This whole Michael Jackson stuff stinks…

I gotta be honest, I liked Michael Jackson. I really liked him in his early years. And watching my uncle inexplicably nod his head for 30 seconds to the intro to ‘Beat It’ – I appreciated his middle years. His latter years were weird to me. I couldn’t understand his transmogrification. So I found his denouement weird and yet bizarrely predictable. I’d written about it just prior: 'He would never die of standard old age like your average mortal because he’d never had the benefit of going through the standard cognitive processes that anchor standard mortal life'. (Turgid, yes i know. But I was naive back then). I often used to joke that if I were Michael I would question why people drown when Peter Pan could fly. Controversial, simplistic... but sod it I’m putting it out there anyway. The whole Dr. Conrad case has been as bizarre as the dumbfounded expression on the Doctor’s face. The ‘who me?’ look has been discombobulating. But not because I think he did wrong, more because given the parcel that was Michael Jackson, he found it incomprehensible that the music could possibly stop on his watch.

Italy hopes Greece can hold onto marbles

The beginning of this article was written 6 months ago...

EU finance ministers are meeting today amidst growing fears that Greece’s protracted debt crisis could spill over into Italy. For some time now, commentators have referenced Italy in cautionary tales of the spread of Greek contagion but few dared speculate vociferously of the robustness (or lack of) of the euro zone’s third-largest economy’s sand bagging. That was until last week. As Reuters put it, “policymakers have been seized with a new sense of urgency after Italy came under market attack last week, fearing any further delay in putting together a second Greek package could poison investor confidence in weak economies around the region”. A default on its debt by Greece to mark-down its debt (considered a possible last-ditch plan until recently) has all but been ruled out now as speculators insist this could send the euro markets reeling with massive ramifications for countries such as Italy. The situation is precarious and the remaining options are few and far between. The euro zone just prays that Greece can keep its marbles while a more viable solution is sought.

Although the UK is not a member of the single currency, 40% of its trade is with the eurozone and Mr Osborne said there were signs the continuing uncertainty was having a direct effect on the UK economy - which has seen sluggish growth.

BBC News Today (12.11.11): Mr Osborne told reporters: "It is a very, very difficult and dangerous situation in the eurozone - Britain is impacted by what's happening.

"There's no doubt that growth in Britain, jobs in Britain, have been hit by what's going on in the eurozone.

"It's all the more reason that we in Britain weather this storm by taking the difficult decisions we take on our own terms - rather than being forced to do so by the markets."

After passing the Italian senate on Friday, a far-reaching package of spending cuts and tax rises is expected to get final approval at the weekend.

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to resign once both houses of Parliament have passed the measures, with former EU commissioner Mario Monti tipped to succeed him.

n Greece, Mr Papademos is leading a new government of national unity which is expected to implement further austerity measures - seen by EU leaders as a prerequisite for any further bailout.

Murdoch in the dock

BBC - The parliamentary committee investigating phone hacking at the News of the World is expected to heavily criticise Tom Crone, the paper's former lawyer, when it publishes its report into the affair.

Highly placed Westminster sources said Crone was likely to be severely reprimanded by the Commons culture, media and sport select committee over his failure to fully answer questions about surveillance carried out by the paper when he gave evidence in September.

Crone told MPs in September he "may" have commissioned private investigators "a long time ago maybe … on various things like tracing, maybe a bit of surveillance".

James Murdoch is expected to be characterised as ill-informed rather than mendacious by MPs, but News Corp's deputy chief operating officer is also likely to emerge with little credit when the report is finally published.

It is thought MPs will express surprise at Murdoch's lack of knowledge about phone hacking at the paper at a time when several key documents were circulating within the company that clearly showed the practice was widespread.

Previously (6 months ago)-

Opposition Labour party leader Ed Miliband said on Sunday that he would force parliament to vote this week if Cameron did not take steps to halt the £8.7 billion bid by Murdoch's News Corp for the 61 percent of BSkyB that it does not already own. The independent quote a senior government source as saying: "we are working on a plan to suspend the deal while the police investigation is taking place," – a move seen to head off a potentially damaging Commons vote which could potentially see Cameron’s Lib Dem coalition partners (apparently less favoured my Murdoch and company) side with a Labour party looking to make capital casting the Prime Minister as some sort of aloof pariah.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/11/uk-newscorp-notw-idUKTRE7664CE20110711?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

Back After 3 Years!

I used to keep a ramshackle of a political diary back in the day to record my political shenanigany. I was surprised to find it still up! Time has moved on, people have moved on, the political establishment has changed, many of my links don’t work anymore and more so - the bloody formatting seems to have gone awol! Bloody coalition!! Nevertheless I’ve decided to start posting here after a 3 year hiatus. It may seem messy and random at the moment, but bare with me while I straighten Google out. I could have waited - but sometimes you just gotta stick it out there heh!

How Migration and Global Development CAN work: A Summary of the EU Report

This summary article is taken from a report written by the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Dimitris DIMITRIADIS for the Official Journal of the European Union, December 2007. This paper explores Migration and Development policy and co-operation between the EU, the developing world and the agencies between. It raises some very interesting ideas and concepts whose fruition we should be looking out for as we approach 2009 – and yet have hitherto been ignored. Although the content outline is essentially the same as the original lengthier piece, sentences and paragraphs have been truncated and whole explanatory paragraphs omitted for the sake of brevity (and hopefully clarity!) -- Davis Mukasa OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEEON ‘MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES’ 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In focussing on practical examples, suggestions and potential mutually beneficial cooperation arrangements, migration can be viewed as a ‘tool for development’. By introducing specific measures, the Committee wishes to move the debate from the policy level to the programming level. It is supportive of the Commission's sentiment on ‘Circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries’ 2. MIGRATION AND GLOBALIZATION • The process of globalisation has led to the liberalised movement of capital, goods, and services. The movement of people, however, still remains globalisation's most restricted branch. • In order to give less-developed economies a bigger share of the economic growth driven by globalisation, more attention should be given to the free movement of people. • This opinion follows the school of thought that migration is a chance for developing countries to participate more equally in today's globalised economy. Migration has the potential to decrease inequality; however, migration must not be seen as a substitute for traditional development aid. • International migration can be an important component in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Remittances as well as the concepts of co-development and circular migration have significant developmental potential. More importantly, their developmental potential is fuelled by the labour market needs of Western Europe. • This opinion underlines the need for a well-developed, comprehensive and integrated approach to Migration and Development policies, which has the potential to create a ‘win-win’ situation. • This approach recognises the imbalance of the positive and negative impact of migration on developing countries. • While in some countries migration eases the pressure from over-population and unemployment, and the deliberate export of skilled labour establishes overseas sources for future remittances, foreign direct investments and knowledge transfers; for other countries the permanent outflow of human resources severely hampers development. Therefore, well managed migration enhances the positive effects of migration while at the same time mitigates its negative impact. • The Committee supports the assessments of leading international development organisations such as the World Bank, the UK Department for International Development, Oxfam and others which all highlight the developmental potential of international migration to achieve relief from poverty and sustain economic development in source countries. • Remittance transfers lead to significant income increases for recipient households, and are a powerful driver for short-term poverty relief and, if managed carefully, can even lead to long-term sustainable development. The latter is supported by concepts of ‘co-development’ such as Diaspora philanthropy, social remittances, knowledge transfers, and transnational business networks. • The strength of well managed Migration and Development policies should be their ability to protect vulnerable countries, (almost all of sub-Saharan Africa), from migration inflicted development constraints. 3. MIGRATION AND (CO)-DEVELOPMENT • Co-development describes activities by migrants that compliment, not substitute, development. One form of co-development that reaches all income levels of the recipient community are remittance-based investments in infrastructure for education and basic health services. The Committee supports the embedding of remittances in co-development. • An exemplary initiative is the matching fund programme. Every remittance that migrants channel towards communal development purposes in their country of origin is matched by an equal amount by each of the institutional partners of the programme • Ideally these partners are development aid organisations that bring management expertise and experienced personnel into the programme in cooperation with local government to achieve sustainability. • These matching funds programmes should be made widely public and easily accessible through information platforms that also promote the use of official banking channels for remittances. Once successful ‘matching funds programs’ are identified, additional ‘matching’ partners from the private sector can be included. Especially companies that employ a significant portion of migrants as well as financial services providers that facilitate remittance transfers should be encouraged to participate and to exercise their share of corporate social responsibility. • These public-private partnerships benefit all participants: the developmental impact increases because of larger collective remittances and companies and banks build trust towards their customers. • Other forms of co-development focus on steering remittances to entrepreneurial or investment-related activities. • Incentives that source countries can offer in order to increase overall remittance flows for co-development, range from income tax exemptions for migrants when investing in local businesses to exemptions from import duties for business investments. 4. MITIGATING THE AFFECTS OF BRAIN DRAIN, AND FACILITATING CIRCULAR AND VIRTUAL MIGRATION • The voluntary outflow of human capital often generates economically beneficial consequences for source countries. International migration eases the pressure from over-population and unemployment for many source countries. Some countries successfully export labour deliberately in order to build overseas pools for remittances, foreign direct investments and knowledge transfers. However, the permanent outflow of human resources, especially the highly skilled and talented, hampers development in the least developed countries which possess neither the economical nor the institutional capacity to build replacements. • The Committee therefore urges all actors to, firstly, take all necessary steps to mitigate the effects of brain drain and secondly, develop plans to prevent further depreciation of human capital in vulnerable economies and sectors. The Commission has already highlighted in its recent communication that mitigating the effects of brain drain involves concepts of circular and virtual migration. Ethical codes of conduct, higher incomes and compensation funds are ways to prevent skilled professionals from leaving. Furthermore, well-tailored outsourcing from OECD countries to developing countries can decrease the migratory pressure in these specific countries. However, similar considerations which are being discussed to prevent brain waste in developed destinations countries should be applied to workers employed in out-sourced industries in developing countries. • Facilitating circular and virtual migration builds upon the abovementioned capacities of Diaspora groups and their ability to connect with their country of origin — the creation of brain trust. Skilled migrants who have acquired tertiary education or professional training in destination countries can be an asset to source countries if they are enabled to transfer their skills and services. • Creating brain trust is a complementary concept to brain drain because the net-loss in source countries ideally feeds into the migration-based brain trust in destination countries. But more importantly, brain trust potentially mitigates some of the detrimental effects of brain drain in source countries. Individual migrants can offer their skills or organisational capacities to their country of origin either on a temporary basis — temporary return — or on a virtual basis by means of web-based applications and online platforms. • Visa regimes should be tuned accordingly in order to allow for professionals to more easily ‘commute’ between host and source country. International development organisations should consider schemes for development that virtually transfer services and knowledge of highly skilled migrants, such as cardiologists in destinations countries using the internet to analyse medical records from the source country, geologists providing access to state-of-the-art laboratories in host countries, or financial analysts assessing business plans for micro finance programmes. Offering multiple-entry visas is a mechanism to facilitate circular migration. • Another powerful incentive for return and or circular migration is the portability of pensions' benefits and social security benefits of migrants from host to source country. • Developing countries need to be made aware of the existing possibilities of co-development and furthermore be encouraged and enabled to build network links with their Diaspora communities abroad. 5. ‘MAINSTREAMING’ MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES, AND ENSURING COHERENCE • The Committee acknowledges that South-South migration and regional migration is significantly greater than international migration between developing and developed countries; so more attention should therefore be devoted to regional approaches of Migration and Development - as already undertaken by the African Union. • The Committee wishes to highlight the need to integrate ‘migration and development policies’ into the policies of host countries, source countries and international development organisations. • The Committee notes that policy coherence is highly beneficial to the anticipated outcome of migration and development policies. • Trade and security policies should not undermine the pro-development efforts of migration and development policies. • Equally importantly, the Committee is urges its Member States to aim at policy coherence, by not arguing for different policies at the national and at the European Union level.

Income and Poverty Gap decreasing in the UK? Is the OECD sure?

An OECD report (21 October, 2008) trumpeting a fall between income inequality and poverty in the UK was greeted with ambivalence today as it went on to describe how the gap between the rich and poor is still greater in the UK than in three quarters of other OECD countries. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) delivered its report today to a somewhat unenthused media. The BBC’s news website was typical of the more cautious consensus: “Rich and poor gap 'narrows' in UK”. Despite initial bouts of optimism surrounding the report, closer inspection offered less comfort; the report focused on the period between 2000-2005 (a period of significant global growth) - from when the pattern has ceased being ‘positive’ - and more crucially - the report comes in as the UK enters a recession of unknown magnitude, through which inequality and poverty could increase again significantly. Despite income inequality and poverty falling somewhat since 1990 and falling faster in the United Kingdom than in any other OECD country since 2000, the current picture is bleak. The UK is still a long way behind other OECD economies, and the current torrid economic conditions could set us back decades. A summary of OECD findings: The Development of income poverty • Earnings have become much more unequal in the UK: the wage gap has widened by 20% since 1985, with much of the widening occurring towards the start of this period. • 16% of all households with a working-age head are jobless – only Belgium, Germany and Hungary have more people in households where no one has a job. But the number of children living in workless households has been falling recently. • The number of people living alone or in single-parent households has increased more rapidly than in all other countries. The average household size in the UK declined from 2.4 to 2.1 (compared to an OECD average decline of 2.7 to 2.6) between 1985 and 2005. This has widened inequality. • Income poverty – that is, a household with less than half the average (median) income for its country – fell from 10% to 8% between the mid-1990s and 2005. For the first time since the 1980s, the poverty level is well below the OECD average. • The number of children living poverty fell from 14% to 10% between the mid-1990s and 2005-- the second largest fall (behind Italy) over this period. Even so, child poverty rates are still above the levels recorded in the mid-1980s (7-8%) and mid-1970s (5%). • There is less social mobility in the UK than in Australia, Canada and Denmark. In this respect it is similar to the United States and Italy. What your parents earned when you were a child has much more effect on your own earnings than in more mobile countries. About the OECD: [The] OECD brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to: • Support sustainable economic growth • Boost employment • Raise living standards • Maintain financial stability • Assist other countries' economic development • Contribute to growth in world trade OECD also shares expertise and exchanges views with more than 100 other countries and economies, from Brazil, China, and Russia to the least developed countries in Africa. (www.oecd.org) For more Info regarding the above article, go to: www.oecd.org/els/social/inequality

South London Football Club Tackle Street Crime Head On

Under the pioneering proposals, [Charlton Athletic] football coaches will visit schools and estates across Greenwich, Bexley and Kent to talk to children and educate them about the dangers of knives and guns. And the club's home match against Reading on Saturday, August 23rd (12.45pm), which is being broadcast live on Sky, is being dedicated to raising awareness of the issue. The Football League and Football Association have given Charlton permission for Addicks players to wear a special logo, proclaiming that 'street violence ruins lives', on their shirts during the Championship fixture. The announcement follows more than six weeks of discussions with a variety of organisations, including the local authorities, the government and the police, concerning the launch of the initiative, which is being jointly instigated by the football club and its community trust. "I don't think there is anyone who doesn't believe that something needs to be done to highlight the current dangers posed by street weapons," said Jason Morgan, chief executive of the Charlton Community Trust. "The great thing is that, here at Charlton, we are in a position to do something about it. We already go into schools, and we deliver programmes into 80 estates per week where we can reach the most at risk and vulnerable young people. "The power of football is extraordinary, and youngsters respond far more to someone in a tracksuit than the traditional delivery approaches. It is our intention to get education resource packs to every child in Greenwich, Bexley and Kent." Charlton were the first football club to dedicate an annual event to combating racism through its Red, White and Black day - a programme similar to those now carried out by every football club in the country. The Addicks' community operation was also the first to pilot a project warning children of the dangers of playing near railway lines, a hugely successful initiative that went on to be implemented nationwide. "We have a history of developing projects that we can deliver, that are sustainable, and that get results," said Charlton commercial director Steve Sutherland.

Source: cafc.co.uk

Article continues [here]

The Credit Crunch Ate Ray...

Since our chat a fortnight ago, Ray Lewis, Deputy Mayor for Young People has formally stepped down amidst mounting speculation of impropriety prior to, but connected to his employment at City Hall. It would be unwise to cast aspersions at this stage – further to enquiry (- a doubtful prospect at this moment) – but I think it’s fair to say that Mr. Lewis’ denouement was unfortunate if not fated by a mix of lurid politicking and recession-anxiety. In these times of doom and gloom everyone wants hope and a hero to trust. Knowing this, allegations (from whatever side or motive) against Ray Lewis were always going to hit hard. In Ray’s own words he was ‘not a politician’ and was ‘just there to do a job’: an honourable but very precarious position to take, perhaps laden with a morsel of self-preservation. Unfortunately, it was all over before he had a chance to realise that the wiliest of wily political merchants hiding in the wings never let an honourable job description and pleasant demeanour get in the way of a good ol’ fashion ‘go back to the colonies’ public school shoeing. Besides, if recent months are anything to go by (choose anything from the Evening Standard’s six-month back catalogue), City Hall should’ve been the last place to go to for a politics-free hiatus; there is probably more politicking per square centimetre on that small patch of grass than a Parliament Square summer all-dayer. This is hard-hat stuff – gritty; and bouncing down Tooley Street on your backside towards London Bridge is about as ceremonious as the exit gets nowadays. The alternative is to leave by the front door on your own terms – swim for your life across the busy Thames past Thames Clippers and boisterous summer boats and hope the City takes you in, (or back in - in the case of many City Hall generals). But the ebb and flow between City Hall and the City isn’t about opportunistic personnel-swapping; it’s supposed to be about keeping London moving forward, onwards, upwards; and I believe Ray’s demise could be attributed as much to our social-economic circumstance as to any individual/ party gripe with the Johnson crime buster. Who pushed Ray becomes less significant if you consider why nobody bothered to catch him either. So: the relationship between City Hall and our financial district is organic. The City (with it’s international umbilical chord) provides support and funding to London’s various ‘aspirations’ (the odd bridge, the odd super-fast rail line, the odd dome, sponsorship for the odd Olympic game); and City Hall provides the right socio-economic playing field and 'growth model' to create opportunities for large and small Londoners like us, everywhere. When this insatiable organism called Aspiration isn’t fed properly, London rapports become contorted; people get grumpy, selfish; heads roll; and people demand more ASBOs. Ray should’ve been into politics, or at least packed light – because when this train comes straight at your level-crossing, you have to be able to nimbly step on and off the platform quickly - or be hit. And excess baggage will cost you. Two weeks prior, i'd interviewed Ray at City Hall and this was my prognosis then: …It seems obvious and overwhelming that Lewis is at the sharp end of a very big public wedge hammering for reassurance, deliverance and Obama-esque ‘change’ rhetoric in-between. And it feels justified: we are at a point of global socio-economic uncertainty, a time the public needs and expects more from its public servants (as Gordon Brown recently found out), precisely because it feels so vulnerable and suddenly mortal. …Today’s social/ economic/ mood dynamic is profound. So profound and complex, it can lead to seemingly disparate events in America conspiring against the price of your bread and impacting on your personal welfare: You tut as you read your Asda receipt and get mugged of your change as you put your purse away. This is when the irrational becomes rational, rational becomes irrational, fear sets in where certainty once stood and a messianic figure is prayed for, to restore a sense of balance and order to the village. …This is a big job by anybody’s measure, even a man of the Deputy's stout frame and boot camp bullishness. There are more ways to get this wrong than right: this job comes with a lot of rope! …The city expects and has his number on speed dial![Meet Ray: Boris' Rainmaker: 26.06.08] Lewis’ unravelling and departure was swift and sanitary; the stuff of a Formula 1 pit-stop, the terror that such early scandal vis-à-vis past histrionics at City Hall could tar the whole administration as ‘hypocrites’. Because in today’s political-economic climate being whiter than white (absolutely no pun intended here) is upheld with mercenary vigour by tabloid hacks, stirred by backroom political operators, made contagious by sanctimonious water-cooler chit-chatters; sanctioned by an irritability borne of a global credit crunch, general shortage of cash, falling property profits, increasing oil prices, trudging wages, lowered tolerances, increased visible disorder, bad quality M&S sandwiches… (most of which we can do very little about). But as we head for possible recession and the sceptre of boom-and-bust lurches – people need hope (or to 'bust' some heads together - whichever comes first – metaphorically speaking of course). A decade of heady times left us greedy and set-up for disappointment in the downturn. The ‘wind of change’ that greeted Mayor Johnson’s ascension thus blew forward the ordained Rev. Lewis who rode in on a cloud, our holy man: waving to well-wishers and gathered media below, cradling children - didn’t realise one of the City Hall windows had been left open but nonetheless managing to traverse the diameter of the eighth floor office through an adjacent open window opposite, tripped on the frame and fell out. A momentary gasp, a collective shuffle of feet...... then people trundled back to their offices muttering ‘I knew he couldn’t fly’. (Nobody was going to save Ray: The feeling was that Ray should’ve saved them. This is the political climate we live in today).

Ray Lewis Resignation Statement

Statement from Ray Lewis Re Resignation… 4-7-2008 City Hall “The barrage of allegations, unfounded in my opinion, untrue, continue with apace. And it was my intention, as you all know, to fight on and I intend to do so, but I cannot do so with obscuring the important business of the Mayor’s office. The drip drip continues and it is getting in the way of the very important work of this Mayor and his vision for London. The inquiry and launching of that has done little to calm the avalanche of allegations, and like a model impatient school child, the media doesn't accept the principle of delayed gratification and so we go on. ‘The affects on my family are beginning to tell and to show - that must stop. Most of you will be aware that I haven't been through the political Sandhurst on my way to this important office but I thank Boris Johnson for giving me this opportunity to serve London in this particular way and I've been pleased to do so for these past two months. This is a great Mayor, a man of vision, a man of courage, a man who I have grown to know, to love and to admire. Boris Johnson is a remarkable man and London is very fortunate, even blessed to have him. ‘But I cannot allow the things I have been into, up to, and around me to obscure the important business of this mayoralty. And for that reason I must step down as Deputy Mayor for Young People with immediate effect. London faces enormous challenges and I believe with all my heart that I was best placed to do that, but it is important we get on with the business of the mayoralty without this business hanging over Boris Johnson's head. ‘Yet today again we learn of another murder, yet so much time and attention has been given over to something that may or may not have happened 10, 12 years ago and of course I flatly deny it. Nonetheless, it’s important for me to let Boris Johnson get on with this very important work. There was some talk in the press of me being or not being a magistrate. If you are fully paid up members of the 'hair splitters' convention it will have made a difference to you whether or not I was appointed or recommended for appointment. And it is that seeming duplicity that is really why I asked to step down as Deputy Mayor because it's very important that Boris Johnson is clear about who is working for him and what has gone on in the past. ‘I've passed all the interviews for it. I've had a letter confirming that I have been recommended for appointment to the board. But nonetheless it is important I do nothing to obscure this important mans very important vision. And so, I have today handed in my resignation to the Mayor, who with great reluctance accepted it, and showed enormous grace throughout my time here. We will continue to enjoy a close friendship and I pray that it long continues and I pray that Boris will find other people, including myself in an unofficial capacity, to serve the interest of this country and interests of young Londoners, which was my particular brief. It's been great, but you can accept that in this political minefield we live in.” Statement Mayor of London, Boris Johnson: “It is with extreme reluctance and sadness that I have accepted the resignation of Ray Lewis. He has always been, and remains, an inspiring figure to me. Ray is not a conventional politician but that is a strength as well as a weakness. Ray can communicate and connect with communities and individuals that are beyond the reach of most mainstream politicians. ‘Therefore when presented with a string of unsubstantiated allegations my instinct was to fight and fight hard for Ray. I still hope that he can clear his name. I cannot deny however that my confidence in Ray was shaken by the discovery today that he is not a fully fledged Justice of the Peace and I cannot deny that to be misled on this issue has made it harder for me to give Ray the backing necessary to continue in his role as Deputy Mayor”.

Attorney General Orders Better Mix at the Bar

The Attorney General, the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland QC launched her Diversity Strategy at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department this week. The Attorney General, whose office maintains panels of civil and criminal counsel for use by Government Departments, launched the Diversity Strategy alongside Solicitor General, Vera Baird QC. Set out were clear objectives by which Law Officers will work to improve ‘diversity’ within the panels of counsel, followed by ‘The Attorney General’s Equality and Diversity Expectations Statement’ - which details standards required of Chambers in relation to equality and diversity when members seek to work for the Government. The Attorney General was at pains to point out that neither document was a compromise to the office’s commitment to ‘excellence’ in the provision of legal advice and representation, and these steps would ensure that:

• ‘Government departments could continue to meet their legal obligations to promote equality when they secure external legal services;
• There will be an increase in the range of diversity of applicants in terms of ethnic origin, gender, disability, age, faith and sexual orientation amongst counsel;
• All the best candidates who act for Government are drawn from the widest pool of talent when recruited and promoted.’

A Synopsis of the Attorney General’s Speech on Strategy: On Fairness: Fairness is important for the maintenance of the rule of law. Fairness in the application of the rule of law must logically be conditional upon fairness in the appointment of those who enter the legal profession to apply that rule of law. Therefore, ensuring that the legal profession itself – and specifically those members of it who act for Government – is representative of the community is a vital foundation stone in working towards fairness everywhere. Arguably, fairness in the legal profession is therefore where it all starts. On Diversity: The Solicitor General and I are personally committed to diversity. Three firsts were achieved when I took office almost exactly a year ago: (1) First woman Attorney General; (2) First ethnic minority Attorney General; (3) First all-woman Law Officer team. It is natural that this is the time to use our personal commitment to build on previous work to take diversity policy to the next stage. It is important to emphasise firstly that Government policy on diversity is not new and secondly that over the past decade it has moved forwards by leaps and bounds. On Transparency and Representation: Today signals the latest development in the history of a decade which opened when the First Treasury Counsel were still appointed by a tap on the shoulder. Today we have:

• Open and transparent competitions for every counsel acting for Government – criminal and civil panels, CPS external advocates, Standing Counsel, First Treasury Counsel;
• The Judicial Appointments Commission, established to ensure that the judiciary is appointed from as diverse a range of applicants as possible.

On Promoting Equality: The Government is committed to taking steps to strengthen and widen the law on discrimination in the belief that promoting equality is essential to enable individuals to fulfil their potential, for the creation of a cohesive society and for a strong economy. On Aim of the AG Diversity Strategy: The AG Diversity Strategy is actually a living document which we will continue to revise and update. In many senses nothing new, but the collection together for the first time of all policies across AG Departments in relation to ensuring diversity in appointment of external counsel. The aim of this is: (1) To raise awareness; (2) To enable joined up thinking and mutual learning; (3) To facilitate efficiencies and best practice; (4) To monitor developments. On Aim of the AG CPS Statement: The Expectations statement modelled on CPS statement launched last year to counsel instructed by the CPS. The AG statement is intended to reach further parts of the independent Bar who do not come within the CPS statement, and at that same time to ensure that all chambers whose counsel act for Government are complying with appropriate diversity standards. In Sum: The Attorney General vehemently refuted traditional perceptions of discrimination and favouritism stating:

• We do not only appoint men or people from particular ethnic backgrounds;
• We do not appoint from only specific chambers;
• We do not only appoint people from particular schools, universities or backgrounds!

London Unions RISE against London Festival

London Unions RISE Against London Festival Written by Maxi Powell and Davis Mukasa, Edited by Davis Mukasa Trade Unions in London announced that they have withdrawn all support from the Mayor of London’s ‘Rise Festival’ due to a contention of issues, primarily surrounding the dropping of the anti-racism tenet, central to the event’s inception. The decision to remove the ‘anti-racism’ tag is seen as a setback to campaigns challenging racism in London, and further decisions have also seemed incongruous: Unison said ‘the organisation of the event has been a fiasco from start to finish’. Arrangements for the festival began under former Mayor Ken Livingstone - with subsequent support from incumbent Mayor, Boris Johnson, confirming the festival would continue in earnest. But recent weeks have seen Mayor Johnson’s Culture Director, Munira Mirza take the boldest of steps and remove the “London United Against Racism” subheading from this year’s promotion, thereby antagonising many groups in the process. Unions have seen these changes as shifting the focus and nature of the festival significantly towards a generic music event. More so, the sentiment seems to be that if this event is still part of a wider ‘anti-racist’ campaign at all – the money could be spent in better, more productive ways elsewhere. Megan Dobney, the TUC’s London Regional Secretary said: “Trade unions are greatly offended by the removal of the central anti-racist messages as well as by the ban on an organisation supported by the TUC. Trade union negotiation has thus far proved fruitless and SERTUC has been left with no alternative but to withdraw.” Steve Hart, Unite London Regional Secretary said: “Rise, or Respect as it was known, was launched by the trade unions as a means of involving mainly young people in anti-racism in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence and other racist murders. What is the point of what was explicitly an anti-racist festival, if it drops its commitment to anti-racism?” Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union General Secretary said: "We have supported the Rise Festival as a celebration of London's diverse communities and of anti-racism. It appears that this clear message is now being lost and the FBU no longer feels able to participate. We remain committed to any genuine initiative aimed at combating racism.”

About Rise: 13 Jul 2008, Finsbury Park London's biggest free music festival, Rise Festival (formerly known as the Respect Festival), started in 1996 as a music festival to promote anti-racism and celebrate cultural diversity. With an eclectic mix of hip-hop, indie, pop, jazz and reggae, it offers something for everyone. The African Village celebrates and showcases the vibrancy and diversity of London's African communities through music, arts, culture, literature, food and film. There is a special music tent, featuring a range of artists from across the African diaspora and displaying the diversity of East, North, South, West and Central African music. Other attractions include a cinema tent, which screens a diverse array of film shorts, documentaries and features; various workshops; a community market place and a lot more. There is also a comedy tent featuring some of the best comedians from around London and the UK.

For more info, Visit: http://www.risefestival.org/

Ray Lewis: Meet Boris's new Rainmaker

Traversing London’s financial district any time after 4pm will always be a test of one’s patience and dexterity. And here I am on a bus heading down a bursting Bishopsgate towards Liverpool Street station – my final destination. There is no greater luxury than a seat on a bus in London, but alas, today I stand. I don’t mind; it’s a glorious day that has given me pleasant time to ponder and look at my surroundings as I do.

But I ponder how the increased co-dependency of the international financial markets has changed traditional working hours and increased the span of the ‘rush hour’ to every hour there is light. ‘So is there an hour in the day the City doesn’t rush?’ I wonder. ‘Is our city inexorably prescribed to angst, the fear of task-deadlines, others’ aspirations and ‘others’ themselves?’ You see, I’m chatting to Ray Lewis tomorrow - London’s appointed ‘Crime Czar’ (officially London Deputy Mayor for Young People) - and I’m so caught in the fervour surrounding his appointment that even I’m getting carried away with what Mr Lewis can fix for me: pavements… bus routes…. roadworks… graffiti… fires... moody commuters? I’m widening Ray’s remit with every stop. It is actually then that I realise that I, probably like everybody else, have little clue where the Deputy’s remit begins and ends. Does youth and crime not have the breadth and complexity to straddle every agenda in City Hall? I begin to fear for Ray and his beleaguered PA. (It took me two whole weeks of speaking to the answer machine to nail this appointment down alone! They obviously didn’t realise who I was!) That aside, it seems obvious and overwhelming that Lewis is at the sharp end of a very big public wedge hammering for reassurance, deliverance and Obama-esque ‘change’ rhetoric in-between. And it feels justified: we are at a point of global socio-economic uncertainty, a time the public needs and expects more from it’s public servants (as Gordon Brown was recently found out) precisely because it feels so vulnerable and suddenly mortal. Today’s social/ economic/ mood dynamic is profound. So profound and complex, it can lead to seemingly disparate events in America conspiring against the price of your bread and impacting on your personal welfare: You tut as you read your Asda receipt and get mugged of your change as you put your purse away. This is when the irrational becomes rational, rational becomes irrational, fear sets in where certainty once stood and a messianic figure is prayed for, to restore a sense of balance and order to the village. ‘Is this him?’ the public may have asked of Ray Lewis when his appointment was made. Others would’ve been downright cynical. Rightly so. Tory administrations are not known for their black participants so 'why-this-job-why-now' sceptics would be right to enquire. Although there isn't much to scrutinise so far, I would say the early omens are positive - at least. The public seem to have been accepting of Mr Lewis's ebullient self-esteem, steely focus, gusto of response, and the endearing reverence for ‘Mayor Johnson’. Whether this is him they've been waiting for is irrelevant at the moment. They seem to like him - which is important at this point. But this is a big job by anybody’s measure, even a man of the Deputy's stout frame and boot camp bullishness. There are more ways to get this wrong than right: this job comes with a lot of rope! If it was anywhere near straightforward, previous incumbents would have bottled it, produced it in China and franchised it to the world yesterday. But Deputy Ray isn't bothered: he has a ‘what went before me doesn’t phase me’ approach to the job, which is admittedly quite refreshing. It's certainly a departure from the usual career-politician party rhetoric. He’s simply here to do a job, he’d say. But he's being naturally modest of his abilities, which he seems to prefer not to talk about. Besides, as an ordained minister, he seems to walk the walk of a man that knows he has access to the big man upstairs (not Boris), should he need immediate inspiration. Before I get off the bus, a screaming headline catches my eye: "LONDON’S KNIFE CRISIS: A CITY’S RAY OF LIGHT". Wow. It seems Ray's first priority should be a special phone booth on floor 8 of City Hall for quick costume changes or urgent communiqués. The city expects and has his number on speed dial! But I doubt he's fazed.

1pm Next Day: The Interview

DM: In a nutshell, could you tell me a little bit about yourself and what your role entails?

RL: In terms of myself personally, I’m a married man, three children, been married to Pamela for twenty-four years, live in Milton Keynes (so I commute in every day), and my role here at the GLA as one of Boris’ deputies, focuses on young people and opportunity. The breadth is anything from health and sexuality right through to crime and disorder. My hope, emphasis and focus will be around aspiration and opportunities. I try to tell people about the great things that young Londoners are doing as these things do not get the time [they deserve] and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to change some of that.

DM: So is it all doom and gloom regarding our young folk as we hear constantly in the news?

One of the things that I’m really encouraged about doing this job is that I’m meeting some tremendous people across London and I hope that these things are reflected in the stuff you guys [journalists] write. There are some people out there: not known, unsung, they don’t want to be known… they are just good citizens who are trying to do something good for their communities and leave a legacy behind. I’ve met a lot of these people, young and old, black and white, and I’m really encouraged by their energy and their commitment to this capital city. These people, that I describe as a critical mass, are often the people we take for granted – but they keep our society going, they fill the gaps of social services and I’m really keen for many of the people to be mentioned, appreciated and applauded.

DM: How difficult do you anticipate your role to be, bearing in mind the papers have christened you ‘Boris’ Crime Czar’ which seems a lot of heat on one man, but how challenging do you see the road ahead?

RL: Well, the old saying goes: ‘if the mountain was smooth, you couldn’t climb it’. Although the city has great challenges, it also has a great capacity to heal itself. There are other people out there doing some sterling work. My job is to unite that, co-ordinate that, and build capacity for these organisations to create great community champions cutting young people off from a life of crime and anti-social behaviour. Part of this office’s remit is finding community groups, leaders and local authorities the resources to promote aspiration initiatives - involving education, job creation and business within the same agenda.

DM: Much has been made in the recent press of [your] views concerning ‘video games and rappers’. Surely it cannot be as straightforward as that in explaining the situation on our streets. What are the wider issues involved here?

RL: Well I cannot account for what people print, but I can tell you what I said. I said that our society has a number of problems and issues that we have to address, and somewhere amongst them are issues about the messages that sometimes come out of our video games and artists; not all from one particular genre, but generally speaking so. But there are issues [also] based around family, education, role models, masculinity and ethnicity. These are issues we need to address at the same time as looking at other influences on young people.

DM: I bumped into you at a social festival in Kennington Park. Is going to events like this part of your strategy to reach out to the communities at the grass roots?

RL: Yes, that’s obvious from the fact that we met - but what I’m really, really pleased about is that people are contacting me. They’re coming through to this office talking to me about their ideas, ideals and concerns. As you well know, there is no way I could speak to all the great people doing stuff out there – and frankly a lot of them don’t want to speak to me – but what we can do is establish a ‘prevention’ agenda; an agenda that includes a coalition of statutory and voluntary organisations. Together, we will find new ways of dealing with the issues dogging our youth culture. All the best stuff - all the stuff that changes lives (as Barack Obama once said) comes from the community upwards, and not top-down. That’s my focus.

DM: Onto a more controversial subject… what are your views on stop and search?

RL: Stop-and-Search is very important but we would not want a Stop-and-Search [policy] that was typical of the 1980s and led to the Brixton riots. Policing is a lot more sensitive now, by no means perfect, but the commissioners and assistant commissioners I’ve spoken would be the first people to come down hard on officers who abuse their position. But lets be clear about this… stop-and-search needs to be set against the a backdrop of the tremendous rise in violent crime amongst our young people. That is the backdrop of it and if we forget that history, it will affect our hope.

The young people that I’ve spoken to, the people that know I work with hundreds and hundreds of young people; the families of the bereaved and others…have all accepted and understand the reason for stop-and-search. Public confidence has been greatly affected by [this] rise in violent crime.

I had some people in the office a little while ago that were very concerned that young people were too scared to come out of their homes and enjoy leisure activities for fear of being hurt by others carrying knives. So with that in the background, we have to welcome any initiative that’s intelligent, sensitive and addresses the issue of violent crime. But it must also be matched with initiatives from the grass roots [so they] meet somewhere in the middle and address the issues that are causing and leading young people to express their disagreements in disagreeable ways.

DM: …So should members of the community feel worried by what seems like an increase in stop-and-search powers?

RL: I don’t think there has been a change in policy because the powers have been there for some time. I think what people need to be mindful of as concerned citizens, that whatever policy initiatives are accentuated, are done so with the best will in the world, and done in the best way in the world.

I was at a ‘knife arch’ yesterday and I stood around for half-an-hour watching the police at work; they didn’t know I was there, but I was pleased with the way they did it. I was very pleased with their manner and their sensitivities. I spoke to a few of the young people that had gone through the arches and they said ‘this is a necessary thing to do because we know people that have been hurt – and we know people that have been perpetrators’. They also said there’s a degree of embarrassment because it does take place in public places, but all of; all of the young people I spoke to yesterday said they welcomes it as a necessary initiative!

[PT.2: I asked peope from the Positive Role Model Group on Facebook to pitch some questions to Ray:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=12802433797&topic=4590 This part of those interviews was formed of those questions].

DM: Firstly, you mentioned positive role models and the need for them. With reference to groups such as Positive Role Models on Facebook (which has almost 500 members), do you think there is a need to get these groups and their ilk further involved in ‘the process’?

RL: ABSOLUTELY!!! [Shouted]. And now that I think of it – that has been my life’s work! That is my passion and concern! Good men and good women need to come and take a step forward. Martin Luther King once said: ‘Evil triumphs when good people do nothing’.

DM: Are we spending too much money putting kids in prison rather than investing in youth clubs or leisure facilities?

RL: I think that has started [to change]. I think that people are starting to recognise that it’s important to set the ‘first aid tent’ at the top of the cliff rather than the bottom. We want to build ‘fences’ around the perimeter [of the cliff], not have ambulances at the bottom.

So there is increasing recognition and political will, particularly from this mayor, to deal with the causes of crime and invest in the right places. I was at a meeting in Scotland Yard recently and this was the mantra: "How can we prevent? How can we invest in our young people, in our community - to stop this kind of thing happening?"

DM: Would you consider putting metal detectors in all schools and colleges?

RL: We’d certainly consider it – but I’m not sure about the word ‘all’ from a practical point of view, and a philosophical point. Practically speaking, if you keep something in a regular place, people will always find ways around it - as we know. Philosophically, it’s important we deal with the ‘causes’ and not the ‘gate’ when the horse has bolted. So going back to your previous question [‘prisons vs. youth clubs’], we need to place the emphasis on prevention.

DM: Gimmicks in politics: Too much top level spin: not enough ground action?

RL: This interview is about my ground-up approach and I think you’ll find in time, people will be talking about the ‘outcomes’ not just about the programmes - and that’s very important. I would agree that all around the world, not only in this country or this city, there is a degree of spin that takes place; I am not part of that, nor is this office. We want to speak the truth honestly – whether that’s good or bad; we want to actually use our resources to tackle the issues.

DM: So are you actually going to be speaking to the youth rather than ‘guessing’ what they want/ need?

RL: [Incredulous silence. An ‘isn’t-that-obvious’ look. I move on…]

DM: How will charging young people for carrying knives going to change the wider social factors?

RL: It won’t. I think that public confidence is one of the issues, but we are in favour of looking at the reasons why young people are carrying knives, because we don’t want to criminalise young people unduly so. But, we must be strident in our opposition to knife carrying because if you carry a knife, you’re more likely to be stabbed than if you don’t (which is a strange paradox, but we live in a paradoxical world). My job is to try and deal with some of the reasons, behind the thinking, that generates a young person to put on their jeans, put on their jacket – and put a knife in their pocket. If we can deal with that, I think by the end of this term we would have gone a long way.

DM: Well done on your achievements so far; many people will look up to you as a positive role model. Give me something positive to take back to the Positive Role Model Group.

RL: I think that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they have a willingness to serve others. Martin Luther King once said that ‘anyone can be great; all it needs is a willingness to serve other people’. And if you’re ambition is to serve others – as mine is to serve London – then I think we can do some tremendous things.

I am not a career politician; I’m here for as long as I can do some good. When my internal drivers say to me ‘Ray, enough is enough’, and indeed when the young people that I work with tell me my effectiveness is waning, then I’ll know it’s time to move on.

[Interview by Davis Mukasa, City Hall, 1300hrs 18th June 08. Copyright protected. Contact davis@em-o.com]