UK Newswire Archive
Russian Students' Action
19-02-2011 02:51
STUDENTS FORCE RESIGNATION OF THE RECTOR OF MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY (MGUP)
Rape Apologist MSP Bill Aitken in Hiding.
19-02-2011 00:22
Glasgow's Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (List) MSP Bill Aitken- whose leaked comments on a local gang rape have caused outrage- never showed up for work today.
Second UKCMRI Lab Parliamentary Hearing Report
18-02-2011 23:22
The second hearing for the Science and Technology Parliamentary Inquiry into the UKCMRI proposed bioresearch laboratory took place on 16th February, at Portcullis House - more below.....
Three representatives from UKCMRI Ltd (Sir Paul Nurse, Chief Executive and Director, Sir David Cooksey, Chairman, and John Cooper, Chief Operating Officer) were questioned by a group of MPs chaired by Andrew Miller MP, Labour, (Ellesmere Port and Neston) on 16th February at the second hearing for the Parliamentary Inquiry into the controversial UKCMRI lab plans. Link here to video of hearing.
The other MPs present were: Gavin Barwell, Conservative, Croydon Central (who also happens to be "paired" with Paul Nurse's daughter in the Royal Society "Pairing Scheme" - as stated on their website "helps to build bridges between parliamentarians, civil servants and some of the best science research workers in the UK"), Stephen Metcalfe, Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock , David Morris, Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale, Stephen Mosley, Conservative, City of Chester, Pamela Nash, Labour, Airdrie and Shotts, Graham Stringer Labour, Blackley and Broughton and Roger Williams, Liberal Democrat, Brecon and Radnorshire.
Great skills at avoiding questions were demonstrated in what could be described as a master class in spin and waffle.
Questions included: origins of the plan, (it seems at one point Paul Nurse had thought of using the Millenium Dome), cost, funding, inflation, delay/problems (Cooper admitted a problem with a previous Wellcome Trust project he had been involved with), links with the pharmaceutical industry, proposed central London site, and dangers/risks.
Sir Paul Nurse stated, in an attempt to justify building the enormously expensive proposed gigantic laboratory complex, regarding workers they "have to recruit" "....they like central London - I tell you - they don't like the suburbs"
More information relating to the hearing here.
A third hearing has been arranged for Wednesday 2nd March, 2011 at Portcullis House, Thatcher Room, from 10.45am with Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science and Earl Howe, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Quality, Department of Health. Link to more information and link to interactive map of Portcullis House.
BACKGROUND: The government has offered £220 million of public money towards a proposal to build a gigantic laboratory complex alongside St Pancras International Station, planned to handle "Biosafety Level 3" extremely dangerous pathogens in 79,000 square metres of building, eight storeys above ground and four storeys below ground, on land behind the British Library, at a time of brutal cutbacks. It has been approved at a Camden Council Committee meeting and Boris Johnson has approved the plans. A group of Camden campaigners St Pancras and Somers Town Planning Action are opposing this.
Angry scenes as officers eject protestors
18-02-2011 22:23
* You are here
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Angry scenes as officers eject protestors from meeting
Sponsored by Kirkham Grammar
Published on Fri Feb 18 14:42:43 GMT 2011
Police ejected protestors from County Hall as politicians voted through £179 million cuts at an extraordinary budget meeting.
The tense meeting had to be halted twice, once when police were called to clear the public gallery and, again, when a fire alarm was activated an hour later, sparking a mass evacuation of the staff, councillors and members of the public.
It was the first time in 20 years that the gallery had been cleared.
During the meeting, Conservative county council leader Geoff Driver was involved in a spat with anti-cuts protestors, who he later branded "unruly louts."
The decision means that thousands of jobs will now be axed from the authority and many services scaled back over the next three-years. One of the most controversial proposals voted through is the move to shut at least one respite centre for the families of disabled children within the next 12 months, sparking an angry response from the scores of angry protestors who gathered at the meeting. Before the start of yesterday's meeting dozens of parents affected by the proposals made their feelings clear by staging a protest outside. Some told how important the county's eight respite centres were to them.
After the meeting Manoj Majhi, 47, whose 14-year-old disabled daughter Amy attends Maplewood House respite centre in Bamber Bridge, which is one of the centres facing the axe, said: "I am totally deflated.
"I came here to see democracy in action and what I got was a sham. They didn't care one iota what we had to say or how these cuts will affect our families.
The county council budget was approved 42 votes to 23 after more than four hours.
Murky world of hunting revealed on new 'huntmap'
18-02-2011 21:59
Six years on and Hunting Act is going from strength to strength, according tocharity
Mark Kennedy encountered in London
18-02-2011 17:47
Ex undercover policeman Mark Kennedy is now back in the UK.The statement below has been verified by Fitwatch and the same statement will appear on their website shortly.
Does "Indignez-vous!" in The Nation mag deny Hessel a bestseller?
18-02-2011 17:08
Class Anger Erupts In Wisconsin, USA
18-02-2011 17:01
BMA London opposes health bill as people protest
18-02-2011 15:22
The meeting of the Britich Medical Association London Regional Council last night voted in favour of a motion calling for the BMA to scrap its policy of critical engagement and instead introduce a policy of total opposition to the health bill.
Simon Burns, health minister was heckled, and around 100 people turned out for the lobby and protest outside the meeting.
See Video of Dr Ron Singer, president of the Medical Practitioners’ Union.
See reports:
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=35&storycode=4128587
http://www.gponline.com/News/article/1055734/london-region-calls-bma-reject-health-bill-outright
Victory Against Open-cast Co. Durham
18-02-2011 14:46
On Tuesday 15th February Durham county councillors voted unanimously to reject the application by UK: Coal to extract 530,000 tonnes of coal from the site known as Bradley.Past is Present: Settler Colonialism in Palestine
18-02-2011 13:47
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often described as unique andexceptional with little resemblance to other historical or ongoing
colonial conflicts. Yet, for Zionism, like other settler colonial
projects such as the British colonization of Ireland or European
settlement of North America, South Africa or Australia, the imperative
is to control the land and its resources -- and to displace the
original inhabitants.
Cops at Islington Council meeting
18-02-2011 13:22
Police attack peaceful anti-cuts protesters in Islington Council public gallery
see: https://london.indymedia.org/articles/7421
Cops drag public out of Islington Council cuts mtg
18-02-2011 12:22
On Thursday evening police were called to Islington Council's budget cuts meeting and physically removed people from the public gallery, after they heckled and chanted "If you vote this budget through, that makes you a Tory too". See Video
Earlier a march and rally had been held Islington Hands Off Our Public Services and local trade union branches. Listen to Lynna Moffat speaking about the cuts to Social care: audioboo
Inside a record 28 questions were tabled from members of the public many challenging the millions of pounds of budget cuts. Rowdy heckling included "You have a choice!" and "Shame on you", with more chants of "Labour council's gone berserk, doing all the Tories work" and "Whose Council? Our Council!"
In scenes being repeated across the country the council suspended the meeting and called the police to clear people from the gallery, dragging people out and arresting one (later de-arrested). The meeting then continued behind closed doors.
Protests like this are happening all the time - this saturday in london alone there are dozens of anticuts protests and actions: Lewisham Carnival Against Cuts - Hackney - Waltham Forest - UKuncut (7 london actions)
Reports:
http://pcseuston.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/islington-council-budget-meeting-is-this-what-democracy-looks-like
http://righttowork.org.uk/2011/02/islington-council-forced-to-pass-budget-in-secret-session/
http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/police_called_to_islington_town_hall_as_council_meeting_descends_into_chaos_1_806216
See also: http://www.ihoops.org.uk
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/campaign-resources/there-is-an-alternative-the-case-against-cuts-in-public-spending.cfm
The Unemployed Blamed for Rising Unemployment
18-02-2011 11:25
A day after it was announced that unemployment had risen by 44,000 to just under 2.5 million, or 7.9% of the workforce (rising to over 20% for 18 to 24 year olds), the government has launched its Welfare Reform bill plan, with the mantra ‘make work pay’. The plan aims to amalgamate several benefits into a new ‘universal benefit’, although it is not entirely clear which benefits, or how exactly the new benefit will operate.The Traitor of Baghdad
18-02-2011 10:51
Hussein Al-alak is a journalist, campaigner and chairman of Iraq Solidarity UK.Anti-War Solidarity with Julian Assange - Verdict on Extradition Thurs Feb 24th.
18-02-2011 07:38
Members of three Catholic Worker communities - Giuseppe Conlon House/ London. Rickmansworth/ Farmhouse & St. Francis/ Oxford - joined with folks from WikiLeaks London Support, Justice for Assange and Anonymous over last week's three days of Julian Assange's extradition at Woolwich Courty/ Belmarsh Prison.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_QcSBGj_-8 Jordan Pont, Nazi Postmen of the Royal Mail
18-02-2011 06:11
