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David Porter » Archive

The Concept of International Justice On Trial

Gaddafi’s non-judicial ‘execution’ polarised world opinion, from those appalled at the circumstances to those just delighted by the dictator’s demise. This article first published on Suite 101, 27th October 2011. In the wake of the death of Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi, the airwaves were thick with calls for ‘justice’ for his killers. They received short shrift from the National Transition Council and Libyans sickened by four decades of brutality at the hands of the Gaddafi regime. British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said Gaddafi was ‘subjected to summary justice’. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton demanded an investigation saying: ‘The new Libya needs to start with accountability, the rule of law, a sense of unity and reconciliation in order to build an inclusive democracy’. Some commentators were quick to point out that the US showed … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Latitude Poetry Club

Norwich Arts Centre Review written for Eastern Daily Press, not used Performance poetry is a neglected art form that is staging something of a comeback. It draws heavily on stand-up comedy, making this stand-up poetry. Three ‘now’ poets performed observational verse, rhyming and blank, as commentary on life, love, the universe and, well, everything, really. Luke Wright hosted another installment of his Latitude Poetry Club with keenly observed pieces on touring gigs as holidays, the Essex phantom lion, his paunch and his dream woman. Andy Bennett changed tempo with pieces on the consequences of alcohol, Guy Fawkes, Parliament, the ‘mask of apathy’ and the lost, early morning young man going home. His style was more political, finger-wagging, folk poetry. Byron Vincent claimed ‘not to be clever enough to be a poet, not funny enough to be … Read entire article »

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Ministerial Resignations Are Often Political Theatre At Its Best

This article was first published on Suite 101, 21 October 2011. Now, a year on, in the wake of the resignation of the Government Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell, over an issue that raises all sorts of questions about integrity, the arrogance of office, police records, hidden police agendas and the judgement of senior politicians… it is timely to republish it. Shakespeare wrote: ‘Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it’. (Macbeth). If only the same could be said of many who leave ministerial life. The Ministerial Code is issued at the start of each administration by the new Prime Minister. It’s not formalised in the constitution, but has evolved through precedence and guidance. By convention, Ministers inform and explain, apologise, take remedial action and resign in ministerial responsibility. Each … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Whips Mean Business in Parliamentary Proceedings

This article was first published on Suite 101, 20 October 2011. Now, a year on, in the wake of the resignation of the Government Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell, over an issue that raises all sorts of questions about integrity, the arrogance of office, police records, hidden police agendas and the judgement of senior politicians… it is timely to republish it. Periodically, Government whips hit the news and people ask, who are they? What do they do? Why do they have such power? The Parliamentary website gives a succinct definition: ‘whips are MPs or Lords appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business’. They ensure that most party members vote, and vote according to party wishes. It’s thought ‘whip’ stems from 18th century hunting, where a ‘whipper-in’ … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Westminster and Public Services Suffer Crime Waves

 Everything ‘owned’ by government is really owned by the taxpayers. However, some take it quite literally and think they can walk away with public assets. People have long stolen from work places. They take stationery, use computers and phones free, and steal time too. Many regard it as harmless, ‘victimless’ crime. Have we crossed a line into a belief that public theft is somehow acceptable? The 2011 English riots saw organised gangs of criminals stealing and damaging. Schools, hospitals, council offices and depots regularly suffer pilfering from a minority of staff and visitors. When the 2008 recession began there were reports of school students recharging their mobiles in classroom sockets, at taxpayers’ expense. It’s not a new phenomenon. By the end of the last world war, thousands of troops took souvenirs from places … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Impressionists Have Had Their Day in the Spotlight of UK Stand-Up

Satirising politicians has lost its appeal as they are so bland and because political reality parodies itself. You can no longer make it up. Long-time stalwart of the British comedy impressionist circuits, Rory Bremner, confessed to the Daily Telegraph (October 2011) that he was experiencing difficulty finding work. Channel 4 (who had employed him for 20 years) had no need of his particular services because ‘people no longer recognise the voices’ of top political players. He told Bryony Gordon in her interview that a brilliant impression now ‘would be like showing a dog a card trick’. In the next day‘s edition of the Telegraph, Matthew Norman wrote a personal opinion on Bremner being forced to do a turn on Strictly Come Dancing to earn a crust, believing it was because public interest … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Is the Clock Ticking for Greenwich Mean Time?

 Should time be called on British ownership of time, along with other old British measurements? Most Brits say ‘hands off our clocks!’ Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Greenwich Meridian Time, is symbolically marked by a line by the old Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London. Visitors walk along and around it, straddling it for fun. But it’s a serious, acknowledged base for measurement. When clocks change in spring and autumn, GMT remains constant, so time is either + or – GMT. It’s Longitude Zero degrees, and is deemed the mean (average) time the earth takes to revolve from noon to noon. It sets official time, and although there’s now atomic time (UTC), it‘s understood as a global reference point. It is used on the International Space Station, but there are 25 integer World … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Grumpy Old Shopper 6 – ‘Management’

An article by Graham Ruddick about the state of the Tesco empire in the Sunday Telegraph business pages of 30 September 2012 began with the paragraph: ‘Philip Clarke, the chief executive of Tesco, is walking around one of the supermarket group’s stores in Essex with his UK management team.’ And that sums up what is wrong with Tesco these days and why they are unlikely to return to the high-power success they enjoyed for so long. CEO walking round the store: brilliant. With his management team: pointless. I Offered to Walk Him Round A few weeks ago I wrote to Philip Clarke and offered to walk round my local store with him, unannounced. I did this more in sorrow than anger, as I have had a soft spot for the retailing giant for a long … Read entire article »

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