7 reasons why the business world hates social media
This guy also wrote 8 reasons why managers love social media!
Sunday, 31 May 2009
7 reasons why the business world hates social media « Marketing & Innovation
'Dave' Cameron says he's in touch with reality...but with so much wealth and blue blood you have to wonder | Mail Online
David Cameron (left) is descended from King William IV
Indeed, his wife Samantha is aristocratic on both sides of her family.
Creative director of the upmarket stationery company Smythson of Bond Street, she is a direct descendant of Nell Gwyn, mistress to Charles II, and her stepfather is Viscount Astor.
Meanwhile, 'Call me Dave' himself comes from a family which makes the bulk of the British landed gentry seem positively nouveau riche.
Cameron is William IV's great-great-great-great-great grandson, which Debrett's says makes him fifth cousin, twice removed, of the Queen.
As Patrick Cracroft-Brennan, of the guide Cracroft's Peerage, says: "Mr Cameron is the most aristocratic leader of the Conservative Party since Alec Douglas-Home."
But as well as being impeccably connected, David Cameron is also extremely wealthy. Sunday Times Rich List compiler and wealth watchdog Philip Beresford has valued the Tory leader for the first time.
He says: "I put the combined family wealth of David and Samantha Cameron at £30m plus. Both sides of the family are extremely wealthy. They certainly have no need to worry about poverty or paying school fees."
via dailymail.co.uk
The Daily Mail again!
Brilliant, courageous article re doc. Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive
Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive
This two-part documentary investigates the reality of living with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression.
Comedian, actor, author and film-maker Stephen Fry meets celebrities and members of the public who talk frankly about the impact the condition has on their lives.
During the two programmes, Stephen Fry talks in detail about his own experience of having bipolar disorder. He recounts his suicide attempt after walking out of the West End play Cellmates in 1995, and the continuing severe mood swings he has to endure.
Stephen interviews other celebrities with bipolar, including Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, Hollywood star Richard Dreyfus and British comedians Tony Slattery and Jo Brand.
He also meets ordinary people and their families coping with the condition and talks to them about some of the possible triggers. They all speak candidly about how bipolar disorder has affected their day-to-day lives.
At a recent seminar on bipolar disorder at St Andrew's University, Stephen was asked by an audience of psychiatric students and practitioners about his reasons for making the programme.
Q: Why did you make the programme?
via bbc.co.uk
Great democracy blog by Paul Evans
Why is representative democracy the ‘least worst’ option?
Posted on December 2, 2008 by Paul EvansDemocracy is the worst form of government except all the other forms that have been tried from time to time – Winston Churchill
Funny aphorisms have a habit of making a case better than any footnoted essay, and Churchill’s view remains the most quoted argument I’ve seen in the defence of liberal democracy. But what is the basis for this argument?
The notion of representative democracy is often open to challenge from other forms. Most of us are attracted to the democracy because of it’s fairness. But fair and incompetent would not be acceptable, would it?
James Surowiecki’s ‘Wisdom of Crowds’ thesis, for instance, questions the quality of decision-making that individual humans make in comparison to a popular distributed wisdom. And while Surowiecki’s view (and similarly, that of many pro-market advocates) can be tested in certain spheres, I think that we can all agree that many of the decisions that we have taken on our behalf by governmental bodies require judgements that are a good deal more qualitative.
Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds
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Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
Create your own.
via wordle.net
Disaster for Gordon Brown as Labour falls below Lib Dems in new poll - Telegraph
via telegraph.co.uk
The ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph is the worst possible news for the Prime Minister as he enters his most important week since taking power with Labour expecting a hammering in Thursday's local and European elections.
The results, which show Labour has suffered particularly badly from the MPs' expenses scandal in voters' eyes, are certain to ratchet up speculation that Mr Brown will face a leadership challenge in the next few weeks.
Asked who they would support in a general election, only 22 per cent of voters back Labour, with the party slumping behind both the Conservatives on 40 per cent and, crucially for Mr Brown's future, the Liberal Democrats who are on 25 per cent.
MPs' expenses: The saints (Part iii) - Telegraph
MPs' expenses: The saints (Part iii)
Susan Kramer
Job: Backbench Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park
Salary: £64,766
Total second home claims:
2004/5: N/A
2005/6: £0
2006/7: £0
2007/8: £0
Picture: CLARE KENDALL
via telegraph.co.uk
Howstuffworks "How Political Primaries Work"
How Political Primaries Work
by Josh Clark
Browse the article How Political Primaries WorkHow Political Primaries Work
Voting Image Gallery
Spencer Arnold/Getty Images
In response to excesses and unfair practices --like edging out native tribes like the Blackfoot, shown above in 1910 -- the Progressive Era (and primaries) was born. See more voting pictures.America before the turn of the 20th century, it could be argued, was in dire straits. The country was slashed in two -- expansionism ruled the West as the last of the indigenous American Indian tribes were wiped out or forced onto reservations, and urban strife dominated the established land east of the Mississippi. Amid all of these national growing pains, people looked to the government for help. But the political system was corrupt, and only a handful of well-heeled people influenced the direction of the country.
In response to the social ills America endured, the Progressive Era was born. This nationwide movement produced Prohibition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), unions and other individual protections. And in the political arena, the lack of a popular voice birthed, among other things, the presidential primary system.
This system was a backlash against the backroom dealings of corrupt politicos. The primary system was meant to transfer the right to elect a presidential candidate from an elite, entitled few into the hands of voters. Voters in each state had a choice among candidates, who now had to pay attention to the issues the public considered important. It alleviated corruption in national American politics.
But it looks like a century is about the shelf life for a reform. Present-day features that have emerged as traditions -- such as the Iowa caucus and the Super Tuesday primaries -- rub some people the wrong way. To some people, the primaries are little more than smoke and mirrors; despite changes made in the Progressive Era, political power is still in the hands of the few.
Some believe it's time to fix the system. To determine whether or not the primary system is in need of retooling, you've got to understand it first. Read the next page to find out how primaries work.
Types of Primaries
A primary closely resembles a general election -- when voters choose between candidates from each party for office. In a primary, however, the voter casts his or her vote to determine who will go onto the general election. This is a primary in a nutshell. Although primaries are more straightforward than caucuses -- which also help choose a party's candidate for president -- the primary process as a whole is somewhat convoluted.
Posh yobs from David Cameron's Bullingdon drinking club slapped with 'ASBO Lite' orders | Mail Online
David Cameron and George Osborne were both members of the notorious Bullingdon drinking club
via dailymail.co.uk
Surely its time the Daily Mail stopped running stories like this.
We have a long history of multi-millionaire Prime Ministers packing their cabinets with old-Etonians and running the country well (or should that be into the ground?).
David Cameron has more Etonians around him than any leader since Macmillan. Can he represent Britain from such a narrow base?
Focus: Reservoir toffs
David Cameron has more Etonians around him than any leader since Macmillan. Can he represent Britain from such a narrow base? Robert Winnett and Holly Watt report
At the Audi dealership off Sloane Square in Chelsea in west London, well-heeled customers compete to secure the latest top-of-the-range models. A prime site dealership, it attracts such an exclusive clientele that not long ago the salesmen started an informal competition.They set out to find the customer with the “upper-class name of the year”. The business cards of contenders were pinned on a board and for a while Algernon Percy, scion of one of Britain’s blue-blooded families, looked a cert for the title. In the end, according to a weblog posted by one of the salesmen, the award was snatched by one “Toppo Todhunter” — an investment banker said to come from “racing stock” near Newbury in Berkshire.
Unknown to the salesmen, Todhunter belongs to an even more exclusive background: he is a member of the Old Etonian clique clustered around David Cameron, the Conservative party leader.
Guilty secrets for most politicians tend to be a mistress, a dodgy financial link or, if you are a Liberal Democrat, insanity brought on by hair loss. But for Cameron it is Toppo, his old school classmate, best man and a figure who embodies just about everything that the Tory leader is keen to hide about himself
To read this Interesting article go to;
David Cameron has more Etonians around him than any leader since Macmillan. Can he represent Britain from such a narrow base?
Swine flu shuts Eton
Eton College. Photograph: Matthew Fearn/PA
Eton has closed temporarily after a pupil was diagnosed with swine flu, as the total number of cases in the UK rose above 200.
The Berkshire school was told yesterday that a 13-year-old boy had tested positive for the H1N1 virus and was advised by health authorities to shut until 7 June.
via guardian.co.uk
The Guardian has the full story.
Friday, 29 May 2009
My 64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people
Woman, your courage keeps us in touch with deepest humanity.
Your dream earths all dreams.
Your leadership illumines all leadership.
Your oppression shames all.
Your silenced democracy gives value to all democracy.
Your patience demands we stop scurrying to trivia.
The lies that pin you down speak of freedom's truth, truth's freedoms.
Your elegance brings us back to the beauty of all noble souls.
-0-
Add yours here :
http://www.64forsuu.org/add.php
Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's imprisoned Democracy leader. The brutal dictatorship that rules Burma has detained her for over 13 years for campaigning for human rights and democracy. She is the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Aung San Suu Kyi - Foreign Prisoners Support Service
HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EACH PERSON REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, RELIGION OR POLITICS 
HOME | CAMPAIGNS | PRISONERS/PRISONS | EXPERIENCES | BOOKS/PRODUCTS | HOW TO HELP | NEWS | EMAIL 
In The Quiet Land
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)In the Quiet Land, no one can tell
if there's someone who's listening
for secrets they can sell.
The informers are paid in the blood of the land
and no one dares speak what the tyrants won't stand.In the quiet land of Burma,
no one laughs and no one thinks out loud.
In the quiet land of Burma,
you can hear it in the silence of the crowdIn the Quiet Land, no one can say
when the soldiers are coming
to carry them away.
The Chinese want a road; the French want the oil;
the Thais take the timber; and SLORC takes the spoils...In the Quiet Land....
In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder
and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound
that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown.
Free bird towards a free Burma
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)My home...
where I was born and raised
used to be warm and lovely
now filled with darkness and horror.My family...
whom I had grown with
used to be cheerful and lively
now living with fear and terror.My friends...
whom I shared my life with
used to be pure and merry
now living with wounded heart.A free bird...
which is just freed
used to be caged
now flying with an olive branch
for the place it loves.A free bird towards a Free Burma.
(Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
Why do I have to fight???
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)They killed my father a year ago,
And they burnt my hut after that
I asked the city men "why me?" they ignored
"I don't know, mind your business," the men said.
One day from elementary school I came home,
Saw my sister was lifeless, lying in blood.I looked around to ask what happened, if somebody'd known,
Found no one but living room as a flood.
Running away by myself on the village road,
Not knowing where to go but heading for my teacher
Realizing she's the only one who could help to clear my throat,
But this time she gave up, telling me strange things in fear.Why, teacher, why.. why.. why?
I have no dad nor a sister left.
To teach me and to care for me you said, was that a lie?
This time with tearful eyes she, again, said...
"Be a grown one, young man,
Can't you see we all are dying?
And stop this with your might as soon as you can,
For we all are suffering."(Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
FREEDOM IS A RIGHT OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IN A WORLD WHERE LIFE IS VALUED AND PEACE MAY FINALLY BE A POSSABILITY
HOME | CAMPAIGNS | PRISONERS/PRISONS | EXPERIENCES | BOOKS/PRODUCTS | HOW TO HELP | NEWS | EMAIL Just in case you forgot - read the Universal declaration of Human Rights All information is © Copyright 1997 - 2005 'Foreign Prisoner Support Service' unless stated otherwise - Click here for the legal stuff
via phaseloop.com
Send your 64 word birthday greeting to the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.
via youtube.com
My 64 words;
Woman, your courage keeps us in touch with deepest humanity.
Your dream earths all dreams.
Your leadership illumines all leadership.
Your oppression shames all.
Your silenced democracy gives value to all democracy.
Your patience demands we stop scurrying to trivia.
The lies that pin you down speak of freedom's truth, truth's freedoms.
Your elegance brings us back to the beauty of all noble souls.
-0-
Add yours here :
http://www.64forsuu.org/add.php
Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's imprisoned Democracy leader. The brutal dictatorship that rules Burma has detained her for over 13 years for campaigning for human rights and democracy. She is the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Check out Vote Match
ABOUT VOTEMATCH
A quick and simple tool for finding out where the parties stand in the 2009 European elections.
via votematch.co.uk
Why first-past-the-post voting is fundamentally flawed (US perspective)
Why first-past-the-post voting is fundamentally flawed
12 April 2008
From New Scientist Print Edition.
Phil McKenna
Enlarge
Fundamentally flawedEnlarge
The solutionOne person one vote is the mantra of democracy. And as Americans prepare to elect a new president this year, they'll be weighing up who to cast their precious vote for. Yet giving each citizen just one vote may not serve democracy's best interests. It can all too easily throw up a winner who in a straight fight with the runner-up would not be the majority's choice - surely a negation of democracy.
How can this happen? It's to do with the way voters are allowed to express their preferences, and how those choices are turned into a winner. Most elections in the US, the UK, Canada, India and many other countries use what is technically called a plurality voting system (better known as first-past-the-post) for single-winner elections. Every voter chooses one candidate from those standing, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
It's beautifully simple. But it can also be strongly influenced by fringe candidates with relatively little support. By taking votes that would otherwise go to one of the leading candidates, these "spoilers" can tip the outcome in favour of that candidate's main rival. In five of the last 45 US presidential elections, plurality voting has handed the White House to the second most popular candidate, according to William Poundstone, author of Gaming the Vote: Why elections aren't fair. "It's really the worst system. Its only virtue is that it is the simplest way of voting, which is why we put up with it," he says.
Voting reform initiatives in the US usually focus on problems with voting machines and on the electoral college used in a presidential election - an antiquated system that gives more weight to voters from some states than from others. Yet arguably the larger problem with elections in America and elsewhere is plurality voting itself. Is there a fairer alternative?
Researchers and politicians have long known of plurality's weaknesses, but until recently most believed the alternatives weren't any better. In 1950, economist Kenneth Arrow, then a PhD student at Columbia University in New York, seemed to prove once and for all that it was impossible to have a method of voting that was entirely fair (Journal of Political Economy, vol 58, p 328).
via science.org.au
To read article;
ESRC Society Today - Elections
This ESRC fact sheet provides an overview of elections in the UK. It is designed to introduce the topic rather than be a comprehensive summary.
Elections
An election is an organised choice that is decided by votes and usually refers to politics or a political office.
Electoral systems
An electoral system is the set of rules according to which citizens' votes determine which candidates and parties win public office. Political scientists usually distinguish three basic types: plurality, majority and proportional representation systems. Variations of each of these systems also exist, as do a variety of other possible rules for electoral systems. Voting, for example, may be voluntary or required by law. In nearly all modern political systems, each citizen's vote is equally weighted, but elections held in other kinds of organisations may follow their own rules[1].
Plurality or 'first-past-the-post' electoral systems
These systems award office to the candidate with the most votes within a given district, and therefore strongly emphasise the territorial aspect of representation. Primarily used in Britain and its former colonies (including the United States and India), plurality systems tend to lead to two-party systems, as voters will be disinclined to vote for those parties or candidates with little chance of winning. Plurality systems have the advantage of being most likely to produce clear legislative majorities, but they have the disadvantage of allowing governments to be elected with a minority of the popular vote [1].
Majority systems
Majority systems ensure that the winning candidate commands at least 50 per cent of the vote, thus addressing some of the disadvantages of the plurality system. They are employed by many countries for electing a chief executive, and by Australia and France for legislative elections. Australia uses an alternative vote system in which voters rank the candidates, while France and a number of other countries hold a second ballot between the top candidates if no candidate wins a majority on the first [1].
Proportional representation (PR)
Proportional representation (PR) systems employ various means to ensure that a party's representation in the legislature is proportional to its share of the popular vote. There are three main varieties of PR: party-list methods, single transferable votes, and additional-member systems. While PR systems more closely represent actual voter preferences, they tend to encourage multiple-party systems and coalition governments [1].
The British Election Study
The British Election Study (BES), currently funded by the ESRC, has been conducted at every general election since 1964. The objectives of the British Election Study are to:
- Study long-term trends in British voting behaviour
- Explain the election outcome
- Explain party choice
- Explain turnout
- Examine election effects on British politics
Who can vote in the UK?
To vote, you have to be:
- Registered to vote
- 18 years of age or over
- A British citizen, or a citizen of another Commonwealth country, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
To check if you are registered, or to register to vote, you can visit the Electoral Commission's 'About my vote' website.
Women's right to vote
On the European mainland, Finland (1906) and Norway (1913) were the first countries to grant women suffrage; in France, women voted in the first election (1945) after World War II. In Switzerland, however, women were denied the vote in federal elections until 1971. Table 1 below shows the year women were granted the right both to vote and to stand for election without restrictions or conditions attached for selected countries within Europe [2].
Table 1: Women's Suffrage in Western Europe Date Country 1906 Finland 1913 Norway 1915 Denmark 1918 Austria, Germany 1919 Luxembourg, Netherlands 1921 Sweden 1928 Ireland, UK 1930 Turkey 1944 France 1945 Italy 1948 Belgium 1971 Switzerland 1984 Liechtenstein Note: The list is not intended to be exhaustive.
Elections in the UK
In the UK there are 5 distinct types of elections. These are general, local, regional, European and Mayoral. Elections have traditionally been held on a thursday since the 1930s.
General elections
The UK is split into geographical regions called constituencies. Each constituency has electoral candidates from various political parties aiming to represent that constituency. General elections are the elections held to see which candidate, and thus, political party will represent each geographic constituency. At the 2005 general election there were 646 constituencies meaning that 646 members of parliament were elected seats in the House of Commons. The Party that holds the most seat (ie the most constituencies) forms the government and the second largest forms the opposition.
General elections must be held before a new parliamentary term begins. The maximum term of a parliament is five years and an election can be called by the Prime Minister anytime within this five years.
General elections were last held on May 5 2005. There were 646 seats up for election in the in House of Commons so the party that would form the government needed 324 seats to win. Labour won with a majority of 356 seats (35.3 per cent). Conservatives formed the opposition party with 198 seats (32.3 per cent) and the Liberal democrats won 62 seats (10.3 per cent). Other smaller parties won the remaining 30 seats (10.3 per cent) [3].
Election issues 2005
Issues that the voting public see as important are the issues that political parties focus their efforts on during their election campaigns and in their party manifesto. Table 2 shows an opion poll taken just before the May 2005 election and it shows the issues that respondents thought was the main issues that needs to be addressed in the election. In 2005, 21 percent thought the National Health Service was the most important election issue, down from 30.9 percent in the UK general election of 2001[4].
Table 2: Most important election issue 2005 Election Issue Percentage of Respondents National Health Service 21 The economy generally 15 Law and order 7.9 Education 4.2 Taxation and public services 3.7 Asylum and immigration 3.0 Iraq 2.8 The fight against terrorism 2.8 Europe 1.9 None of these 1.3 Don't know 0.8 Sample size: 1,444
Local elections
Local elections elect councillors forming local council authorities. Local elections are held every year but not every authority has an election. When there is a general election there is usually a local election held on the same day. In 2004, local elections were held on the same day as European Elections.
European Parliamentary overall results for the UK
Elections were held for the European Parliament across Europe between 10-13 June 2004 using a system of proportional representation. The UK has 78 seats in the Parliament, which are distributed between 12 electoral regions. The overall results of the vote in the UK are displayed in Figure 1 below [5].
Figure 1 - Downloadable as a Power Point Slide here (494 KB)
Voting
There are three ways to vote in the UK, at a polling station, by post or by proxy.
Most people choose to cast their vote in person at a local polling station. The process is simple and involves marking a ballot paper in a private polling booth and then depositing the vote in a ballot box.
You can apply to vote by post for a particular election, for a set period of time or for all future elections. Postal votes can be sent out to addresses in the UK and abroad. You can organise a postal vote at aboutmyvote.co.uk, by entering your postcode, selecting 'how to vote' and then 'by post'.
Voting by proxy means a third party voting on someone else's behalf. This is useful for persons of limited mobility or other extenuating circumstances. You can register to vote by proxy by visiting aboutmyvote.co.uk, entering your postcode, selecting 'how to vote' and then 'by proxy'.
The Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament in November 2000. Its purpose is to increase public confidence in the democratic process within the United Kingdom and to encourage people to take part. It aims to do this by modernising the electoral process, promoting public awareness of electoral matters, and regulating political parties.
Voter turnout
There are currently 44,180,243 voters registered as of December 2004. The official turnout for the 2005 General Election was 61 per cent, a small increase on the 59 Per cent turnout recorded in 2001 which was the lowest since the election of 1918. The highest turnout was of 84 per cent in the 1950 elections [6]. Figure 2 below shows the voter turnout at UK general elections since 1945 [7].
Figure 1 - Download as a powerpoint presentation (494 KB)
Age differences in turnout were evident in the last election. Opinion poll data suggests that those aged 65 and over were twice as likely to vote as those under 25 [6].
Table 3: Voter turnout by age AGE 2001 percentage 2005 percentage 18-24 39 37 25-34 46 48 35-44 59 61 45-54 65 64 55-64 69 71 65+ 70 75
- Calhoun C, (2005) 'Electoral System' Dictionary of the Social Sciences. Electoral ed. Oxford University Press 2002. OxfordReference Online. Oxford University Press. (accessed 15 December 2006)
- world chronology of the recognition of women's rights to vote and stand for election (2005) Woman's Suffrage (accessed 15 december 2006)
- Election 2005 (2005) BBC (accessed 18 December 2006)
- May 1-3rd 2005 Final Poll (2005) ICM - NB no longer available
- European Election: UK result (2004) BBC (accessed 18 December 2006)
- Social trends 36 (2006) Office of National Statistics, pp198 [pdf 221] (accessed 18 December 2006)
- UK Election Statistics: 1945 - 2003 (2005) House of Commons Library pp16 (accessed 18 Decemember 2006)
Bust the lies and myths about Fair Voting (Proportional Representation)
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Dear Supporter,
The Battle is on. Demand for electoral reform is rapidly gathering momentum – so it’s no surprise that the old guard of (small ‘c’) conservatism has sprung into action.
In today’s Guardian, Peter Hain and David Blunkett have both followed David Cameron’s lead in calling for change - while opposing the one reform that would make a real difference.
In their articles, David Blunkett and Peter Hain
We need to bust these myths.
To improve politics, voters must have greater choice and elections need to be more proportional. The government’s own review of systems acknowledged last year that the single transferable vote is the clear winner on both these counts. While not perfect, AV+ would also make strides towards these aims. This is the moment to make our voices heard. And it depends on you
It’s time to take action…
Write to the Guardian or post a comment on its website. Why not sign up to our RSS feed so that you can keep track of – and join in - the current debate in the press? Download a copy of our pamphlet PR Myths for more tips.
I urge you to join the battle for a better Parliament – today. A dedicated campaign website will be launched this weekend so you can register your support. In the meantime more information is available from our website. If you want to get more involved as our campaign for a referendum, contact referendum2010@electoral-reform.org.uk or phone 020 7928 1622.
Best regards,
Ken Ritchie |
STP
BLOG: posted 2009-05-26
Until we acknowledge the fundamental flaw in the very concept of Parliamentary Democracy, there is little hope of meaningful reform.
And what is this flaw? The fact that the executive is rooted in the legislature.
Parliament needs to be independent of the executive to have any relevance. It is unacceptanble that the head of government is the leader of a political party, that members of the government sit in parliament, and that a political party can dictate the way an MP votes, yet none of these issues is addressed in any reform proposals put forward by the main parties.
There are many potential solutions to the problem, but until the agenda is rested from the parties, there is little chance that the real issues will be recognised, let alone addressed.
Blog
- We can't let them get away with saying it's just a few bad apples.
- Cameron's speech yesterday (I heard him give the same one 3 years ago!) was very good on the rhetoric of the problems: remoteness, disenfranchisement, domination of the legislature by the executive. However, his solutions do not match up.
- Until we acknowledge the fundamental flaw in the very concept of Parliamentary Democracy, there is little hope of meaningful reform.
- We need independent candidates for MPs. Not just celebrities parachuted into a few constituencies but ordinary people in every constituency.
- The long-overdue removal of the Speaker and the cobbling together of a poor compromise of a deal on expenses just proves that Parliament is incapable of self-regulation and reform.
- Despite all the furore and focus on the expenses scandal, MP's and their leaders still don't seem to get the point.
- How depressing to see the lack of imagination displayed by the Government's white paper on Lord's reform and the very limited debate around it. Believe it or not, there are real alternatives!
- Two very different constituencies, two not-so-different parties and one message. You can't count on traditional support when you abandon traditional values.
- What could possibly be the justification for merging police authorities, other than making them less accountable to communities and more accountable to Government?
- How can Tony Blair expect to deliver democracy in Iraq based on a model that is failing in his own country?
- The latest political soap opera that is the struggle for power within the Labour Party will only serve to switch more people off from politics.
- POWER Conference - Overall an enjoyable day, but as an exercise in democracy, a palpable failure.
Surprise yourself - re elections voting
I answered the questions on various policies on the VoteMatch site. I found that the policies I actually believe in give me a political identity that is actually the exact opposite of what I believed I was.
I am deeply, deeply shocked - and it has really got me thinking.
What %age of people vote for candidates that don't represent the policies they want?
Now its your turn - do you come out with a different identity to the one you thought you had?
I am deeply, deeply shocked - and it has really got me thinking.
What %age of people vote for candidates that don't represent the policies they want?
Now its your turn - do you come out with a different identity to the one you thought you had?
Thursday, 28 May 2009
The Press Association reports that two MPs step down over expenses row;
Tory backbencher Julie Kirkbride has succumbed to intense pressure over her expenses by saying she will stand down as an MP.
At the same time, Luton South Labour MP Margaret Moran announced she will also stand down at the next election.
Bromsgrove MP Ms Kirkbride followed her husband, Andrew MacKay, in announcing her departure from parliament at the next general election.
The couple came under fire when it emerged that Commons allowances had been used to simultaneously fund both the homes where they lived.
In a resignation letter to party leader David Cameron, Ms Kirkbride wrote: "Today I am announcing that I will not seek re-election for my Bromsgrove constituency. My principal concern has to be for my very loyal local supporters in Bromsgrove whose trust in me has been very humbling in the last few weeks.
-0-
Amongst all the casualties, by the time this has run its course there will be some reasonably decent people out in the cold – should it be the Fees Office and ex-Speaker Martin on trial?
The article is HERE - http://www.pressassociation.com/component/pafeeds/2009/05/28/two_mps_step_down_over_expenses_row?camefrom=home#
Question: What are the health benefits of walking?
An interview with Tom Franklin of the Ramblers Association - http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/the-hige-benefits-of-walking/# - the following;
Question: What are the health benefits of walking? How effective is it in tackling obesity?
Tom Franklin: It's difficult to overstate the health benefits of regular walking. If a pharmaceutical company invented a 'wonder drug' which, if taken by the whole population, would cut obesity, and reduce deaths from coronary heart disease by over a third, people would be clamouring for it on the NHS.
Walking does that, and it also reduces cases of osteoarthritis, helps older people gain strength and balance to reduce bone fractures, dramatically cut diabetes and cardiovascular disease, reduce levels of breast and colon cancer and is proven to lift the mood. It burns up the same amount of calories per mile as jogging, and the government recommends 30 minutes brisk walking a day, five times per week as enough to maintain fitness.
Where walking really has the edge on elite sport or specialised exercise, is that it is so accessible. It's free, and because it can be so easily tailored to fit the individuals pace, it is 'non-threatening' for people who are just embarking on an exercise routine. It's also perfect for people with kids or who have to fit exercise into a hectic schedule. Unlike a trip to the gym, you can take a quick walk to the shops or park at a moments notice and take the kids along.
All this makes walking far and away the form of exercise most likely to succeed in helping 'hard to reach' people, who are currently living the most sedentary lives. Walking will undoubtedly be the keystone of any serious government attempt to tackle the problems of rising inactivity and obesity in the future, too.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Remember and salute Aung San Suu Kyi
64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi
by Robert Sharp
May 27, 2009 at 2:30 am
I didn’t know that Salman Rushdie and Aung San Suu Kyi shared a birthday:
On this day, my birthday and yours, I always remember your long ordeal and silently applaud your endurance. This year, silence is impossible. It is not any action of yours, but your house arrest, which symbolizes the suppression of Burmese democracy, that is criminal. It is your trial, not your struggle, that is unjust. On this day, on every day, I am with you.
Rushdie’s message launches the Sixty-Four Words for Aung San Suu Kyi project.
Citizens of the world are invited to leave a 64 word message for Aung San, in honour of her 64th birthday on 19th June. Alternatively, you can leave a 64 character twitter instead, using the hashtag #assk64.http://64forsuu.com/ The project is led by the Burma Campaign UK and was created in only six days, which is a remarkable feat. In addition to Salman Rushdie, the site carries messages from Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and George Clooney. Why not add your message, and then let others know that you’ve done so?
Remember and salute Aung San Suu Kyi
MPs? Well, I can't trust anyone. Not even you | Daniel Finkelstein - Times Online
From The TimesMay 27, 2009MPs? Well, I can't trust anyone. Not even you
The British public is feasting on hatred. One minute it's estate agents, then bankers or foreigners. Who will be next?
Have you got what it takes to be an independent MP? - Times Online
From The TimesMay 21, 2009Have you got what it takes to be an independent MP?
Everyone from Esther Rantzen to the bloke next door thinks that they would make a better fist of being an MP than the present crop. Our man, donning the Martin Bell white suit, looks at what being an independent really entails
Excellent article by Rachel Sylvester - Times Online - on our political masters twittering
Politicians twitter while the country burns
MPs are trying to look in touch by using the latest webtools. But all they reveal is how insecure the political elite has become
Rachel Sylvester
We independents could bring on reform | Terry Waite - Times Online
We independents could bring on reform
If I decide to stand for Parliament, it will be to try and bring some fresh air to a political hothouse
Terry WaiteWeek three and the whiff of revolution is still in the air. MPs who were not fatally wounded are still running for cover, while the Lords tremble at the thought of being next in line. Over in Brussels nervous passengers on the Bisto Express are locking themselves in the bunker that has so far proved impervious to the annual ordeal by audit.
As spectator sports go I have to confess to mixed feelings. I take little delight in seeing anyone publicly injured and humiliated. But along with the vast majority of the population, I am amused and angry. Amused at the ducks, the moat, horse manure, dry rot and phantom mortgages. Angry that, as Jonathan Aitken (who ought to know about these matters) said on the Today programme, compliance has replaced conscience.
The truth is that the gunpowder has been accumulating for a very long time. Increasingly a professional class of politician has grown and the more professional they have become, the more remote they are. Admittedly we live in a complex world where many of the issues that Parliament has to deal with are simply not resolvable by Parliament alone. Yet our MPs stumble along passing legislation that lays impossible layers of bureaucracy on education, the health service, small businesses, you name it. Politicians have fallen into the trap of believing that law and process alone suffice.
Despite the rhetoric about Martin Bell's white suits and Esther Rantzen's dancing, Roy Hattersley made the sensible point in last week's Times that parliamentary parties lack a coherent ideology. He then implied that independent MPs were a waste of space.
Terry Waite - lets hope he stands as an Independent - disagrees profoundly with Roy Hattersley - READ FULL ARTICLE at Times Online
Make My Vote Count - Campaign News
Referendum 2010 Campaign
The campaign is now publicly launched. A broad range of civil society organisations and individuals have come together to call for a referendum on the day of the next general election to change the way we elect our MPs. Add your name to the list of supporters.
Our message is simple and strong: real change, not just new faces. An end to safe seats and seeming jobs for life for some MPs. Remove the power that MPs have to decide how they are elected ... and give that to the voters instead. Bring in greater accountability for those who represent us; and greater choice at the ballot box in the first place.
At the next general election, we want to give voters the chance to register their feelings twice: once to get rid of a tainted MP; and once to get rid of a rotten system and change things for good. One vote to elect a fresh face to represent them; and one vote (in a nationwide referendum) to bring a fresh start to politics.- launch letter in The Observer - signed by a range of leading figures from across the cultural, academic, political and civil society worlds.
- accompanying article and editorial in The Observer.
- explanatory webpage on ERS site (a campaign website will go live in a few days)
- ERS press release welcoming Alan Johnson's calls for a referendumElections affect all of us; this campaign is about all of us. We want your vote to count the same wherever you live and whoever you are. A list of influential people may have been necessary to launch the campaign and get media coverage, but now it is your turn to star.
What you can do:
1) Show your support for the campaign - add your name to the list of signatories. Sign up online now. Alternatively, email malcolm@makevotescount.org.uk
NB: The official campaign website, messaging, actions and spokespeople will be announced and rolled out over the next week.
Posted: 24/05/09The letter that officially launches our campaign
Signalling the full public launch of our campaign for an election day referendum on the voting system, today in The Observer the following letter has been published:
The expense crisis reveals a nation governed by a political elite that has stopped listening and who are accountable to no one but their party machines. Too many MPs seem more interested in changing their homes than changing the world. Our society faces real problems - mass unemployment and growing poverty, the threat of climate chaos and an erosion of our civil liberties to name but three. These all require effective government working on behalf of the popular will. Yet our whole political system is close to collapse. We demand a new electoral system that makes everyone's vote count.
On the day of the next general election, there should be a binding referendum on whether to change to a more proportional electoral system. This should be drawn up by a large jury of randomly selected citizens, given the time and information to deliberate on what voting system and other changes would make Parliament more accountable to citizens.
We demand the right to be able to vote for a change:(signatories)
Helena Kennedy, QC; Philip Pullman, author; Damon Albarn, musician; John Sauven, Greenpeace; Martin Bell, anti-sleaze campaigner; Richard Wilson, actor; Polly Toynbee, journalist; Susie Orbach, author and psychologist; Jonathan Pryce, actor; Caroline Lucas, leader Green party; Brian Eno, musician; Neal Lawson, Compass; Ken Ritchie, Electoral Reform Society; Colin Hines, Green New Deal; Matthew Taylor (personal capacity), RSA; Hari Kunzru, author; Mark Thomas, comedian; Oona King, ex Labour MP; Michael Brown, journalist and ex-Tory MP; Pam Giddy, Power Inquiry; Salma Yaqoob, Leader Respect; Wes Streeting, President NUS; Gordon Roddick; Lisa Appignanesi, Chair of PEN; Prof James Forrester; Carmen Callil, author and publisher; Sunder Katwala, Fabians; Billy Bragg, musician; Sam Tarry, Chair Young Labour; Peter Facey, Unlock Democracy; Prof David Marquand; Dave Rowntree, musician; Richard Reeves, Demos; Ann Pettifor, Advocacy UK; Prof Richard Sennett; Sunny Hundal, Liberal Conspiracy; Anthony Barnett, openDemocracy; Richard Grayson, Social Liberal Forum; John Harris, journalist; Pete Myers, enoughsenough.org; Steve Richards, journalist; Tony Robinson, actor; Richard Murphy, Tax Justice; Jeremy Leggett, Solarcentury; AC Grayling, philosopher; Katie Hickman, author; Benedict Southworth, World Development Movement; Lance Price, journalist; Ann Black, Labour activist; Peter Tatchell, Human Rights campaigner; Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper; David Aaronovitch, journalist; Kevin Maguire, journalist.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Is Britain run by a vast liberal-left conspiracy?
Liberal Conspiracy is a political magazine and discussion site in the form of a multi-author blog.
We aim to bring together and re-invigorate the liberal-left in Britain through discussion and campaigning. To read answers to more such questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions.
Mission Statement
Is Britain run by a vast liberal-left conspiracy? Conservatives are often determined to find such plots stretching from the media and government to public services and other organisations.
Yet the reality suggests otherwise. Not only is public debate in Britain often lacking in left-liberal energy, if there was a vast conspiracy then it is way too disorganised and dysfunctional. Most of us believe in freedom, transparency, human rights, democracy and the public good. But somehow that isn’t what we usually end up with.
We don’t want to define what being part of the liberal-left means because that limits us. We want you to tell us where the liberal-left should be going and why.
Liberal Conspiracy is a space for us to:
1) Have an intelligent conversation about liberal-left ideas and values.
We want to do this by involving commentators from newspapers and magazines, thinkers, analysts, academics and think-tanks, but also ordinary citizens (through blogging) who are too often shut out of this debate.2) Campaign for liberal-left policies and causes.
The internet helps citizens to get connected, organise and make our voice heard better than ever before. We want to open up a new space for individuals and campaigning groups who support liberal-left causes to come together and make change happen.3) Get organised.
We can no longer depend solely on political parties, trade unions or fragmented single-issue lobby groups to drive change. The internet gives us new tools to organise ourselves from the grassroots, all around the country. It’s not about replacing older institutions, but building new ones to join them. We want to strengthen democratic liberal-left organisations, local and national, so this movement can be sustained over the long term. We want to be that online hub of information and collaboration.Contributors
Reforming UK Politics - you might want to link up with 38 Degrees
via 38degrees.org.uk
They say:
Watch our video to find out what we are all about and why you should join us.
38 Degrees does not back any particular political party. We believe the interests of society as a whole should come before the self-interest of the few, and that long-term thinking should come ahead of short-term fixes. We will act to advance fairness, defend rights, promote peace, preserve the planet and deepen democracy in the UK.
38 Degrees are inspired by how organisations like GetUp.org.au in Australia, Avaaz.org globally and MoveOn.org and BarackObama.com in the USA have made a real impact by providing easy ways for people to take action on the issues they care about.
38 Degrees brings this model of campaigning to the UK and uses the latest technologies to enable people to take action, sometimes online, like a petition or sending an email to your MP or the editor of a local paper; or sometimes offline actions like calling or visiting your MP.
It’s free to sign up and to start receiving campaign emails and if you like what we are doing, you can get involved. Change happens when enough people come together. Join 38 Degrees and be part of the avalanche for change.
Liberal Conspiracy » About us | creating a new liberal-left alliance
Liberal Conspiracy is a political magazine and discussion site in the form of a multi-author blog.
We aim to bring together and re-invigorate the liberal-left in Britain through discussion and campaigning. To read answers to more such questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions.
Mission Statement
Is Britain run by a vast liberal-left conspiracy? Conservatives are often determined to find such plots stretching from the media and government to public services and other organisations.
Yet the reality suggests otherwise. Not only is public debate in Britain often lacking in left-liberal energy, if there was a vast conspiracy then it is way too disorganised and dysfunctional. Most of us believe in freedom, transparency, human rights, democracy and the public good. But somehow that isn’t what we usually end up with.
We don’t want to define what being part of the liberal-left means because that limits us. We want you to tell us where the liberal-left should be going and why.
Liberal Conspiracy is a space for us to:
1) Have an intelligent conversation about liberal-left ideas and values.
We want to do this by involving commentators from newspapers and magazines, thinkers, analysts, academics and think-tanks, but also ordinary citizens (through blogging) who are too often shut out of this debate.2) Campaign for liberal-left policies and causes.
The internet helps citizens to get connected, organise and make our voice heard better than ever before. We want to open up a new space for individuals and campaigning groups who support liberal-left causes to come together and make change happen.3) Get organised.
We can no longer depend solely on political parties, trade unions or fragmented single-issue lobby groups to drive change. The internet gives us new tools to organise ourselves from the grassroots, all around the country. It’s not about replacing older institutions, but building new ones to join them. We want to strengthen democratic liberal-left organisations, local and national, so this movement can be sustained over the long term. We want to be that online hub of information and collaboration.
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