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Barnados: Innocent children being targeted
by NewswireThere is an unjustified and disturbing intolerance of children in the UK according to a shocking poll commissioned by Barnardo’s. The poll shows that society casually condemns all children, with more than half the population (54%) thinking that British children are beginning to behave like animals.
Research conducted by YouGov shows that the public holds a negative view of all children, despite the vast majority of children making positive contributions to their communities, attending school, taking part in activities and a significant number volunteering.
The findings show:
- Just under half (49%) of people agree that children are increasingly a danger to each other and adults
- 43% agree something has to be done to protect us from children
- More than a third (35%) of people agree that nowadays it feels like the streets are infested with children
- 45% of public agree that people refer to children as feral because they behave this way*
- Nearly half of people (49%) disagree with the statement that children who get into trouble are often misunderstood and in need of professional help.
The public’s intolerance is also reflected in the British Crime Survey, which indicates that the public felt young people committed up to half of all crime when in actual fact young people are responsible for only 12% of crime.
Commenting on the findings Barnardo’s Chief Executive and former Director General of the Prison Service, Martin Narey said: “It is appalling that words like ‘animal’, ‘feral’ and ‘vermin’ are used daily in reference to children.
These are not references to a small minority of children but represent the public view of all children. Despite the fact that most children are not troublesome there is still a perception that today’s young people are a more unruly, criminal lot than ever before.
Most powerful woman in the world?
by NewswireAfter delivering a 20-seat pickup for House Democrats on Election Night, Rep. Chris Van Hollen wanted out of his grinding campaign job and into a more powerful leadership post.
“The one option I am not exploring is continuing as the chairman” of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an exhausted Van Hollen (D-Md.) said the day after the election.
It sounded like a reasonable plan — until Speaker Nancy Pelosi got wind of it. Pelosi already had someone else in mind for the Democratic Caucus chairmanship that Van Hollen sought.
“Whatever Nancy wants, Nancy gets,” a Democratic lawmaker said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Indeed she does. Van Hollen backed down and took the job he didn’t want. Pelosi had all but decided her leadership lineup for the 111th Congress and wanted no power plays and no drama. Van Hollen re-upped as DCCC chairman. Pelosi ally John B. Larson (D-Conn.) was tapped to take over as Caucus chairman to replace outgoing chairman Rahm Emanuel, the new White House chief of staff. As a consolation, Van Hollen was appointed assistant to the speaker, making him a policy liaison to the Obama administration, something Pelosi knew would appeal to the wonkish Maryland lawmaker.
The maneuvering was vintage Pelosi.
Great expectations for Obama
by NewswireA new national poll suggests that most Americans think Barack Obama will make major accomplishments as president of the United States.
Nearly two-thirds of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday say President-elect Barack Obama will change the country for the better, with 25 percent saying Obama won’t change the country and 9 percent indicating that he will change the country for the worse.
“He’s inspired me and this entire nation with his fondness for change,” said iReporter Brian Langkan of Elgin, Illinois. “I just hope that the bureaucracy and the typical procedures of Washington don’t weigh him down or hold him back or lead him in a new direction.”
Expectations are high not just in America but around the world.
The SCA debate - Standing for Office
by UnityYour mission, should you accept it, is to engage constructively with chapter 7 of the DCLG’s new white paper, ‘Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power’…
…and yes, after reading the chapter and mulling it over, it does feel very much like ‘Mission Impossible’ because the chapter provides very little of substance to engage with.
The problem here is, perhaps, that I have very different expectations of a chapter entitled ‘Standing for Office’ than do the authors of the white paper. To me, any serious discussion on this subject has to focus on seeking democratic solutions to the problems report identifies because, if you genuinely want to see more people standing for public office then what you should be looking for is much more democracy, more opportunities for people to be elected to public offices - and, therefore, more public offices to which people can be elected to - and with that, also much more support for political pluralism within the political system, locally and on the national political stage.
What we get instead is the same tired old run through a managerialist vision of local democracy in which the maintenance of the existing status quo is quite obviously the chapter’s primary objective, which should come as no great surprise as it cheerfully announced that its contents build upon the recommendations of ‘The Councillors Commission’ - so that’s two sets of lunatics making the rules of their own asylum. continue reading… »
Crunch-time for the GOP
by NewswireFollowing the defeat of the GOP in the executive and legislative elections, introspection begins within the Republican Party.
Politico reports:
Votes are still being counted in some races in last Tuesday’s election, but no matter: talk of the potential Republicans field in the 2012 presidential election is already underway.
Too early?
Too bad - just look around.
Two potential candidates will be in Iowa before month’s end, multiple prospects - almost certainly including Sarah Palin - will make high-profile appearances next week at the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) meeting and Newt Gingrich’s name has already being floated in a Bob Novak column.
For a party anxious to move past a brutal election up and down the ballot, and especially a presidential campaign they’d just as soon forget, it’s not too soon to start thinking about ‘next time,’ as the pros call it.
See also: The Republican circular firing squad begins, by Sunny Hundal
Ros Scott wins Lib Dem presidential race
by NewswireIt’s not only Americans who are celebrating the selection of a new president, The UK Liberal Democrat party has elected its new party president. Baroness Scott has been widely supported by the party’s grass roots.
The BBC reports ::
The Liberal Democrats have elected Baroness Ros Scott as the new party president, replacing Simon Hughes.
Baroness Scott secured 20,736 votes, beating former frontbencher Lembit Opik, who got 6,247 votes, and Chandila Fernando who received 1,799.
The baroness will take up the post on 1 January and said she intended to ensure the party remained “a genuine grass roots movement”.
Just under half (47.8%) of all party members voted in the postal ballot.
See also: Jennie’s netcast special
NYT’s financial crisis
by NewswireThe ongoing financial worries at The New York Times continue.
Specifically, the company must deliver $400 million to lenders in May of 2009, six months from now. The company has only $46 million of cash on hand, and its operations will likely begin consuming this meager balance this quarter or next. The company has been shut out of the commercial paper market, but has a $366 million short-term credit line remaining that it entered into several years ago, when the industry was strong. It has not yet drawn this cash down, and given the current environment and the trends at the company, we would not take for granted that it will be able to do so.
Osborne on the attack!
by NewswireGeorge Osborne has used the financial crisis to attack the Prime Minister.
George Osborne has accused Gordon Brown of planning a “spending splurge” that will saddle two generations with debt.
The shadow chancellor told the BBC attempts to “spend your way out of a recession” would only lead to “huge debt” and higher taxes in the future.
Instead the Tories would “target” tax help such as freezing council tax and payroll tax for small firms.
The prime minister says it is responsible to boost spending to “speed up economic activity”.
Instead of heavy public spending, Mr Osborne said the Conservatives would “put money direct into people’s pockets” by freezing council and business taxes.
BP posts massive profits
by NewswireToday BP posted profits of £6.2bn for its most recent quarter - more than doubling its earnings.
This hefty spike is due to the rocketing prices the oil market experienced over the summer, with oil trading at a record $147-per-barrel. The price of oil has since slumped to around $62, prompting the cartel OPEC to slash production in a move to stabilise prices.
BP’s chief executive Tony Hayward has warned that more difficult times lie ahead but that the company is well prepared, The BBC reports ::
BP chief executive Tony Hayward said that oil prices could decline further as the world enters a recession.
“I believe that BP is well-positioned to cope with such volatility,” he said.
“We think the current turmoil may in fact create opportunities for us and we will look at those very closely.”
Osborne steps down as Tory fundraiser
by NewswireFollowing stories that have linked the Conservative shadow chancellor, George Osborne, with an inappropriate relationship with a Russian Oligargh Oleg Deripaska, the Tory MP has stepped down as a Tory fundraiser…
From the BBC ::
Mr Osborne has strongly denied allegations he tried to solicit a £50,000 donation for the Conservative Party from Oleg Deripaska.
But he told the BBC: “To be honest this didn’t look very good and that’s something I regret.”
Mr Osborne has said he will no longer carry out fundraising for the Tories.
Powell 4 Obama
by NewswireThe Beltway rumour mill was right, Colin Powell today announced his endorsement of the Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama.
As a former Army General and Secretary of State in the Bush administration, Powell’s support will be seen as important in bolstering Obama’s foreign policy proposals, which include a “phased withdrawal” from Iraq.
Powell used the endorsement, made on NBC’s Meet the Press, to stress his long friendship with Obama’s rival, John McCain, but added that his vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, isn’t ready to be President of the United States.
UPDATE [Aaron]: I’ve just listened to the audio from the Meet the Press interview, and Powell stressed the GOP’s lurch to the right as an important factor in his decision. Powell’s ‘defection’ may prove to be decisive in cementing the support of centre-right Republicans - the much-discussed ‘Obamacans’ - who feel alienated by the appointment of Palin and McCain’s reliance on divisive political tactics.
Powell rejected the culture-war that McCain has embraced.
Commentators also mentioned the importance of Powell as a retired veteran, with regard to the ageing populations of Florida. Many former members of the military live in the crucial state of Florida and would be considered natural McCain voters.
All change at New Statesman
by NewswireThe New Statesman US editor, Andrew Stephen, has resigned from the magazine following the arrival of editor Jason Cowley and the subsequent departure of a number of high-profile columnists.
Stephen, who was appointed US editor in 2001 after a stint as Washington correspondent and who has been a regular columnist since 1998, wrote to the New Statesman on September 23 confirming that he no longer wanted to contribute to the left-leaning weekly current affairs magazine.
…
The long-running column by Darcus Howe and those by entertainer Julian Clary and Ziauddin Sardar have been cut, although a spokeswoman for the magazine said last month that all three would continue to contribute to the title, only not in regular columns.
Cowley has also hired James Macintyre from the Independent as a political correspondent. The political editor, Martin Bright, was retained at the New Statesman.
Pro-Choice protest 21st Oct
by NewswireFor a woman’s right to choose
It has now been confirmed that the final votes on abortion at the Report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will take place on 22nd October. The votes are expected in the afternoon. This protest has been called at short notice to ensure that MPs and the media feel the strength of pro-choice opinion ahead of these crucial votes. Please encourage your trade union, women’s group, student union or other organisation to come along.
At: Old Palace Yard, outside Parliament, St Stephen’s entrance
Tuesday 21st October - 5.30pm onwards
The protest has been called to oppose further anti-abortion attempts to drive back women’s fundamental rights and support the first Parliamentary opportunity in a generation to improve the law for women and extend rights to Northern Ireland.
Obama’s battle to get voters to polls
by NewswireLukas McGowan was sitting in an old barber’s chair, a cellphone pressed to his ear, as he contemplated a critical assignment for the closing chapter of the presidential campaign: the ground game.
The most pressing matter inside this field office for Senator Barack Obama was not the next debate or the latest scorching exchange with Senator John McCain, but getting every possible voter to the polls. As Mr. McGowan surveyed an assembly line of activity, a more immediate question popped into his mind: Have all the spots been filled in the 6 to 8 p.m. shift for walking neighborhood precincts?
“When we identify sporadic voters, we want to go back to their house until they can’t stand us anymore,” said Mr. McGowan, 23, who oversees the Obama operation in Fairfax County, which is Virginia’s largest. With a smile, he added, “As long as we’re kind and respectful.”
… continued at the New York Times
‘MASS SLEEPWALK’ LAUNCHES NEW AMNESTY FILM AND PETITION AGAINST 42 DAYS PRE-CHARGE DETENTION
by NewswireAmnesty International UK
PRESS RELEASE
‘MASS SLEEPWALK’ LAUNCHES NEW AMNESTY FILM AND PETITION AGAINST 42 DAYS PRE-CHARGE DETENTION
A “mass sleepwalk” will take place through the streets of Leeds tonight (13 October) as Amnesty International launches its new film, ‘Sleepwalk’, heralding the next phase of the organisation’s campaign against UK government plans to extend detention without charge to 42 days. The film, by Oscar-shortlisted directors DarkFibre, features an exclusive new soundtrack by The Orb and a voiceover by actor Christopher Eccleston.
Amnesty is concerned that civil liberties are still under attack in the Counter-terrorism Bill and warns that people in the UK may be sleepwalking into an assault on their basic human rights. Political rumours that the plans will be dropped cannot be relied upon and the 42-day proposals must be defeated once and for all, Amnesty says.
The film accompanies a new online petition at www.protectthehuman.com/42days , urging MPs to oppose the 42 days proposal. Amnesty is specifically calling on MPs who did not support previous proposals for 90 days pre-charge detention, but did vote for 42 days in June, to oppose 42 days this time round (see notes for a list of these MPs).
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:
“There’s a real danger that people in Britain are sleepwalking into an assault on our human rights. This film is Amnesty’s wake up call: we have got to stand up for our basic freedoms.
“We can’t rely on Westminster rumours that 42 days won’t become law – this is too important, hard-won liberties are at stake. Plans to extend detention without charge should be abandoned once and for all. We don’t want them returning under another guise - not next month, not next year.
“We’re asking people to sign our petition at www.protectthehuman.com/42days, urging MPs to stand up for our rights and oppose 42 days detention without charge.
“Giving the authorities the power to lock someone up for a month and a half without even charging them would strip people of human rights that protect every one of us in this country.”
People will ‘sleepwalk’ through the streets of Leeds wearing dressing gowns and slippers and clutching pillows and blankets to highlight Amnesty’s ‘sleepwalking’ message. After the new film is given its first public screening they will hear speeches from Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen and 7/7 bombing survivor Rachel North.
Rachel North said:
“When people find out that I’m a survivor of the 7th July London bombings, they expect me to be in favour of giving the government powers to lock up people merely suspected of terrorism for weeks without charge. No way.
“I expect terrorists to try to divide us, to make us afraid and to attack our freedoms. I don’t expect it from our democratically-elected representatives.
“Older generations faced daily bombings and thousands died to protect our ancient liberties. It is deeply shaming that we even consider such a law. Fight back!”
The Amnesty campaign against extending the pre-charge detention limit for terrorism suspects – which at 28 days is already longer than that of any state with a comparable legal system – follows criticism of the 42-day proposals from a wide range of experts. Former MI5 heads Eliza Manningham-Buller and Stella Rimington, former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the CPS Sir Ken Macdonald, former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, the Council of Europe and the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights have all criticised the government’s plans.
The UK government has argued that ‘safeguards’ inserted into the Bill will get round human rights concerns but Amnesty dismissed them as meaningless.
Kate Allen said:
“The proposed ‘safeguards’ cannot remedy that fact that the 42 days proposals will undermine fundamental human rights in the UK.
“Parliamentary scrutiny will be meaningless because of the risk of prejudicing future trials and the suggested judicial safeguards are wholly inadequate.”
The new film was directed by DarkFibre, the directing duo that made Amnesty’s controversial youtube hit “The Stuff of Life” film exposing the reality of the US ‘waterboarding’ torture technique. ‘Sleepwalk’ was produced by Stink and Executive Produced by Blake Powell.
New research duo to join Demos from IPPR
by Newswire
Demos is pleased to announce the appointment of two leading researchers to develop a new programme of research tackling social mobility and inclusion.
Julia Margo is joining Demos on October 15th as head of Demos’ new ‘Capabilities’ research programme, and Sonia Sodha joins later this month as Senior Researcher in the same programme.
Julia Margo’s leaves her role as Associate Director and Head of Strategic Research at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Sonia Sodha also comes from IPPR where she worked as Research Fellow on the Strategic Research Team.
Both women bring with them a broad range of experience and a track record of highly influential research on the areas targeted by the Capabilities Programme.
Richard Reeves, who took over this summer as director of Demos, said of the appointments:
“Julia Margo and Sonia Sodha each have a great reputation as top-notch thinkers and communicators. They have a strong record of producing influential research on a range of social and economic issues. I am simply delighted that they have decided to join Demos.”
Julia Margo said:
“It goes without saying that we are in a period of political and economic change and even instability. But for think tanks and research institutes this is also an important opportunity: frankly, new ideas about how to solve emerging problems are now urgently needed.
I think Demos is going to be the place where much of the exciting thinking will be happening now and am extremely pleased to be working with the dynamic Richard Reeves and the rest of his team to move it forward.”
Sonia Sodha added:
“I am delighted to be joining Demos to work on its new capabilities programme, which will take a fresh, innovative approach to intractable questions such as how to improve social mobility and opportunity. It will be very exciting to be involved in this programme of research.”
EU Seeks Unified Policy on Bank Crisis
by NewswireAs the financial crisis continues to ripple across the globe, EU finance ministers plan to formulate a unified policy.
European Union finance ministers gathered here on Tuesday to seek elusive common ground to buttress the continent’s banking system in the face of the financial crisis, raising the minimum level of guarantees for bank deposits to 50,000 euros.
At a news conference in Luxembourg, Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister, said, “We agreed to raise the minimum guarantee to 50,000 euros while noting that many member states were determined to raise this to 100,000 euros.”
“One country on its own can’t solve the problem,” the Irish finance minister Brian Lenihan said, according to Reuters. Mr. Lenihan said the planned increase in guarantee levels was on the agenda. “That is a matter that is under consideration.”
O’Reilly to Frank: ‘You’re a coward!’
by Aaron HeathBill O’Reilly to Representative Barney Frank (D - MA) on Fox News ::
via. Politico
Brown defends decision to back Peter Mandelson
by Newswire
Gordon Brown defends decision to bring Peter Mandelson back into government
Gordon Brown today explained his astonishing decision to bring his bitter rival Peter Mandelson back into the cabinet as business secretary, saying: “Serious people are needed for serious times.”
At a press conference in Downing Street, the prime minister said he was appointing Mandelson, who in the past has twice resigned from cabinet posts in controversial circumstances, because he needed “the best team” to help Britain through the global economic crisis.
Washington Mutual runs out of money
by NewswireAs the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation’s largest banks — Washington Mutual Inc. — has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized WaMu on Thursday, and then sold the thrift’s banking assets to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for $1.9 billion.
Seattle-based WaMu, which was founded in 1889, is the largest bank to fail by far in the country’s history. Its $307 billion in assets eclipse the $40 billion of Continental Illinois National Bank, which failed in 1984, and the $32 billion of IndyMac, which the government seized in July.
