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Tag Archives: 2010
Do you remember the final leadership debate?
DAVID DIMBLEBY: Right, we have to bring this part of the debate to an end there, with that question. Thank you very much, all three of you. We end with final statements from each of the three party leaders, David Cameron to start.
DAVID CAMERON: Thank you. I’m standing here for a very simple reason, that I love this country, and I think we can do even better in the years ahead. We can go on, solve our problems and do great things. But we need a government with the right values. We need a government that backs families and understands that the family is the most important thing in our society. We need a government that backs work, and people who try to do the right thing. We need a government that always understands that keeping us safe and secure is the most important thing of all. But there’s something else you need to know about me. I believe the test of a good and strong society is how we look after the most vulnerable, the most frail and the poorest. That’s true in good times, but it’s even more true in difficult times. And there will be difficult decisions, but I want to lead us through those to better times ahead. I think I’ve got a great team behind me. I think we can do great things in this country. If you vote Labour, you’ll get more of the same. If you vote Liberal, as we’ve seen tonight, it’s just uncertainty. If you vote Conservative on Thursday, you can have a new, fresh government, making a clean break, and taking our country in a new direction, and bringing the change we need.
DAVID DIMBLEBY: Thank you. For the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg.
NICK CLEGG: Everything I’ve said during these three television debates is driven by my simple belief that if we do things differently, we can build a better, fairer Britain. As you decide how to cast your vote, of course you’ll be told by these two that real change is dangerous, that it can’t be done. But don’t let anyone scare you from following your instincts. Together, next week, we can change Britain for good. Just think how many times you’ve been given lots of promises from these old parties, and when they get back into government, you find that nothing really changes at all. We can do so much better than that this time. Of course, I can’t guarantee that all the problems you face will be solved overnight, but I can guarantee you that I will work tirelessly to deliver fairness for you. Fair taxes so that you pay less, but people at the top pay their fair share. A fair start, smaller class sizes for your children, a different approach to the economy and decent open politics that you can trust once again. I believe all this can happen. This is your election. This is your country. When you go to vote next week, choose the future you really want. If you believe, like I do, that we can do things differently this time, then together we really will change Britain. Don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t happen. It can. This time, you can make the difference.
DAVID DIMBLEBY: Thank you, Mr Clegg. Now for Labour, Gordon Brown.
GORDON BROWN: These debates are the answer to people who say that politics doesn’t matter. I want to thank everybody who’s been involved in these debates over the last few weeks. They show that there are big causes we can fight for. They also show that big differences exist between the parties. I know that if things stay where they are, perhaps in eight days’ time, David Cameron, perhaps supported by Nick Clegg, would be in office. But I’ve had the duty of telling you this evening that while we have policies for the future, the Conservatives would put the recovery immediately at risk with an emergency budget. I’ve asked David and Nick questions all evening. David has not been able to confirm, but it is the case that inheritance tax cuts will go to the richest people in the country. I believe he’s planning to cut the Schools Budget, and he hasn’t denied it. I believe also that child tax credits would be cut by both parties if they came into a coalition. I believe too that policing would be at risk from a Conservative government, because they have not said they would match us on policing either. And the health service guarantees that we have that gives every cancer patient the right to see a specialist within two weeks would be scrapped by the Conservative Government if they came into power. I don’t like having to do this, but I have to tell you that things are too important to be left to risky policies under these two people. They are not ready for government, because they have not thought through their policies. We are desperate to get this country through the recession and into the recovery, and that is what I intend to continue to do. But it’s up to the people to decide, and it’s your decision.
DAVID DIMBLEBY: Mr Brown, thank you. And thank you to all three party leaders who’ve taken part in this debate, and to our audience here.
Ed Miliband: towards an inclusive society
What sets out Labour from the other parties now is that we embrace the opposite to a culture which is obsessed about shareholder dividend. Perhaps the word ‘predator’ is not quite hitting the right note with the City but it conveys the ‘quick buck’ culture which can go so badly wrong in investment of critical services such as care homes. I remember going to this meeting at the Institute of Education, at @thefabians’ new year annual conference 2011, with my friend @saminstroud; in fact, @CriminologyUK has just reminded me about it just now, which is why I am posting this.
It is how I view the role of the City, as part of the society, not divorced from this; this shapes my views on corporate social responsibility, which are in full agreement with Prof Michael Porter’s seminal contribution ‘strategy and society‘ published at the beginning of this year also in the Harvard Business Review. The City in my view should learn from their mistakes in not including themselves in the rest of Society, which is why they have lost trust with many stakeholders. Bob Diamond opined on this in the seminal BBC Today lecture, and it’s what led me to spend two months spending hours travelling to the City from the Primrose Hill due to the blockage round St. Paul’s Cathedral.
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LegalAware four-part series on psychometric tests: Factsheet 4 – Online tests for individuals with reading disability or visual impairments
This is the fourth (and final) factsheet in a four-part series looking at psychometric testing.
It’s really important to realise that if you have a reading disability or visual impairment, the test administrators, designers and corporate law firm are obliged to enter into both the letter and spirit of helping you. Once you have all the ‘reasonable adjustments’ successfully implemented (if and only if, rather), it is perfectly possible for you to ‘train’ to become good at these tests.
Reading difficulty (dyslexia)
Dyslexia can be a legally recognised disability depending on its severity. Therefore, when applicants or candidates are being assessed, the qualified test user should have due regard to the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) or Equality Act (2010); this makes it unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person without good reason.
Discrimination is outlawed in a wide range of employment activities including selection, promotion and training. Employers have a duty to make “reasonable adjustments” to selection processes and working conditions so that disabled persons are not placed at a substantial disadvantage
The definition of the British Dyslexia Association mentions the impact dyslexia can have on other functions as well as literacy.
The BDA defines dyslexia as:
‘A combination of abilities and difficulties which affect the learning process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing. Accompanying weaknesses may be identified in areas of speed processing, short-term memory, sequencing, auditory and/or visual perception, spoken language and motor skills. It is particularly related to mastering and using written language, which may include alphabetic, numeric and musical notation.’
In selection for a training contract, an individual with dyslexia is likely to encounter difficulty with tests of verbal reasoning, spelling and functional literacy. The law requires that accommodations are made for disabled people including those with dyslexia to ensure that selection procedures do not disadvantage them. The employer is concerned with eliciting accurate information on abilities to use in making decisions.
The standardised nature of these tests is one of the main contributors to their effectiveness and objectivity. Arbitrary modifications to the test or administration procedure are likely to invalidate the results and render standard norm groups and score interpretations meaningless.
A common modification for individuals with dyslexia is to adjust the timing of the test. However, the amount of extra time required will depend on the way the dyslexia manifests itself, its severity, the test(s) being used and their relationship to the job requirements. Only a relevant professional can determine what is appropriate.
Whether adjustments have been made to standard test procedures or not, careful administration can help ensure that individuals with dyslexia have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
As with many disabilities, stress may exacerbate the impact of dyslexia. Therefore, a calm and understanding approach on the part of the administrator is important.
People with dyslexia may have difficulty with test instructions. This can be due to reading difficulties, or to a difficulty with short term memory and/or sequencing which is common with dyslexia.
Useful contacts
The British Dyslexia Association
Contact details here
National Helpline
For all dyslexia related enquiries.
Tel: 0845 251 9002
Email: helpline@bdadyslexia.org.uk
Our Helpline, staffed by volunteers, is open from 10:00a.m. until 4:00p.m. Monday to Friday, and open late on Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:00 – 7:00p.m.
Specialist Teacher and Accreditation Enquiries
Tel: 0845 251 9003
Email: accreditation@bdadyslexia.org.uk
Office and Administrative Enquiries
Tel: 0845 251 9003
Fax: 0845 251 9005.
Postal Address:
Unit 8 Bracknell Beeches, Old Bracknell Lane, Bracknell, RG12 7BW.
- Admin and customer services: admin@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Helpline: helpline@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Accreditation: accreditation@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Conferences: conference@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Quality Mark: qualitymark@bdadyslexia.org.uk
- Training: training@bdadyslexia.org.uk
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Our Helpline
England: 0845 604 6610
Textphone: 0845 604 6620
Email: englandhelpline@equalityhumanrights.com
Scotland: 0845 604 5510
Textphone: 0845 604 5520
Email: scotlandhelpline@equalityhumanrights.com
Wales: 0845 604 8810
Textphone: 0845 604 8820
Email: waleshelpline@equalityhumanrights.com
Visual impairments and the law
A person who is registered or certified blind or partially sighted is automatically regarded as disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995). However, even without registration, it is likely that a person with significantly limited vision which is not easily corrected using glasses or contact lenses will be considered disabled under the provisions of the Act.
The DDA makes it unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person and those who provide services must make them accessible to clients with disabilities. When tests are being used in connection with employment (e.g. in making selection decisions) employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled persons are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
Disabled individuals have the right to expect the same quality of service, including accuracy of diagnostics and assessment as other users of the service.
About visual impairments
Visual impairment covers a wide range of conditions.
Even a person who is registered blind may have some residual vision, e.g. the ability to discern light from dark or even quite good acuity within a severely limited field of vision.
Partial sight also covers many different types of conditions. These can range from very blurred vision to loss of some areas of the field of vision. For some people the act of focusing can be difficult, this can mean that reading difficult, as it is necessary to constantly refocus on the next portion of text.
A visual impairment may occur alone or in combination with other conditions.
Some people are born with visual impairments or have lived with the disability for a long time and have been taught or developed their own strategies for coping with both the practical difficulties of living and dealing with information usually presented in text form. For those with more residual vision, texts are typically accessed using large print and/or various magnification and lighting aids. Aids can include powerful spectacle lenses, free-standing magnifiers placed on top of a text, often with an integral light source.
Impact on testing
Any task where materials are presented visually, whether on paper, computer screen or as objects to be manipulated, will cause difficulty for a visually impaired person. This will include the vast majority of psychometric tests.
In order to assess a person with a visual disability, it is likely to be necessary to
- make adjustments to standardised test administration procedures, use alternate
- forms of materials, or both. However, such changes to a test cannot be made without affecting its reliability and validity.
The standardised nature of psychometric tests is one of the main contributors to their effectiveness and objectivity, and arbitrary modifications to the test or administration procedure are likely to invalidate the results and render standard norm groups and score interpretations meaningless. Some test takers may want to bring along some special equipment or ask for specific lighting conditions.
Practical advice during the testing session
Whether adjustments have been made to standard test procedures or not, careful administration can help ensure that the test results for someone with a visual impairment remain valid.
- A calm and understanding approach on the part of the administrator is important.
- If test administration times are greatly extended consider whether breaks are needed to prevent you / the candidate from becoming overtired.
- Make a note any adjustments made, or any other non-standard occurrences.
- If further advice is required in interpreting the results, make sure you consultant the recruiter from your corporate law firm, who may wish to contact the test publisher or consult with a Chartered Psychologist with expertise in visual impairment.
Picasso (yet again) having a last laugh
The Gagosian gallery in Camden completed a very successful exhibiton of works earlier this year by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso. Including important portraits of Françoise, Claude, Paloma and his last great muse Jacqueline, linocuts, ceramics and several iconic sculptures (“La guenon et son petit”, 1951, “Petite fille sautant à la corde”, 1950, “La femme enceinte”, 1950, and “Sylvette, 1954), “Picasso: The Mediterranean Years” was organized around generous loans from members of the Picasso family of works that have come to be known as “Picasso’s Picassos”.
A retired electrician in southern France who worked for Pablo Picasso says he has hundreds of previously unknown works by the artist.
The treasure trove of 271 pieces includes lithographs, cubist paintings, notebooks and a watercolour and is said to be worth about €60m (equivalent £50.6m).
Pierre Le Guennec, 71, reportedly says Picasso gave him the works as gifts. Mr Le Guennec said he had worked installing alarm systems at a number of Picasso’s residences, including a villa in Cannes in the south of France, during the last three years of Picasso’s life – he died in 1973.
However, the estate’s administrators have filed a case for alleged llegal receipt of the works of art.
According to French newspaper Liberation, Picasso’s son, Claude doubted Mr Le Guennec’s explanation about how he came into possession of the works and contacted the Central Office for the Fight Against Traffic in Cultural Goods. Claude Picasso, quoted in Liberation, noted that his father was known for his generosity – but that he always dedicated, dated and signed his gifts, as he knew that some recipients might try to sell the works one day.
shibleyrahman.com first ever political survey 2010
This is the first year that shibleyrahman.com has run a poll of political journalists, commentators and presenters. Unlike the Total Politics poll, this poll is not interested in how influential you feel that these people are in the political and media scene.
I am therefore not concerned what you feel about what other feel; I consider that this is totally misleading and unhelpful. I am only interested in how useful you find the person’s professional analysis, and what impact you feel their analysis has on your considered judgment . You certainly do not have to rate every journalist mentioned, just rate the ones you have an opinion on.
There are questions, covering many different types of journalists, reporters, sketch-writers, presenters and bloggers, in different types of media, such as radio, TV, broadsheets and the internet.
The survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete, considerably shorter than Total Politics’ survey, but this of course entirely dependent on how many people you rate! So remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Remember, you are rating them for their level of influence.
Many thanks for taking part!
Dr Shibley Rahman
You can take part in the survey by clicking here.
These are the questions this year:
Columnists and commentators
Please rate the following political columnists and commentators by how useful you find their political analysis and how much impact they have on your judgments. You do not have to rate every journalist mentioned, for example ones you have never one, but please just rate the ones you have an opinion on. Remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Not all professionals are represented.
Andrew Grice, The Independent
Andrew Porter, Daily Telegraph
Andrew Sparrow, The Guardian
Anushka Asthana, The Observer
Ben Brogan, Daily Telegraph
Bob Roberts, Daily Mirror
Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph
Daniel Finklestein, The Times
Dave Wooding, News of the World
Dominic Lawson, The Independent
Fraser Nelson, The Spectator/News of the World
Iain Martin, Wall Street Journal
Ian Drury, Daily Mail
Isabelle Oakeshott, Sunday Times
Jackie Ashley, The Guardian
Jake Morris, Daily Mirror
James Lyons, Daily Mirror
James MacIntyre, New Statesman
Janet Daley, The Telegraph
Jason Beattie, Daily Mirror
Jean Eaglesham, Financial Times
Jim Pickard, Financial Times
Johann Hari, Independent/Huffington Post
Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian/The Jewish Chronicle
Julia Hartley-Brewer, Sunday Express
Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror
Kirsty Walker, Daily Mail
Marie Woolf, Sunday Times
Martin Bright, Jewish Chronicle
Matthew Parris, The Times
Mehdi Hasan, New Statesman
Melanie Philips, Daily Mail
Michael White, The Guardian
Nick Cohen, The Observer/New Statesman
Nigel Morris, The Independent
Patrick Hennessy, Daily Telegraph
Patrick Wintour, The Guardian
Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday
Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph
Polly Toynbee, The Guardian
Rachel Sylvester, The Times
Robert Winnett, Daily Telegraph
Roland Watson, The Times
Sam Coates, The Times
Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph
Simon Jenkins, Guardian/Sunday Times
Steve Richards, The Independent
Suzanne Moore, Mail on Sunday
Toby Helm, The Observer
Trevor Kavanagh The Sun
Broadsheet sketch-writers
Please rate the following political sketch-writers by how useful you find their work, and how much impact they have on your judgments. You do not have to rate every journaist mentioned, for example ones you have never one, but please just rate the ones you have an opinion on. Remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Not all professionals are represented.
Andrew Gimson (Telegraph)
Ann Treneman (Times)
Quentin Letts (Mail)
Simon Carr (Independent)
Simon Hoggart (Guardian)
TV presenters and news reporters
Please rate the following TV presenters and news reporters by how useful you find their political analysis, and how much impact they have on your judgments. You do not have to rate every journalist mentioned, for example ones you have never one, but please just rate the ones you have an opinion on. Remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Not all professionals are represented.
Alex Forrest, ITN
Andrew Marr, BBC
Andrew Neil, BBC/This Week
Andy Bell, Five News
Anita Anand, Five Live
Ben Brown, BBC
Ben Wright, BBC
Carole Walker, BBC
Cathy Newman, Channel 4 News
Chris Ship, ITV News
David Dimbleby, BBC
Diane Abbott, This Week
Emily Maitlis, BBC
Gary Gibbon, Channel 4 News
Gavin Esler, BBC
James Landale, BBC
Jane Hill, BBC
Jeremy Paxman, BBC
Jo Coburn, BBC
Jon Snow, Channel 4 News
Kirsty Wark, BBC
Krishnan Gurumurty, Channel 4 News
Lucy Manning, ITN
Michael Crick, BBC
Michael Portillo, This Week
Niall Paterson, Sky News
Nick Robinson, BBC
Peter Spencer, Sky News
Reeta Chakrabarti, BBC
Samana Haq, ITN
Tom Bradby, ITV News
Vicky Young, BBC
Radio presenters and commentators
Please rate the following political radio presenters and commentators by how useful you find their political analysis. You do not have to rate every journalist mentioned, for example ones you have never one, but please just rate the ones you have an opinion on. Remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Not all professionals are represented.
Betsan Powys, BBC Wales
Eddie Barnes, Scotland on Sunday
Eddie Mair, Radio 4
Edward Stourton, Radio 4
Elinor Goodman, Radio 4
Evan Davis Radio 4
Gary O’Donoghue, BBC News
James Naughtie, Radio 4
Jeremy Vine, Radio 2
John Humphrys, Radio 4
John Pienaar, BBC TV and Five Live
Jonathan Dimbleby, Radio 4
Mark D’Arcy, Radio 4
Martha Kearney, Radio 4
Nicky Campbell, Five Live
Richard Bacon, Five Live
Ross Hawkins, BBC News
Sarah Montague, Radio 4
Shelagh Fogarty, Five Live
Victoria Derbyshire, Five Live
Political and lifestyle bloggers
Please rate the following political internet bloggers by how useful you find their political analysis, and how much impact they have on your judgments. You do not have to rate every journalist mentioned, for example ones you have never one, but please just rate the ones you have an opinion on. Remember, 1 is the lowest mark and 10 is the highest. Not all professionals are represented.
Alastair Campbell http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog.php
Alex Hilton http://www.labourhome.org/
Claire French http://clairefrench.co.uk
David Alexander Hough http://politicalpundits.co.uk/?author=26
Guido Fawkes http://order-order.com/
John Redwood http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/
Kerry McCarthy http://www.kerry-mccarthy.blogspot.com/
Luke Akehurst http://lukeakehurst.blogspot.com/
Mark Ferguson http://www.labourlist.org/
Mark Pack http://www.markpack.org.uk/
Mike Denham http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/
Phil Hendren http://dizzythinks.net/
Shibley Rahman http://shibleyrahman.com
Sunder Katwala http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/
Sunny Hundal http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/
Tom Harris http://www.tomharris.org.uk/
Walaa Idris http://www.walaaidris.com
Will Straw http://www.leftfootfwd.org
Political Scrapbook http://politicalscrapbooknet
Think Politics blog http://thinkpolitics.co.uk/tpblogs/
Robin Bogg’s spot http://boggsblub.blogspot.com
Free Gary MacKinnon http://tweetstorm4gary.wordpress.com
Red Rag Online http://www.redragonline.com
The Spiderplant http://www.spiderplantland.co.uk
Young Labour Politico Blogger http://blogtomscholesfogg.co.uk/
One Nation Tory http://onenationtory.com/
The Right Way http://piemandmu.blogspot.com/
Obnoxio the Clown http://obotheclown.blogspot.com/
Chris Mills http://www.chrismills.me.uk
For Diane Abbott MP for running a brilliant campaign
I think Diane Abbott has run the best, most principled, campaign of the whole leadership contest.
I don’t think Britain will be fit to elect a black Prime Minister for several decades.
Anyway, that doesn’t reflect on Diane’s abilities or principles in my opinion.
Nick Clegg: keynote speech 2010
Cynics expected us to back away. Instead, we confounded those who said that coalition Government was impossible. We created a Government which will govern and govern well for the next five years.
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I don’t recall many people saying that Coalition government was impossible. However, I think that David Cameron and Nick Clegg have indeed created a Coalition that can last until 2015. I simply don’t agree with people who say it won’t last the full distance.
Of course there are those who will condemn us. We are challenging years of political convention and tradition and our opponents will yell and scream about it. But I am so, so proud of the quiet courage and determination which you have shown through this momentous period in British political history. Hold our nerve and we will have changed British politics for good. Hold our nerve and we will have changed Britain for good.
Yes, this is the sentiment that I get from genuine LibDem members and supporters all the time, that the torrent of abuse about the Coalition is pretty unselective and continuous. The “Yell and scream” phraseology I’m sure is to picture Labour members as thick yobs, but that doesn’t obviate the fact that Labour has to be highly disciplined and well-mannered in its selective criticism.
Just think what we’ve done already. We’ve ended the injustice of the richest paying less tax on investments than the poorest do on their wages. We’ve guaranteed older people a decent increase in their pension. In November, we will publish a Freedom Bill to roll back a generation of illiberal and intrusive legislation. By Christmas, Identity Card laws will be consigned to the history books. From New Year’s Day, the banks will pay a new levy that will help fill the black hole they helped create. On 1 April, 900,000 low earners will stop paying income tax altogether. In May, the people of Britain will get to choose their own voting system. And this time next year, there will be a pupil premium so the children who need the most help, get the most help.
The Freedom Bill I think will be a good move, as Labour did screw up on civil liberties. Many sane people thought this rapid progression into a super-surveillance state was ridiculous, as well as the intensity of over-criminalising people. I welcome the Freedom Bill, not because it will be a popular piece of legislation, but because it is inherently sensible after Labour has eroded civil liberties. Labour managed to achieve this in an insidious manner, including of course the ID cards scheme which some or all of the Labour leadership contenders themselves voted for.
Remember the four big promises we made in the election campaign? For the first time in my lifetime, Liberal Democrats are able to deliver on those promises.
We promised no tax on the first £10,000 you earn. We’ve already raised the personal allowance by £1000. And in the coming years we will go further to put money back in the pockets of millions of low earners.
We promised more investment in the children who need the most help at school. It will happen at the start of the next school year.
We promised a rebalanced, green economy, a new kind of growth. Already we’re taking action on the banks. We’ve set up a regional growth fund. There will be a green investment bank to channel money into renewable energy. These are the first steps to rewire our economy. New jobs, new investment, new hope.
And we promised clean politics. We’re giving people the chance to change our voting system, cleaning up party funding and finally, a century after it should have happened, we are going to establish an elected House of Lords.
Those pledges we made, together, in the election of 2010, will be promises kept in the election of 2015. The Coalition Programme, which commits the government to making all these changes, is not the Liberal Democrat manifesto. But it is not the Conservative manifesto either. It is our shared agenda. And I stand by it. I believe in it. I believe it will change Britain for good.
These are all impressive. However, the agreement with the Tories on Afghanistan, Trident, immigration and asylum, and free schools have been far from impressive. But then again – I am not totally clear on the views of the five Labour leadership contenders on these important matters.
The new politics – plural politics, partnership politics, coalition politics – is the politics our nation needs today. The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives are and always will be separate parties, with distinct histories and different futures. But for this Parliament we work together: To fix the problems we face and put the country on a better path. This is the right Government for right now.
The pluralism card was always going to be played by Nick Clegg in justifying the Coalition. It seems a perfectly reasonable one to play, in my opinion.
