Gavin’s Gaily Gigest

Just back from a John Prescott event at UCL. The former Deputy Prime Minister was “in conversation with Michael White“, assistant editor for the Guardian. Perhaps the most interesting thing he said, in answer to a question on Iraq, was a denunciation of the situation in the Middle East country at the moment, with an [...]

 

 John Prescott Q & A 29.05.08 [44:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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President George W Bush on the sacrifice he made for the Iraq War effort:
"I didn’t want some mum whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf.
"I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a [...]

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Lee unfortunately couldn’t do the animation for this week, so you’re left with only my nasal dulcet tones and the script for this week’s Politalks (ah, just like the old days) to guide you through Iraq, Obama, the Tory surge and Parliament on Youtube
Listen to this week’s Politalks:

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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The Liberal Democrats have launched a new website today, calling for the MPs still in Parliament who voted for the Iraq military action to be held to account (i.e. voted out, preferably in favour of a Liberal Democrat).
Snappily titled Iraq: Hold Them to Account, it’s partially a reaction to Tory calls for an inquiry [...]

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Listen to the show:

 

 Standard Podcast [31:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tories surge ahead in the polls, both nationally and in London, with worrying (for Ken) second choice preferences.
Jo Swinson calls for Parliament to be on Youtube (and listen out for the baby in this part).
The Iraq War five years on.
PMQs, China and Tibet.
Obama’s [...]

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The Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, has decreed that the minutes of two Cabinet meetings held in the days leading up to the 2003 Iraq invasion should be disclosed to help “transparency and public understanding of the relevant issues”.
Nothing wrong with that of itself, of course – in any democracy there should be a presumption of [...]

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From the New York Times:

So… None from Iran then.

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From Mary Riddell, in today’s Observer, slips up in what is an otherwise persuasively argued piece on the dangers of a war with Iran and the alternatives open to the world:
“Hundreds of thousands have died in Iraq in a war waged to wipe out non-existent WMDs. This time round, the intelligence is just as thin, but [...]

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Via the Daily Irrelevant:

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Turns out the Police and Stop the War came to a compromise, and today’s protest calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq was able to go ahead past the Palace of Westminster… On the day the Prime Minister announced to the Commons that the number of troops serving in Iraq will be cut to [...]

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