Grimsdale's Ire: 12/01/09

Boris Johnson to challenge government in court if it backs Heathrow third runway
"Boris Johnson confirmed today that he is preparing to challenge the government in court if it "fails to see sense" and gives BAA the green light to apply for a third runway at Heathrow.

The mayor of London urged the government to reject the plans, as both sides ramped up pressure ahead of the government decision, which is expected soon." [Guardian]

Cameron refuses to rule out Clarke return to shadow cabinet despite noises off from eurosceptic right
"David Cameron has received a stark warning from the Conservative right against bringing the ex-chancellor Ken Clarke back to the frontbenches, with a former minister saying the return of the outspoken Europhile in a year of European elections would "split the party".

The Tory leader is tipped to reorder his frontbench team in the next few days, but over the weekend the former Tory chairman Norman Tebbit said his one-time colleague was too "lazy" for frontbench life, while Stuart Wheeler, the party's biggest donor and a staunch eurosceptic, said he would consider withdrawing funding if Clarke was given a job." [Guardian]

Government 'repeating mistakes' by fighting miners in court
"The government is spending millions of pounds in legal fees fighting the claims of sick miners in a move that lawyers say will recreate the mistakes of the past.

Miners suffering from knee problems and chronic lung disease from inhaling dust on the surface of pits were not included in a previous compensation scheme and are being forced to fight for compensation in the courts." [Guardian]

Haroon Siddique: Prince Harry's racist comments still have the power to divide
"Despite Prince Harry's past misdemeanours and the undistinguished record of his grandfather when it comes to race relations, I was still shocked when I heard that he had used the word "Paki". But what surprised me even more were the attempts to play down the nastiness of the term or to pass it off as a term of endearment.

Listening to a Five Live radio phone-in this morning there were a number of people calling in who suggested that it was a mere abbreviation, of the same ilk as "Brit" or "Aussie" and therefore equally inoffensive. But to make such an argument is to ignore the history of use of the word "Paki" in this country. Growing up in west London in the 1980s it was difficult to escape the insult. I was called a Paki numerous times throughout primary and secondary school, as were Asian classmates – regardless of whether they were actually of Pakistani heritage. Sometimes it was spat out by strangers on the street; at other times it was used by supposed friends registering their anger because I had, for instance, misplaced a pass playing football. Often I would respond with my fists, so hurt and impotent did I feel at the time." [Guardian]

Police squads 'deter ethnic minorities'
"Black and Asian police officers still believe specialist squads are "closed shops", dominated by white middle-aged men and a "canteen culture" of working hard, playing hard and drinking hard, according to a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 10 years on from the Macpherson inquiry.

In a major review of the attitudes of police in England and Wales towards race since the Stephen Lawrence case, the commission reports that ethnic minority officers were put off by perceived "old-fashioned working practices" and felt that robbery, anti-terrorist and firearms units were open only to recruits whose "face fits"." [Guardian]

Redundancy: Don't suffer in silence, says Jon Robins
"It is reckoned that every day this year as many as 1,600 people could lose their jobs. That's 600,000 jobs gone in the next 12 months, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Despite the numbers it is almost impossible not to take redundancy personally. It strikes at our core.

As a society we are increasingly - and some would say unhealthily - work-obsessed. Many of us define ourselves through what we do for a living, so job loss attacks our self image, as well as undermining our personal security and ability to provide for loved ones. Don't underestimate the emotional impact of redundancy; those on the receiving end need to rely on their partners, family and friends for support. Loved ones, in turn, need to be there to provide that support." [Guardian]

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In The Loop: 06/01/09

Met police officer numbers will not be cut, insists Boris Johnson's deputy
"Kit Malthouse says the number of officers will not go down despite the Met being told to make £472m of savings. Boris Johnson's deputy mayor today insisted that policing numbers in London would remain stable despite the Conservative mayor's decision to tell Scotland Yard to find £472m of savings over three years.

Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor on policing who also sits as vice-chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said there would be "the same number" of police officers in Scotland Yard overall, despite a rise and subsequent dip across the next three years.

The Metropolitan police force has 32,000 officers working across the Greater London area. Malthouse told the budget and performance committee of the London assembly earlier today that this number would be made "better" as a result of efficiencies made across the force." [Guardian]

Severn barrage: Row breaks out over UK's biggest renewables project
"A plan to build shallow lagoons fitted with turbines rather than a strip barrier across the Severn would generate equal amounts of electricity at a far lower cost, say campaigners

Government consultants have been accused of miscalculating the costs of a project to generate vast amounts of green electricity in the Severn estuary, promoting a 10 mile-long tidal barrier strongly backed by ministers in preference to a scheme that engineers and environmentalists say is far less damaging." [Guardian]

UK braced for bleak news as global car sales fall
"The crisis in the global car industry was underlined today with a further round of plunging sales figures from key markets around the world.

In Japan, sales of new vehicles slumped by 22% last month to their lowest ever December total, while French sales were down almost 16% as the impact of the credit crunch continues to bite.

Across the Atlantic, Ford disclosed that it sold 32% fewer cars in December than it did a year earlier. While purchases by individual customers were down by 27%, the number of vehicles sold to fleet buyers such as rental agencies and hospitality businesses plummeted by 42%. Its rival Chrysler reported even worse December sales, plunging by 53%, while General Motors saw a 31% decline. Foreign manufacturers also fared badly in the US market with Toyota sales down 37% in December, Honda down 35% and Nissan down 31%. The car website Edmunds.com predicted sales for the full year will total just over 13m, down 18% from 2007 and the lowest level since 1992." [Guardian]

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Technorati Profile

Heron's Eye: 06/01/09

Home Office flouted guidelines in 10 ways over knife crime statistics
"Any figures that fail to comply with code in future will be refused stamp of approval, says statistics body

The early release of knife crime statistics by the Home Office last month flouted new official guidelines in 10 different ways, the UK statistics authority said today.

The UKSA published its code of practice today alongside a final judgment by the UKSA on the Home Office's misuse last month of knife crime statistics suggesting the offence was under control. The UKSA said that any figures that failed to comply with the code in future would be refused a stamp of approval." [Guardian]

Boris 2009: transport
"Noticed those fares rises yet? They have in Enfield, and I doubt they're alone. It's no surprise that from the moment he announced them Mayor Johnson has worked super-hard to limit the political damage, initially by blaming them on Ken Livingstone - who's latest broadside on the issue is here - and now, it would appear, by trying not to mention them. His effort in today's Standard skates straight past the subject (as did the paper in general: there's two pages on commuters' rail fares going up, but barely a mention of those affecting bus and Tube-users).

His spin, supported by a shamelessly one-eyed newspaper, might work for Johnson, at least in the short term. We'd get a better idea if someone would commission an opinion poll: after eight months of Mayor Boris - one sixth of his term already - you'd have thought someone might have thought it worthwhile by now." [Guardian]

It will take more than goodwill and greenwash to save the biosphere: Shell may boast about tackling climate change, but companies tend always to sacrifice good intentions for hard cash
"For a while it seemed that Shell had stopped pretending. The advertisements that filled the newspapers in 2006, featuring technicians with perfect teeth and open-necked shirts explaining how they were saving the world, vanished. After being slated by environmentalists for greenwash, after two adverse rulings by the Advertising Standards Authority, Shell appeared to have accepted the inescapable truth that it was an oil company with a minor sideline in alternative energy, and that there was no point in trying to persuade people otherwise.

The interview I conducted with its chief executive, Jeroen van der Veer, broadcast on the Guardian's website today, contains what appears to be an interesting admission. I asked him whether Shell had stopped producing ads extolling its investments in renewable energy. Van der Veer does not express himself clearly at this point, but he seems to admit that his company's previous advertising was not honest." [Guardian]

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Grimsdale's Ire: 14/08/08

Smithfield market plans refused
A part of the historic Smithfield market earmarked for demolition has been saved after planning permission to redevelop the site was refused. [BBC]

Booming Liverpool rejects 'counsel of despair'
The claim by the Conservative-leaning thinktank Policy Exchange that some northern cities are beyond revival did not go down well in Liverpool. The city - currently undergoing one of the biggest regeneration programmes in Europe - saw off competition from the likes of Bristol, Brighton and Hove, and Oxford to become the European Capital of Culture 2008. [Guardian]

Police call to action after pay talks collapse
The Police Federation yesterday called on its 140,000 members to in effect work to rule after talks broke down in a bitter pay row. The federation's chairman Paul McKeever called on rank-and-file members to conform strictly to their conditions of employment after discussions broke down in the long-running pay dispute which saw more than 20,000 officers march on Westminster in January. [Guardian]

Ethnic minority lawyers discriminated against, report finds
The body that regulates solicitors has been discriminating against ethnic minority lawyers and subjecting them to potentially ruinous investigations, an independent report has concluded. [Guardian]

Building up hope
It might seem a far cry from the golden age of post-war housing, when both main political parties competed to deliver millions of homes in record time and "credit crunch" had yet to enter the popular vocabulary, but after a gap of more than 20 years, town halls are now re-entering an area regarded as no-go territory until recently - planning thousands of new council houses. [Guardian]

Boris Johnson backs 'disproportionate' development project
Boris Johnson has given the go-ahead to a £50m development project in a London borough led by a political ally, despite a warning from his own planning officers that it will fail to help meet the housing needs of some of the poorest local residents. [Guardian]

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Grimsdale's Ire: 10/08/08

Pressure grows on Met boss after fresh claims of racism
Sir Ian Blair's leadership of Scotland Yard looked increasingly fragile last night as Britain's most senior Asian police officer announced that he was launching a legal claim against the Metropolitan Police over allegations of racial discrimination. [Guardian]

Call for Bill of Rights on homes and health
Britons should be guaranteed a legal right to a decent standard of living, health and housing under a Bill of Rights, according to a report by an influential group of parliamentarians. [Guardian]

Coal plant protesters injured in skirmishes with police
Protesters battled with police yesterday but failed to shut down Kingsnorth coal plant as the climax of the week-long climate camp ended with a series of skirmishes. [Guardian]

Capital charmer
Decca Aitkenhead interviews Boris Johnson following his first one hundred days in office as the Mayor of London. [Guardian]

Untested drugs offer cancer hope
Thousands of terminally ill cancer patients are to be offered the chance to take experimental drugs that may extend their life by months or even years, The Observer can reveal. [Guardian]

Warning over backlash in bail hostel row
The government has been accused of a 'shocking lack of consultation' over its plans to open hundreds of bail units in residential areas despite fierce opposition from councils. [Guardian]

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Heron's Eye: 03/08/08

'There's no one to tackle Salmond'

Paul Kelbie on the dearth of candidates with the right attributes in the Scottish Labour Party’s leadership contest. [Guardian]

Miliband: Has he got what it takes to be PM?

Gaby Hinsliff, political editor of the Observer analyses deeply David Miliband’s political life. [Guardian]

Pig Ignorant Foreign Secretaries R Us

Merkin on Foreign Secretaries being poorly briefed. [BloggersOnTheRun]

There is no doubt about it, this is a full-frontal assault

Andrew Rawnsley continues the media’s 'waping' of Machiavellian analysis/soap story editorial. [Guardian]

David Miliband 'duped' over US rendition

David Miliband was today accused of letting himself be "duped by the US on a colossal scale" following the publication of new claims about the interrogation of terrorist suspects on UK territory. [Guardian]

Boris Johnson's approach to youth crime is good news

Dave Hill on Mr Johnson’s proactive approach to youth crime. [Guardian]

Did Team Boris delete Ken’s 100 days of achievements?

Recess Monkey on the disappearance of a description of Ken Livingstone’s first hundred days in office from the GLA’s media centre. [RecessMonkey]

The government is right - we need to lock up more offenders

The streets feel safe as a result of a lot of tough talkers going about the place? Westminster’s David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Justice talks on the need to justify Cube and filling it with inmates. Worth reading merely for the CIF commentary afterwards. [Guardian]

Below are two comments I included on the discussion forum:

I wish the people in charge saw that pulling the weeds from the root is a more effective than merely pruning the leaves.

Too many people talk about the need to increase prison places to fit an ever growing population but they rarely raise the need to spend money on making sure that youths dont get to the stage where they are caged before they are even adults.

I heard a figure saying that to convict somebody costs around £120,000 and £80,000 per year to keep a person incarcerated. Now why havent frothing right wing groups such as the Taxpayer Alliance not directed their venom at such subjects of criticism? It seems to me that even one person bypassing prison through whatever intervention could allow for tax money to be spent on more productive things. Improved housing? New school facilities? New railways or roads? Less taxes? An extra trident missile? Or maybe punishment, prevention and enforcement is just too profitable?

Just remembered the mid 90s film Cube, where a group of people wake up in a mysterious building set with traps with no reason why they were there, no idea how to escape and what the purpose of the Cube was.

I found some quotes from the film, which may have some parallels with the article:

"There is no conspiracy. Nobody is in charge. It's a headless blunder operating under the illusion of a master plan. "

"Do you think somebody would go to all the trouble to build this thing if you could just walk out? "

"This is an accident, a forgotten, perpetual public works project. You think anybody wants to ask questions? All they want is a clear conscience and a fat paycheck. "

Quentin: "But why put people in it?"

Worth: "Because it's here. You have to use it, or you admit that it's pointless."

Quentin: "But it *is* pointless."

Worth: "Quentin... that's my point. "

7/7 memorial: Why have we become so poor at building these monuments?

Michael White on the disappointing quality of memorials. [Guardian]

Pakistan denies ISI behind Indian embassy attack

Pakistan's government said Friday it needs to purge Taliban sympathizers from the country's main intelligence agency but angrily denied a report that the agency helped plan a bombing that killed at least 41 in Afghanistan. [AP]

Right strategy, wrong candidate?

Chuck Todd, Political Director, NBC News provides an insight into positive and negative campaigning tactics when discussing the USA elections. [MSNBCNews]

Time to stop criticising China - we've already come so far

Lijia Zhang on how China has been making social progress in the last couple of years. A large CIF discussion follows. [Guardian]

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Grimsdale's Ire: 31/07/08

Johnson told he can't suspend Met chief, says leaked email

A top aide to the mayor of London has been given legal advice in the past week that Boris Johnson has no power to suspend the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, leaked emails yesterday revealed. The emails - written last Friday and Saturday - concern advice from the most senior lawyer for the Metropolitan police authority. [Guardian]

Met chief challenges Johnson over role

Sir Ian Blair yesterday warned that his post as commissioner of the Metropolitan police was becoming increasingly politicised and that plans by the London mayor, Boris Johnson, to take more control of the force could ultimately be damaging. [Guardian]

Local government: Battle of the Bs as towns adopt identical logos

The troubled history of local council logos has thrown up another spat after rival authorities managed to end up with exactly the same clever piece of design based on one letter. [Guardian]

Arts Council damaged by funding row, report warns

Arts Council England mishandled its last funding round so completely that it ended up receiving "the most damaging publicity in its 60-year history", according to a report which investigated the way the council, after having secured an extra £50m for the arts from the government, bungled its distribution. [Guardian]

Promise of prompt access to family doctors not met

The NHS in England is failing to meet government targets for giving people prompt access to GPs, a Healthcare Commission survey says today. It finds 13% of patients cannot get an appointment to see a family doctor within 48 hours, in breach of undertakings given by ministers four years ago. [Guardian]

Stuart Simpson: We should welcome China's growth, not fear it

Goldman Sachs forecast that by 2050, out of the current G7 nations, only the United States and Japan will be among the world's six largest economies in US dollar terms – and the largest economy will be China, not the United States. The exact date on which China replaces the US as the world's largest economy is uncertain, but barring a major catastrophe it will happen at some point before the middle of the century. China, it seems, is set to be a superpower.

There is much hype and hysteria about this fact. But we need calm heads to see what is really exciting about China's economic miracle. We need to clearly understand the economic reality in the here-and-now compared with what it could be in the future. [Independent]

Multilateralism not dead as a Doha

Like Wimbledon fortnight but without the aesthetic or entertainment value, the annual breakdown of the Doha round of trade talks is becoming a summer ritual. For three successive years, dark warnings of now-or-never and one-last-chance have ended in a fruitless ministerial meeting. It is time to be brave, swallow hard and accept that the Doha round in its present form has failed. [FT]

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Heron's Eye: 29/07/08

Harriet Harman denies plotting to bring down Gordon Brown

The term get off the pot or use it comes to mind when I think of Labour’s leadership issues in this parliament. Isnt the party in the exact same situation that it was in when they were hoping Tony Blair would voluntarily step down? [Guardian]

Clegg sights 50 Labour Seats

Despite underperformance at all the recent by-elections and London mayoral election the Lib Dem leader is highly optimistic for the party for the next election. [PoliticsHome]

Politicians Holidays

Michael White takes a look at politicians trying to look normal. [Guardian]

Tony Blair tipped for top EU post

New poll puts Mr Blair as frontrunner to become EU President. Is this a conspiracy to undermine the Lisbon Treaty? [Guardian]

Ken's comeback

Ken Livingston continues his electoral campaign, highlighting Mr. Johnson’s purging of women and ethnic minorities. [Guardian]

A law to label real fur - that should bring the voters back

Maire Antoinette digs the knife into New Labour. Why am I surprised that Polly Toynbee would be pick up on the issue of labelling real fur? [Guardian]

Road to nowhere

AC Grayling reminds us that hatred is not confined within the boundaries of religion or nationality. [Guardian]

From little acorns

Ed Pomfret cheerleads for a renaissance in new native forests. [Guardian]

The media's distorting lens

Paul Mason cautions on the language and intentions of the media when reporting criminal activity. The following CIF comments are recommended. [Guardian]

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