tough over strikes but privately they know the risks are huge.

However angry their members may feel, union bosses are acutely aware that in hard times low-paid workers will be very wary of losing money by coming out on strike.

There is a fear too of the likely media and public reaction, and a recognition any campaign of industrial action could simply alienate public opinion.

The legal difficulties in calling strikes are also immense and risk playing into the government's hands by paving the way for fresh anti-union legislation.

Despite all that, the leaders of most of the big public sector unions believe they have no option if they are to show the government they are serious. To quote Mrs Thatcher, they believe "there is no alternative".

But he added: "These will be difficult negotiations as public service workers will not allow their pensions to be hammered. We hope that the talks can make progress, but we cannot rule out industrial action taking place on this issue."

He said the planned demonstration in London on 26 March - three days after Chancellor George Osborne's budget - will be "a huge event at which the British people will come together to show their opposition to the government's chosen course".

Some sources have predicted a campaign of strikes beginning in the spring - but that now appears less likely after the TUC negotiated an agreement with ministers to hold off implementing any changes until June.

Some smaller unions are calling for a more cautious strategy designed to build support among other groups, such as charities, who are affected by the cuts.

'Debt legacy'

Mr Maude told the BBC that public sector workers were not to blame for the UK's budget deficit but spending did need to be cut.

"We want to engage with the unions, and we are doing so, to try and get the best result for their members," he told the BBC. "We do not want a political fight with the unions and some union leaders are sounding as if that is what they want.

"We want to engage to get the right outcome for all taxpayers that is fair for future generations so they do not have to bear these terrible costs of Gordon Brown's debt legacy."

The prospect of further industrial action has led some senior Tory figures, including Mayor of London Boris Johnson, to call for changes to trade union law to ensure that strike ballots can be lawful only if 50% of union members take part.

Mr Maude downplayed this possibility but did not rule it out.

"We think the laws work pretty well as they are and any changes to the law would be very much a last resort," he said.

The issue has risen up the political agenda following a series of high-profile strikes, including walkouts by London Underground staff and refuse collectors working for Birmingham City Council.

Unions have not ruled out strikes over pension cuts

2011-01-31T03:51:00.001-08:00