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BLOGS
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Robert DG Smith
:Google Is the Last Company I'd Begrudge for Avoiding Taxes
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Harry Cooper
:A Referendum on Europe Tomorrow Would Not Stop Ukip
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Alice Farmer
:A Real-Life 'Hunger Games'
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Ed Miliband
:A Distant and Distracted Cameron Cannot Tackle Tax Avoidance
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Luke Massey
:The 'Aggressive Homosexual Community'? More Absurd and Dangerous Rhetoric from Tories
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If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Two contrasting features formed the experiences on Friday evening. On the one side, there was the stultifying and positively frightening, God Loves Uganda, and on the other side there was the breezy comedy, Sleepwalk With Me. Both are not without serious merit.
Every year thousands of music geeks (I include myself in that stereotype) descend on Austin in Texas for South By South West. As reports from the UK speak of snow, out here it's beautiful blue skies and open road.
If I'm going to keep a diary then I first better make sure I have a life to write about, but then if I'm living such an eventful, fulfilling life, how the hell am I going to find the time to write about it?
The movement for transparency and openness in government took decisive steps forward last week. As lead co-chair of the Open Government Partnership, the UK hosted the first ministerial level meeting in Britain of this growing international initiative. But this meeting wasn't just symbolically significant. We put in place key measures that will help move the OGP from fine words to accountable actions.
When times are tough for families and businesses, and the government is cutting spending and raising taxes, the public are rightly demanding to know whether everybody is contributing their fair share.
Physical and sexual abuse of women is a global scourge, that transcends borders. From the UK, where one in four women will be the victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime to Zambia, where 47% of women have suffered gender-based violence.
There's an even bigger concern behind the latest row. Whatever happened to David 'Hug a Husky' Cameron? Has he been replaced by a 'Frack the Countryside' lookalike?
By walking out of the December European Summit last year, the prime minister isolated the UK, squandering vital political capital. The government's stock is now at an all time low which raises questions about the prime minister's ability to secure a good deal for the UK.
It cannot be repeated enough that there has been no new medical evidence to suggest any scientific or medical reason for a reduction in the abortion time limit since this was last debated in the House of Commons in May 2008. This debate isn't being reopened because of any new medical evidence or the current figures on abortion, but because of a toxic, politicisation of the issue by elements within the Conservative Party. It is happening because Jeremy Hunt's gratuitous attack on British women's right to choose has opened the door to parts of the Tory party to begin unwanted and distracting wrangling in parliament to reduce the time limits.
The incredulity of "privilege for all" will have smarter members of Mr Cameron's entourage nervous. But a debate as to which party truly stands for aspiration is one that Labour very much welcomes.
Completely at odds with this latest welfare proposal, the government has created a policy framework that may force more young adults out of the family home and prevent many from returning.
When David Cameron and George Osborne first coined the phrase "We are all in it together", I started counting the spoons. The idea that these multi-millionaire ex-Etonians, both of who have no experience of life at the sharp end should speak in such a glib manner was shocking enough.
The march, which takes place on 20 October, has been organised by the trades union movement and will see thousands of members of the public, union members, political organisations and campaign groups show their opposition to the Coalition's heartless, failed, false economies.
The government boasts that Universal Credit will strengthen work incentives by enabling people to keep more of their income from work... Unfortunately, this claim will not be true once the new localised arrangements for Council Tax Benefit are factored in.
Twelve months ago, the UK was one of eight national governments that founded the Open Government Partnership, a powerful new international organisation dedicated to the promotion of transparency and openness. Today, the UK is taking over as leading co-chair of the partnership, which now includes 57 member states or a third of the world's population.
We know what happened in Afghanistan when the Soviet Union intervened there and the USA followed to support the other side. It was all done presumably for a good cause, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
