A look back at the week's news, including the outcome of the Saville Inquiry, the £2bn Lib-Con spending cuts and Rupert Murdoch's move for total control of BSkyB.
The Week in Politics
• On Tuesday Lord Saville published his findings into Bloody Sunday, in which 14 unarmed civilians were killed by the British army, condemning the “unjustifiable firing” that took place on January 30th 1972. In a sombre statement to the House of Commons, the prime minister apologised, saying he was “deeply sorry”.
In Derry itself, thousands of residents lined the streets to listen to the announcement of the Inquiry’s findings; the BBC’s Northern Ireland political editor Mark Devenport described the scene:
“No one present in Londonderry’s Guildhall Square could deny that for all its time and expense the Saville Tribunal provided a moment of jubilation and vindication for the families of those killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday.
“It was nothing short of extraordinary to witness thousands of nationalists roaring on David Cameron as he expressed his sorrow for what he described as the unjustifiable killings.”
On Wednesday on Left Foot Forward, Capt. Patrick Bury, who has served on operations as part of the Parachute Regiment, criticised the failure of ethos and leadership on Bloody Sunday, concluding that using Paras to contain a civil rights demonstration “highlights poor judgement at the higher echelons of military command, a failure to recognise the innate ethos of paratroops, and poor tactical leadership by those paratroop leaders on the ground”.
• Yesterday the Chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander announced the scrapping of £2 billion worth of projects – including £1bn of which are programmes to help the unemployed; a further £8.5 billion of projects have been suspended and will be revised in the autumn spending review, including £7 billion by suspending plans to purchase a new fleet of search and rescue helicopters.
The announcements make a mockery of the Tories’ pre-election pledge to find £12 billion in ‘efficiency savings’; as Left Foot Forward’s Tom Phillips points out:
“Danny Alexander’s list of cuts today included the cancellation of projects such as the North Tees and Hartlepool hospital and suspension of the £73 million Health Research Support Initiative. Moves to this effect seem hardly like “cutting waste”, as George Osborne’s pre-election mantra boldly claimed.”
Sheffield, home of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg’s constituency, was particularly badly hit, to the tune of £100 million.
• Rupert Murdoch this week bid for ‘total control‘ of BSkyB. Left Foot Forward’s Joy Johnson explained that it was unlikely he would be stopped:
“An economic liberalising coalition government will not step in to put a halt to News Corporation’s plans for total control of BSkyB.”
As a commenter said:
“I knew it. The coalition government is dancing to Murdock’s tune, and in terms of media accountability we’re all going to be worse off for it. Disgrace!”
This week Murdoch also made the news by putting up a paywall for The Times, charging to access the paper online. It will be interesting to see how it goes…
Progressive of the week
The Greater London Assembly, for this week passing a motion (proposed by Darren Johnson AM) setting the maximum pay ratio allowed within it and its associated bodies. The GLA once again leading the way on setting fairer standards.
Regressive of the week
Nadhim Zahawi, Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon for claiming that “onshore wind farming is simply not worth it” and that we “missed the trick in the 1980’s not adopting nuclear like the French”. Mr Zahawi does not appear a man of the 21st century.
Evidence of the week
Jonathan Rowson, Senior Researcher at the RSA Social Brain Project outlined the ‘steer’ approach to behavioural change science that centres on the individual shaping his own mental path, as opposed to the externally directed methods that have occupied theory and practice to this day.
Jim Garner’s Campaign Diary
This week, Jim ponders whether the leadership contest nothing more than a beauty pageant, and is rather upset when he finds out who’s been voted the most attractive candidate…
What’s trending on Twitter
According to our friends at Tweetminster, besides the BP spill (especially the setting up of $20bn escrow fund), no other story really trended this week (probably because of the World Cup!)
Some of the most shared stories/URLs this week they included:
• Sarkozy’s visit to London;
• David Miliband’s suggestion of cutting private school subsidies;
• The Government’s unveiling of plans for ‘free schools’;
• The latest round of cuts; and
• The decision to give the Bank of England a top regulatory role.
With not much trending politics-wise and England set to take on Algeria tonight, here’s a selection rounsing World Cup tweets:
@ray_likethefish: Our Toy Story friends get behind the #England #worldcup campaign on Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/1xsi3r via @addthis
@This_Is_DaMo: gonna help my mum with the shopping then come home and watch the England game! CMON ENGLAND! #ENG #ENGLAND #WORLDCUP
@danhewson: Three Lions on MY shirt #England #WorldCup #SouthAfrica
@footingodave: Rooney has not scored in 6 games for #England but it WILL happen against #Algeria! #WorldCup
@Xvulturex: #worldcup the past 2 days have thrown up more turn ups than Turnup McTurnup working in a turnup factory. Cmon #England
@amarjourno: #England fans have taken over the waterfront – seven hours till kick off! #worldcup http://tweetphoto.com/27801928
@owen_g: Boris surrounded by mob of #England fans as he traverses Cape Town Waterfront #WorldCup http://twitpic.com/1xrnam
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5 Responses to “Look Left – The Week in Fast Forward”
DrKMJ
Look Left: http://bit.ly/9JBt0G – @shamikdas via @leftfootfwd
LockPickerNet
Look Left: http://bit.ly/9JBt0G – @shamikdas on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, the latest #ConDemNation cuts and more via @leftfootfwd
Matthew Connaughton
RT @leftfootfwd: Look Left: http://bit.ly/9JBt0G – @shamikdas on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, the latest #ConDemNation cuts and more
Mr. Sensible
Shamik, nice to be quoted in your review!
As far as Regressive of the Week goes, I must have missed that story. As far as I can see, no contest. Chancellor George Osborne, who was well and truely found out with regard to the state of the finances. As Will Straw explained earlier this week, not only are the finances not as bad as forecast in April, but George Osborne is planning things like the Married Couples Allowance and ‘Free Schools’ which I heard today had an inicial cost of £50 million to set up. I’ve said it before, but George Osborne is, in his own words, ‘Fixing the Finances to Fit the Budget.’
A close second has to be Nick Clegg for his performence yesterday, blaiming Labour for the cuts yet forgetting that he supported their position before the election.
And in third place… The England Team! #
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