We are always being told how closely linked we are to the USA. ‘The special relationship’ is interpreted by some as evidence of all the things we have in common with Uncle Sam. First and foremost we have our history – two World Wars to be precise. And then of course we are speaking the same language - literally. We love sports (albeit different ones), they love our TV and we love theirs and we are both partial to a helping of burger and fries.
At first glance our political systems also appear closely linked. Both are two-party states, one party sitting just to the left and one on the right. However, once politicians either side of the Atlantic hit the campaign trail we tend to go our separate ways. Labour and the Conservatives entire general election budget would be hard pushed to fund two or three weeks of ‘Obama for President’. And in the States when the chips are down the gloves will come off and both candidates will clamber down into the gutter and slug it out. And that is exactly where we find ourselves now as the US Presidential campaign turns for home and heads down the final straight.
McCain being the one who is slipping behind in the polls has now given up all pretence of wanting to talk about the issues. He has worked out that the American people do not trust him with the economy and are increasingly questioning his judgement. Plan B for team McCain/Palin is to label Obama a friend of terrorists, an aid to paedophiles and a liar. And they are just getting warmed up.
However let us not get too ‘holier then thou’ about Obama. A number of blows have been levelled against McCain that would be hard pushed to be stood up in a school debate, let alone in a national political campaign in the UK. And if Obama was to suddenly find himself behind with a week to go he would come under intense pressure to get down and dirty as well. Whether you like this approach or not is down to the individual. What cannot be disputed is that if you like your politics to be more personal than political, head West. Because thankfully, unlike most things American, we have proved resistant to ‘gutter politics’. And long may that continue.
By Harry Watkinson
Thursday, 9 October 2008
London 2012 - The 'cosy' games
This week I attended the first Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee after the Summer recess. As part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games, they called upon Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and Lord Moynihan, Chairman of The British Olympic Association to give oral evidence. The session focused on preparations for the 2012 Games, lessons from the Beijing 2008 and elite sporting performance.
As I predicted, the cost of the London 2012 Olympic Games was a pertinent issue for the committee, especially in light of the current economic climate. In his manifesto, Boris Johnson highlighted the importance of cost control in the planning of the Games; in return the committee asked him if he still believed the cost of the Games could be contained. Boris was adamant that no further money was needed from the taxpayer and he was reluctant to see early spending of the contingency funds. Mr Johnson stressed that 25% of the budget had been spent, while only 2% of the contingency had been used.
The budget for the London 2012 Games is almost half of that of this year’s Olympics in Beijing, so Philip Davies MP rightly asked Boris how we avoid the London Games being considered as a ‘poor man’s Beijing’ and how we compete on a lower budget. Boris answered that we should not expect a carbon copy of the Beijing Games, according to him the London Games would be a more “cosier” affair with a greater sense of intimacy.
As the athletic stadium in Stratford is set to hold 80,000 people only 11,000 less than the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, I’m not yet convinced how intimate the London 2012 Olympics Games can really be.
By Danielle Thomas
As I predicted, the cost of the London 2012 Olympic Games was a pertinent issue for the committee, especially in light of the current economic climate. In his manifesto, Boris Johnson highlighted the importance of cost control in the planning of the Games; in return the committee asked him if he still believed the cost of the Games could be contained. Boris was adamant that no further money was needed from the taxpayer and he was reluctant to see early spending of the contingency funds. Mr Johnson stressed that 25% of the budget had been spent, while only 2% of the contingency had been used.
The budget for the London 2012 Games is almost half of that of this year’s Olympics in Beijing, so Philip Davies MP rightly asked Boris how we avoid the London Games being considered as a ‘poor man’s Beijing’ and how we compete on a lower budget. Boris answered that we should not expect a carbon copy of the Beijing Games, according to him the London Games would be a more “cosier” affair with a greater sense of intimacy.
As the athletic stadium in Stratford is set to hold 80,000 people only 11,000 less than the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, I’m not yet convinced how intimate the London 2012 Olympics Games can really be.
By Danielle Thomas
Friday, 3 October 2008
New Energy and Climate Change Department
So the reshuffle has happened, and there is a new Energy and Climate Change Department, with Ed Miliband as the new Secretary of State, illustrating the importance of climate change now within the Cabinet. The new department has been set up due to power struggles between BERR and DEFRA – hopefully the new department will allow remove the difficulties of conflicting priorities, and allow change to happen.
The new department is going down well with the key green NGOs, and they seem to have high hopes of what is can achieve.
Greenpeace Executive Director John Sauven said: ‘For the last ten years this government has dithered on climate change, offering us inspiring rhetoric but little in the way of real action. Bringing energy and climate together at last reflects the urgency of the threat we face from climate change.’
Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK David Norman, said: 'It shows a clear recognition that the UK's chances of hitting its climate targets are inextricably linked to its energy policies.'
Friends of the Earth Executive Director Andy Atkins said: "The creation of a single department to oversee climate and energy policy is a big step forward. This is a golden opportunity to integrate the UK’s climate and energy policies – something which has been so obviously lacking in the past. We hope to see this new department, with a dynamic Secretary of State at the helm, lift our energy policy out of the dark ages to meet the challenges of the twenty first century.
So it looks like Brown may have increased his popularity with the green voters, but we will wait and see what policy changes happen as this new department progresses.
The new department is going down well with the key green NGOs, and they seem to have high hopes of what is can achieve.
Greenpeace Executive Director John Sauven said: ‘For the last ten years this government has dithered on climate change, offering us inspiring rhetoric but little in the way of real action. Bringing energy and climate together at last reflects the urgency of the threat we face from climate change.’
Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK David Norman, said: 'It shows a clear recognition that the UK's chances of hitting its climate targets are inextricably linked to its energy policies.'
Friends of the Earth Executive Director Andy Atkins said: "The creation of a single department to oversee climate and energy policy is a big step forward. This is a golden opportunity to integrate the UK’s climate and energy policies – something which has been so obviously lacking in the past. We hope to see this new department, with a dynamic Secretary of State at the helm, lift our energy policy out of the dark ages to meet the challenges of the twenty first century.
So it looks like Brown may have increased his popularity with the green voters, but we will wait and see what policy changes happen as this new department progresses.
Cam the man with the plan
“I am man with a plan” appears most quoted line from David Cameron’s address to the Conservative Party at their conference on Wednesday.
Cameron has made it no secret that he plans to ‘Fix Britain’s broken society’ should he become PM, but yesterday he promised to be as radical in social reform as Thatcher was in economical reform.
In fact this was only one in a series of comments he made which evoked a Thatcherite spirit at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Although I went to school in the generation of ‘Thatcher the milk snatcher’, I can still see how the comparison he has made between himself and the former first lady might entice voters. In his attempt to tackle Labour’s claim that he was a “novice” Cameron told his party that “Experience was the excuse of the incumbent down the ages”.
He spoke of James Callaghan, PM in 1979 who like our own PM had gained plenty of experience in various cabinet positions as home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor, however was ‘swapped’ by Margaret Thatcher to the delight of many.
So is Cameron right? Does experience suggest you are implicated in the system that failed? If so, is a change of leadership is what we really need?
By Danielle Thomas
Cameron has made it no secret that he plans to ‘Fix Britain’s broken society’ should he become PM, but yesterday he promised to be as radical in social reform as Thatcher was in economical reform.
In fact this was only one in a series of comments he made which evoked a Thatcherite spirit at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Although I went to school in the generation of ‘Thatcher the milk snatcher’, I can still see how the comparison he has made between himself and the former first lady might entice voters. In his attempt to tackle Labour’s claim that he was a “novice” Cameron told his party that “Experience was the excuse of the incumbent down the ages”.
He spoke of James Callaghan, PM in 1979 who like our own PM had gained plenty of experience in various cabinet positions as home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor, however was ‘swapped’ by Margaret Thatcher to the delight of many.
So is Cameron right? Does experience suggest you are implicated in the system that failed? If so, is a change of leadership is what we really need?
By Danielle Thomas
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Still knocking
Cameron struck a sombre note at conference today in a speech designed to suggest he, novice or not, is the prime minister in waiting. Promising to work with the government, Cameron committed the Conservatives to collaborations now and recriminations later.
Sombe and considered, it was a good performance with a promise of explanation and an offer of solutions in his speech tomorrow.
The party faithful loved it, but we'll have to wait and see if this talk of political togetherness will really happen.
By Claire Levens
Sombe and considered, it was a good performance with a promise of explanation and an offer of solutions in his speech tomorrow.
The party faithful loved it, but we'll have to wait and see if this talk of political togetherness will really happen.
By Claire Levens
Monday, 29 September 2008
Paralysed or Smug - which are you?
Birmingham: Sunday night: Just finished my first environmental fringe at Conservative Conference. Like Labour last week, the fringe agenda is dominated by environmental debates. I’ve just been exploring how to create 2020 carbon citizens.
I was reminded of some research that we did about a year ago, which found that consumers were so confused about what it means to live a green lifestyle they took one of two options. Some were paralysed by the confusion, infused with a gloomy fatalism that all is for nothing in the face of impending doom. The second response, equally unhelpful was a misplaced smugness, engendered by the warm glow of a regular recycler, who believes that through recycling all personal environmental responsibilities have been discharged.
I asked the panel how they would solve this problem, created through a morass of messaging. The most interesting answer was that given by Nick Hurd MP exercising his Chairman’s prerogative to answer the question. Nick highlighted a local initiative, funded and promoted by Kirklees council, which cuts through the clutter. Like every other battle of hearts and minds, creating carbon citizens will only result from a personalised invitation. This means a street by street, door to door campaign, providing localised, tailored independent advice about everything from recycling to insulation.
Undoubtedly expensive and utterly time consuming. But, perhaps it is the best use of time any money on the planet.
By Claire Levens
I was reminded of some research that we did about a year ago, which found that consumers were so confused about what it means to live a green lifestyle they took one of two options. Some were paralysed by the confusion, infused with a gloomy fatalism that all is for nothing in the face of impending doom. The second response, equally unhelpful was a misplaced smugness, engendered by the warm glow of a regular recycler, who believes that through recycling all personal environmental responsibilities have been discharged.
I asked the panel how they would solve this problem, created through a morass of messaging. The most interesting answer was that given by Nick Hurd MP exercising his Chairman’s prerogative to answer the question. Nick highlighted a local initiative, funded and promoted by Kirklees council, which cuts through the clutter. Like every other battle of hearts and minds, creating carbon citizens will only result from a personalised invitation. This means a street by street, door to door campaign, providing localised, tailored independent advice about everything from recycling to insulation.
Undoubtedly expensive and utterly time consuming. But, perhaps it is the best use of time any money on the planet.
By Claire Levens
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Political Top Trumps
This morning my colleagues returned to the office tanked up with stories of their adventures at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester. Sifting through their goodie bags full of promotional leaflets and useful contact details they showed me their most prized freebie; a set of Political Top Trumps. A special edition of the traditional card game Top Trumps, where each card represented some of the UK’s most influential politicians from the Gordon Brown, to David Miliband and Mayor of London Boris Johnson and contained data on marginality, expenses and value of memoirs.
The cards provoked some excitement amongst our team and we can’t wait until we get some free time to play them. However, I started to think in only a week’s time the information on these cards would become out of date as Gordon Brown is set to announce the reshuffle of his cabinet.
In his attempt to regain political momentum it is obvious that Gordon will have to make some significant changes. So who will become Gordon’s new top trumps?
Will Jacqui Smith remain as Home Secretary? Who will replace Ruth Kelly as she has now stepped down from her position as Transport Secretary?
It is speculated that rising stars Caroline Flint, Liam Byrne and Jim Murphy will move up the ranks while Des Browne and Geof Hoon may have their cards marked.
But the most pertinent move will be that of Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Will Brown keep his enemies close and promote Miliband or demote him even though he claims he is not a threat?
When the reshuffle is announced I believe the media will be most occupied with Miliband’s fate, however is hard to predict his new position in the cabinet as many like myself are not quite sure about the status of the relationship between Miliband and Brown.
We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled…
By Danielle Thomas
The cards provoked some excitement amongst our team and we can’t wait until we get some free time to play them. However, I started to think in only a week’s time the information on these cards would become out of date as Gordon Brown is set to announce the reshuffle of his cabinet.
In his attempt to regain political momentum it is obvious that Gordon will have to make some significant changes. So who will become Gordon’s new top trumps?
Will Jacqui Smith remain as Home Secretary? Who will replace Ruth Kelly as she has now stepped down from her position as Transport Secretary?
It is speculated that rising stars Caroline Flint, Liam Byrne and Jim Murphy will move up the ranks while Des Browne and Geof Hoon may have their cards marked.
But the most pertinent move will be that of Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Will Brown keep his enemies close and promote Miliband or demote him even though he claims he is not a threat?
When the reshuffle is announced I believe the media will be most occupied with Miliband’s fate, however is hard to predict his new position in the cabinet as many like myself are not quite sure about the status of the relationship between Miliband and Brown.
We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled…
By Danielle Thomas
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