Gordon's deeper into the Brown after Recession gaffe

"The recession will be over by Christmas"

The statement by Gordon Brown that the recession will be over by Christmas is the final, damaging evidence that the PM is completely disconnected from voters.

Gordon deals in stats and counter-stats, and by the official definition of the term 'recession', the UK economy may indeed no longer be in negative growth, technically at least adding weight to Gordon's theory.

But this is an argument for economists not the PM of a country which will have millions of its families experience one of their bleakest Christmas periods for some time, not to mention thousands of unemployed parents unable to provide for their children. So how does Gordon connect with these voters? By using economic technicalities to tell them everything is all right, to show he has 'saved the world'.

Sadly, and perhaps ominously given the current situation in the Middle East, this has echoes of the misguided 'our troops will be home for Christmas' proclamation of the HH Asquith Government. A sheltered politician telling ordinary people how it isn't.

Labour MPs have a lot of thinking to do between now and the New Year.

Birmingham Post goes weekly

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/news/091020brumone.shtml

The news that the Birmingham Post is going weekly, coupled with the move to overnight production of the Mail, follows recent damage to the regional presses in Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

The decline in regional advertising revenue coupled with the need to cut costs and squeeze productivity means that the cull in the regional print media is progressing at an even fast rate.

It's sad to see for those of us who believe in and support the regional media but we must hope that recent improvements to regional newsgroup websites will in the long term secure the future for the regional news which is so important for a pluralistic democracy.

It could also expediate the growth of micro local websites providing truly local content, such as this wonderful news blog in Kent: http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/

To me this means that the web which started the decline in regional newspaper revenues will ultimately secure the future of the vital regional news sector.

Twitter exposes Jan Moir Daily Mail homophobia

What a day it has been on Twitter, with the "#janmoir" article on Stephen Gatley's death being criticised for its homophobic views.

I've been tweeting on this all day and the point of the outage isn't that the Daily Mail is vile, everybody knows that, it's the sense that people now feel they have a platform to say "we're not going to stand for this anymore."

There are so far unconfirmed reports that the Mail has had to pull advertising from the Moir article. If this is true then it validates the Twitter and Facebook protests, which have also received support from high profile Twitter uses like Stephen Fry and Derren Brown.

Either way, it seems that this time the Mail has indeed gone too far. Some fellow journalists have bemoaned the fact that it will mean Moir is congratulated for a job well done but we won't know this until the news plays out tonight. Sky News are featuring it at 7pm and the Guardian continue to focus on the story.

I sincerely hope Moir is made to retract her sweeping accusations over the late Mr Gately and that the Mail is forced to apologise to his family.

This story is one to watch as a watermark for how much influence the Twitterati can have.

Too many tweets...

Ben Bradshaw's tweet about the Today programme was a rush of blood to the head the Minister will regret. As culture secretary, he should not be using Twitter to air his criticisms of the BBC in such a flippant and ill thought out way.

I admire Mr Bradshaw as a politician but as a former journalist he should know better than to take such an attack dog stance against Today.

My own view is that Today remains robust against all parties but the new Webb-Davis partnership of recent days lacks a hard hitting presence and Evan Davis tends to be to come across as placid because of his tone - it's not Dragon's Den, Evan!

Sorry Ben but this time too many tweets did indeed make...

Manchester goes blue

Coming out of work tonight I was met with the amusing site of three large Lexus vehicles with blue suited drivers trying to negotiate their way to their hotel. It can only mean the Tories are here.

I've been sitting back and reading the tweets, watching the message boards and looking for gossip. All of which strikes me as rather desperate on my part but even more so, helps me realise just how little the people of Manchester know about the party they are scrambling to elect.

But that's the point, cry the local journalists, it's our chance to form policy.

Er, it's not.

The Conservatives are holding their party conference safe in the knowledge that all they need to do is avoid echoes of Kinnock in Sheffield 92, talk vaguely on jobs, immigration, Europe and anti-social behavour and then hold out until the election. They will not be listening to the desperate local businesses, journalists, PRs and Councillors seeking to make friends with the new Govt.

The conference is the equivalent of a sporting showcase testimonial match. It looks good, costs millions but is hollow, without essence or meaning.

And that for the boys in blue (and er, a green tree) is exactly the right strategy.

Cable Guy

Andrew Neil's blog reveals that one of the best things about the Lib Dem conference is the almost comic tension between the leader that should have been and the leader that didn't have the bottle to be.

Clegg may be a lame duck but he still reatins enough allies to attempt to distance Vince from the party mainstream. In doing so, he risks alienating the only member of his 'front bench' trusted by voters.

This will be suicide for next year's election and means the piecemeal conversion of former Tory voters will rapdily unravel. Sadly for the Lib Dems they have built their whole ideology on this rather flacky ground instead of solidifying their own ideological base.

I fear Labour may not be the biggest losers in next year's election. Not in terms of votes but ideological ground. The irony of this is that the last ten years have been a golden opportunity to build this intellectual momentum, not sacking leaders and prostituting for cheap council election votes.

You pays your money you take your choice.

Spot the sad irony of these two stories on the same page of the BBC

I'll make this quick as I'm angry about it.

Spot the difference between the two news stories. It's a crying shame the second made the Beeb.

It might as well read, 'BLACK SOCIALIST EMPLOYS EVIL IMMIGRANTS'

What a pathetic news story. No surprises where it came from...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8259036.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8260088.stm

End to the gravy train?

I have to be honest, I was a bit perplexed by two different messages from the Tories today.

The first sees David Cameron warn that subsidised food and drink for MPs would be cut under a Conservative Government.

The second was an email from the man himself inviting me for a pint at a nightclub for 'one of the biggest nights out the city has seen in some time'.

Make your mind up Mr Cameron!


Party for Change, Pure Nightclub, 7 October, 9.30pm till late

Manchester will be buzzing with the Conservative Party Conference between 5th-8th October, and this is your chance to get involved.



They're throwing a huge party at Pure Nightclub with live bands, a roller disco, celebrity DJs, an Xbox area, a chill-out lounge, and a VIP room.



With a 2,000 capacity, it's going to be one of the biggest nights out the city has seen in some time.



They're going all out because they think they've got a good chance of getting in at the next election and they want to reach as many new voters as they can. Go along, meet the party members, and educate yourself about what they have to offer. (And then have a go on the roller disco).

A sting in the tail

I can't believe how fast my little boy is growing up. On the way home tonight, I had a call from my wife who told me that the little chap had found a wasp in his room and had attempted to make friends with it! Sadly, he got stung for his efforts - poor lad!

It was only a few weeks ago that he couldn't even crawl. Now his days are filled with seemingly boundless movement and a thirst for exploration. It's a magical time and as he approaches 9-10 months old, I feel a very proud Father.

Just need to get some insect repellant, just in case...

Washing his hands

Why does GB always insist on hiding when a controverisal decision needs to be made? Cameron has it spot on when he teases him about being elusive. It's just so obvious, it's cringeworthy.

To argue that releasing the only convicted perpetrator of Lockerbie is a decision for the Justice Minister of the devolved Scottish Govt and has nothing to do with Foreign affairs is cowardice.

The decision to hang the SNP out to dry stinks and although it will be lapped up by the media they will turn on Brown next. For a start, the US doesn't even grasp devolution so to most of the world it is a 'UK' decision. Secondly, Gaddafi has already thanked 'my friend Brown'!

GB suffers from either the worst advice or is genuinely the most deluded PM we've seen in modern times.

I despair that the man leading our country can hide over such an important decision.

Money talks

Lots of criticism today for Alan Duncan being caught on camera by Hayden Prowse (who is gaining quite the reputation for undercover reporting,) saying what every MP has been thinking.

I may not agree with Tory politics but what Duncan implied was the truth - the expenses witchhunt turned into a farce.

Having once worked for an MP, I can honestly say they work harder than 99% of professionals whose remuneration is much greater. Yes, the system needs reforming but let's not have a crusade against Duncan.

If anything, he's the most progressive and liberal Conservative MP and his enemies should not be allowed to exploit this incident to serve their own ends.

End Game

Rupert Murdoch's extraordinary decision to charge for content on ALL News International websites, effectively forces an End Game in newspaper ad revenues.

If he succeeds, he can potentially solve the revenue stream crisis on Fleet St and across the world. If he fails, then he could potentially drive ad rates down and bring about the early demise of several national newspapers.

Revenue aside, he is also gambling that media consumers will pay for content that they can receive elsewhere for free, such as BBC News and google feeds.

It's a full circle turn for the industry, after early paid for content was phased out.

From my PR perspective, Murdoch's decision seems odd because surely he will expect to lose a large percentage of the people who consume his online media. If this % is high enough, it could play into the hands of his rivals. The Telegraph and the Mail, who many believe have the best British online offer, will be rubbing their hands with glee at his decision.

You never right Murdoch off but I think he has made a very bad decision. Time will tell.

We will remember them

The passing of Harry Patch reminds me of an interview I heard with him in The Today programme about four years ago.

What struck me then was the sense of a reluctant hero, a paradoxical achronism brought about by longevity. Mr Patch, despite his years, seemed all too aware of this and spoke of how he was merely a survivor, thrust into the spotlight by the passing of time.

A modest and brave man, he spoke of being wounded in WWI when he was 19 and his narrative was both stoic yet colourful, brought to life by the sagacity of his experience. Nevertheless, the one feature of the interview that I always remembered was that he was steadfast in his belief that war was a waste of human life. He also, worryingly, seemed convinced a third world war was looming, this time based on chemicals.

He expressed no wish to be alive when that time came.

I wish to echo the sentiments of Fortmer Timed editor, William Rees-Mogg, the importence of the first WW should never be understimated. In truth, way in which the world was carved up afterwards haunt us still today.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article6728121.ece

But, despite the mistakes, the valliance of those soldiers must never be forgotten and it's now our burden to carry the lessons of the first World War forward for future generations.

RIP Harry Patch.

Back to (modern) reality

I have just arrived back from a relaxing four days in Dumfries, in an old Blacksmith's Cottage which had no television or internet.

It was a back to basics trip, albeit with good company and food; and I can honestly say I didn't miss either...for the first three days! After that, I couldn't wait to check up on my emails, watch the golf highlights etc.

Despite breaking at three days, I do think we all need a break from the electrical prisons we unwittingly build around us. I am going to make such breaks a more regular thing, even in my own household.

Authors for the trip where Joseph O'Neil and Seb Faulkes. It was a good mix, accompanied by a rather more mixed-bag courtesy of my Mother in Law's i-pod...

Sleep wasn't at a premium during the trip, however, as my LO kept waking in the night because they are teething. I don't begrudge waking up though, it just means I need more coffee to function tomorrow.

The virtous circle of a parent...!

Echo, Echo...read all about it?

Growing up in Liverpool, I always enjoyed having two local daily papers. The Post was great for business and opinion whilst the Echo was its more famous brother; both influential and widely supported in and around the City.

Which is why it's even more depressing to hear TM are planning to turn the Echo into a morning paper:

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-publishing/trinity-mirror-appears-set-to-switch-liverpool-echo-to-a-morning-paper%2c-nuj-protests-200906305752/

I recently spoke to a contact at the Nottingham Evening Post, which has also moved to a morning paper. He agreed that such a move erodes confidence in a paper and destroys its sense of identity.

Times may be tough but cost cutting has and always be in the interests of corporations and not in local democracy or quality journalism.

I despair for the future of our regional print media.

The time I met Anthony Blair.

Now, I have never until this day remembered if it was me who put my arm round the PM. I'd like to think it wasn't. (I'm the one immediately to his right, hand rudely in the pocket.)

But, this picture is inconclusive at best. It will forever haunt me.

My old cats, Elmo and Minnie.

Had to get rid of them when we had our baby.

Ragdolls, worth every penny if you want a friendly cat who likes a cuddle. Just be prepared to hoover - a lot!

Bye Space

It was the first of its kind and now, like Friends Reunited, Myspace begins its death march towards obscurity.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6514249.ece

Like the barcode battler, sega game gear and pagers, it has fallen victim to Father Time's insatiable appetite for progress.

So, Myspacers, good luck in your GCSEs and see you on Twitter when you've stopped hating the world.

Uneasy

That's how I feel about the Shalid Malik witchhunt. Now I wouldn't say anything about the publications who are going after him with such vigour, but I do hope this pursuit ends as let's be honest, if he was as bent as the media are saying would Gordo have brought him back into Govenment?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1192898/Hes-crafty-b----says-elderly-council-tenant-lived-flat-Shahid-Malik-snapped-nothing.html

Let's hope the MP in question can stand up to this 'closer inspection' and carry on what was a promising career...we need him to, especially after certain recent election results.