UK news archive

29.04.2005 This appeal by Greenpeace activists found guilty of trespass during an anti-war protest is one of a number of cases in which the defence attempted unsuccessfully to call the Attorney General as a witness. Now that the infamous opinion has been published, perhaps Lord Goldsmith will be summoned by judges to appear in court?

27.04.2005 YouGov polls have attracted interest in the election as they adopt new media communication tools. In this poll commissioned by the Make Poverty History campaign, the results suggest overwhelming preference for more action on poverty - which is baffling because the mainstream media are saying that war and world poverty are not electoral issues.

26.04.2005 For Greenpeace campaigners, John Prescott symbolises the "all talk and no action" record of Labour on climate change, in his case the failure to tighten up building regulations for energy efficiency. His own home will now set a good example thanks to a visit from Greenpeace to fit new solar panels.

26.04.2005 Whilst the politicans boast of their relative abilities to limit immigration, a student campaign provides a welcome positive attitude towards asylum-seekers. The call is that pupils established in school or university should not suffer the disruption of deportation in any circumstance.

22.04.2005 Friends of the Earth is disgusted that both Conservative and Labour ignore climate change in the election campaign. But does this represent instead a failure of environmental campaigners to jolt the electorate out of its materialist mindset?

21.04.2005 Your tax payments could be invested in a national mailshot and election broadcast for the far-right BNP party which is fielding just sufficient candidates to qualify. If you are not happy with the idea, there is a protest at the BBC this afternoon or you can telephone the BBC complaints number.

20.04.2005 Unreasonable treatment of your neighbours can land you with an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO). Why not apply the same principle between countries? Campaigners say that the UK is guilty on many counts in its relationship with developing countries and that each of the main parties deserves an ASBO.

20.04.2005 It's a tough task to change the culture of disillusionment amongst black and ethnic minority voters. But a coalition of activist groups led by Operation Black Vote is determined to get across the message the every vote counts.

19.04.2005 Neither the political parties nor the media seem inclined to devote election space to world poverty and human rights. Under pressure from campaigners, the main parties have agreed to earmark April 24th as a day to focus on poverty issues - April 24th is a Sunday.

15.04.2005 The Conservatives have parked environmental policy in a document separate from their manifesto. By contrast the Lib-Dems explain the relevance of environmental issues on every page. Don't believe those critics who say this election offers no choice!

14.04.2005 After months of infighting and controversy over the question of ethnic minority representation in parliament, reality now looms large. All the major parties have put forward 30-40 candidates but very few have realistic prospects of election.

13.04.2005 The Red Pepper election blog identifies the increasing tendency for government to invest in the services of management consultants. Unfortunately, DFID heads the list.

12.04.2005 "It's not racist to talk about immigration" said Michael Howard in his Telford speech yesterday. Fair enough, says Trevor Phillips - chairman of The Commission for Racial Equality - but only if the "talk" debates policies and does not descend to "racially-charged comments".

12.04.2005 The Tories have published a so-called green manifesto but it's quite separate from the main manifesto - a perfect example of how not to demonstrate environmental credentials.

12.04.2005 Can a political party whose leader is on bail for incitement to religious hatred be taken seriously? The British National Party (BNP) has been the subject of a recent presentation by Professor Stuart Weir who says that it has tapped into genuine public disquiet and should not be demonised.

08.04.2005 Registered political parties such as BNP are entitled to election broadcasts. But if the leader is on bail under a charge of incitement to religious hatred, should such publicity be allowed? If you feel strongly, here's a chance to lobby the BBC to pull any broadcasts for BNP.

07.04.2005 The World Development Movement has produced an excellent scorecard assessing the 3 main political parties against 10 key policy issues. Labour's marks are bad, the Tories even worse, and the Liberal Democrats just scrape a pass.

06.04.2005 The Black Information Link continues to defy talk of an apathetic electorate by encouraging Black and Asian communities to use their votes and ensure that minority issues are not forgotten in the May 5 election.

06.04.2005 Immigration is likely to be a divisive issue in the forthcoming election with concerns for human rights taking second place in the drive for votes. A recent report points out that children held in immigration centres enjoy fewer rights than those detained for crimes.

01.04.2005 No-one could object to the aim of the government's new Landfill Allocation Scheme - to reduce the amount of waste dumped in landfill sites. But surely this should be achieved through extra recycling rather than incineration?