It couldn’t happen here?
When I went to China on a private visit in 2008, Helen Clark sent me a text message telling me on no account […]
International
uk politics
Half a million protest UK budget cuts
I’ve been checking out some of the amazing footage and photos from friends who were in the London ‘March for the Alternative’. 500,000 people turned out to show the depth of feeling against the slash and burn budget of the Conservative-Lib Dem government. As the Nats plan their own shock doctrine budget, I hope they’re taking notes.
Militant reactionarism coming to NZ
The Great Depression saw the rise of rightwing reactionarism. Out of reactionary movements came fascist governments from Brazil to Romania. We had the 100,000-strong New Zealand Legion. The Great Recession is spawning a new wave of militant reactionarism, now reaching our shores.
The Carnival of Revolt
It’s not just about fees, or cuts, but about the essential corruption of the current system; so it replays the confrontation between the great British radical movements of the past and the landed-gentry “Old Corruption” that they fought to tame. Compared to 1968, the student movement is now much larger and more broadly based, with deeper roots into the working class and society in general, and so the revolt is, if anything, more profound.
The spirit of Peterloo
David Cameron made the commendable decision to create a national happiness index to compliment GDP but there’s a lot of unhappiness in Merry Old England under his rule. To avert fiscal disaster, while allowing bankers and the elite to keep their wealth, Cameron is making savage cuts to public services. And the Police are going old school on the resulting protests.
Only greed can save us
As a society we can’t seem to bring ourselves to take action on climate change. We haven’t got the will to save ourselves.
The failure at Copenhagen, and the non event that is Cancun, are in the process of proving that.
It looks like only greed can save us.
Kettling the kids
The UK government is currently trying to balance its budget by shifting costs onto the young, through a trebling of university fees. This will prevent many kids from poor families from going to university, and they’re not happy about it…
The Politics of Impartiality
I’ve never been one for censuring cogent voices from the wilderness when they carry far enough on the wind to reach our ears because the wilderness can hold treasure troves of intelligent dissent. Today I came across a neat illustrative example of a ham fisted attempt to consign a voice from the left to the wilderness in the name of…well, it’s called fairness or some such. Apparently.
Poppy day in Beijing
It’s diplomacy time in the Asia-Pacific region. While Secretary Clinton came to New Zealand and Australia and President Obama to India and Indonesia, […]
Austerity in the UK
The UK entered the financial crisis over-committed and under-prepared. They spent billions of taxpayers’ money bailing out the bankers. Now the bills need to be paid, and the new government is embarking on a vicious austerity regime. As usual, the burden falls on the poor…
At least Barbara Castle had some guts
Wellington’s Embassy theatre hosted the New Zealand premiere of the Ring movies a few years ago. There’s another good movie showing there now. […]
Ed Miliband UK Labour Leader
Ed Miliband has narrowly beaten his brother David to become the new leader of Labour in the UK. They now get to move on from the Brown-Blair era and fightback against the Tories.
Govt exploiting CHCH to sneak through abuses?
As our msm persist with their increasingly banal fixation on Christchurch’s troubles, I’m reminded of a story that appeared in 2001 not long […]
Britain’s Sickness Benefit Injustice
Britain’s turfing 75% of people off their long-term sickness benefit on an arbitrary test. Let’s hope the Welfare Working Group doesn’t get ideas.
Truth out on wars
Deputy PM and leader of the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg, caused a bit of a sensation last week when he pronounced Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war illegal. And yesterday Wikileaks published a massive cache of American military files exposing the truth about the war in Afghanistan. Not a good week for warmongers.
Vince’s Latest Cable
Over in the UK, Vince Cable, the former LibDem Deputy leader who predicted the Great Recession and the need to break up and regulate the banks, is now responsible for business and tertiary education. In the tertiary sector he has a radical new idea for funding.
Crowdsourcing the deficit
Why let politicians have all the fun? Now the British public can get in on the service slashing action too – via Facebook. […]
Back to the Future – Education in the UK
God knows what the National Standards are designed to do – it can’t be to lift achievement. Even the Minister says that is […]
British austerity budget
The first budget from the new Tory-LibDem government is a shocker, with massive austerity cuts and a rise in VAT to 20%. This is the bill for the £850 billion bail out of big banks coming home to roost.
UK coalition good for climate
The Conservative/ Lib Dem alliance is good news for the climate, with the coalition already stating its committment to a low carbon, “eco-friendly economy”. Will Key show any of the same vision next week?
David Cameron takes 10 Downing Street
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called the Queen to signal his resignation, paving way for Tory leader David Cameron to be made Prime Minister. Brown has also resigned as Labour leader effective immediately. Meanwhile, The Guardian has photographed a paper held by Nick Clegg that appears to set out what the Tory-Lib Dems deal is set to include.
Lib-Dems look to Labour as Brown signals resignation
The British Labour Party is making a final attempt to woo the Liberal Democrats into a progressive coalition government. Gordon Brown will be cast aside as Prime Minister and [the more] proportional AV electoral system introduced without referendum. If the only alternative is a right-wing Conservative government and a spiked AV referendum, then the Lib-Dems should go to Labour. There is an anti-Conservative majority in the UK.
Tory / Lib Dem
By the time you read this the result of the post election coalition talks in the UK will almost certainly be known. At time of posting the momentum towards a Tory / Lib Dem coalition seems just about unstoppable. A steady stream of positive announcements and minor leaks all point to a form of deal which some are calling “supply and confidence plus”.
Brits look to NZ for coalition know-how
In the wake of an uncertain UK election outcome, the BBC’s Nick Bryant writes that Britain could learn from New Zealand in the art of forming coalition governments. “[T]he common-heard message from New Zealand in the event that the UK election produces no clear winner is curiously British: Stay calm and carry on.”
UK Election – The morning after
The UK election has delivered a complex hung parliament and almost anything seems possible. At time of writing The Guardian is reporting that David Cameron will soon be making an announcement on “plans to form a strong and stable government”, and that “Nick Clegg looks to Tories to form government”.
UK Election
A place to discuss the UK election and the results as they emerge.
British election – latest polling
From the Guardian today, latest polling predicts Tories on course to regain power after 13 years…
David Cameron is like a hollow Easter egg, with no bag of sweets inside. He’s nothing. He’s no one
A classic opinion piece on David Cameron by Charlie Brooker. It was written 3 years ago, but arguably more relevant now with Cameron poised to take 10 Downing St. Also, one can’t but help make comparisons with John Key: “David Cameron is an idiot. A simpering, say-anything, dough-faced, preposterous waddling idiot with a feeble, insincere voice and an irritating tendency to squat near the top of opinion polls…”
Lib Dems surge ahead in Britain
Just checked out the latest polling numbers over in the UK. It seems Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s performance in the first leaders debate is paying off. Clegg’s party has surged ahead at the expense of the Conservatives, taking the lead in several polls. (Latest BPIX poll, LDEM 32%, CON 31%, LAB 29%). This could have huge implications.
British Tories won’t reduce income inequality
The British Tories wax on about a rise in income inequality under New Labour, but their line is a deliberate ploy that needs countering.
Poll watching – the British elections
As we hit mid-term in our election cycle, political addicts are casting their eyes over to the UK. Now the latest Guardian poll shows that the gap between the two main parties is now at four points – the closest in an ICM poll for almost two years…
Ashcroft – “dead horse pong gets worse”
Only days ago, British Conservative leader David Cameron told journalists they were “flogging a dead horse” when asking about Tory deputy chair Lord Ashcroft’s donations and tax status. Now new information has come to light about destruction of documents, tax avoidance, and offshore funding of the Conservative party.
Ashcroft owns up to “non-dom” tax status
Lord Ashcroft, the British Conservative party’s major donor, has admitted that while he is “permanently resident” in Britain he is not domiciled there for tax status.
As a result the Conservative party may have to repay donations totalling several million pounds.
Poll shows race closing in Britain
Britain could be heading for a hung Parliament, according to the latest Guardian poll.
With no more than three months to go until polling day, the Conservatives have fallen to 37%, down three, while Labour’s support, at 30%, is up one. The Lib Dems are unchanged on 20%.
Brown promises electoral reform in UK
The British PM Gordon Brown has announced he will push through legislation giving citizens the chance to vote on whether to dump First […]
Billy and the Baroness
In an extraordinary coincidence, the Attorney-General in the UK is about to lose her job for pretty much the same rort as Bill […]