OxfordBlog

THE SUNDAY TIMES OXFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL

2008-04-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Newman 10 April 2008

If you're interested in books, famous authors, celebrities and fine dining, the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, in the first week of April, is the place to be.

Book fans, at the festival, were able to walk with the literati gods and soak up the Oxford dream. If you were lucky, you might perhaps, speak with your favourite author.

Certainly, the festival's choice of writers was eclectic, from local science writer Richard Dawkins, London poet Ben Okri, former politician and television presenter Oona King, Sunday Times columnist Cristiana Odone, derivatives expert Nassim Nicholas Taleb, playwright Tom Stoppard and novelist Fay Weldon.

As for the writers' performances during the week, many were very professional and gave slick sales presentations of their latest books. Today, writers are like medieval itinerant traders travelling from town to town with their wares. This means most have become well practiced in their jokes and speeches, though for some they don't even bother to change the script, even for the next presentation they are in that very same town. In effect, visitors to the literary festivals are paying to see a series of book commercials.

Professor Richard Dawkins

Dawkins was at the festival to promote his latest book ‘The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing’. This excellent new book is a collection of writings by different scientists, chosen by Dawkins, that captures the joys of scientific understanding since 1900 to the present day, for the public at large.

What was memorable about Dawkins’ presentation, was that he arranged to have former BBC Radio Oxford presenter David Freeman interview Richard Dawkins about his work, opinions and his latest book, with Dawkins wife reading out appropriate, but often amusing passages to the great enjoyment of the audience present.

Amongst the questions Dawkins’ was asked was, what he thought of his critics. Dawkins answered that he regarded them as insignificant ‘fleas’.

One of the writers included in his book as an extract, is best selling Cambridge University scientist Steven Hawking’s work ‘A Brief History of Time', though Dawkins admitted with a laugh: ‘I must be the one of the extremely few people who managed to finish reading the book to the very end.'

Amongst other writers Dawkins admires is Peter Atkins, Dawkins has included an excerpt in his anthology from Atkins book ‘The Creation Revisited’ Dawkins observes: ‘Peter writes in a wonderful poetic style, worthy of Carl Sagan.'

London poet Ben Okri

One of the sublime moments at the festival were London poet Ben Okri reading extracts from his latest book of poetry ‘ Starbook'. His verse made one believe one was in a world of fairy tales, not the hard realities of the modern world. When Ben finished the audience broke into long sustained cheers.

The Black Swan Phenomenon

Attending a presentation given by Nassim Nicholas Taleb proved to be a disappointment. Taleb had problems right from the start, in his production about his book ‘The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable'. Instead of providing a thought provoking account of the usage of the Black Swan logic phenomenon, the audience was subjected to a rather repetitive and confusing ramble through the topic, which at times gave the impression that a black swan was some sort of black parrot rather than an Australian variety of Swan.
He argued that the Black Swan phenomenon is an event or occurrence that deviates beyond what is normally accepted as a situation, and that would be extremely difficult to predict, for example the fall of the Berlin Wall. The author contended that this phenomenon is used by speculators as a basis for their computer models to predict prices in futures markets.

Taleb managed to sow such bewilderment in my mind, that subsequently forced me to consult my notes, from my university days about the use of the Black Swan phenomenon to clear up the resultant confusion Taleb had caused in his talk.

As for side events there were discussions on current affairs, some of which were sit down formal dinners with the writers speaking on topics that are commonly fashionable with the literati. The trouble was, their dialogue often revealed, how generally ignorant the speakers were outside their particular expertise.
The Business of the Festival

Behind the scenes the real business of the festival was taking place, with deals during festival week were being struck as writers, agents, publishers and Public Relations reps were busy networking at a string of parties held in Oxford's many colleges or over lunch in the cities restaurants. For many of the publishers, the Oxford Literary Festival is really a book trade event for publishers like Blackwells and Oxford University Press to promote their books.

Certainly, to the visitor, the festival was organised in a very professional, yet unobtrusive manner. The festival has grown, over the past twelve years from just a few rooms in Oxford's Union building in the heart of the old city to taking over Christ Church, Oxford's largest college with its many available rooms and many other locations throughout Oxford’s town centre.

Where were the popular European writers?

What struck me about the Sunday Times Literary Festival was that this was really an English book fair, not a European literary festival. It's as if our neighbours in mainland Europe with their wealth of talented writers did not exist. Where were the popular European writers who publish their books in English, like Danish science writer Bjorn Lomborg, Swedish crime fiction author Hakan Nesser, and Italian novelist Umberto Eco?

Now that the Oxford Literary Festival has ended for another year, it is time to remedy this situation and bring a taste of European talent to visitors to the next literary festival to Oxford in 2009.

The Festival ran from Monday 31st March– Sunday 6 April 2008
Further information
About the Festival www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk

London Book Fair

2007-04-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Increasingly, your fellow European commuter is likely to be listening to an audio book as reading the latest Harry Potter or Steven King paperback! Audio books have come a long way from being just the preserve of the visually impaired to a popular alternative way to enjoy a good book. The range of audio books available to the European public is growing by at a fast rate, from a passionate love story to science fiction. Listeners are finding new ways to use audio books from learning a language to as an aid to relaxation.
THE EXPANDING MARKET
This is not surprising given that the European audio book market continues to grow ‘at 20% a year’ reports..... To Read On http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/LONDONBOOKFAIR.htm

Middle East and the Left

2007-04-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

>1. The claim that the Allies intervention in Iraq was illegal.
>a. No international court has ruled such. It is only the legal opinion
>of some lawyers, not all lawyers. After all, you or I could buy a legal
>opinion (argument) to support one¢s case. It is just a legal opinion; I
>could go to the very same lawyers and pay them to formulate a totally
>different opinion?
>b. The claim that the present Iraqi government is not legitimate. It
>seems a lot more legitimate than that of the previous Saddam regime, which
>came to power in a military coup. At least the present regime has had
>elections, despite the interference from both domestic and external anti
>democratic forces.
>c. It's odd when we hear demands from old anti American lefties like
>Tony Benn and George Galloway for the Allies to withdraw; I don't recall
>them demanding the withdrawal of external fascistic antidemocratic forces
>or the encouragement of domestic groups to work towards a peaceful solution
>in Iraq with the present government, neither have they put forward workable
>solutions that will help turn Iraq into a democratic and prosperous state.
>If the claim of these groups is to encourage the Allies to withdraw, they
>are certainly going about it in a strange way. The most logical way, surely
>would have been to work with the Allies to rebuild Iraq; this would have
>saved lives, brought both prosperity to Iraq and the early withdrawal of
>the Coalition Forces.
>d. What especially saddens me is the lack of active support by many in
>the anti American left for the many brave Iraqi men and women and in the
>rest of the Middle East fighting for trade union rights, women¢s rights and
>civil liberties. Perhaps, this lack of support is explained because they
>prefer to be professional contrarians, rather than uphold the principles of
>their founders; Jefferson. Wilberforce, Paine and Pankhurst etc.
>2. As for the maritime boundary between Iraq and Iran.
>a. Many seem to be implying that the Iranian claims on this issue are
>correct and have been ratified by both sides. This is not the case. You
>will also find Iran has maritime and territorial disputes with many of its
>neighbours including the Gulf States. Many Gulf States feel intimidated by
>the historic expansionist or imperialist policies that Iran has practiced
>in the region for centuries. For examples
>· http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4619604.stm
>· http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/849068.stm
>http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=499&language_id=1
>· http://www.didyouknow.cd/story/disputes.htm#gulf
>b. In this light the developments of Iranian missiles that can strike
>Munich from Tehran, I suppose make a sort of sense. Could it be Iran wants
>to intimidate European countries as well? This makes it understandable that
>EU states like Poland and Britain support the installation of an anti
>missile shield by NATO.
>c. As to why there has only been luck luster support for Britain¢s case
>in this maritime dispute or it could be that countries like France and
>Germany fear for the potential loss in trade they have with Iran.
>3. But what I find truly astonishing is despite the plethora of
>articles, books, speeches etc I have not seen attempt to try to set out
>what the present position would be in the Middle East or the World if no
>action had been taken against Saddam.
>a. If he had been allowed to stay in power and able to continue his
>reign of terror, gassing or murdering any dissident Shia or Kurd, probably
>invading Saudi Arabia, sponsoring terrorist cells around the world,
>building up atomic material (only for peaceful purposes of course!) as Iran
>is doing etc. Would we still be arguing he should stay in power?
>b. What would your prediction be?

‘Aurea hamo piscari’ (money talks).

2007-03-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

The current situation in the Middle East is inevitable, given the power of the pro-Israeli lobby, in determining American policy in the area. We must live with the real politic and not some model of the world as we would wish it to be.

Egypt, Jordan and many in the Lebanese government have leant this hard lesson that it does not pay to oppose Israel on the battlefield. Instead, it pays to make a deal with Israel and the United States. Every year since 1979 Egypt has received over $2bn per annum and Jordan $500m a year. While the Lebanese government has had not much of a problem arranging foreign emergency aid since the August battles, already the EU have offered some €150m in emergency aid.

It is time Hamas and Hezbollah learnt this lesson, they should open negations’ immediately to make a financial deal. But this means they will have to transform themselves from rather disorganized militarily ineffectual terrorist groups, into respectable, democratic and not corrupt political parties, that the West can deal with.

Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland had to learn this lesson, it took courage and leadership, and hopefully Hamas and Hezbollah have the people to take such politically difficult decisions. In making such a deal, it is a win-win situation for the West and the people, Hamas and Hezbollah claim to represent. The poor in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon need the Western investment in economic development necessary to drag these people out of the despair of poverty, which nearly fifty years of conflict has not managed to do.

Respectability brings other benefits, being able to fight the pro-Israeli lobby in the US Congress and the world stage on a less unequal footing. While prosperity has proved a very effective weapon in undermining the influence of extremist terror groups, as both Britain found with the IRA and Spain discovered in its dealings with ETA.

As saying goes ‘aurea hamo piscari’

Commuter's face longer journeys to work due to bus timetable changes

2007-03-03T08:21:00.001-08:00

Commuter's face longer journeys to work due to bus timetable changes
Changes to Route 7

26 February 2007
Route 7 between Kidlington, Oxford and Barton is to be split into two halves from Sunday 1st April 2007.

The decision has been made due to difficulties faced during recent major roadworks schemes, including Green Road roundabout and Oxford High Street. Further work is planned over future months that could have a major impact on route 7.

The question is why doesn’t the bus company, instead run buses between Headington and Kidlington via the JR and Marston Ferry Road? So that buses, avoid the delays caused by the never ending roadworks in Oxford City Centre that the Highways Authority is so fond of.

It would mean for many a much improved bus service for passengers travelling to school and work. while also cutting out the tedious journey through Oxford city centre.

src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Should Europe see a gas cartel as a threat to its supplies?

2007-02-27T02:44:00.000-08:00

At a time when gas exporting countries are considering the formation of an OPEC type gas producer’s cartel. EU President Barrosso has argued the case for a united European energy strategy in order to improve and maintain a more favourable bargaining position. Energy experts argue that such a strategy is necessary, but, doubts, given the very differences that exist with gas production, distribution and marketing, that the formulation of an OPEC type organisation is viable. In any case, current Russian energy export policy is against surrendering any part of its existing power by involvement implicit in any OPEC type organisation. They conclude that Europe should formulate an energy strategy, but the most pressing question is, irrespective of the development of a gas exporter’s cartel, how Europe deals with its increasing dependency on gas imports from Russia and elsewhere.src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

The question of Oxford becoming a unitary authority

2007-02-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

The trouble is Oxford's case for becoming a unitary authority weakened because of the following factors.

The proposed area is too small - both in terms of tax base and population. A future Oxford unitary authority needs to include Botley, Abingdon, Wheatley, Kidlington, Garsington and Kennington within the proposed boundaries of a future unitary authority, if it is to be viable.

At the moment there is a much stronger case for Oxfordshire County Council being made into a unitary authority than Oxford with its present proposals.

Even if the county was made unitary, there are problems - the current county ward or division boundaries are drawn in such a way that it makes it significantly easier to be elected as a Tory councilor than from any other party.

The current situation means that there is a conservative majority in seats at county hall (43 seats with 34% of the vote) while all the other parties combined only won 31 seats with 66% of the vote.

So in terms of administrative efficiency then having a single unitary authority for whole county is the best bet.
But in terms of voter accountability, the best model is a unitary authority for Oxford that includes its immediate neighbours.

Otherwise the best solution is to reform the voting system used to elect our county councilors.src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Stephan Eklof’s ‘Pirates in Paradise’

2007-02-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

Stephan Eklof’s ‘Pirates in Paradise’ is a description and analysis of modern piracy today in South East Asia. Eklof paints a picture of today’s maritime criminals quite unlike that portrayed by Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or the characters in J.M.Barrie’s Peter Pan and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. It is clear from Eklof’s book, that modern day pirates are much more ruthless, violent and murderous than those portrayed for our entertainment.

Eklof shows that piracy started to become a problem in the west in the 18th century. In fact it is a much older problem, and even the Romans had repeated problems with this form of maritime crime. In 75 BC Julius Caesar was kidnapped and held for ransom by pirates, and in 49 AD Pliny was sent by Emperor Claudius to investigate piracy in the bay of Naples.

So by the time of the ‘golden age of piracy’ these maritime gangsters were following a very ancient, if ignoble tradition for Eklof makes clear that most fiction writers and Hollywood films tended to glamorise this period between 1716 and 1726.It is estimated during this period some 218 vessels a year were attacked. Eklof notes that crews of target ships, once they had caught sight of the ‘Jolly Roger’ would rather surrender than die at the hands of the pirates.To read more about this book http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Piratesinparadise.htm
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Debora L.Spar, The Baby Business: How Money, Science, and Politics Drive the Commerce of Conception. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PRESS 2006:

2007-01-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Deborah Spar’s latest book, ‘The Baby Business’ introduces a new and distasteful (?) subject of IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation), commonly known as “test tube babies”. This medico-scientific advances in human fertilisation has raised a storm of controversy involving, ethical, moral and commercial issues. Want a child, but don’t or can’t do it the traditional way, well you can go to your neighbourhood fertility clinic, with luck and sufficient funds for the baby of your preferred gender and optimal genetic mix using IVF. There are several different IVF techniques available, but the usual process involves; interalia, the women taking fertility drugs to help her produce more eggs. The eggs are then harvested and fertilized in the laboratory. The woman is given hormone drugs to prepare her womb to receive the fertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs are placed inside the womb and a normal pregnancy follows. As a result of IVF a child growing up today could have two fathers and three mothers. The sperm donor that produced the sperm, the woman that sold her eggs to the clinic, the surrogate mother who rented out her womb, and the infertile parents, that are bringing up the child.src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

FAIT A COMPLIS FOR OXFORD UNIVERSITY REFORMS?

2006-12-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

FAIT A COMPLIS FOR OXFORD UNIVERSITY REFORMS?
‘There are many arguments for the new proposals but one is that the Charities Act 2006, which passed into law on 9 November, brings Oxford and Cambridge - and the individual colleges - for the first time into the scope of charity regulators. A letter read out during the Congregation’s first debate on the White Paper showed that the Higher Education Funding Council strongly favours, though it will not immediately enforce, a majority of independents among a charity’s trustees’

SOURCE: FROM THE MASTER: LORD BUTLER OF BROCKWELL: - ‘UNIV NEWSLETTER’ ISSUE 25 MICHAELMAS 2006 – Page 1.
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Oxford Mail editorial comment

2006-11-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Describing Blackbird Leys, Barton and Wood Farm as some dingy neglected inner city estate in your editorial ‘A kick in the teeth for estates’ (Oxford Mail Monday 13th November 2006), seems to me far from the truth.

In these well appointed estates, which are bounded by Oxford’s glorious Green Belt, residents are never far away from green open spaces where they can enjoy fresh air as they exercise. Describing estates like Wood Farm as lacking in open space is so untrue .As North Oxford has a damp Port Meadow, Wood Farm has that natural treasure, that is Shotover Country Park, with its fantastic views, nature trails, woods and wildlife.

As for lacking in recreational facilities as you describe these so called neglected estates. Many neighbouring suburbs look on in envy at the council’s legacy of sports and recreational facilities available on these estates. Barton has its new pool, Blackbird Leys had its sports centre refurbished recently, no you can’t make the case that these suburban estates fit the picture painted in your editorial.

If parents are concerned about the fitness of there children, I suggest they take them to the other recreational sport facilities available to residents in this city. No the real question that needs to be asked, were there mistakes made in the location of such facilities. After all, Cowley Road seems to be blessed with sports facilities, while other areas like Marston, Rose Hill and Headington have been seriously neglected. http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/index.htm

Time to get Africa out of the aid habit

2006-10-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

After a decade of aid fatigue and
dwindling development assistance,
foreign aid is once again at centre
stage. Recent years have seen a flurry of
new aid initiatives – the UN Millennium
Development Goals, the Monterrey
Consensus, the UK’s Commission on Africa,
and the G8 pledge to double the amount of
aid, to mention only the most significant
ones. And before 2010, governments’
spending on aid, as measured by the OECD,
is projected at well above $100bn a year.
Much as these initiatives should be
applauded for shining the spotlight on
many neglected issues of poverty and
human hardships in developing countries,
they also need to be judged against a
backdrop of our accumulated knowledge of
what works and what does not. That has yet
to happen. Indeed, there has been
widespread neglect of the knowledge and
experience we have gained from aid-giving
over the last 50 years, and this constitutes
a key problem in the new drive for aid. There
is a discrepancy between the rush to
increase foreign aid and the general lack of
interest in the quality of aid, meaning its
effectiveness. This not only suggests a
mismanagement of public resources but
also an absence of curiosity about
establishing which are the best methods of
helping poor countries to develop.
This is not to say that we already have the
answers to all the mysteries of poverty, welfare
and foreign aid. But we do know a lot and have
garnered enough experience to say over the
last 50 years aid has failed overall to deliver the
sort of economic growth and development we
had hoped for. And the prospects for the
future doesn’t look much better.

Of the researchers who have studied the
links between aid and economic growth, few
have found conclusive evidence that aid
gives a major boost to growth. On the
contrary, most research suggests a negative
correlation between the two. This doesn’t
mean that receiving developing aid is the
cause of a country’s low growth. In both
cases, a cause-and-effect relationship is
difficult to find through broad statistical
cross-country analysis; several researchers
have employed advanced analytical
techniques but the results have varied from a
weak negative effect to a weak positive effect
(the latter after adjusting for the type of aid
and the policy milieu in recipient countries).
The sad overall conclusion that has to be
drawn is that development aid does not have
the stimulatory effect on growth that donor
countries have always intended.
A case in point is development aid to
Africa that has amounted to more than $1
trillion since 1950. Between 1970 and 1995,
aid to Africa increased rapidly, with aid
dependency (measured as the aid-to-GDP
ratio) standing at nearly 20% in the early
1990s. Measured another way, the mean value
of aid as a share of government expenditures
in African countries was well above 50%
during the 20-year period up to 1995. During
the same period, per capita GDP growth in
Africa decreased, so that many countries in
Africa are actually poorer today than they
were when they gained their independence.
This sad truth does little to support the
idea that development assistance is the
flywheel that starts the motor of economic
activity. But the argument continues to be
that aid is an essential part of the process of
attracting new investment and fuelling
sustained growth. Because poor countries
lack the resources to finance investments,
runs this argument, there is a financing gap
between domestic savings and the resources
needed to finance the level of investments
required to achieve growth. If the financing
gap theory of aid (yes, it is merely a theory)
had been true, investment levels would have
risen considerably and long-term growth
would have resulted. In that case, using the
models applied by the World Bank and other
donor organisations, per capita GDP in most
African countries should be at the same level
as in New Zealand, Spain or Portugal.
Instead, it has declined overall in Africa.
Now a new version of the financing gap
theory is being used as the motif for the
present gearing-up of aid spending. The
leading economist Jeffrey Sachs, together
with others involved in the highly influential
UN Millennium Project, is advocating a “big
push” in public investments with the idea of
producing a knock-on effect on economic
growth in developing countries. But the really
poor countries, according to Sachs, are stuck
in a savings trap and do not have the
resources needed to make this development
push. The claim is that an additional $75bn in
development assistance could fill the gap.
This breathtakingly naïve view of aid and
economic growth in poor countries defies
basic economics and our acquired
knowledge of what works and what does
not. The history of aid clearly shows that
this type of assistance has been strikingly
inefficient and at times has proved more a
hindrance to development than a help.
So why is it that aid has failed to deliver
higher economic growth for developing
countries? There is no single answer; one has
to take several aspects of aid into account to
understand what has gone wrong, and how
our aid should be re-designed if it is ever to
achieve its targeted goals.
As a general rule, development aid has
not been spent in the way that was
intended. Instead of gearing-up
investments, the money has more often
than not been frittered away on current
spending and public consumption. Not only
is it difficult to find any positive effects as a
result of investment aid spending, but
worse the evidence suggests that aid has
actually had a negative effect on domestic
savings, and has thus weakened poor
countries’ ability to finance investments.
Several aid studies have also looked into
the issue of what economists call
fungibility; when aid intended for
investment was used for that purpose
recipient governments then reduced their
own investment spending in that area and
transferred those resources to additional
consumption, with the end-result of there
being no increase in a country’s net
investment. This pattern of fungibility has
also applied to aid that was intended for
spending on education and healthcare.
Aid has also contributed to corruption in
many developing countries. That is clearly not
the intention of aid, but the unintended
consequence of supporting corrupt
governments has been precisely that.
Furthermore, by supporting many state-owned
and para-statal enterprises, aid has boosted
corruption in more direct ways. These
enterprises have become arenas of rampant
corruption, and this has then spread to other
parts of society. The tragedy of aid that has
been revealed in a number of independent
evaluations and by World Bank research, is
that donors become part of corruption
problem by supporting regimes that erode the
governance structure. In those African
countries that have received a high level of aid
over time, this has become painfully obvious.
It has been sound economic policy, not
aid, that in recent decades has lifted billions
of Asians out of poverty and provided the
resources to combat, and in some countries
eradicate, starvation and many of the most
ravaging diseases. While Asian countries
were starting to open themselves up to trade
and foreign investment with the policies that
created the “Asian Tigers”, many African
countries were heading for a model of
economic autarky by closing their borders
and regulating the domestic economy to an
absurd degree. It is hardly surprising that this
was a development strategy that has failed
utterly. Yet western aid donors supported
these policies, and many of them are still
pouring money into countries whose
economic policies are detrimental to growth.
The good news, though, is that countries
are poverty-stricken because of bad policy,
not because of geography, an inferior
culture or any other deficiencies. Bad
policies can be changed; not by aid, but by
people insisting on change.

TURKEY IN OR OUT?

2006-10-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

Politicians are again in the firing line again opinion polls inside Europe and Turkey are reporting declining support for the very idea that Ankara should join the European Union (EU) by 2015.
In fact opponents on both sides of the Aegean Sea utilise many of the same arguments in their case against Turkey joining as Europe’s first predominately Moslem Middle Eastern state.

On the European side there are distinct advantages in Ankara joining the EU, despite many European’s valid concerns and worries. But EU politicians should follow the advice of Italian political strategist Niccolo Machiavelli ‘take advantage out of a disadvantage.’ If the EU fails to implement the reforms required and make the necessary compromises in its negotiations over the role of the Turkish military and Cyprus, then the prospects of Turkey joining look increasingly doubtful.

To read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Turkey.htm

'Who do you think will win next year’s French presidential election?’

2006-09-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

'Who do you think will win next year’s French presidential election?’ I said and added. ‘Will it be the socialist politician Ségolène Royal or the conservative one Nicolas Sarkozy?’ We had a heated discussion about the relative merits of these two candidates, their policies, scandals and this being France their love lives. What came out was that their nomination as their respective party’s presidential candidates was not a done deal. Trudy agued ‘if the old political dinosaurs in the Socialist Party, like Jack Lang, let Madame Royal win the parties nomination, then there dreams of ever becoming president are over.

“The same goes for Monsieur Sarkozy; President Chirac regards Nicolas as a traitor to his political legacy and too popular by half for his own good.’ She went on to explain she thought Chirac has adopted the uncharismatic French Prime Minister De Villepin as his political heir in his desperate attempts to stop Nicolas Sarkozy getting his party’s nomination. Robin commented ‘in France the early front runner usually does not make it to the final hurdle.’
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Israel and Lebanon

2006-09-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

In many ways the current situation in the Levant (ie. Isreal and Lebanon) is inevitable, given the power of the pro-Israeli lobby, in determining American policy in the area. We must live with the real politic and not some model of the world as we would wish it to be.

Egypt, Jordan and many in the Lebanese government have leant this hard lesson that it does not pay to oppose Israel on the battlefield. Instead, it pays to make a deal with Israel and the United States. Every year since 1979 Egypt has received over $2bn per annum and Jordan $500m a year. While the Lebanese government has had not much of a problem arranging foreign emergency aid since the August battles, already the EU have offered some €150m in emergency aid.

It is time Hamas and Hezbollah learnt this lesson, they should open negations’ immediately to make a financial deal. But this means they will have to transform themselves from rather disorganized militarily ineffectual terrorist groups, into respectable, democratic and not corrupt political parties, that the West can deal with.

Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland had to learn this lesson, it took courage and leadership, and hopefully Hamas and Hezbollah have the people to take such politically difficult decisions. In making such a deal, it is a win-win situation for the West and the people, Hamas and Hezbollah claim to represent. The poor in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon need the Western investment in economic development necessary to drag these people out of the despair of poverty, which nearly fifty years of conflict has not managed to do.

Respectability brings other benefits, being able to fight the pro-Israeli lobby in the US Congress and the world stage on a less unequal footing. While prosperity has proved a very effective weapon in undermining the influence of extremist terror groups, as both Britain found with the IRA and Spain discovered in its dealings with ETA.

As saying goes ‘aurea hamo piscari’ (money talks).

src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

David Cameron - a case of keeping up appearances?

2006-08-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keeping up appearances
David Cameron needs to learn more about business

It will be interesting for excavation industry analysts to assess in the months ahead which investment did more to promote a well-known brand of British digger — its sponsorship of a 300mph yellow car streaking across Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, in pursuit of the world land diesel speed record or its provision of a corporate jet to help an opposition politican move around the Indian sub-continent, opening a new plant in the process.
One project is eye-catching but irrelevant to the brand. The other is worthy but dull — or it would be if the politician were not David Cameron. Instead, his trip to India next month, paid for partly by JCB, has triggered an important debate before he even leaves the ground. Is his habit of corporate name-dropping an innocent by-product of his generous nature and background in public relations? Or is it evidence that even the prospect of power, contingent on an election still four years off, inevitably corrupts?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To read more http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2322949,00.html
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

The Taxing Question of Overseas Property

2006-08-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Taxing Question of
Overseas Property

Did you know that at least 257,000 Britons now own an overseas holiday home? With a strong pound and booming economy, it looks like many more of us are joining the likes of Cliff Richard and are buying a place in the sun. It appears, we ‘…British have beaten the Germans when it comes to throwing our metaphorical towels over foreign rooftops,’ says John Barnes, of Newfound Property International. But what a lot of Britons seem to forget, is that just because they are away from home, does not mean, that the taxman has forgotten them. It just means it won’t probably be British taxman you will be paying, but a foreign tax official.

For the buyer, it will not only be property prices and the location that will matter but, also, the respective tax regime of the foreign country of choice. Just as in Britain, owning a home abroad does not make you free from taxes for example such as Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Inheritance Tax and Tax on Rental Income in the country of your choice! Ro read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Overseas property taxes.htm
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

BULGARIA EUROPE’S FAILED STATE?

2006-08-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

BULGARIA EUROPE’S FAILED STATE?
By Nicholas Newman Editor Oxfordprospect.co.uk
18 August 2006
Could Bulgaria fail to win entry at the final post in its race to join the European Union (EU) on 1st January 2007? Bulgaria is waiting with trepidation, a favourable report from the EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in September and unanimous approval from all member states at an EU Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in 16th October at Lahti in Finland.

Despite the EU expressing optimism shown by EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini that Bulgaria is ‘on the right track’ even the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylio Kalfin admits that ‘there is still work to be done.’ What could delay Sofia’s entry are Bulgaria’s institutional failures to crack down on to key political policy areas – justice and home affairs. In a desperate attempt to ensure a favourable report from EU Commissioner Rehn the Bulgarian MPs ‘…have given up their traditional long summer break, sunning on the beaches to pass the major changes in the constitution to ensure the necessary reforms are in place,’ says National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski and PM Sergei Stanishev has stated that already Bulgaria ‘has completed 70% of the planned legislation needed to meet the targets set in the accession treaty.’To read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Bulgaria Europe's Failed State.htm

src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Do you know your Bulgarian?Or your АБВГД?

2006-08-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Do you know your Bulgarian?
Or your АБВГД?
By Nicholas Newman Editor Oxfordprospect.co.uk 14 August 2006
Probably not is the answer, but for translators in various European Union institutions, it is increasingly vital to have someone in your organisation that does. Especially, with the prospect of Bulgaria’s accession on 1st January 2007 only months away.

For the EU’s Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission (DGT) which employs some 1650 and 550 support staff to translate some 1.3 million pages a year. The recruitment of the extra 60 translators that convert Bulgarian into any of the other 22 operational languages is proving challenging enough, especially with Bulgarian adding Cyrillic as the Union’s third official script after the Latin and Greek alphabets.
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Well done the security services!

2006-08-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

Pakistani intelligence helped British security agencies crack a terrorist plot to blow up U.S.-bound aircraft, and has arrested two or three suspects in recent days, officials said Thursday.

“Pakistan played a very important role in uncovering and breaking this international terrorist network,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tasnim Aslam. “Cooperation in this particular case was spread over a period of time. There were some arrests in Pakistan which were coordinated with arrests in the U.K.,” she said.
She declined to give details about the arrests, including the number of suspects, their identities or when they were arrested. But a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to comment on the matter, said “two or three local people” suspected in the plot were arrested a few days ago in Lahore and Karachi.
src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Heathrow

2006-08-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm astounded that so many people can question security regarding the hand luggage. My two girls go away with their grandmother in two weeks, if means they can not take their MP3 player or bottle of water on the plane, thats fine with me and i am sure OK with them too, as long as they arrive safely and return home safe, thats all that matters! some people really need to get a grip, i would prefer a delay and inconvenience rather than death. Thanks to staff and security. Dont let the bad guys win Praise God for our efficient Government and security.src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

Africa - the continent that keeps failing

2006-08-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Africa - why it keeps failing?
by Nicholas Newman Editor Oxfordprospect.co.uk

Almost every day we hear that the West is to blame for Africa’s problems. Yet, every day we hear the only solution is more European Union (EU) aid is needed for sub-Saharan Africa, despite the EU spending some many billions, over the last five years in development aid.

There are many theories as to why foreign aid policy has failed in Africa. It certainly worked in South East Asia, which has transformed these economies into economic tigers. Such theories that try to explain why sub-Saharan Africa remains stubbornly poor could fill many shelves in a library.

Such theories as to why Africa has failed range from poor leadership to the terms of trade being unfair for developing countries. To read more
http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Africa.htm
Africa - the continent that keeps failing

The blame of the continent’s woes has often been blamed on predatory and corrupt leadership. Certainly Mugabe and Mobutu have been accused of amassing massive fortunes while bankrupting their countries. Yet, it’s difficult to simply put it down to just corrupt leadership. Indonesia’s Suharto; despite amassing a similar sized fortune, still managed to achieve records in economic growth and poverty reduction.

src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/tracker.php?do=in&id=18084"
alt="Business Blog Top Sites" />

MOONLIGHTING MPS

2006-08-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

A MPs ‘Outside Interests’ are those that he or she is required in the ‘Register of Members Interests’. This register set up in 1974 records what an MP’s additional sources of employment, outside Parliament he or she has been paid for. These are often jobs in the city, the courts or the media. Currently 101 Tory MPs, 34 Labour MPs, 15 Liberal MPs and 5 Minority MPs have lucrative directorships and legal practices.Well-known examples of such Members known for their moonlighting include William Hague and Boris Johnson MPs. Both were well known before they joined David Cameron’s front bench team of enjoying highly remunerative non-political employment outside the House of Commons. The main reasons why there has been such controversy over MPs having such outside interests include issues over how possible ethical issues and concerns over possible impact on an MP’s effectiveness as a representative.Let us look at the impact such outside interests can have on MPs productivity. During the previous Parliament Micheal Portillo had an extensive list of moonlighting engagements as author, columnist and TV presenter. This meant he had less time to devote to Parliament; he only took part in 38% of parliamentary divisions compared to MPs without such interests averaging 83%.Then there is the question of ethics, arising from employment by outside interests, their employers could unduly influence MPs. Such concerns raised about MPs who are also practising lawyers; who seem to be typically against government efforts to tighten up legislation the legal system, immigration and national security. Could it be they are putting their personal interests ahead of their constituents, since such opposition to reforms, could be interpreted as a threat to their potential income, rather than concerns about justice? Then there is concern about potential opportunities for corruption, there certainly have been numerous scandals over the years, including the Aitken Affair and Cash for Questions during the last Tory government.As to what has been done about regulating MPs outside interests, there have been several attempts to monitor and regulate the activities of ‘moonlighting’ MPs over the years, though with not much success. The efforts by MPs to self regulate have included a Register of Interests being set up administered by Parliamentary Commissioner who advises MPs over interpretation of rules.In general, MPs can accept any form of payment or gifts for work or advice along as he or she declares them to the Register. Despite the setting up of the register, there have still been allegations over breaches of the rules, also the system was further discredited when MPs failed to reappoint Elizabeth Filken to her post , due to complaints by some parliamentarians for her zeal in enforcing the system. This led to the Council of Europe in 2002 recommending that the UK Parliament should replace the current system with a new law; curiously this opinion has been ignored by MPs.

HOW TO TACKLE MOONLIGHTING

Its time we encouraged our MPs to ‘moonlight’, especially if he or she is a backbencher, since they do not have an official role in Westminster notes Charter88. In addition, the current working practices and procedures are not designed to facilitate the effective scrutiny of Government, nor give MPs a meaningful role in the policy process. Therefore, a bored MP has two options become a glorified and overpaid social worker or find some lucrative employment in the city, the courts or the media.Since many of our MPs consider that despite earning, at least four times the average salary, that they are not paid enough, we should encourage them to moonlight, so that outside interests can fund their demands for extra income rather than us taxpayers.Such encouragement would have the added advantage of resolving the complaint that there are too many career politicians representing us, who have no real experience of the working world outside politics. Perhaps being an MP should be like being a member of the TA, you should have a full-time non-political job, where your employer lets you have limited paid time off to conduct your political duties.As for MPs with a heavy constituency workload, it would be cheaper to employ a professional social worker to do much of the work. This would probably mean even less need for the current high number of MPs that represent us in ParliamentInstead, we should follow Hong Kong’s Legislative Assembly and have representatives elected to sit in the House of Lords, representing their profession, pressure group or trade union. At least if a House of Lords representative appointed by the legal profession announced proposed government legislation to reform the legal system was unjust, it would be clearer to the public, that he was fighting to protect the outrageous income that lawyers in his profession currently earn.MOONLIGHTING Politicians

Labour's NEC:Time for change?

2006-08-05T05:20:00.001-07:00

LABOUR MEMBERS SHOW LITTLE INTEREST IN NEC POLL

Less than twenty percent of Labour Party members, even bothered to return their ballot papers for election of constituency representatives in this year’s Labour Party National Executive Council poll, on a slate dominated by soft literati left activists of the party.

The question that is now being asked is it time for the NEC to be abolished since a majority of members regard it as an irrelevant, time serving relic, which no longer represents the views of the majority of the membership, at this time.

Clearly, when four fifths of the party membership did not even trouble to participate in this poll, then this election is meaningless. These results demonstrate that those elected represent a small but organised unrepresentative group, able to punch above their weight, but not truly representative of the party as a whole.

'Make the A34 A motorway'

2006-08-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Local politicians are out in force posing for the headlines over demands for conversion of the A34 into a motorway. The trouble is this will not solve the problem of bad driving, traffic jams and lack of adequate investment in rail investment in the country’s rail freight network.

A better answer is to tackle this problem properly, we need to update and upgrades the railway links between Southampton - Oxford - Birmingham. Also convert the A34 into a toll road with variable toll rates. Improve the quality of public transport in the county in order to cut demand for private car use e.g. create a light rail network for Oxford and open up the old rail routes in Oxfordshire including the Oxford to Witney and Oxford to Milton Keynes routes.But the trouble is such useful pork barrel projects our county's politicians show too little interest in, since such useful projects that would really make life better for Oxfordshire residents. No they would rather spend the next ten weeks on holiday.

EU Accounts - Problems of Probity

2006-07-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Complaints in the media about the EU Accounts are hypocritical. The reasons why there is not greater probity on this issue or real political concern are as follows:
1. Any solution would have to increase the powers of the European Commission and Parliament to investigate and fine member states government’s public finances. I doubt our Chancellor would not permit an intrusion, nor would member states government be prepared to surrender such power to Brussels.
2. There is no European wide common standard of public finance accountancy; each state has its own traditions and standards. So it makes the job of the European Court of Auditors a very difficult one.
3. As the EU has grown the opportunities for human error and yes fraud have grown.
4. Member states implement over 90% of the EU budget on behalf of Brussels. Each with its own tradition of accountancy means it is not always fraud that is to blame for tracing funds.
5. Implementing EU policy is often very difficult, take the CAP, policy makers have to administer an agricultural policy that has to deal with widely different farming regimes from the giant agribusinesses of East Anglia to Artic rain deer herders and Spanish olive groves.
6. There is the problem of differing administrative cultures and languages, which can make it hard to achieve things.
7. The present system allows for politicians the flexibility to divert funds to pet public projects which a strict interpretation of the rules would not allow.
8. In public finance, accountancy traditions are not always the same as for business, if you read the background to the stories over the years, what you learn is much of the missing EU budget funds can not be accounted for to the criteria that the European Court of Auditors works to. Which can mean they know where much of it is, but do not have the quality of evidence required.
Just to put things in proportion the British Department of Work and Pensions has not had its books signed off for the last thirteen years. Also using a business comparison, an accountant signing off the books of a firm does not mean all is right with the firm, as investors found to their cost with ENRON.

If you really want this matter tackled then the following things have to be achieved:
1. The European Parliament has to have a powerful Parliamentary Accounts Committee that works with the European Court of Auditors with full powers to investigate and fine member governments.
2. A common European Standard of Public Finance Accountancy has to be introduced.
3. The European Commission has to take full control of implementing its £67.2 billion budget.
4. The systems for implementation of the budget have to be simplified.

I should think many a euro-sceptics and pro-european politicians would work together to prevent such reforms for improving the probity of EU accounts from ever being implemented.

More blogs about EU Accounts - Problems of Probity.

BRITDOC 2006

2006-07-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

BRITDOC 2006
27 July 2006
A revolution is taking place behind the ancient walls of an Oxford college. No it’s not some new answer to the question of life in the universe and everything; instead it is an attempt by the British government to bring the British film industry into the twenty first century.More blogs about href="http://technorati.com/blogs/britdoc" rel="tag directory">britdoc.
href="http://technorati.com/blogs/">

Science Fiction is better than Shakespeare

2006-07-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Science Fiction Better Than Shakespeare!

Science fiction has boldly gone further than even the story tellers of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome could have ever imagined. Yet, even so, whether it is beings with superior powers, strange monsters or gods doing dastardly deeds, the basic ninety nine ways of telling a story remain the same.

Even the film Star Ship Troopers, uses the plot lines that fans of Jane Austin would be familiar with. Take Mansfield Park, like Starship Troopers, both are critiques on the social values of the day and how the characters in both stories adjust and grow up in the changing circumstances. In both we are seeing how an outside threat is likely to end the privileged life of the characters, e.g. the coming of the industrial revolution and the end of earth itself. In both we have a strong female heroin, who grows from a timid girl to a fully confident woman, who saves the day.To read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Science Fiction.htm
Science Fiction is better than Shakespeare

SUBFUSC - LET IT ENDURE FOR EVER

2006-07-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

OPINION PIECE
LET IT ENDURE FOR EVER

What a pleasure it is to see a student elegantly dressed. It makes a change from the dirty torn t-shirt and stonewashed ragged jeans. Oxford was, this month, in danger of losing the tradition that students be dressed in a dark suit, black shoes, a white bow tie, and plain white shirt and collar, with a cap and gown, known as subfusc. Subfusc is an ancient form of attire, worn by students at every formal university occasion including Examinations and Encaenia.

In Oxford it has been a common sight to see students dressed in subfusc, dashing to exams on a bicycle, looking vaguely like penguins from a distance. It has always given me a chuckle and a sense of pride about living in Oxford.

Unfortunately, this proud tradition was under threat from Oxford University Student’s Union (OUSU).Its President, Emma Norris launched a campaign to make the wearing of subfusc voluntary at university formal occasions by students. But the campaigners made a mistake, which successful revolutionaries never make - they consulted the electorate.

The student body held a referendum on this issue via the internet; the second time they had used such a system, but only those with student usernames could take part. Of the 4,000 who were polled, over 80% voted in favour of keeping the status quo!

Consequently, to her surprise, Emma Norris had to announce that, by the students’ vote, that subfusc would continue to be compulsory. So we will still see the joyful site of students celebrating the end of exams dressed in subfusc, popping balloons and champagne. Esto perpetua.

ARE HIGH WATER BILLS GREEN?

2006-06-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

ARE HIGH WATER BILLS GREEN?
By Nicholas Newman
‘Southern England is suffering one of the driest summers on record, since 1933’, reports Ofwat the water regulator. So it has not been a good summer for the enthusiastic hose pipe user watering his plants or washing his car. Every week - news of another part of the country becomes subject to a drought order while complaints grow of water companies profiteering while failing their job to do their job properly of tackling these leaks.

Demands grow throughout the country that this profiteering must be stopped; utilities must bring to an end the practice of paying their Chief Executive (CEO) seemingly exorbitant salaries. The trouble is compared to other people working for major companies Thames Water (TW) CEO salary is moderate, only £800,000 per annum, little more than a premier league football player earns in four months. Yet the footballer does not have the problems of managing a £6bn investment project serving 13m customers. Then their accusations that with water bills increasing by 21% and profits up 6.1% last year that Thames is making excessive profits. But in terms of any similar sized business, its income levels and costs are reasonable if it is to be able to afford the massive £6bn in investment in its time expired supply network.

Demands that Thames should have moved ahead earlier ignores the time needed to launch such a large scale project. While criticisms about the scale of the scheme ignore that the country is experiencing a construction boom, the civil engineering sector is very tight at the moment, even with the import of expensive expertise from abroad.

If Thames critics were really serious in aiding Thames efforts to get the job done. Politicians like London Mayor Ken Livingstone would support Thames in its plans for a water desalination plant at Becton and locals living by the site of a proposed reservoir at Marsham would stop their protests which have managed to delay planning approval for a new reservoir new Marsham in Southern Oxfordshire. Both these projects if approved would go along way in preventing a repeat of hose pipe bans that are affect much of the Thames Valley. As for the Government, it is time the got their finger out and reformed the planning system, so as to cut the costly delays which under the present system mean it can take fifteen years for a scheme to come to fruition.

On our roads already the impact of road works is making life a nightmare at rush hour, if Thames did find the skilled men to carry out an increased rate of investment, we would be prepared to grin an bare it the added resultant delays – I sincerely doubt it. No if we are going to avoid the prospect of standpipes in the streets, I suggest you think like with energy how you can cut your water consumption and bills. If this means getting a water metre, stop using the dish washer, showering with a friend to save water. I suggest you follow Thames Water advice; it will not only save you money, but is green as well.

Energy

2006-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

The long-running skirmishes between the EU and the French government have again been making the news, with Brussels arguably coming out on top in the latest tussles.
The EU's uncompromising competition supremo Neelie Kroes may well have been heartened by comments from French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who has told Le Monde newspaper that there are serious doubts emerging about the viability of the contentious Suez-Gaz de France merger. Mr Sarkozy told the paper that vital deadlines for the merger-cum-privatization could be missed because both the president and prime minister 'are scared to move on a single issue'. The deal has been roundly criticized by other member states as a protectionist move orchestrated by Paris to create a French energy champion.
Then, to add insult to injury, the European Commission announced that it is to investigate issues of illegal subsidy and excessive payments in the country's savings market. Ms Kroes feels that the French state may have breached EU policy in its dealings with three mutual lenders that are allowed to offer the popular 'livret A' and 'livret bleu' savings accounts.
Taken together then, the EU could be seen as striking a welcome blow for open borders and free trade this week. However a more serious test of the state of Europe's free market ideals would come if Russian energy behemoth Gazprom mounts a bid for UK gas player Centrica - not such a remote possibility if remarks made by Gazprom's top brass at a conference this week are anything to go by.

Its time the Labour Party united behind Tony Blair

2006-05-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Tony Blair has reshuffled his cabinet after his Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections onThursday5 May. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary CharlesClarke lost their high profile jobs, while John Prescott, Blair'sdeputy who was embroiled in a sex scandal, has been stripped of hisministry. Environment minister Margaret Beckett is to replace Strawand John Reid is to move into the important interior ministryposition. Provisional election results show that Labour lost morethan 260 local council seats, finishing on 26 percent overall. Outfront are the opposition Conservatives on 40 percent.

Are the Left their own worse enemies?

2006-04-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Whatever the right and wrongs of the Iraq invasion (would a UN resolution really changed the opinions of the soppy anti Blairite left about the invasion?). Nevertheless – we are in the ‘here and now’ and we have to deal with the situation in Iraq as it is, and not as we wish it to be.

If you are still in favour of the insurgents/terrorists in Iraq as many of the soppy liberal left appear to be, they are acting against there own declared philosophy and the interests of the people of Iraq and appear to be arguing for an undemocratic theocratic dictatorship.

Why the Euston group offers a new direction for the left

2006-04-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Why the Euston group offers a new direction for the left A disparate set of left-wing thinkers meeting in a London pub has reopened an essential debate on the nature of democracy Will HuttonSunday April 23, 2006The Observer
To be on the left is to be both temperamentally inclined to dissent and to be passionate about your own utopia, which can never be achieved. Condemned to disappointment, you rage at the world, your party and your leader.
Relative peace comes when the right is in power and the left temporarily sinks its differences before the greater enemy. But to survive in office, the left leader must keep utopian factionalism at bay and that means making your followers understand hard realities and tough trade-offs and selling them the ones you make yourself.
Until Iraq, Blair had been pretty effective in squaring away his various critics, but the war has overwhelmed him. Almost every strand of left utopianism has been offended, from human-rights activists to anti-American imperialists, internationalists to straightforward peaceniks. And with Iraq now on the edge of civil war, their every fear and warning has been amply validated. With no strand in the left ready to utter a word in his support, the Prime Minister has had zero leverage to fight back. Down and down he has gone in the eyes of his left-wing critics.
Which is why a small meeting of disillusioned leftist journalists, university lecturers and passionate bloggers in a London pub last year is proving a potentially important political event. Two or three internet bloggers have been arguing strongly for some months that whether it was for or against the Iraq invasion, Western liberal opinion must now stand united behind the attempt to create and entrench the panoply of democratic and human rights in Iraq and be against the religious fundamentalism propelling it down.
Western liberalism has been making a fundamental mistake in claiming that, because they spring from a war so many of us opposed, the anti-Enlightenment jihadists and insurgents are somehow Bush and Blair's responsibility. The right course now is to construct an Iraqi democracy which means backing the hated Blair and Bush.
In short, a strand on the left passionate about democracy is coming to Blair's rescue. What started as a debate among those bloggers has now flourished into a fully fledged - and very long - manifesto, signed by more than 600 people, which covers everything from the Iraq war through anti-Americanism to globalisation and equality. For the full argument, read the Euston Manifesto on www.eustonmanifesto.org.

Has the media got it wrong over the NHS?

2006-04-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

In the hunt for the NHS misspent millions the media blames the management or the politicians. Yet, these professional cynics are getting things wrong again in attributing blame. In fact even their solutions of giving power back to the nurses and doctors would make things worse for the NHS. It is simply ridiculous to suggest that the medical staff have the management skills needed to run an organisation which has an £87bn budget, has an economy equivalent to Austria, is the 33rst biggest economy in the world, and which employs over 1.3m people (as large as China’s armed forces).

To Russia with Condescention

2006-03-31T03:56:00.000-08:00

News stories about Russia are treated by our media in a condescending and ill-informed manner.

Instead of the facts, we get the same old themes about the Kremlin acting dictatorially. We never get the detailed background behind the Kremlin’s actions. Take new Russian laws to regulate NGO’s. What is never reported is how the Russian mafia is using them to launder money or bribe politicians, yet, we in Europe, have similar regulations, to prevent such criminal activities.

The Russian - Ukrainian gas dispute, our media portrayed Russia as the big bad wolf threatening its former region. The truth seems to be that the old contract was providing cheaper fuel to Ukrainian industry than to Russian industry, and so Gazprom had to take action.

In a recent television programme, it was clear that the presenter/chairman did not comprehend the complex issues involved and pursued the media bias against the Russian government.

The British media must try to stop being condescending and try to present the underlying facts behind the story.

PR Inaction?

2006-03-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

PR Inaction?

What a way to run an election. Low turnout and Israel condemned to having another weak coalition government. The voters’ verdict under PR means that only by a coalition of parties can a government be formed. Very small extremist parties will again be able to determine the agenda of mainstream politics.

As for the future, Hamas must be disappointed, dealing with a weak Israeli leadership, unable to take the tough decisions so essential for negotiations. In addition, Israeli business is disappointed that the coalition will not be strong enough to implement essential economic reform. Washington meanwhile, must be in despair, whilst still acting as paymaster.

PR has many good points, but in cases like Israel, it can clearly be disastrous.

OxfordBlog: Party Political Funding

2006-03-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

OxfordBlog: Party Political Funding

Party Political Funding

2006-03-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

Party Political Funding

The Westminster media village is all hot and bothered about the alleged payment for peerages. The solution is glaringly obvious – state party political funding!

This way, no political parties will have to depend on donations, dubious loans or alleged bribery for their election activities. Democracy costs money! From my campaign experience, it is obvious that voters are desperate for well-informed knowledge and plentiful information, on which to base their choice. They want to hear more, not less, arguments and debate. Dependence on old-fashioned leafleting (otherwise known as junk mail?) is ridiculous and the use of advertising, particularly the internet, is essential, so that the voter can make an informed and democratic choice. This involves, more, not less, money. Clearly, the present system is not up to it. Yes, state funding is inevitable.

French Strikes

2006-03-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

On the bus to Oxford recently, I met Tom a staunch conservative of the old school. The conversation soon turned to the violent student demonstrations in Paris.

I was surprised when he argued that the French government should give in to the demonstrator’s demands. Tom thought it iniquitous of the French PM Devillepin to introduce new labour laws that that would discriminate against young workers. I pointed out that France was at a tipping point, if Devillepin surrendered on his Thatcherite reforms, France would soon turn into the sick man of Europe. I began to suspect that Tom was more concerned about the potential disruption to his planned Spring break at his Dordogne estate?

french strikes

European Common Energy Policy

2006-03-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

European green paper in energy march 2006

BRUSSELS

March 8 should be celebrated as Europe’s energy independence day, when Commission President launched the EU’s Green Paper on providing the community with a Common Energy Policy. However, Europe’s energy dinosaurs greeted the prospect of the EU finally taking action to tackle the continent’s energy problems with fear and trepidation. Immediately calls for defence of national interests have been made to protect national energy companies from the threat of liberalisation of Europe’s energy markets was demanded. Energy lobbyists in both France and Spain struck up the banner of patriotism, the need to protect jobs and the local equivalent of the American dream. Little did they care for the damage such action would have on Europe’s business competitiveness, nor for the people that they were going to make unemployed or even the nightmare for pensioners living in fear of the next energy bill. Instead, their promotion of national champions will result as Commission President Barrosso says in the creation second division champions, when Europe needs Premier class champions to fight its corner in the world energy markets. To Read More http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Europe%20Watch.htm

Making Poverty History?

2006-02-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

Making Poverty History?
By Nicholas Newman
Hi! Don’t you agree that just forgiving third world debt is not the solution to tackling the poverty suffered by the poor in the third world, which the rich and famous like Dawn French and Bono would have us believe?
All it will do is reward the money grabbing elites that misrule those countries. Angola and Nigeria are major oil and gas producers, but they remain large debtors. In Angola, Global Witness reports that a quarter of oil revenue is unaccounted for each year, and one in four children dies in infancy. The poor in those countries remain poor despite the oil wealth. Debt, by itself, is not the principal cause of poverty in many economically failing states, but bad governance, incompetence and corruption. “Ordinary citizens in oil producing states of Angola, Equatorial Guinea or Kazakhstan have no information on what is happening to that money" Gavin Hayman of Global Witness told the BBC's Today programme. "The international community spends $200m each year trying to feed one million people in Angola who are critically dependent on international food aid," said Mr Hayman.
"Now given that $1.5bn is going missing from the treasury, there is a lot more they could be doing for their citizens."
All debt forgiveness or rescheduling does is to delay the day when such countries will need to make the painful process to reform their economic, governmental and political systems. The 1996 World Bank Report argues “Aid may have unintentionally encouraged misrule that led to collapse and civil conflict”. Almost all civil governance and public development in Africa is paid for by foreign aid, enabling African despots to wage wars on their neighbours.
Ethiopia is a good example of a failed state, a country fashionably popular with our rich and famous. In 2004 AFP reports, this much troubled land bought a new fleet of Sukhoi SU-27 fighter planes and military helicopters, costing millions of dollars, while two million citizens remain dependent on humanitarian food aid. Marti Ahtisaari, the UN special envoy for the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa, blames current Ethiopian government policies in two key areas environmental and population polices as the cause of the country’s cycle of catastrophes.
Did you know debt forgiveness or rescheduling increases the cost of future borrowing - as such a process worsens the credit rating of such a state. Indonesia has rescheduled three times and the cost of borrowing has gone up each time. That explains why many third world states including Laos and Vietnam are against such proposals reports the World Bank
.Debt forgiveness or rescheduling is unfair on those countries that have made the effort to pay off their debts like India and Russia; in fact Russia will become a net creditor in a few years time, notes the OECD. Incidentally, there is a strong correlation between states that meet their repayments and later long term strong financial performance.
According to the OECD, did you know that almost every African country has witnessed a systematic regression of economic capacity over the last 30 years? The majority had better economic capacity at independence than they now possess. This poor economic performance is due to many reasons including absence of incentives for the private sector, government control of the economy, and discouraging investment laws., and, of course, corruption.
Having a simple regime change is not the solution; all you will do is replace one corrupt, incompetent, money grubbing elite with another. What is needed is a cultural change through economic, political and governmental reform, which will encourage the majority to work hard to transform their country into a modern prosperous state.
The oft sited mantra ‘that the only solution is to let such countries solve their problems themselves’ is now wearing thin according to often exasperated experts in the aid industry.
It looks like countries like Kenya need outside pressure to force significant change. When President Mwai Kibaki was elected three years ago, he promised Western aid donors and end to corruption by appointing the Kenya's National Anti-Corruption Campaign. Instead, his government has continued the two traditions of African governments, continued as before while paying lip service to Aid donors. This body was kept chronically under funded and blocked at every turn and its steering committee has resigned in disgust reports the Kenya’s Standard earlier this month. This together with the allegations of the Kenyan government ministers involved in a series of dodgy procurement deals worth millions of dollars reports the Kenya’s Sunday Standard.
Whilst Kenya’s Standard complains that ‘The government’s credibility in the fight against corruption has been in freefall in recent weeks, following a barbed attack by British High Commissioner Sir Edward Clay. Mr. Clay’s statement was followed shortly thereafter by the withdrawal of funding for the government’s anti-graft effort by the United States government and, on Friday, (18 February, 2005) by the German government’. It looks like the West is learning, letting Africa solve its own problems does not work - a more hands on, project by project, approach is certainly needed.
Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush are right to encourage democracy as part of the solution to turning round such basket cases. Simply throwing more aid to prop up corrupt incompetent regimes who neglect their countries duties to develop their countries for the benefit of the majority of its citizens is not the answer.
Since many of these poor states are victims of their corrupt governments, one possible solution would be for the EU adopt Robert Wheelan Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) proposal. This proposes that the West should privatise the governance of such countries to EU approved multinationals to run such states under a profit sharing deal for a 21 year period, with the aim to rebuild, regenerate and develop these countries economies for the benefit of the majority of these countries citizens.
Somehow I don’t see Dawn French or her Vicar of Dibley persona starting a campaign to support Wheelan’s proposal?

"THE EXTREMISTS WILL NEVER WIN" said Dr. Evan Harris Oxford West MP

2006-02-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

Today (25 February), Oxford came out in support of the building of a new animal testing laboratory, Police estimate some 800 people marched through the streets of this historic university city, whilst members of the public broke out into spontaneous applause in support of the marchers as they past by, on this very cold February day. Amongst the speakers at this march were local MP Dr. Evan Harris and leading Oxford Neurosurgeon Professor Tipu Aziz.. For further information

OxfordBlog: Testing Out DAB Radios

2006-02-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

OxfordBlog: Testing Out DAB Radios

Testing Out DAB Radios

2006-02-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

Testing out the DAB radios what finally sold me an insatiable news junkie, was the pleasure of listening to digitally clear sound. The radio that most impressed me was the Roberts RD-14 Sports handheld digital radio. Not only is the price right at £100, it looks good and is user friendly, designed for ham fisted people like me. The graphics on the LCD display make it easy to read the scrolling text and it has an auto shut off function to save on battery life as well as an ac adapter when you don’t want to use the batteries. Like with previous radios I have purchased from Roberts the sound quality is crystal clear, good value and reliable. This will bring much pleasure to the daily grind of commuting. Though as a journalist that often works abroad, I am disappointed it cannot receive foreign digital radio stations; perhaps Roberts will include this in a later version. Buy Your DAB Radios Here

Is Cameron's honeymoon over?

2006-02-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

Mr Cameron’s stardust is wearing off, according to two polls in today’s papers. A Mori poll in The Sun had 38 per cent of people saying that they would vote Labour if there was an election tomorrow, compared with 35 per cent for the Conservatives. This represents a 5 per cent drop for the Tories since last month. A YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph put the Conservatives two points ahead of Labour, at 38 per cent to 36 per cent; 63 per cent of people agreed that the Tory leader “talks a good line but it is hard to know whether there is any substance behind the words”.
oxfordblog

Why is immigration being used by France's elite , as an excuse for its failure to reform?

2006-02-24T01:59:00.000-08:00

Ah, immigration has become the bugbear of politicians all over Europe. For us in France, both the left and the right are using it as a cause for all our social ills. It is perhaps not surprising that we founding nations of the European dream have opted out of letting the mass unemployed from the east fill the jobs we do not want to do. We in France have a state that has failed its citizens, we have estates full of unemployed, and we need Tony Blair to replace our present crop of failed leaders. Instead, our political elite blame their failures to modernise France on the immigrants.

The Battle of Brussels

2006-02-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

THE BATTLE OF BRUSSELS

What strikes me when I visit Brussels is the sheer diversity of views on any given topic under discussion. It just goes to show how our British eurosceptic media paints a rather one-sided picture of issues in Brussels. Recently, I was in discussion with journalists from all over Europe at a conference held in Brussels, discussing the big issues that affect us all. What amazed me was the sheer variety of opinions on such topics as immigration, farming and even enlargement.

Is the Monarchy Really Necessary?

2005-12-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Is the Monarchy Really Necessary?
By Nicholas Newman December 2005
In these times of meritocracy, it is surprising that there are still western parliamentary democracies that still hold on to the concept of monarchy. After all, you would not choose your dentist on the hereditary principle – yet many parliamentary democracies continue to cling on to this – perhaps anachronistic tradition.

Critics of monarchy see the principle of monarchy as an expensive, unrepresentative and unnecessary office of state. In fact they argue that precedent demonstrates that the Monarch’s rights to be consulted encourage and warn her ministers, demonstrate that the office is a toothless tiger. In fact they argue that the Queen has no real power as demonstrated during the 1980’s under Thatcher. It is reported that the Queen was ignored by Thatcher over the issues of over South African sanctions [1]and the US invasion of Grenada[2] in the 1980’s.

As for the Monarch safeguarding the country’s democratic traditions, modernizers[3] suggest the monarch could do little to prevent a political extreme government from passing laws to ban the opposition, abolish elections and impose religious laws on the country. In fact all the Queen could do is perhaps delay matters.

Republicans argue that the Monarchy is a redundant office of state, it can no longer claim to be the upholder of traditions or even claim the fiction of the allegiance of the military. At the time of the Falklands War Victory Parade[4], precedent suggests the Queen takes the salute as head of state and the armed forces. Yet it was the PM Thatcher who took the salute, demonstrating again the political reality that the Monarch is Britain’s virtual leader, but the PM is the actual leader of the nation.

Supporters of the current system would argue that the office of monarchy is still a necessary function in a western parliamentary democracy; in that the Monarch may not have much actual power, but it is argued has varying degrees of influence on the branches of government.

In terms of actual power the monarch has little and what there is, is governed predominately by precedent. [5]Such as the right to be consulted and agree to a dissolution of parliament in preparation for an election, as was the case of the Major government that hat had lost an important vote on 22 July 1993 and sought approval from the Sovereign for dissolution – if it lost a vote of confidence the next day.

Monarchist claim that the Monarch acts a guardian of democracy. This it does in two main ways, in denying legitimacy to potential coup makers, as was the case of the 1981 coup in Spain when King Juan Carlos[6] denied support to insurgents, and that any other alternative as Australians conclude during their 1999 Monarchy referendum in denying the wealthy elite represented by the politicians of further powers.[7]

Apart from that past prime ministers claim that Britain’s Queen provides a useful reminder that the Prime Minister is not only responsible to just a political party, but also to the nation as whole and have claimed the Queen has proved a considerable help in their job, providing a useful experience and private audience.

So as to the question is the Monarchy really necessary, the debate is still open, having a constitutional monarchy is not the only way to preserve a western parliamentary democracy. The question that will need to be answered is finding an alternative constitutional solution that will meet the political needs of an increasingly federal style of government that Britain is becoming. But since there is no strong desire at present to abolish the Monarchy, the system is likely to continue to evolve, with perhaps as in the case of Japan, the Monarch’s only daughter becoming the heir apparent

Why Andrew Smith MP won't win votes by being a rebel

2005-09-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Why your MP won't win votes by being a Rebel

A Review of 'The Rebels' by Philip Cowley, Politico’s, £8.99.

What do you really want from your MP?

Would you prefer him or her to be independent-minded or a party poodle?
Do you want him or her to be involved with the big national issues of the day or to do something about the rubbish bags at the bottom of your street?

I’ll bet you opted for the first of the two options. If so, you have a funny way of expressing your wishes. The Rebels is a fascinating book by the political academic Philip Cowley, to be published soon, explodes some myths about independent MPs. Conventional wisdom has it that the era of the brave politician who voted with his conscience has been supplanted by the career politician who does what he is told.

As usual, conventional wisdom couldn’t be more wrong. There has been a dramatic revival in backbench independence, not a decline. Parliament has become more of a constraint on Government, not less.

In the 1950s, there were two years in which not a single Conservative MP defied the party whip. In other words, in every single vote, there was complete unanimity among the Government’s backbenchers. But perhaps Blair could afford to let MPs rebel because of the size of his massive majority ever, which allowed MPs in the 2001-05 Parliament to be the most rebellious since the Second World War. And the Iraq revolts were the largest mutinies of any governing party on any policy for more than 150 years.

You might think that voters would reward MPs who showed a spirited defiance against unpopular government measures. Indeed, many Labour MPs justified their defiance on these grounds. As one whip put it to Cowley: “Geraldine Smith believes the people of Morecambe will vote for her. They won’t vote for Tony Blair; they don’t trust or like Tony Blair. But they trust and like her. She thinks that by being seen as an independent spirit, she’ll save herself.”
Smith did keep her seat, but still suffered a swing against her.

In aggregate, Cowley found that Labour rebels did no better at the polls in the last election than their compliant colleagues. And the definitive Nuffield election study by John Curtice found that rebellions on Iraq, foundation hospitals and the prevention of terrorism made not the slightest difference to their vote. Only a mutiny on top-up fees helped a Labour candidate, and then by just three quarters of a percentage point.

What does seem to garner votes, by contrast, is an assiduous focus on local issues. Liberal Democrats have known this for years, and the party’s brand of “pavement politics”, which used to be derided by the two main parties, has now been taken up by Labour and, even more, the Tories.

Conservative Central Office, at the beginning of the last Parliament, made sure that target seats selected candidates early and got them working on the gripes that mattered most to local voters. Thus Justine Greening, the winner in Putney, started a campaign against night flights and wrote to 2,500 residents about what she was doing. It paid off.

Greg Hands, who gained Hammersmith and Fulham, fought the seat as if he were standing for the local council rather than Westminster. His leaflets said nothing about the economy or foreign policy. But he did promise an extra two carriages on the Edgware Road branch of the District Line and to deal with the rubbish blackspots around North End Road.

One Lib Dem MP admitted to me recently: “I always rush to any local meeting opposing a new phone mast even though I know that the people there have probably just bought the new 3G phones that make the mast necessary.”

So, if MPs have sold out, it’s not because they are prepared to support a national policy which they deplore; it’s because they will back any local grievance that might win them an extra vote.
Is that really all you want from them?

The Rebels by Philip Cowley, Politico’s, £8.99

Do you agree with this conclusion? And is Andrew Smith MP following this strategy?

German Election Comment

2005-09-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

The East-West Ballot Divide

Fifteen years after German reunification, voters in the former east still poll differently to the those in the west. But their collective power at the ballot box was not enough to secure a majority.

Across much of the eastern part of Germany, Gerhard Schröder and his Social Democrats did better than any other party. And that, even in light of the raging levels of unemployment which is twice as high as in the west, and the widespread disdain for the SPD's reform package.

In the area between the Baltic coast and the state of Thuringia, Schröder's party emerged with almost 30 percent of the vote, compared to the meager 34.3 percent it achieved at a federal level -- the party's worst result in the past five decades of election history.

The Christian Democrats and the Left party equalized in the east with 25.9 percent of the vote each, in a result which was widely expected.

Left party hit in eastern Germany

The Left party, formerly the PDS, itself the successor party to the Communist SED, draws the majority of its support from the former east. Under the leadership of Gregor Gysi, who campaigned on a platform of greater opposition to social reform, the Left party garnered a total of 8.7 percent of the federal vote.

"It’s the best result ever," said Stefan Liebich, head of the Left party in Berlin. And in the capital that was certainly true. The Left party scored 29.5 percent in the former eastern part of the city, compared to just 7.2 in the west.

The Greens, who now have fewer seats in the Bundestag than the Left party, were clearly more popular with voters in the western part of the country, where they won 9 percent of the vote, double their 4.4 percent achievement in the east. In Berlin the east-west divide was 10.9 and 15.7 percent respectively.

Western electorate votes conservative

The results for the Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Socialist Union (CDU/CSU) in Berlin were a very different story. The union, which doesn't enjoy a massive following in the former east, picked up 27.9 percent of the ballot in the western part of the city, but just 13.6 percent in the east.

And at a federal level, voters in the East seemed to prefer the current poor record of the SPD to a largely uncertain future with potentially more social reform at the hands of the conservatives.

But that was not the only swaying consideration. During the heated election campaign, CSU leader, Edmund Stoiber made comments which damaged the party's chances of convincing an already skeptical eastern electorate.

Stoiber's critical contribution

In an address to a group of supporters and reporters some weeks ago, the state premier for Bavaria said, "I do not accept that the east will again decide who will be Germany's chancellor. It cannot be allowed that the frustrated determine Germany's fate."

The comment was met with anger from voters in the eastern camp and it was left up to Angela Merkel, herself from the former east, to clean up the mess. But Stoiber didn't stop there. At a rally a short while later, he reiterated his views. "The strong must sometimes carry the weak a bit. That's the way it is... I do not want the election to be decided in the east yet again," he said.

Although the party moved quickly to paste over Stoiber's critical remarks, and initial polls in their aftermath suggested the damage might not have been too monumental, with the results of Sunday's ballot now on the table, it's clear that his comments did nothing to improve the chances of a clear win for the conservatives.

The BBC Coverage of Katrina

2005-09-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Tony Blair is right about the BBC. The corporation's coverage of Hurricane Katrina has indeed been tinged by an unnecessary sense of gloating, as the Prime Minister told Rupert Murdoch.

It is not that BBC correspondents have been inaccurate - although they tended to quote the figure of 10,000 dead, almost certainly an exaggeration, with relish. But, in their reports, one heard a whining undertone, like a bagpipe's drone. How could this have happened in such a rich country? Do the Americans really believe they can sort out Iraq with this in their own backyard? Will they finally learn some humility?

Even if these were legitimate sentiments, the aftermath of a tragedy would be no time to express them. Just imagine, by way of illustration, if, following the tsunami, the BBC had focused on the civil wars of Sri Lanka and Aceh, arguing that victims were, in a sense, reaping what they had sown, since those conflicts had destroyed the infrastructure that relief workers needed. Doing so would have been poor news judgment as well as poor taste. Yet the BBC dwelt endlessly on the deployment of a few hundred Louisiana guardsmen in the Gulf of Mexico.
Especially striking has been the determination of BBC correspondent Matt Frei to hang the blame around George Bush's neck. The officials who had the most direct responsibility for local services - notably the clownish mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin - were reported mainly as articulators of anger against the President, with almost no analysis of their own role.

Well said, then, Prime Minister. But why unload your frustration on Mr Murdoch? It is, after all, up to you to decide whether to renew the BBC's charter. If you really wanted to do something about its ingrained partiality, you could tell them first. Moaning behind the BBC's back to a rival news organisation is both pointless and unmanly.

Fuel Lobby’s protests - do they protest perhaps too much?

2005-09-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

There is something about the Fuel Lobby’s planned protests that makes it hard to extend our full sympathy. For one thing, the tactics employed by the fuel protesters are borrowed from the bolshie trade unionists of the 1970s, and will bring great inconvenience to the public and to business. For another, it is by no means clear why farmers and hauliers should feel especially aggrieved by Gordon Brown’s fuel tax regime. Most of the fuel used by farmers is red diesel, a concoction specially devised for them which is taxed at just six pence per litre.

Hauliers do not enjoy a similar concession, but such is the damage wreaked on the roads and the nearby buildings by 44-ton lorries that it is doubtful whether their taxes cover the full cost to the public purse of their activities.

Moreover, there is something to be said for fuel taxes as an efficient way of raising revenue.

Its time for the Unions to modernise or die

2005-09-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

Do you agree with the Prime Minister and Chancellor that it is time for the unions to grow up and live in the real world. Both have made it clear that there was no future in a revival of union militancy. To read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Oxford%20Editorial.htm
I would like to hear your views on this and other subjects.
Regards
Nicholas Newman

Re- launch of Oxford Fabian Society

2005-09-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Re- launch of Oxford Fabian Society

To all members of the Fabian Society in Oxford and Oxfordshire:

Meetings of the Fabian Society have been in abeyance for some years and our opportunity to discuss matters of wider political and social issues led by invited speakers, has not been possible, particularly in the absence of the University Fabian Society.
In discussions with the Dartmouth Street Headquarters of the Fabian Society, it was suggested that I explore the possibility of re-launching the Oxford and Oxfordshire Fabian Society. Accordingly the purpose of this message is to ascertain the degree of interest amongst Fabian Society (and possibly other interested) members in such a re-launch.
The points for consideration and views (based on past experience in the Oxford Fabian Society include:
a) Meetings to be held three times each year – in term time perhaps?

b) To invite a distinguished speaker to be met by only 5/6 members (as happened in the past) is both futile and insulting. One proposal would be to circulate members 1 to 2 months in advance and arrange any meeting based only on a firm commitment of attendance by at least 20 (?) members.

c) Venues – Oxford, Headington, Thame to incorporate the requirements of both the City and County members of the Fabian Society?

d) Some sort of small subscription might be necessary, preferably not involving a tedious bureaucratic collection system.

e) Communication with members would be by email and news would be posted on a dedicated page of Oxfordprospect.co.uk at http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Fabian%20Society.htm I have also provided a Blog site at http://oxfordprospect.blogspot.com/ to enable members to discuss the issues that matter to them.

I would be grateful if you would let me know (by email) your views on this proposal and its attendant details to ascertain whether I should proceed further.

Yours fraternally

Nicholas A. Newman

Chair Greater Headington Labour Party

Editor: Oxfordprospect.co.uk & Headington Forum

Email: editor@oxfordprospect.co.uk

Opinionated journalists are short-changing electorate

2005-09-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Nick Robinson, the BBC's new political editor, said last week that politicians and political broadcasters had become a squabbling couple, and it was time they put their rows behind them.

At the risk of upsetting the neighbours, I think this weekend's revelations about John Humphrys's speaking engagements show there is still plenty to squabble about. It's best not to let it fester. Nick and I debated some of the issues at the Edinburgh TV festival last week in front of an audience of TV journalists and executives. My argument was that much of the reporting of politics helped foment cynicism, apathy and disengagement. It was categorically not my case that politicians are blameless; but the current way in which politics is portrayed on many TV and radio news programmes greatly increases the tendency for voters to turn away from political debate.

Too much political broadcasting on radio and television sees its role not as a mission to explain but as a mission to destroy. In the speech revealed this weekend, Humphrys says the BBC's role is 'to take on' the government. 'That ultimately is what the BBC is for,' he says. The result of this conception of journalists' role is a pernicious culture in which news programmes seek to pit themselves against politicians, rather than to elicit information about policies.

The constant aggression towards every political announcement breeds cynicism about what politics can achieve, and about democracy itself. An effect of this misguided approach is that political broadcasters increasingly take on the role of pontificating and editorialising, instead of doing the mundane but more important job of simply reporting the views and actions of those seeking election. Jon Snow recently said: 'At this election it was completely permissible for political editors, Andrew Marr, Nick Robinson and Adam Boulton, to stop covering the campaign and opine in a way we've never seen before.'

An example of this was Robinson's challenge to the Prime Minister at the launch of Labour's campaign poster which said the Conservatives were planning £35 billion of spending cuts compared to Labour's plans. Robinson shouted at the Prime Minister: 'Can you only win by distorting your opponents' policies?' He went on: 'You know they don't say that ... Less is not a cut. You can't cut money that hasn't been spent.'

Many people shared Robinson's view of the Labour poster. The Tories did. Others thought the poster an accurate description of the Tories' plans. The point is that it is at least arguable whether the poster was right or wrong. The question is whether it is the journalist's role to come to a decision on such a controversy on behalf of viewers and to state as fact that Labour's poster is wrong and a distortion. I think not. We can't vote out the journalist if we don't agree with his views, so it is an abuse to use his position as a reporter to promote them.

Robinson's predecessor, Andrew Marr, said last week that it was now time to take a stand against the opinions-first-facts-later culture that had grown up, and return to straight reporting. But he defended the way that political editors now pontificate in airtime previously given to politicians to communicate. 'I'm only there, and my colleagues are only there, because the politicians can't do it properly for themselves,' he said. That's what military juntas in South America used to say, just after they had stormed the parliament. This macho, self-important journalistic style leads to inaccuracies and distortions, which misinform the public about politics. Where mistakes are made, the cavalier, untouchable attitude of the BBC remains firmly in place.

The new complaints procedure is toothless and slow. Nine months ago Michael Howard quite rightly complained about an abusive Newsnight hatchet job on him. It took until last week for the supposedly independent BBC complaints unit to decide that Newsnight was largely blameless. As Robinson pointed out last week, it is easy to dismiss my criticisms as the shrieks of a former spin doctor, scarred by the daily sparring between broadcasters and political parties. But it is not just spin doctors and politicians who think that citizens are being short-changed by much political coverage.

John Cole, the great former BBC political editor, has lamented the passing of straight reporting of politics, 'What worries me,' he said, is that 'we may have spoiled the public appetite for serious politics delivered comparatively straight. Have we created a public reluctance to make the effort needed for a worthwhile understanding of politics?'

The revelation that one of the BBC's main interviewers charges big bucks to deliver speeches in which he states his belief that all ministers are liars confirms the BBC has a great deal to do to reverse the trend Cole identified.

STOP BEING TOLERANT OF INTOLERANCE!

2005-08-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

It is difficult not to agree with Mathew Parris when he argued recently in finding women wearing the veil, denying girls education and other tribal practices as female circumcision, forced and arranged marriages from abroad as offensive to western women. Such behaviour flouts western social conventions and should not be seen in the west.
To read more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Multiculturalism.htm

How did one magazine provide the leading players in some of the biggest news stories of the past eight months? A glimpse behind the scenes gives some

2005-02-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

How did one magazine provide the leading players in some of the biggest news stories of the past eight months? A glimpse behind the scenes gives some clues.
In January 2004, at the BBC's suggestion, we first approached the Spectator to talk about the possibility of making a documentary about the magazine - as the tousled Mr Johnson would have it, "the mouse that roars".
Despite its relatively small circulation the magazine wields enormous influence, as the ideological clearing house and social meeting place of the Conservative elite.
A series of increasingly bizarre meetings took place with Boris - distracted at the office, with him on the phone to a battered Andrew Gilligan, post Hutton; famished at the House of Commons tea room, worrying about the plight of the opposition; and then finally round at his agent, where she enumerated the enormous number of Boris' commitments - the novel, the editorship, the front bench job that would make this a risky undertaking.
Spinfest
Each time Boris would indicate that he wanted to do the programme - but somehow the agreement never got signed...
And then we watched aghast as a series of high-profile news stories over the next six months ended up with the sacking of a Conservative Front bench spokesman and the resignation of a home secretary.
We saw the ousting of one of Britain's most powerful press barons, the break-up of a marriage chronicled in less than loving detail, and an unprecedented spinfest as powerful camps at the heart of Britain's power elite slugged it out after an affair turned sour.
Bafflingly, the common link between all these stories was the very same tiny right-wing magazine in Bloomsbury - The Spectator.
By looking at the history of the magazine, and constitution of the British establishment, we sought to answer the very same questions that first prompted our interest - why and how do the words and deeds of those involved in the magazine have such an impact?
It just seemed like a very small revenge Rachel Royce Rod Liddle's estranged wife
In July an affair between columnist Rod Liddle and receptionist Alicia Munckton was the catalyst for nine articles in the Daily Mail, written by Rod Liddle's estranged wife, Rachel Royce. She detailed her increasingly elaborate ruses for trying to catch her husband out. No holds were barred.
"In the scheme of how hurt I was about what he'd done to me - leaving our honeymoon early to spend a week with his mistress, lying to me for months and months about the affair - it just seemed like a very small revenge," she says.
'Hooked on grief'
The tabloids looked at the magazine with renewed interest. Soon it would be dubbed "The Sextator". In a case of what he himself reportedly called "The Socialist meets The Socialite," the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, was revealed to be having an affair with the publisher - or business manager - of The Spectator, Kimberly Fortier (as she then was).
After this story had - seemingly - died down, The Spectator was in the news again. But not for a love affair. A leading article in the magazine accused Liverpool of "mawkish sentimentality," of being "hooked on grief".
By this time Boris Johnson was a member of the Opposition front bench - the first time in its history, and possibly the last, that its editor combined these two roles. He'd become MP for Henley in 2001. But the circumstances were controversial. He seems to have promised his boss Conrad Black, the Spectator's proprietor from 1988 to 2004, that he wouldn't stand.
Mr Black says: "Confronted with this, Boris, in his manner which I don't doubt has served him well from when he was a very little boy, confessed quite openly that indeed he had misled us but he had done so out of perhaps an excess of patriotic zeal and desire to serve the nation, and, you know, 'they don't build statues to journalists, do they?' and this kind of thing."
It was a ludicrous day, it was like something out of the Keystone Kops. Perfect Boris Johnson. Terrible politics Quentin Letts Daily Mail
Now, after The Spectator's article on Liverpool, Tory leader Michael Howard sent Boris to apologise.
"We charged around Liverpool looking for him, because this was meant to be his great public mea culpa," says Daily Mail columnist Quentin Letts.
"And he didn't want the press anywhere near him. It was a ludicrous day, it was like something out of the Keystone Kops. Perfect Boris Johnson. Terrible politics."
Sacked
Boris himself offers a novel take on placating an entire city:
"That's the funny thing, about being at the eye (of the storm), like anyone at the eye, you don't notice it," he says.
"I was just making a few points, trying to get my point of view across, trying to apologise for those things that I felt I should apologise for, trying to explain exactly what the intention of the article was...and it felt completely painless."
The next month, Boris Johnson was sacked from the front bench, after misleading Michael Howard about yet another Spectator story - the news that he had had an affair with Petronella Wyatt, a long-standing colleague on the magazine. He'd previously denounced the story as "an inverted pyramid of piffle".
"Boris is a wonderful phraseologist, he can coin them just like that," says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee. "'An inverted pyramid of piffle' is pure Boris. And pure suicide."
By now Conrad Black had been ousted from the company that owned The Spectator, accused by disgruntled shareholders of "aggressive looting" of the company.
The Spectator weighed in itself, as Conrad Black was being ousted as chairman. In an otherwise ambivalent article, he was accused of "stolidity, clumsiness and provincialism," and "unabashed vulgarity".
Taking sides
His response: "Boris has his charms, but Boris is not Mr Loyalty."
Conrad Black's difficulties were then pushed off the front pages by the return of the Blunkett-Fortier saga.
After an astonishing battle in the public prints, David Blunkett resigned. The Spectator had weighed in on Fortier's side, printing four articles in her cause.
We have people working for us who know Kimberly, we have people working for us who know Blunkett Dominic Lawson Sunday Telegraph editor
As Boris points out: "We wanted to support our publisher. I mean that's a natural thing to any publication to want to do. You know, Kimberly works in this office. Of course you're going to feel committed to her point of view."
In this press blitzkrieg former Spectator editor Dominic Lawson - now editor of the Sunday Telegraph - was to play a crucial role, publishing stories unearthed from both camps.
"We have people working for us who know Kimberly, we have people working for us who know Blunkett," he says. "
"What's not often reported is that the day that we reported on the help that he'd given for the nanny's visa, we also revealed that he was in fact William's father, that a DNA test had been carried out and that both of them knew it. Now you can be absolutely certain that Kimberly would have been furious that we revealed this, because of course she was very anxious that this not be the case and certainly not be known to be the case.
"So we have one story on the front page which is very much as it were in Blunkett's interest, we have one story that's very much in Kimberly's interest, and people are only asking me, 'Oh, did you not question why you got this story that helped Kimberly?' Why do people not ask me, 'How did you get the story that helped Blunkett?'"
The Spectator's legendary capacity for mischief-making remains undimmed.
The final irony, after an extraordinary six months, is the magazine's circulation has never been higher...
The Spectator Affair was broadcast on Saturday, 26 February, 2005 at 2100GMT on BBC Two.

Cornmarket farce

2005-02-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

I was disappointed to see (I suppose I half expected it) that our nefarious county council leader Keith Mitchell would refuse to apologise for the Cornmarket farce (Oxford Mail, February 17).
His ducking and diving continued with the use of a Biblical quotation from the Book of Proverbs, to avoid doing so.
I note that the quotation he has used seems to imply, however, that he is a fool and that on this occasion, he is keeping his big mouth shut.
The remainder of the quotation about being counted wise, esteemed and a man of understanding, I would have thought, based on performance, is to say the least, open to question.

EU Constitution

2005-02-21T16:19:00.000-08:00

Good news for European Unity as Spain says yes in weekend vote and President gives his support in Brussels speech last night( Monday) with European leaders

Welcome to the Oxford Prospect Blog

2005-02-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Oxford Prospect Blog, we welcome the factual and analytical approach by our readers to the political aspects of energy, social, health, transport and planning issues