tvnewswatch leaving the UK

After 16 years working as a photo-journalist, and more than 4 years blogging, tvnewswatch is leaving the UK to work in China. Regular readers will know that tvnewswatch has been to China several times in the past three years but has managed to continue to post stories. Working there on a permanent basis will pose its own challenges, but tvnewswatch will endeavour to keep the site going. Of course there is no easy access to foreign media, especially broadcast television news, so posts will focus on events as seen from within China itself as well as through channels which are able to be accessed. Having joined Twitter in 2008, tvnewswatch will also continue to keep its feed going.

Making such a move has resulted in much preparation, hence the fewer number of posts in recent weeks. Hopefully, once settled, tvnewswatch will have more time to post updates.

Thank you to all those who have continued to follow tvnewswatch’s blog and on Twitter for the last few years and hope you continue to follow updates and posts in the future.

H1N1 - BMA & GPs clash over opinions

British authorities have insisted that the risk to public health from the A/H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as Swine Flu, remains low despite the first death being reported on Sunday [14th June] [BBC]. But there are mounting fears in some medical circles that increasing numbers of cases may create problems for doctors and the NHS.

In the UK, 1,320 people have so far been identified as having contracted the virus including 59 cases confirmed on Monday.

The fatality is the first reported within Europe, but British health officials have stressed it is not an indication the virus was becoming more virulent. The victim, 38 year old Jacqueline Fleming, had suffered from pre-existing health conditions, authorities have said. She had also recently given birth prematurely but health officials said the baby had not contracted Swine Flu but had subsequently died from unrelated medical problems [BBC].

BMA warns of increasing problems

As the virus spreads across Britain, there are increasing concerns that General Practitioners (GP), also known as primary healthcare physicians or family doctors, may be subject to mounting pressures. The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that some GPs may be forced to withdraw their services should the risks to themselves increase [BBC].

The medical body says that GPs may be at risk not only from the virus, but also from patients angry at what they might perceive as a lack of care.

If the numbers of patients suffering from A/H1N1 increase, hospitals may also be overwhelmed by admissions, the BMA says. This in turn would leave family doctors with a dilemma as to where to send other patients, who may suffer as a result. Such situations may result in a doctor being sued, something the BMA says it is extremely concerned about.

Effectively many family doctors are self-employed and have their own insurance. And this may not cover themselves or their family if they were to die or be sued by a patient, the BMA fears.

Dr Dean Marshall, from the BMA said that doctors “will be putting their lives on the line” and that it was important that they were “properly covered if anything goes wrong.”

GPs unconcerned

However, some GPs have been critical of the medical body. One GP, who preferred not to be named, told tvnewswatch, “I had not heard this report myself since I’ve been working today [Monday], but I’m surprised the BMA should be focused on such a narrow issue of self interest.”

“I don’t care for myself. I took a Hippocratic Oath to help people to best of my ability, so as regards insurance I am not concerned,” he said. “I think they’re missing the centre of the target,” he added. “The BMA should be more focused on what can be done to keep doctors well enough to treat their patients,” the GP said, expressing surprise that the BMA should raise such issues.

If a pandemic were to occur, he said he believed doctors and their teams would work together in what he described as the “Battle of Britain spirit”.

“No one was going to sue in those days,” he said. “Britain invented the queue and people know how to wait their turn,” he added. “I’ve been a doctor for 30 years, and I’m not cynical about how the vast majority of people can work together.”

As regards to publicity, he told tvnewswatch that his surgery had made the decision not to put up posters warning about the spread of Swine Flu. Such measures often had a negative effect, he said, and many people were suffering from “Swine Flu fatigue”. However information pamphlets were available.

Measures to protect staff and patients had been implemented, he stressed. “We do have gloves, masks and alcohol gel in stock as standard. But we have also ordered extra supplies,” the doctor added, “In addition we do take measures to reduce our own chances of getting the flu.”

If visiting patients suffering from flu-like symptoms, he said they might be asked to go to a different room and open the window before the doctor’s arrival. Even the issue of a prescription may be completed in a different room to reduce risks of contamination, he explained.

Strain on health service

The BMA has said the number of admissions to hospital will rise significantly if a pandemic takes hold, putting further strain on the National Health Service (NHS) as a whole.

For every 100 patients with flu symptoms up to four of them may require hospital admission, if there are beds available, the BMA says in a 61 page report issued to GPs.

Around 25 percent may require critical care with an average length of stay in hospital of up to ten days. The BMA also says that scientific models suggest that up to 2.5 percent of all flu victims may die.

In a recent statement, Director-General of the World Health Organisation Margaret Chan described the virus as “unstoppable”. There are also estimates that half of the UK population could contract the disease. Given the BMA’s estimate that 25 in every thousand affected could die, swine flu could account for around 750,000 deaths in Britain alone.

Already the effects of the disease have been felt with dozens of schools being periodically closed across the country as pupils contract the virus.

Meanwhile, the British government continues in its effort to stockpile flu treatments such as Roche’s Tamiflu, and Relenza, which is made by British pharmaceutical giant Glaxosmithkline.

Additionally, efforts are being made to prepare a vaccine, though it may be many months before it becomes available to the general public [BBC].

Global threat

The World Health Organisation last week declared a global pandemic of level 6, for some an indication of the seriousness of the situation.

At least 75 countries around the world are now affected, and some have implemented more stringent health controls. Apart from Mexico, where the virus appeared to originate, Britain, the United States, Canada, Chile and Australia have shown the highest numbers of affected individuals [Map].

However, it is not clear whether the high numbers are more down to a better system of health checks and identification. While some countries have implemented health checks at airports and even quarantine procedures for some visitors, international travel has so far been unrestricted.

Domestically, various governments have launched health campaigns to advise the public on the risks. In Britain, leaflets have been delivered to every household giving information on how the virus is spread and advising how best to protect oneself from it. There has also been a large publicity campaign launched on television and radio in an attempt to persuade people to be more careful when they sneeze.

The main advice to the public is to “catch it, bin it, kill it”, by using a tissue, disposing of it quickly and by washing hands regularly.

While there is an obvious concern from the risks of A/H1N1, so far the virus has not shown itself to be as deadly a threat as some have feared.

An estimated 12,000 people, mainly in the older age group, die every year from seasonal flu in the UK, according to the BMA. In the U.S. tens of thousands die annually from seasonal flu. But so far the entire global death rate from A/H1N1 remains well below 1,000, with the WHO confirming only 146 deaths.

Many of those affected by A/H1N1 are in a much younger age group, and some are otherwise healthy individuals. The greatest fear amongst medical experts is the virus could mutate and become ever more deadly.

In the past, pandemics have killed more than a million around the world. Between 1918 and 1919, the so-called Spanish Flu was responsible for an estimated 20 to 40 million deaths. And in more recent history the Asian Flu in 1957 and the Hong Kong Flu of 1968 killed up to 4 million between them.

British politics in turmoil

A day before Britons go to the polls in local and European elections, the Labour party is in turmoil. Amid controversy over MP’s expenses several high ranking politicians have announced their intention to stand down from the cabinet. On Tuesday it was announced that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was to step down from her position in the next cabinet reshuffle expected next week.

Within hours of this news breaking four other Labour Members of Parliament announced their intention to step down. Children's minister Beverley Hughes and ex-health secretary Patricia Hewitt said they would also resign their positions. Political turmoil continued after it was reported that Ian Gibson, Margaret Moran, Elliott Morley and David Chaytor would be barred from standing as MPs at the next general election scheduled for 2010. And on Wednesday Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced she was quitting from her cabinet position.

Leadership contest

Gordon Brown has continually insisted he will not resign his position as prime minister nor hold an early general election. But as more and more ministers stepped down his position has been considered untenable by many political commentators.

One political pundit said there was little the prime minister could do except perhaps “saving a drowning kitten from the river Thames”. Speaking on Sky News the Times political correspondent said, “Short of the arch-angel Gabriel coming down I can’t see what he can do”.

On the street anger is building amongst the general public. One lorry driver angry at the current Labour administration told tvnewswatch that “political change was on its way”.

“Gordon Brown is washed up,” he said as he went on to criticise the prime minister’s latest initiatives. “His scrappage scheme is not going to work,” he said, “I drive hundreds of miles across the country and I see thousands of unsold cars parked up near Avon docks near Bristol.”

As a lorry driver he was also worried about his own job. “No-one’s secure in this economic climate,” he said.

Opposition parties were taking particular advantage of the situation with Shadow Commons Secretary Theresa May saying the government had “lost its authority” and was “in meltdown”. The Conservative MP said a general election was needed and that only “David Cameron can take this country forward”.

But many Labour MPs were pulling rank in support of Gordon Brown. “It would be madness to oust the Prime Minister at this stage,” Martin Salter, MP for Reading West, said. “He’s the best person to lead the country through the recession,” he insisted, but he conceded Gordon Brown had been "dealt with a pretty tough hand”.

Even Jacqui Smith, who is standing down as home secretary, insisted that Gordon Brown was the right man for the job and that there were “no wimps in the Labour party”.

A rowdy PMQs

The party in freefall, as it has been described by some, faced a grilling as the prime minister stood up in parliament during PMQs [Prime Ministers Questions]. Leader of the opposition, David Cameron, said the government was “collapsing before our eyes,” and called on the prime minister to “get down to the palace and call for a dissolution” of parliament.

But Gordon Brown defended his position insisting there was "still work to be done” and accused the Conservative party of having no policies. “They are all words, words and words,” the prime minister said.

But Cameron continued, saying that Brown was “in denial” following the resignations and departures of so many Labour MPs. Stuttering his way though his response the PM said there were pressures on all members of parliament in the house.

Cameron’s continued lambasting of the prime minister caused uproar in the house among the Labour benches and brought a threat from the speaker. “There is a danger of the house being suspended if the leader of the opposition is shouted down,” Michael Martin exclaimed.

Cameron went on to describe the government as dysfunctional and said the main issue was one of leadership. He was also critical of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, who was vehemently defended by Gordon Brown who said he was “doing a very good job.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg also laid into the Labour party. He said the government was “paralysed” and that “Labour was finished”. There was only two choices for voters, he insisted, that of the Conservatives or his own party.

A scathing press

The government has suffered weeks of criticism from the British press with daily reports concerning expenses claimed by MPs. While no party has been spared from the uncomfortable revelations, it is the Labour party that has suffered in the polls and courted public anger. But the press coverage has also angered MPs with Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, calling it a “media frenzy”.

The latest resignations brought strong headlines in many of Wednesday's newspapers. The Daily Telegraph, which broke the details of MP’s expenses, ran with the headline “Cabinet meltdown” and accused the departing Members of Parliament of milking the system “to the end”.

The Daily Mail reported the story with the headline “Rats desert sinking ship”, while the Independent described the situation as “Disarray in Downing Street”.

The Sun called it Labour’s blackest day and ran with the headline “Blunderbird” with a spoof image of Jacqui Smith dressed as a Gerry Anderson Thunderbird puppet. The comparison to the 1960’s children’s television series was more than a little ironic. It will need more than International Rescue to pull the party from the quagmire of the political mud it has found itself.

Important elections

Despite the difficulties the Labour party faces, those within its ranks have urged people to vote on June 4th. “There's an important set of elections tomorrow. My message is simple: get out and vote Labour,” Hazel Blears said in her resignation statement.

Others within the party warned that racist parties such as the British National Party would be given a boost if people stayed away from the polls. Barry Gardiner, a backbench MP, said “I would absolutely urge everybody, whether they vote for my party or any other party, to get out there and vote, as long as they don’t vote for the racists.”

The political infighting seen amongst the Labour ranks is nothing new in British politics. In the 1990s the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was forced out, handing the reigns to John Major who himself had conflicts with some of his cabinet.

He too suffered from internal squabbling and once referred to some of his cabinet as those “bastards”.

John Major was caught on tape talking about possible reshuffles in his cabinet while preparing for an interview with ITN [Independent Television News]. During the conversation, which was not intended for broadcast, Major said, "I could bring in other people. But where do you think most of this poison is coming from? From the dispossessed and the never-possessed. You can think of ex-ministers who are going around causing all sorts of trouble.”

Then came the punch line. “We don't want another three more of the bastards out there. What's Lyndon Johnson's maxim?..."

It was at this point that someone, presumably an ITN technician, realised what was happening and pulled the plug. "Johnson's maxim" was, incidentally, a reference to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, whom he declined to sack on the basis that "it's probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in".

It appears there are quite a few Labour MPs pissing into Gordon Brown’s tent. And as British politics begins to smell a bit rank the electorate will make their voices known.

Though it is widely believed Labour will do badly, it is unclear whether there will be a major endorsement for the other parties.

US 'shock jock' to sue Jacqui Smith

Savage attack: Michael Savage says he's been libeled by Home secretary

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith may find herself in court in the coming months after placing an American radio presenter on a list of persons banned from Britain. Michael Savage, a so called ‘shock jock’, has joined a list which included convicted terrorists, murderers and Islamic fanatics. But his addition to the list has angered the 67 year old presenter who insists he has been defamed by the Home Secretary.

And in response he has threatened to sue Ms Smith personally, unless he is removed from the list and receives a written apology.

Britain’s ‘least wanted’

The list of Britain’s “least wanted” which was published this week seeks to exclude people the government considers dangerous. It is made up of 22 individuals, though only 16 are named. It names 7 radical Islamists, one Jewish radical, two Russian right wing extremists and several US citizens ranging from neo Nazis to radical preachers.

Amongst those mentioned are the Hamas MP Yunis Al Astal. He once claimed that ““Rome will be conquered [by Islam], just like Constantinople” and is considered by the Home Office to be an individual who engages in “unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts." Others Islamic extremists include Hezbollah terrorist Samir Al Quntar and preacher Amir Siddique. Samir Al Quntar once participated in the attempted kidnapping of an Israeli family in Nahariya that resulted in the deaths of four Israelis and two of his fellow kidnappers. He was released from prison last year after 29 years in prison. Other Islamic radicals included are Nasr Javed, Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed_Ghoneim, Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal and Safwat Hijazi.

It’s not just Islamic extremists on the list. Jewish extremist Mike Guzovsky is also included. Guzorsky is listed as a contact for the US banned terror organisation Kahane.org.

Far right Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky said to be responsible for leading a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the internet have been banned from Britain, though both are languishing in prison following their conviction in 2007 in connection with the murder of 37 people.

Apart from Michael Savage, there are 5 other Americans on the list. Ex-Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe, Muslim activist Abdul Alim Musa, radical pastor Fred Waldron Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper.

Many of those named on the list have not expressed any specific desire to travel to the UK, and at least three are currently in prison.

Defamation claims

Following the publication of the list, Michael Savage, whose real name is Michael Weiner, said he was shocked.

“I looked at the headline on the Drudge Report and I couldn’t believe it,” Savage told listeners on his radio show, “I thought it was a joke.”

But his shock turned to anger after the DJ found out who he’d been associated with.
"For this lunatic Jacqui Smith, to link me up with skinheads killing people in Russia and mass murderers who kill Jews on buses is defamation,” Savage proclaimed. “She has put a target on my back,” the controversial radio presenter added, and said he would sue the British politician.

Jacqui Smith has justified the inclusion of Mr Savage on the list saying he was “someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause intercommunity tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country.”

Britain’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown also defended the government position. “There will have been specific decisions made by the Home Office based on the evidence that they have,” he said. “Our general position is that we do want to make a distinction between reasonable and moderate debate and actions that deliberately set out to create tensions.”

Following the release of the list, several news organisations clamoured for interviews from Savage, who is not well known in Britain. The BBC, Sky News and CNN all covered the story giving Michael Savage more publicity than he could have imagined.

The irony is that the decision to include the ‘shock jock’ on the ‘least wanted’ list has served to bring his views to a far wider audience. Few in Britain would have heard of Savage or his programme the “Savage Nation” before this week. In years past his show could only be heard on short wave radio, but with the advent of the Internet many can easily tune in to his chat show.

Ranting and raving

For those who listened in to the several affiliate stations which carry the Savage Nation, they were met with the ranting of an angry man. Savage, who has published several books and holds a PhD, claims he has up to 10 million listeners across America. From this large base he says he will launch boycott of British goods and travel to the country.

“Britain will suffer financially from this mistake,” Michael Savage told his listeners on Thursday. In his show which warns listeners of “adult language and psychological nudity”, Savage claims he represents the majority of what America believes.

“I talk about family values,” he said, running a campaign of “Borders, language and culture”.

His views are nonetheless very strong. He has spoken out very strongly against homosexuality and Islamic terrorists. He has also been criticised for statements made about autism, though he says he has made mistakes at times. But he insists he has never incited violence.

He holds nothing back in his criticism of those he dislikes. On Thursday night’s show he called the British government “extremist” and described Home Secretary Jacqui Smith as a “Witch”, a “hateful person” and a “creature”.

“I am going to use attorneys of England to sue Jacqui Smith,” he said, “Send me a letter of apology or you will find yourself in the courts.”

Callers to the show were unsurprisingly supportive of the right-wing DJ. One caller who claimed to be a former London police office calling from within the US said the British government had chosen a “White American radical Jew to appease the Islamists”.

“They are petrified of radical Muslims” the caller said, and in order to placate those that might feel the Muslim population had been unfairly singled out, Savage had been added to the list. “I’ve heard that,” Savage said, but avoided direct agreement.

Britain an "extremist nation"

His show was punctuated with bursts of Rule Britannia, the Russian ex-Soviet Nationale and the Sex Pistol’s God Save the Queen. At one point he played what he regarded as one of the most important speeches of all time, that given by Winston Churchill on June 18th 1940.

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us.

Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' ”

It was all a part of his attempt to show how Britain had lost sight of its once well founded principles of democracy and free speech laid out in the Magna Carta.

“If they don’t get some backbone they won’t have a nation” Savage declared.

“People are saying to me that this is the last gasp of a troubled Labour party that is out of touch with the voters of England,” Savage told reporters earlier. “That's all well and good but will the Conservatives undo the damage that this lunatic has done?”

Oxygen of publicity

Whether or not his views are dangerous, as the government maintains, their efforts to exclude him from Britain, has only increased his public profile. But it is not the first time such plans have backfired. In February this year Dutch right wing politician Geert Wilders was turned back at Heathrow by authorities because of his views. As a result he was unable to attend a meeting in London’s parliament, but the publicity served only to increase his public profile. His controversial film Fitna subsequently received record hits on video websites and there were pages of debate in the national press and on television about a previously unheard of politician.

In fact the banning of people, books and records has often served to make them more popular than they otherwise would have been. By banning Savage, the Labour party, which are already suffering in the polls, has courted yet more bad publicity for itself. From a failing economy, criticism over MP’s expenses to accusations of directing the country towards a police state, the government is on the defensive. A libel case against the Home Secretary is the last thing it needs.

WHO declares pandemic is imminent

The World Health Organisation has increased its swine flu threat level to Phase 5, which declares that a pandemic is imminent [WHO].

The WHO amounts to a call for action for governments around the world to actively prepare plans. In Britain the government laid out its plan during a parliamentary session and at an afternoon press conference.

Its health campaign launched on Thursday under the slogan of “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”. The initiative came as Britain announced the number of people confirmed with the virus rose to five.

New cases

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an announcement in the British parliament during Prime Minister’s Questions. One of those tested positive was identified as a 12 year old girl who had travelled on the same plane as the two currently being treated in Scotland. Two other adults were also identified as having contracted the virus, one a 22 year old man from south London and the other a 44 year old woman from Birmingham.

The girl from Torbay in Devon is being treated at home and many of her fellow pupils have been administered antiviral drugs. Paignton Community and Sports College, the school at the centre of the latest scare, has been shut for seven days and 230 students are being treated with Tamiflu. Fifty of them are being monitored closely after having come into close contact with the girl.

Although those infected show a direct connection with Mexico, there is no immediate sign of a human to human transmission in the UK, the government said today. But the government has said it is keeping a close eye on developments.

In a more positive note, 7 people who had been closely monitored after showing flu-like symptoms after coming into contact with the Scottish couple, the first in Britain to contract the virus, were today declared infection free.

Health plan

But the British government says it is not sitting by idly. In parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said more anti-viral drugs, namely Tamilfu and Relenza, were being ordered to treat up to 80% of the UK population. In addition the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson said the government had ordered 60 million surgical and respiratory face masks for health workers. These specialist masks were beneficial if used properly, changed frequently and disposed off correctly, Johnson said. However, he dismissed the usefulness of masks by the general public. “There is no convincing scientific evidence to show the effectiveness of wearing a mask,” Alan Johnson said on Wednesday. Chief Medical Officer Professor Liam Donaldson also said that masks were of little use. “Scientific advice is that they are of very little value because they get moist and the virus is so small it goes through the pores,” Donaldson said, whilst adding, “it adds to a false sense of security.”

Instead, government health advice to those showing symptoms is to use a tissue and to dispose of it before then washing hands, preferably with anti-bacterial soap.
Alan Johnson told reporters that the best line in defence was to keep people informed about issues such as hygiene.

On Thursday a special telephone helpline was opened to the public [0800 513 513] and adverts were launched on TV, radio and in print media. Alan Johnson said that leaflets giving advice would also be distributed to every home in Britain on Tuesday next week.

Planning for a pandemic

Even before the WHO raised the threat level, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said, “We are planning for all eventualities and we need to understand more about this virus.”

There was a great deal more to learn, he said, both in the way it was transmitted and how long the virus took to take hold. “We don’t know the incubation period yet,” Donaldson added.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday evening, Britain’s Secretary of State for Health reiterated the country was “well placed to deal with this infection”. In 1968 when Britain was hit by a similar medical emergency, there had been no national plan, Johnson said, but the government had learnt from history. “We can reduce its impact seen in pandemics of the last century,” Johnson said.

While the government is aiming to reassure the public, there is continued concern that the media is overhyping the issue. There is also concern that online discussion on services like Twitter is also adding to people’s worries [CNN]. During the Sky News paper review Kelvin Mackenzie, ex-editor of the Sun newspaper, said that people should “calm down” adding that more people die from seasonal flu. It is has to be said that seasonal flu in the UK kills up to 2,000 people every year and 36,000 die in the US. So far, around 150 have died from so called swine flu.

There issue over its name is raising some debate. The correct name is the H1N1 Influenza A virus, and not ‘swine flu’ as it has been dubbed. It has perhaps angered pig farmers and butchers the most. Russia and China have both banned imports of pork from Mexico, despite there being no link to eating the meat. Egypt has gone further with orders issued to kill the country’s 300,000 pigs.

[BBC / Sky News / CNN / wikipedia].

"Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic"

Alistair Darling announced his budget in parliament today [Wednesday] but it has drawn a poor reception from opposition parties and commentators. One e-mailer to Sky News described it as merely “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”.

It is a recession that has brought the worst debts in over 50 years and unemployment rates that continue to rise to record levels.

Opposition leader David Cameron said that the government had brought decades of debt. “The last Labour government left the dead unburied, this Labour government leaves the debts unpaid,” he said.

“What is the point of another 14 months of a government of the Living Dead,” he lambasted.

Similar views were expressed by other members of parliament with Liberal Democratic Party leader Nick Clegg accusing the government of being “out of ideas and running out of steam”.

Cigarettes & Alcohol

Many pub goers will be steaming after Darling’s announcement to increase the tax on alcohol by 2%. The decision has angered the British Beer & Publicans’ Association [BBPA] and the Campaign for Real Ale which has lobbied hard to ease pressure on Britain’s pubs, which are now closing at a rate of 39 per week.

There is little solace for smokers who will see cigarettes rise by 2%. And motorists will be fuming after the Chancellor announced petrol would rise by two pence per litre in September and a further penny per litre every April for the next few years.

Tax on beer will hit every drinker in every pub and taxes on fuel will hit every motorist driving to work, Cameron said.

The BBPA said, “Today’s Budget signs the death warrant for thousands of Britain’s pubs and for tens of thousands of British jobs.”

Meanwhile motoring organisations have criticised the fuel tax rises. RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said, "Today's announcement is another brutal blow for motorists who have already witnessed a decade of non-stop increases and price rises.”

“It's time for the Government to stop treating motorists' pockets as a bottomless pit of money and recognise their right to drive at a fair, affordable price,” he added.
Car scrappage

There was scepticism over the government’s car scappage scheme which is aimed at reducing the amount of the more polluting cars on Britain’s roads. It is also hoped the scheme will help boost the car industry. From next month, until March 2010, motorists will be offered a £2,000 discount on new cars if they trade in cars older than 10 years. But the cars to be scrapped must have passed an MoT and there has been criticism that the scheme is too bureaucratic.

While the government is putting £1,000 into the scheme it is looking to manufacturers for a matching contribution. It has prompted some to say the scheme may prove to be uneconomic, given that the motor industry will also have to pay for the disposal of the old vehicles.

But Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders was broadly optimistic about the government plan.

“This is good news for consumers and will get people back into showrooms, kick-starting demand in the market,” Everitt said.

“The scheme recognises the economic value of the motor industry and we are determined to make it a success. There is clearly a great deal to do and we look forward to discussing the finer detail of the proposal with government in the coming days.”

Tax

The Chancellor announced he would raise income tax for those earning more than £150,000 per year to 50% as from April 2010. But while this may bring in vast sums of money, some believed it may scare some high earners out of the country.

Economy

It was the state of the economy which drew most interest. Chancellor Alistair Darling forecast the economy would shrink 3.5% in 2009, 2.5% worse than expected. He said growth was not expected to start until at least 2010 when it would be at 1.25% and 3.5% from 2011.

The figures have already been described as “fantasy” by acting leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vince Cable. He said the predictions were “Wildly optimistic and completely unreal.”

Even the International Monetary Fund predicts the British economy is likely to see a 4.1% contraction this year and projects further shrinkage next year.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) also said the figures “look optimistic” and warned against such long term predictions. Richard Lambert, the CBI Director-General, said “By pushing out the horizon for balancing the books as far as 2018 the Government is running too much of a risk.”

There were gasps of astonishment when Darling stated public borrowing was set to reach £175 billion by the end of 2009, amounting to 12% of GDP. The total debt would grow over the coming years he said, though the amounts borrowed would fall year on year. He announced borrowings of £173 billion in 2010, £140 billion in 2011, £118 billion in 2012 and £97 billion by 2013. This amounts to a total of £703 billion.

The City was shocked by the mounting debt. City commentator David Buik said many were “blown away by the gargantuan size of the national debt”.

Opposition leader David Cameron accused the government of “Running out of money, running out of moral authority and running out of time.”

But one leading trade union has supported the government’s efforts in tackling the economic crisis head on. Unite's joint general secretary, Derek Simpson said, “Alistair Darling had to deliver the toughest budget in decades but he has positioned Labour as the party for jobs and social justice while exposing the Tories for being the party of cuts and inequality.”

Jobs

In an effort to tackle the rising unemployment, the Chancellor said the government would offer support to the long-term unemployed under 25s who would be offered a job or training. He announced that an additional £1.7 billion would be made available to the Job Centre network.

Housing

Alistair Darling announced a scheme to guarantee mortgage backed securities to boost lending. Stamp duty holiday for homes would rise to £175,000 and be extended to end of year. In addition he said an extra £80 million would be made available for shared equity mortgage schemes.

But opposition leader David Cameron was not impressed by the chancellor’s proposals. “Home buy direct has not made a single sale through the exisiting scheme,” Cameron said.

Savings and benefits

There were announcements to identify and close tax loopholes which he said could raise more than £1 billion. And he proposed a cut in public spending from 1.1% to 0.7% in 2011-2012. In a move to encourage saving Annual limits for tax-free ISAs would rise to more than £10,000 for over-50s this year and for everyone else next year, the chancellor said.

Environment

In a bid to cut Britain’s CO2 levels by 34% by 2020, Darling said an extra £1 billion would be spent to support low-carbon industries. Around £500 million would be made available for offshore wind projects over the next two years and £435 million would be spent in support of energy efficiency schemes for homes, firms and public buildings.
But Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said the government had not done enough. "The Government has squandered a historic opportunity to kick-start a green industrial revolution, create tens of thousands of jobs and slash UK carbon dioxide emissions,” Atkins said

The budget is rarely good news, but this year painted an extremely grim picture. Britain is likely to be in debt to the tune of more than £700 billion within 5 years. Unemployment sees no sign of falling and many expect the number to rise to more than 3 million by the end of 2009.

The opposition parties have made great capital in tearing Labour’s proposals to pieces and called for a change in government. The Conservatives may well win the next election set for 2010, but they will inherit a country in the worst financial situation in living memory. It is an unenviable position they will find themselves [BBC / Sky News].

Terror chief blunder forces early raids

Bob Quick, Britain’s head of counter terrorism, has resigned after a blunder which forced security services to bring forward an operation. Quick had been photographed entering Downing Street on Wednesday, but he had inadvertently held an important document in full view of the press. Although news organisations were contacted shortly afterwards the potential leak resulted in an anti-terrorism operation being launched earlier than expected [Sky News / BBC / CNN].

Twelve people were arrested in several areas in the north west of England late Wednesday afternoon. At least one person was arrested at Liverpool’s John Moores University in full sight of students studying in the library. Armed officers moved in swiftly to detain their suspect. There are conflicting reports as to how many people arrested at that location with students saying two men were taken away. Police say only one man had been arrested.

Across Liverpool several addresses were raided and a number of suspects were taken away by police. Five addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe were also raided in the operation. North of Manchester two men are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid.

The operation is said to have been connected to an imminent threat to the UK according to reports, the veracity, of which cannot be established. However the document carried by now former counter terrorism chief Bob Quick reveals some important details of Operation Pathway. Part of the document reads: “This is a Security services led investigation into suspected AQ driven attack planning within the UK”. The AQ is believed to refer to al-Qaeda. The document also mentions that there were 11 suspects at 7 addresses under investigation. Three addresses are identified as being in the Greater Manchester area while three others were in the Merseyside, or Liverpool, area. The other address was identified as being in Lancashire. All but one of the suspects are stated as being Pakistani nationals living within the UK on student visas. One is a British born national. The nationality of the twelfth person arrested in the subsequent raids remains unknown [Sky News / BBC].

IPCC to investigate G20 protest death

The Metropolitan Police will be once again attempting to defend their actions and an apparent tissue of lies after footage released tonight showed police officers pushing a man to the floor who later died of a heart attack. Ian Tomlinson had been returning from work as a newspaper vendor outside Monument station on the day of the G20 protests when he was violently pushed to the floor. Protesters at the scene attended to the man and he walked away dazed. He collapsed moments later and died of a heart attack despite a swift response from police paramedics.

Various reports emerged from the police that evening. In the Gold control room there were suggestions the man had been a vagrant or homeless, and that he had been drinking. It was also widely circulated that Mr Tomlinson had taken part in the protests.

His death was breaking news at around 10 pm on Wednesday night on both Sky News and the BBC. Both channels quoted the Metropolitan Police saying that a man had died after “collapsing in the street”. Police later said they had at no point made contact with the man. Though some of the officers may not have known the man pushed to the ground was to be the man who died.

Pictures published later however brought forward many witnesses after they recognised the man in the picture and have reported the earlier incident to the IPCC [Independent Police Complaints Commission].

Yesterday the Guardian ran a story in which they suggested that Ian Tomlinson had been assaulted. Photographer Anna Branthwaite told the paper, "I can remember seeing Ian Tomlinson. He was rushed from behind by a riot officer with a helmet and shield two or three minutes before he collapsed." Branthwaite, an experienced press photographer, has made a statement to the IPCC as have several others. A female protester, who did not want to be named but has given her testimony to the IPCC, said she saw a man she later recognised as Tomlinson being pushed aggressively from behind by officers. "I saw a man violently propelled forward, as though he'd been flung by the arm, and fall forward on his head. He hit the top front area of his head on the pavement. I noticed his fall particularly because it struck me as a horrifically forceful push by a policeman and an especially hard fall; it made me wince."

On BBC Radio 4’ PM programme Tomlinson’s son Paul King called for witnesses to come forward so the family could learn the truth behind his fathers death. He said the family was “devastated” by Ian’s death and described him as a “lovely father”. The Guardian article and radio report has now brought further eyewitness reports and video evidence which not only refute police claims but may bring possible charges if the IPCC find that the apparent assault on Mr Tomlinson resulted in his subsequent heart attack [Sky News / BBC / Guardian]

Children face attempted murder charges

1. Nine-year-old boy found injured on Auburn Road
2. Critically injured 11-year-old found
3. Two boys, aged 10 and 11, arrested

Two boys will be charged of attempted murder and robbery following the assault of two others in Edlington, in south Yorkshire, England, on Saturday. One boy remains in hospital following a horrific attack which left him with serious head injuries. He was found stripped to just a T-shirt after his friend staggered away from the scene, covered in blood, and sought help.

Police were earlier given extra time to interview the 10 year old and 11 year old brothers arrested soon after the attack [BBC]. Their victims a nine year old and an eleven year old were apparently robbed of their mobile phones and trainers in what has been described as a vicious attack. People who found the nine year old child wandering along a road described his injuries as horrific saying he’d been “cut from head to toe”. Local residents told the BBC they believed the two victims had been hit with a brick, slashed with a knife and burned with cigarettes in the Brick Ponds area of Edlington on Saturday.

Lisa Meehan said "I felt sick to my stomach, You couldn't see his face, he was cut from head to toe with a gash across his head. They had slashed his arms and face and he had no trainers or socks on. His face was mashed."

The severity of the attack prompted the Prime Minister to make a statement in which he said it was “clearly a shocking incident” [Sky News].

'Islamophobic' politician refused UK entry

The title screen to the controversial film

It was perhaps an standard procedure enacted out by UK authorities, but the blocking of Dutch member of parliament Geert Wilders from entering Britain only fuelled publicity for the film he had come to promote. Fitner explores Koranic alleged motivations for terrorism, Islamic universalism, and Islam in the Netherlands. Its title comes from the Arabic word fitna, which describes "disagreement and division among people" or a "test of faith in times of trial".
Many critics have described the film as offensive. But arriving on flight 104 to Heathrow on Thursday, Geert Wilders said, “Even if you don’t like my thoughts at least defend the right to freedom of speech”. On arrival authorities were not quite so open minded. He was taken off for a “discussion” after which he was escorted to another plane to be immediately deported and told he would be banned for three years from returning. Lord Pearson described the decision as ludicrous. But Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrats’ Home Affairs spokesperson thought it was the right decision. “Would he be inciting violence and hatred? I believe he would” he told Channel Four News. However other thought the ban would only serve to give oxygen to Geert Wilders and stifle debate. Maajid Nawaz of the Quilliam Foundation described the decision as a knee-jerk reaction by the British government. While saying he thought the film was offensive he insisted it did not incite violence [BBC / Sky News / CNN / Press TV / al Jazeera / geertwilders.nl]

video-Fitna

Anger rises as unemployment soars

Flashback to the 1980s when unemployment was around 3 million

Anger and resentment in Britain is growing as the recession deepens. While there is of course concern amongst the unemployed as to how they are going to pay their bills or find another job, there is increasing anger directed towards the government and more recently top bankers. The rhetoric coming daily from the politicians is not solving the economic problems that Britain faces. And many see government actions as only helping the banks and financial institutions instead of the ever increasing numbers of unemployed and others struggling to pay their bills and mortgages.

Banks have been a particular target as many seem to be failing in their responsibility of passing on interest rate cuts to customers. In addition, most of the financial institutions have become unwilling to lend despite the government bail-outs amounting to billions of pounds. In the last week there has been an explosion of criticism mounted against the main high street banks. From individuals to high profile celebrity chefs, there have been complaints that the banks are just plain refusing to increase overdrafts or make loans available. Antony Worrall Thompson a well known celebrity chef said he had been forced to close four of his restaurants after Lloyds bank deemed him a credit risk. He said he was furious that the bank had refused to extend his overdraft by the £200,000 needed to keep the business afloat. The closures have added a further 60 people to the unemployment lines.

This week the Labour government released new figures showing unemployment had reached a 12 year high of more than 1.97 million [BBC]. The figure does not take into account those who have lost their jobs since the end of December and excludes many jobless who are unable to apply for benefits. The Office for National Statistics has reported that nearly 3,000 people are being made redundant every day and much of the UK press have drawn parallels to the 1980’s Conservative party election campaign when a famous poster showed a long queue of unemployed under the banner ‘Labour isn’t Working’.

While the long list of unemployed queue for their benefits and search for new jobs, it is the bankers who are being blamed. Despite the economic crisis gripping the country, many top bankers are still being paid massive bonuses. Even those bailed out by the government have continued with the controversial policy. The grilling by MPs this week has only tarnished their image further and led to lurid headlines in the British press. Branded ‘Scumbag Millionaires’ by one tabloid newspaper, four top bankers apologised for misjudging the economic crisis. Lord Stevenson, former Chairman of Halifax Bank of Scotland [HBOS], Andy Hornby, former Chief Executive of HBOS, Sir Fred Goodwin, former Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland [RBS], and Sir Tom McKillop, former Chairman of RBS, were subject to a four hour interrogation by a selection of cross party MPs.

Sir Fred Goodwin had once received a salary of £1.29 M and a bonus in excess of £2.8 M. The bank he was once in charge of has been bailed out to the tune of £20 billion by the British government. Andy Hornby had received a salary of £1.93 million and a bonus of nearly half a million pounds. His bank, HBOS has so far received £17 billion from the government. Hornby said the bonus culture had been “proven to be wrong in the last twenty four months”. But the apologies and statement will mean little to those struggling to pay their mortgages, worrying about debt, unemployment or worse. On the street members of the public said the bankers were only “motivated by self interest”, with many expressing disgust at the huge salaries and bonuses paid out to bosses while ordinary customers were dealt increasing bank charges and interest rates.

During the four hour debate it emerged that Paul Moore, a former employee at HBOS, had warned the bank and the Treasury Select Committee of problems ahead. In a memo to the TSC he said there was “... a total failure of all key aspects of governance. In my view and from my personal experience at HBOS, all the other specific failures stem from this one primary cause” and adds that “...I was obliged to raise numerous issues of actual or potential breach of Financial Services Authority regulations and had to challenge unacceptable practices...”

However, Lord Stevenson dismissed Moore’s interpretation of the risks. Paul Moore meanwhile has alleged he was ousted from his job at HBOS and replaced by Sir James Crosby who himself has since been appointed as a key advisor by the government to help sort out the mortgage and banking crisis. Moore was critical of his replacement saying Crosby “had never carried out a role as a risk manager of any type before”.

The accusations by Paul Moore has resulted in calls for a new investigation by the Conservative party. “What we need to know is whether the allegations now made at the time he was running HBOS are true or not, and I think the government need to find out if those allegations are true, then we can decide as country whether it’s right that Sir James Crosby is involved in the regulation of the banks going forward” the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, said.

But before Prime Minister Gordon Brown could raise any allegations with Sir James Crosby, the millionaire banker quit his position as vice-chairman of the FSA. Yesterday he was holed up at his million pound mansion in Harrogate in northern England as journalists and photographers waited outside [BBC].

On television and radio chat shows the anger coming from the public is still only simmering. But on picket lines and protests outside oil refineries in recent days the anger was definitely boiling over. The fight for jobs may becoming dirtier in the coming months as foreign workers take up UK jobs. New statistics show that the number of non-UK born workers increased by 214,000 in the year up to December while the number of British workers fell by 278,000 over the same period. It is a growing situation that has prompted calls to cut back the number of non-EU work permits being issued. Last year a record 151,000 work permits were handed out to foreigners. The statistics will only fuel the anger in a difficult job market. With opportunities at home drying up some may be looking abroad to beat the credit crunch. The Jobcentre Plus website is advertising almost 200,000 posts in Europe, far less than the number offered in the UK. However many offer very low wages and are no real solution to the millions of job seekers. But there are some opportunities even further a field, if one doesn’t mind the cold [Bloomberg]. The British Antarctic Survey is advertising several posts on its website paying upwards of £23,000 per year [antarctica.ac.uk].

After the snow, floods hit the UK

A woman climbs out of her flooded vehicle near Chelmsford, Essex

Britain is continuing to suffer from extreme weather with snow still blighting many regions. However it was heavy rain and floods that was wreaking havoc in the east of the country. In Essex the fire brigade fielded more than 300 calls from the public, six times the usual number of emergency calls. It was all due to the high tides and more than 30 mm of rain which fell in less than 24 hours. It resulted in more than 75 flood warning beings being put in place by the environment agency.

Flood signs failed to dissuade motorists from risking their lives and vehicles as they drove into flooded streets. Those ignoring warnings found themselves stuck in water up to 1.5 metres deep [5 feet] [BBC]. One woman drove into deep water and was later taken to hospital suffering from mild hypothermia and shock. In Braintree paramedics battled through flooded roads to reach a pregnant woman who later gave birth at her home [BBC].

Floods also affected parts of London and the West Country. In Water Lane in Watford there was flooding surrounding a hotel. And there were isolated reports of flooding in Dorchester in Dorset. Meanwhile snow was still acusing problems in the north of the country and to the far west. In South Wales snow forced the closure of schools and many cars became trapped in snow bound roads. Gloucestershire and Cambridgeshire were also affected by continuing snowy conditions [BBC / Sky News].

Floodline - 0845 9881188

More snow on way for Britain

In Britain, meteorologists have warned more heavy snow is on its way [Sky News]. It will be welcome news for millions of children many of whom have seen their schools closed and taken advantage of tobogganing in parks and building snowmen [BBC]. But for commuters it poses more problems ahead. London and the surrounding counties were particularly hard hit on Monday with rail, bus and air transport networks being severely disrupted. Even rubbish collection has been affected in some areas [BBC].

While London thawed out, the west country and Wales saw heavy snowfall adding to the continued problems across the country. The economy is said to be losing billions of pounds every day due to the snow which has resulted in many workers remaining at home [CNN]. Many shops, already suffering from financial problems remained closed on Tuesday and some were stilled shuttered on Wednesday morning in many areas. Even where outlets were open, shoppers were few and far between. Icy pavements and freezing temperatures kept many at home.

The inability of the country to cope in such wintry conditions has led to criticism of local authorities for not gritting roads sufficiently. Many members of the public have condemned public transport companies for failing them. However London’s Mayor Boris Johnson said that it would be a waste of public money to have resources ready for conditions that happen so rarely. Indeed, the capital has not seen such conditions for around 18 years, but the chaos seen in London and the south-east could have been better prepared for as weathermen gave ample warning of the Siberian blast heading towards Britain. Laying grit on the roads is not however the cure all. It is about timing as well as having sufficient quantities [BBC]. Salt has to be on the road when the snow is fairly light, and most roads were well covered during Sunday evening. It is also advantageous to have traffic grinding the salt and snow together. London was least equipped to deal with the heavy snowfall and low temperatures since snow is rare and there are few gritting resources. But there are widely also differing resources across the home counties. Essex has around 60 gritting vehicles while Gloucestershire possesses only 12 such vehicles for the entire county.

If such condition become more frequent, local authorities will have to rethink their policy and emergency planning. For now Britain will have to put up with the chaos a small amount of snow brings with it.

Snow causes chaos in Britain

Throughout much of last week it was the continuing economic crisis that dominated the headlines. Protests have threatened to bring Britain to a halt after a serious of wildcat strikes broke out across the country. Oil workers, concerned about their jobs being taken by foreign workers, have walked out [BBC / Sky News]. However it was not the increasing industrial action that stopped England working. Instead, a few centimetres of snow managed to disrupt much of the country creating travel chaos and resulting in millions of pounds being lost as business closed early and many workers being forced to stay at home.

Described as a “heavy dumping of snow” by Sky News, the precipitation caused 1000 miles of traffic jams and closed all of London’s airport. At Heathrow a Cyprus airlines jet slipped from the runway, though no injuries were reported. Along un-gritted roads across the home counties motorists who braved the appalling road conditions found themselves slipping and sliding. Average speeds along many routes dropped to well below 40 km/h [20 mph] causing widespread gridlock. Those taking to public transport were left stranded after all of London’s buses were cancelled and much of the London Underground rail network was also brought to a halt. Shops in many areas were closed adding to Britain’s financial wows. It is estimated the weather may be costing the country in excess of one billion pounds.

For some the day was extremely enjoyable however. Most schools were shut and children took to the parks to build snowmen as others hit the slopes on sledges. At the dry ski-slope in Brentwood, Essex, the scene was more like the Swiss alps as snow gave a realistic feel to the facility. More snow is forecast with a severe weather warning announced by the Met Office [BBC / Sky News].

If the forecast by Punxsutawney Phil is right then winter may be here for another six weeks. “He saw his shadow and went back in,” said Jacqueline Parker, a spokesperson with the Nova Scotia provincial government told reporters. “It’s six more weeks of winter” she added [CTV News].

Today was after all Groundhog Day Groundhog Day. The annual holiday is marked in the United States and Canada. On the occaision a groundhog is used as a measure of weather prediction. If a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. It is an event not observed here in the UK, though the irony may not have been missed by some.

UK - Recession claims more retail victims

Sales have already started at many UK stores

The recession has claimed its third victim in less than 48 hours after record store Zavvo called in administrators [BBC / Sky News]. Only yesterday the Officer's Club, a men's clothing store, started to close 32 of its 150 shops immediately after they filed for administration. The remaining stores were set to be sold off. But a last minute buyer may save more than 900 jobs [BBC]. Only hours after the Officer’s Club made the announcement, Whittard of Chelsea chain also filed for administration but was rescued after a private equity firm bought it [BBC / Sky News].

Britain’s retailers have already experienced one of the worst Christmases on record despite launching cut price sales. Many stores slashed prices by more than 50% to attract shoppers. And to some extent it has worked. London's west end streets reported their best day of the year on Tuesday, with more than £60 million of business being done by 500,000 shoppers on Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street. But it is unlikely to make the retailers much profit. The shopper is becoming exceeding savvy and watching how they spend. Some shops have also angered customers after slashing prices by half without warning soon after customers have purchased them full price. There are stories that on some occasions, some shoppers have re-purchased the same item and later returned the previously bought item for a refund.

In order to recoup costs the sales have already started at many retailers. Some stores are even set to open on Christmas Day. For those with money and secure employment there are many bargains waiting to be snapped up. But the future look extremely bleak for thousands of shop workers set to be laid of shortly before the new year. MFI the furniture retailer has already shut its doors and Woolworth is beginning to wind up its business with stores even selling of the fittings [BBC].