UK news archive

31.01.2005 Former government minister, Chris Smith, has lavished praise on the NHS as "brilliant in the way it has treated people who are HIV-positive". The National AIDS Trust might beg to differ, having reported that as many as 27% of HIV-positive people suffered discrimination at the hands of the Health Service in the last 12 months alone.
From: National AIDS Trust

31.01.2005 Students should sweep the local park instead of slacking on gap years. Gordon Brown is rumoured to be introducing Victorian values dressed up as volunteering.

28.01.2005 The digital divide is not exclusive to developing countries. In the UK the government is exploring whether broadband connections can meet the needs of poor communities. The cost of £1,000 per head will have eyes popping in South Asia.
From: Institute for Public Policy Research

27.01.2005 This week's remarkable legal victory of The Corner House over the government is a reminder why corporate accountability should feature in Gordon Brown's grand schemes for international development. Lobbying by Britain's three major arms trading companies to relax bribery regulations persuaded the Export Credit Guarantee Department to break its own rules.
From: The Corner House

25.01.2005 Michael Howard's plans for a Conservative government to pull Britain out of the UN Refugee Convention have attracted widespread condemnation across civil society. The Refugee Council explains the essential moral bankruptcy of such a policy.

24.01.2005 VSO's stipulation for two year placements has been an increasing obstacle to volunteer recruitment in a fast-moving world. The solution - merge with BESO, an agency specialising in one month placements overseas. Expect the standard VSO package to change from April 2006.

21.01.2005 The tsunami earthquake appeal received over £10 million in one 24 hour period just before the new year. It's a record says Guinness World Records.

21.01.2005 A new report published by Scientists for Global Responsibility argues that UK spending on science and technology is stuck in a cold war time-warp which allows the military a disproportionate share. This is a recipe for more rather than less insecurity, says the report, which advocates that R&D spending should address the underlying causes of conflict.
From: Scientists for Global Responsibility

19.01.2005 Today the Home Office launches a new strategy to monitor ethnic integration and racism in public services. Black groups broadly welcome the proposals but are concerned about the absence of new obligations for the private sector.

19.01.2005 In the government's published tables for recycling domestic waste in 2003/04, no fewer than five councils from the Northwest are named in the list of ten worst performing local authorities.

18.01.2005 A Scottish MP has introduced a Private Member's Bill which would promote the use of renewable crops for heating fuel.

17.01.2005 Another barrister appointed to act for the Belmarsh detainees is due to resign today in protest over the government's failure to respond to the Lawlords' ruling that anti-terrorism legislation breaches human rights obligations. The civil rights group, Liberty, has published findings of the Independent newspaper which strengthen suspicions that no credible case exists against the detainees.
From: Liberty

14.01.2005 Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, says that abolition of the ancient law against blasphemy should accompany the proposed new law against incitement to religious hatred. Mindful of criticisms of Rowan Atkinson, Phillips advocates that the new law should not go so far as to ban Blackadder

12.01.2005 The announcement of the release of the remaining British detainees in Guantanamo Bay will fuel the already intense pressure on the British government to free the nine prisoners held for over three years without trial in Belmarsh.

11.01.2005 The World Development Movement (WDM) pulls no punches in denouncing the passionate rhetoric of Gordon Brown's moral crusade (“shuffling…the aid budget”) or the missionary zeal of the Prime Minister’s Commission for Africa (“unnecessary diversion”).

10.01.2005 Strange goings-on at the Royal Bank of Scotland. One day it closes the account of a respected Palestine campaign group without explanation; two days later the account is re-opened, again without reason.

07.01.2005 The judges for Yahoo's Finds of the Year Award 2004 in the UK have spotted Timebank, a site which encourages UK citizens to volunteer. Send your vote to Yahoo! if you think this site is better than other nominations which include a celebration of greasy spoon cafes.

05.01.2005 The low representation of black and asian communities amongst Members of Parliament is beginning to create difficulties in balancing the composition of select committees in parliament.

04.01.2005 Friends of the Earth describes the EU Emissions Trading Directive as "the most important piece of climate change legislation anywhere in the world". Guess which European country has caved in to business demands and is not ready for the 1st January start date.