Heron's Eye: 15/10/08

Ed Miliband: No retreat from green agenda despite recession
“The new energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, insisted today that there must be no retreat from the government's climate change agenda in the face of the coming recession, as he prepared to accept proposals from Lord Turner's climate change committee tomorrow to increase Britain's statutory target to cut carbon emissions from 60% to 80% by 2050.” [Guardian]

Gordon Brown: I am very angry with Lords over 42 days
“Gordon Brown today said he was "very angry" with the House of Lords after it threw out his plans to detain terrorism suspects without charge for up to 42 days, forcing the government to abandon its proposal.” [Guardian]

The end of capitalism? No, just another burst bubble
“So this is to be Brown's Falklands. Victory on Mount All-fall-down. Bonfire of the bonuses. Service in St Paul's. March-past by the Royal Troop of Derivatives Traders. Anthem to the Bankers' Brigade. Tomb of the Unknown Arbitrageur” [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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Heron's Eye: 31/07/08

Why is New Labour so worried about elections?

John McDonnell MP writes on the need for increased accountability and more democratic representation within the Labour party. He also highlighted the need for more cabinet members who fancy their chances as becoming PM to explain why and have a go, rather than writing articles, holding press conferences and briefing the media. [Guardian]

David Miliband quits foreign trip to spark new rumours of challenge to Brown

David Miliband has sparked fresh speculation that he is about to leave his job as Foreign Secretary to challenge Gordon Brown after suddenly cancelling a four-day foreign trip, and holding what was interpreted as a 'farewell' meeting with his staff. [Times]

Labour's last Scottish leader?

Steve Richards discusses the possible linkage between Labour leaders’ nationality and their support from the English press and voting public. [NewStatesman]

Ministers accused of retreat on role of attorney general

Gordon Brown's plans for constitutional reforms to make the government more accountable to parliament and the public have been turned into a "ragbag of retreats" by the justice secretary, Jack Straw, according to a dissenting report by a minority on a cross-party group of MPs and peers. [Guardian]

Law lords: fraud office right to end bribery investigation in BAE case

The House of Lords yesterday ruled that the Serious Fraud Office acted lawfully when it halted its investigation into bribery allegations relating to an arms deal between Saudi Arabia and BAE Systems. [Guardian]

We're not fundamentalists - personal information deserves respect

Guy Herbert, the general secretary of NO2ID demystifies some of the criticisms that opponents to ID cards receive. [Guardian]

MPs tell internet firms to police 'dark side' of web

The internet industry must take more responsibility for protecting young people from the "dark side" of digital content relating to abuse, violence and suicide, according to a committee of MPs. [Guardian]

MPs, step away from the internet

Charles Arthur writes on the distance in thinking between MP’s penchant for top down planning and the everyday functioning of the Internet. [Guardian]

China accuses US of trying to sabotage Olympics

The Chinese government accused US politicians of displaying "evil motives" and trying to "sabotage the Olympics" today after the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning Beijing's record on human rights. [Guardian]

Why the News of the World should be caned for its scandalous errors

Roy Greenslade intuitively deliberates on the Max Moseley and NOTW trial. [Guardian]

How the unions bailed out Labour with £10million

The scale of Labour's reliance on the trade unions was revealed yesterday as the debt-ridden party published its accounts. [DailyMail]

King of the Hill

With all of the tremendous political weight that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accumulated over the last eight years, he has the rare ability to wreak havoc on financial markets with only one short phrase.

Putin's harsh criticisms on July 24 of the Mechel coal and steel company caused the value of its American Depositary Receipts to fall by 36 percent, or nearly $6 billion, on the New York Stock Exchange. Two days later, when Mechel's management admitted that it had been selling raw materials to overseas customers at half the price it charged on the domestic market -- precisely as Putin had claimed in his public rebuke -- its share price rebounded by 22 percent. [MoscowTimes]

Tory MP Alan Duncan sues Telegraph for libel

Tory MP Alan Duncan is suing Telegraph Media Group for libel over a story published in the Daily Telegraph. Duncan, the shadow secretary of state for business, enterprise and regulatory reform, is demanding unspecified damages. He claims that a front page story headed: "Cameron tries to steady Tories as EU sleaze scandal spreads", and an inside page story: "Second shadow cabinet member in sleaze inquiry", were defamatory. [PressGazette]

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Heron's Eye: 30/07/08

Lib Dem Donor On The Run

A millionaire businessman who donated £2.4 to the Liberal Democrats has gone on the run ahead of his trial for fraud. [SkyNews]

Giant TVs win my gold medal for crassness

Griff Rhys Jones on the creep of large scale television screens into civic centres and their imposition into our daily life. [Times]

David Miliband refuses to rule out leadership challenge to Gordon Brown

Miliband looks at his watch. Journalists go in a frenzy. [Guardian]

Labour cuts debt to £18.9m

Does the non-election last year explain the £7m surplus? [Guardian]

Boris Johnson needs someone to keep an eye on him

Dave Hill on the need for effective scrutiny of Boris Johnson, particularly during the summer. That reminds me, why is recess so long? [Guardian]

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