Brian Barder's website

Entries in March, 2007

The Day War Broke Out

Sunday, March 25th, 2007

My meme on what I was doing the day the Iraq war began: watching the destruction of Baghdad live on TV with horror and disgust, but distracted by simultaneously selling our house, by an imminent visit to New York and by a computer bug [More >>>]

How we treat foreigners after they have served their sentences

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

The prisons inspector reports on the inhumane, unjust and shaming way in which foreigners who have served their prison sentences have been treated because of panic in the Home Office [More >>>]

Turnbull vs. Brown: disgraceful, but… (with update 23 March 07)

Thursday, March 22nd, 2007

Lord Turnbull broke a basic rule by denouncing Gordon Brown to a national newspaper. But it’s not that straightforward. The Guardian doesn’t understand that civil servants like strong ministers so long as they listen [More >>>]

Some more budget items: £143 billions wasted on four white elephants

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

Four of Mr Blair’s expensive follies, Iraq, Trident, ID cards, the Olympics, are costing us around £143 billion over just a few years. How did the Chancellor, successive cabinets and a majority of Labour MPs allow this gross waste of money to be approved? [More >>>]

The House of Lords can’t be anything like the US Senate, Mr Caldwell

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

My letter in the Financial Times (17.iii.07) explains how Christopher Caldwell’s analogy between an elected House of Lords and the US Senate is flawed, and why an all-elected second chamber is essential [More >>>]

Renewing Trident: a letter to my Labour MP

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

The case against renewing Trident: the cost of renewing the UK ‘deterrent’ is disproportionate to the remote possibility of our needing it, it’s not ‘independent’ but increases UK dependence on the US, there’s noone to deter, and the policy reflects the government’s obsession with covering itself against blame for even the most improbable future disaster [more >>>]

Kosovo: a war crimes trial

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

A war crimes trial concerning events in Kosovo in 1998-99 involves charges against Kosovo Albanians for their alleged activities in the KLA, not Serbs as many might assume. Reports repeat the old myth about the ’success’ of the NATO bombing [More >>>]

A proposal for the Clarke-and-Milburn show (with update 2 March)

Thursday, March 1st, 2007

A 10-point manifesto for a new Labour leader, offered to Comrades Clarke and Milburn for their new ‘open debate’ website (but not yet approved for public exposure there) … [More >>>]