Archives for March 2009

Westminster is mesmerised by the never-ending flood of stories about MPs expenses, which has put even the G20 summit on the backburner.

Voters will be agog at the scale of the money involved. MPs are paid about £64,000 but on top of that they are claiming on average £144,000 in various expenses, which takes their annual remuneration, excluding generous pension provisions, to over £200,000. Even junior ministers can expect to be north of £250,000.

It is quite clear that many MPs are using their expenses to finance their chosen lifestyles, using taxpayers' money to buy things -- from sink plugs to caravans to cable TV packages to second homes -- that the rest of us have to pay for out of our after-tax, hard-earned income (the fact that the £144,000 is tax free makes it even more valuable).

Public wrath is now at fever pitch and I cannot remember a time (even in the worst days of the dying Major government) when politicians have been held in more public contempt. Yet they are like rabbits stuck in the headlights, unable to reform an absurd expenses system wide open to abuse and reduced to pathetic excuses ("it's within the rules" and (priceless, this one) "I was told to go for it and treat it like extra salary") which only increase public anger further.

This morning the politicians are trying to make disclosure the issue: who is leaking all this stuff, to their immense embarrassment.

I suspect the public doesn't care about that: it's our moment and we have every right to know exactly how they spend it.

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Andrew is back on Tuesday, but the DP team have blogged in his absence:

The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is facing fresh questions this morning over her future after "mistakenly" claiming the cost of two adult movies on Commons' expenses.

As she issues a grovelling apology - we look in detail at the further revelations this weekend over second homes and expenses.

With a review of MPs' pay and expenses planned to begin in September, we'll ask if the row can get any more embarassing?

Another building society is bailed out as the Government buys up bits of the Dunfermline - and sells the best parts to the Nationwide.

We'll find out this afternoon just how much taxpayers' cash has been used to save the 150-year-old institution, but it's thought the Treasury will take £1bn of commercial property lending and acquired mortgage debt.

The Nationwide, which will take on the Dunfermline's 530 staff, says the brand will remain intact. We'll have the latest.

Also, this is the week that counts if you are Gordon Brown, as the G20 roadshow finally rolls into London.

The Prime Minister is today beginning his final round of diplomatic arm-twisting to rally support for a package of measures to help the ailing world economy.

With Chancellor Alistair Darling warning that it was important not to be "overly optimistic" about what could be achieved in a single day, we'll be asking David E. Sanger of the New York Times and Fraser Nelson, political editor of the Spectator, what this much-anticipated summit can really achieve?

With President Obama beginning his first overseas tour since taking office, we'll be discussing what changes in US Foreign Policy we can expect from the new administration.

President Obama has an overflowing foreign policy in-tray with Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Iran all fighting for top spot on his to do list - we'll be looking at potential changes in the months ahead.

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As usual on Fridays, I shall leave you in the more than capable hands of my co-presenter Anita Anand.

In case you've missed the advanced publicity - the G20 road show finally hits London next week: that's world leaders, national delegations and of course a rainbow alliance of protest groups.

In advance of the event and in a display of world leadership the Prime Minister this week embarked on the kind of world tour usually undertaken by rock legends.

The non-stop tour has so far taken in Strasbourg and the European Parliament, the United Nations in New York, Brasilia, Sao Paulo - and today Santiago, Chile.

Mr Brown certainly qualifies for the world tour t-shirt, but whether he's built a consensus in terms of tackling the world recession has yet to be seen.

We'll be exploring what Mr Brown can actually achieve ahead of next week's summit with former No 10 insider Matthew Taylor.

Also today we'll hear of one MP's two year battle to get his DNA sample off the national database.

Conservative MP Greg Hands will be debating the issue with a rape victim who believes the public should have nothing to fear from the national database and that everyone should be on it.

And it's Friday, so Giles will be here with his usual rundown of the stories you've been most interested in this week.

Comedian Andy Zaltzman will also be here with a more lighthearted look at the top stories.

Throughtout today's show Anita will be joined by Financial Times journalist Jean Eaglesham - she's just got back from Brown's world tour - and the Daily Mirror's Kevin Maguire, a regular Friday guest.

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Today the Daily Politics stages the battle of the bloggers -- on the New Labour left, Dolly Draper, on the libertarian right, Guido Fawkes -- and we do so as the internet buzzes with a compelling example of the power of the internet to re-shape our media and politics.

After Gordon Brown delivered his speech to the European Parliament on Tuesday, he was subjected to a three-and-a-half minute riposte in the Chamber by Tory MEP Daniel Hannan (he appeared on our live-from-Brussels-show last Wednesday) which many thought devastating.

Established broadcasters, while recognising that the Hannan attack was a cut way above normal party political banter, didn't quite see how "Tory MEP savages Brown" made it a story. That was before the bloggers got a hold of it -- they have made it not just a story but a phenomenon.

The right-wing bloggers posted it on their sites and passed it among themselves. Before long it was racking up tens of thousands of hits on YouTube and not longer after that it made the famous Matt Drudge site in America, which gave it far wider trans-Atlantice exposure. No surprise that Mr Hannan was soon popping up on Fox News and other sympathetic news outlets. All that has certainly made it a story, even for traditional broadcasters, including the Daily Politics.

Mr Hannan's cheerleaders in the blogosphere are claiming that, with over 300,000 hits already recorded on YouTube, it is on course to be the most viewed political speech in the quickest time in internet history. We'll be discussing that and more this morning.

It is an intriguing development, of which we'll see more as we head for the first ever "broadband" election. Gordon Brown was the target of Mr Hannan's rhetoric and many will think he hit his target hard and effectively; but many Tories will also be wondering quietly why Mr Cameron or Mr Osborne have not mounted such sustained and brilliant attacks. Do they have the ability to do so? No doubt they will be pondering all this as Mr Hannan is hailed as a new Conservative hero on both sides of the Atlantic (and across the Channel too).

This is the shape of things to come. Before the net became a vehicle for video, people depended on pretty much what established media thought they should know. Now they can make up their own minds what's important -- and the established media now has to follow their lead.

I expect this to be an important feature of the next general election campaign. The internet played a minor part in the 2005 election but now its impact could be enormous with the spread of broadband allowing video clips to be distributed in high quality. The political parties and the media will continue to make their judgements about what is important to cover and what issues matter; but the bloggers will also be making theirs and when they tap into opinion the parties or the media have ignored or under covered, they will make news too -- and affect the course of the campaign. I wouldn't be surprised if the parties and pressure groups even start making US-style political commercials in the hope of getting massive hits on YouTube. The general election of 2010 will show just how far the web is changing our politics -- and our media.

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There's always a risk that justified popular outrage spills over into yobbery and violence. That's what happened in the early hours of this morning in Edinburgh when vandals attacked the house and car of disgraced former Royal Bank of Scotland boss, Fred Goodwin.

Whatever the anger at Goodwin's massive pension and his role in destroying a once-proud bank, smashing the windows of his home and Mercedes is hardly a proper -- or legal -- response. Mob rule is not the answer to irresponsible bankers.

Perhaps politicians (and the media) bear some responsibility for personalising the banking crisis round Goodwin and turning him into Britain's most hated banker. Maybe it made such an attack inevitable because in the current fevered climate there are always some low-lifes ready to take the law into their own hands and boast about it to their friends. Those who presided over the regulation of a banking system that went out of control, after all, should bear the blame along with the bankers.

My own feeling is that Goodwin would be wise to skedaddle to safer climes for the foreseeable future. His children have been bullied at school (there are reports that he has had to withdraw them) and now his home has been attacked. I doubt it would be safe for him to walk down even the safest street in the poshest part of Edinburgh; a stroll down Princess Street would risk a riot!

Monaco might be a more benign bolthole, at least until public anger is assuaged (which won't be for sometime). It doesn't mean the authorities can't continue to pursue his pension or hold him accountable for his running the bank into the ground.

Perhaps we should be surprised that more bankers' windows have not been smashed, given that most of those culpable for the financial meltdown are still living high on the hog while innocents are losing their jobs and incomes and houses. It will be a long time before banking is once again regarded as a respectable profession: at the moment it is below even journalism and estate agents in public esteem!

And maybe no bankers' windows are safe -- not even those of the Governor of the Bank of England. Now that he has defied the Prime Minister over the prospect of a further fiscal stimulus I'm pretty sure Mr Brown would like to smash windows too -- metaphorically speaking, of course.

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In the current unprecedented economic circumstances, politicians and policy-makers are having to learn as they go. So are economic commentators.

It was widely predicted by economists in the City and the media that the latest inflation figures would see the Retail Price Index (RPI -- a broad measure of inflation) plummeting into deflation territory with prices falling by around 0.8%, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI -- which excludes housing costs) would slump from 3% to closer to 2%, a harbinger of further falls to come.

They were wrong. The headline RPI fell only to 0% in February from 0.1% in January while the CPI rose to 3.2% in February from 3%. Even the underlying rate of RPI inflation rose to 2.5% from 2.4%. If, as a lay person, you're baffled, you have every right to be: there's a lot of egg on a lot of economists' faces this morning!

Consider the bizarre position we are now in: on the one hand the RPI is zero, its lowest rating since March 1960, when Harold Macmillan was Tory PM and a young Senator called John F Kennedy was running for President.

On the other hand, the CPI is over 3%, which means Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has had to write a letter to the Chancellor explaining why CPI inflation is more than a full percentage point above the official 2% target.

In his letter, Mr King said that despite the increase in CPI inflation last month: "We believe that the sharp decline in CPI inflation since its peak in September is likely to resume in the coming months. It is likely over the next year CPI inflation will move below target, although the profile of inflation could be volatile. [my italics]"

So instead of all the worries about deflation, the Governor and the Chancellor are engaged in a discussion about why inflation is too high! Bizarre indeed: it suggests that the inflation dragon is not quite as extinguished as many economists would have us believe and that deflation is not quite the threat it's been made.

So what's going on? Well, the RPI is zero largely because mortgage costs and house prices have plummeted as interest rates have collapsed -- but not by as much as experts expected.

The number of mortgages approved for house purchase increased for the third month in a row during February, rising to 28,179 from 24,278 in January, according to the British Bankers' Association, which suggests that the housing market is not quite as moribund as we thought.

The CPI does not reflect housing costs but does measure the cost of things people are buying in the shops and it's rise to 3.2% suggests that prices on the high street are more buoyant than has been reported.

Two reasons why that might be so: collapsing mortgage payments have given some families more money to spend; and the collapsing pound has raised the price of imported goods (especially food and drink -- and transport, which depends on imported fuel). Together they have pushed prices up.

No doubt the RPI will slip into negative territory in the months ahead and the CPI will resume its descent, as the Governor predicts. But those who have been warning that the government's massive fiscal stimulus, unprecedented borrowing and printing of money will unleash a huge inflationary spiral will be feeling a little vindicated this morning. Inflation not yet dead, even in these recessionary times, and it could soon return with a vengeance.

The political fallout from this morning's surprise figures is clear: the Chancellor's attempts, with the backing of the Treasury, to see off Gordon Brown's pressure for yet more fiscal stimulus in his April 22 budget have been strengthened.

Yesterday the Chancellor could point to the support of the head of the European Central Bank, who came out against further stimulus, as have the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany. Last night the boss of the IMF was also sniffy about another boost. Now the Chancellor can point to an inflation rate over 50% above the government's official target as another reason why he shouldn't take any more risks with the economy.

Gordon Brown used to taunt the Tories that there were the only ones against a fiscal stimulus.

That was then. Now it looks as if the only ones in favour of more pump-priming are the PM and the man he calls "Barrack" in the Oval Office.

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The Tories have their knickers in a twist over tax and yet another Labour minister has his nose deeper in the public trough than is perhaps seemly.

So plus ca change in British politics, you might say -- and you would be right.

But there is one intriguing variation: a Labour MP has been caught having a midnight romp (as the tabloids put it) in his Commons office with a naked brunette, not his wife.

So far Labour has been largely rocked by financial sleaze -- if it is now going to be buffeted by good old-fashioned Tory-style sexual sleaze as well, recreating the latter part of the Major years, then politics will be even more interesting that they already are.

The Tories' tax troubles centre round their long-standing promise to cut inheritance tax and their new plan to go along with Labour's plan to increase the top rate of income tax to 45% for those earning over £150,000.

It was only a matter of time before Ken Clarke went off the reservation and he has done so in fine style, saying the inheritance tax cut was only an aspiration, not a pledge, forcing the Tory establishment to take to airwaves to say it was indeed a pledge that would be in the next manifesto.

Mr Clarke has since said he's in favour of that, though how he squares that with his remarks yesterday is a mystery.

The Cameron-Osborne support for a new top rate of tax is even more tricky for the Tories. Many Tory party supporters will point out that 45% will bring in peanuts compared to the billions in debt that will have to be repaid and send all the wrong signals at time when Britain will have to re-energise its enterprise instincts.

But the Tories have a problem: the inheritance tax cuts plus no to 45% would largely benefit the affluent at a time when it is ordinary folk who are feeling particularly hard done by.

On the other hand, if the Tories are going to mimic Labour tax and spend (promising the same levels of income tax and only marginally tighter spending controls), then where's the choice and what's the point of voting Tory?

I expect the row over inheritance tax to die down because Mr Clarke has been pretty firmly slapped down. But rumbling among the Tory think tanks and rank and file about the leadership's support for 45% will continue to cause the party bosses internal problems.

But perhaps not as much as Tony McNulty's dipping into the public purse to take a second home allowance totaling £60,000 for what turns out to be his mum and dad's pad -- and only 11 miles from his other two homes in central London -- will cause Labour.

At this point we're all encouraged to point out that he hasn't broken any rules -- but that is only likely to provoke a massive outcry: the rules should be changed, and pronto!! Even the minister seems to accept that he's gone against the spirit of the rules, if not the letter.

This sort of revelation is damaging to a government which has been in power for so long -- giving its ministers the sense of being a nomenclatura (as the Soviets called it) distant from the people -- and I suspect there will now be a move to overhaul MPs expenses. But these things don't happen quickly -- and not before the next election. Labour is bracing itself for even more revelations.

This blog is Jade Goody free. But let me say this: the premature death of this young lady is obviously a tragedy for her family and friends but there is something quite sickening about all those who used to condemn her now rushing out statements of condolences and admiration.

And was it really necessary for the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to say anything at all? Haven't they got better things to do?

Or are they just desperate to be associated with popular culture, even its most dubious parts, where you can be talent-free and simply famous for being famous.

I only point out one thing: three more coffins have just returned from Afghanistan -- unremarked by anybody in public.

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As usual on Fridays, I shall leave you in the more than capable hands of my co-presenter Anita Anand.

There is further gloomy news on the economy.

Figures out this morning show that car production in February slumped by over 60% on the year. It has got so bad even next year's Motor show in London has been cancelled.

But all is not lost. Coventry is to hold its very own version of the motor show.

We will be looking at the bleak outlook for the car industry with former Minister Geoffrey Robinson. He is also the Labour MP for Coventry North West, where the Jaguar car plant is located and he just so happens to be a former chairman of Jaguar as well.

This all comes against the backdrop of unemployment busting through the 2 million mark.

The financial sector, in particular, has been badly affected. More than 100,000 jobs were cut in the financial and business service sector in the last three months of 2008.

But the public sector is growing. So are bankers finding refuge in the public sector, and in teaching, in particular? We will be investigating and talking to one financial analyst who has made the leap into teaching.

The former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has tabled an amendment to a bill going through Parliament to enshrine in law that people who help terminally ill loved ones to die abroad will not be prosecuted.

Assisted dying is illegal in the UK and anyone convicted faces up to 14 years in prison.

But at the end of last year, the parents of Daniel James, who was paralysed in a rugby accident, were told they would not face charges over helping him to end his life in Switzerland even though he was not terminally ill.

We will be discussing the rights and wrongs of assisted dying.

And we will be looking back at the political week and at the appalling story about the lack of care given patients at Stafford Hospital.

With us for the whole programme will be the Conservative blogger, Tim Montgomerie and Chuka Umunna from the think-tank, Compass.

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During yesterday's Europe special, in an exchange with the Conservative MEP, Daniel Hannan I made reference to a quote by a European politician about President Obama. The politician in question was Artur Gorski, an elected member of Poland's Law and Justice Party who stated in November that Obama's election "marks the end of the white man's civilization," and went on to say "America will soon pay a high price for this quirk of democracy." The Polish government and Gorski's party did later apologise for the remarks, as did Gorski who stated his comments were not racist, just "political." You can follow this link to see how the Washington Post reported his remarks.

The comments are particularly interesting because David Cameron's Conservatives have announced they are to quit the European People's Party grouping in the European Parliament to realign with a group that includes the Law and Justice Party.

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We're in a deepening recession and according to the IMF it will be deeper and longer than here than anywhere else -- which puts a premium on the government spending properly what little money it has to spare from bailing out the banks.

But Westminster still doesn't quite get it. The air is still thick with calls from all sides of the political spectrum for extra money on this, that and everything -- as if the economy was still growing by 3% and the Treasury coffers were full to the brim with dosh. The make-believe is even worse at local levels, where town halls are still advertising well-paid jobs of dubious necessity in these tough times when more deserving causes are going without.

British politics has yet to recognise it is about to be shaped by one blunt truth: there is no more money. Public spending is already projected to put on a hairshirt for the foreseeable future but whoever wins the election will have to tighten the belt even further. Don't bother asking if there will be tax rises or spending cuts -- the chances are there will be both.

This transformation from the Age of Plenty to the Era of Shortage is anticipated this morning with the news that some further education colleges have warned they're facing insolvency because the government may have run out of money for building schemes they've already started.

Later today Tory leader David Cameron will be outlining his party's priorities on spending and he'll be telling how the Conservatives would pay back the massive debt now being incurred. We'll see how honest he is. We'll be talking to economist Carl Emerson from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Philip Hammond.

Also today we'll be looking at the new "migrant tax". Economic migrants and students outside the EU will have to pay a £50 levy towards the cost of public services they use. It's expected to amount to £70m over two years, a "drop in the ocean" when it comes to the cost of integrating new arrivals, say critics.

We'll have the Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears.

Also in the studio today, union leader, Bob Crow, who's launching a new political party today. No2EU - Yes to Democracy will only fight the European elections. If you can't guess from the title, let me explain, it's an anti European party and if they win candidates will refuse to take up a seat in the European parliament, take a salary or claim any expenses.

Our guest of the day is author and former government adviser, Fiona Millar. We'll be looking at choice and teaching methods in education with her.

So a busy programme and lots to talk about today. Tune in at midday, or later on iplayer.

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We're live from Brussels this morning on the eve of a crucial European Union summit which will determine if the there is such a thing as a coherent, Europe-wide response to the current economic crisis.

Don't hold your breath: this is a city in which our trendy boutique Hotel Orts can't even supply us with hot water.

Yes, the Daily Politics team had to take a cold shower this morning, which was bracing and no doubt good for the soul, because the hotel water heater had broken.

These things happen but we discovered the hotel knew about it when we checked in last night -- and mysteriously forgot to mention it!

Our little inconvenience, of course, pales into insignificance against the problems facing an increasing number of people who now face life on the dole as the recession bites ever deeper.

This morning British unemployment soared over 2m and many commentators expect it to reach 3m within the next 12 months.

Dole queues are lengthening all over Europe and it's not clear what the EU can do about it.

France and Germany do not agree with Britain's call for further fiscal stimulus to the Euro-economy, protectionist noises grow ever louder and parts of Eastern Europe are on the brink of economic collapse, which could lead to major sovereign debt defaults and yet another financial crisis (this one made in Europe).

We'll be talking to the EU Commissioner for Monetary Affairs, Joaquin Almunia, about the risks to the Eurozone and what Brussels can do about them.

We'll also be getting reaction to the latest economic news from Charles Clarke, former Labour cabinet minister and one of the big beasts of the Labour firmament, and Daniel Hannan, a Tory Eurosceptic MEP -- not just the latest rise in unemployment but a new report from the IMF predicting the British economy will suffer more than any other major economy this year -- declining almost 4% -- and still be in decline next year, when the rest of the world is growing again.

How does that square with Gordon Brown's claim that we are better placed than anybody else to survive the downturn?

We might be in Brussels but we'll still bring you PMQs live at noon, courtesy of Anita, who's minding the shop in London, and after that we'll have a lively debate between UKIP's Nigel Farage and a Dutch MEP Europhile. She will also be joined by Dame Kelly Holmes.

That's all on the Daily Politics -- live from Brussels and London -- this morning from 11.30 on BBC2 and afterwards on BBC iPlayer.

How could miss it?

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On the show today we're previewing tomorrow's big announcement from the Financial Services Authority, which regulates our financial system, on the future of banking regulation. Already it's suggested in the newspapers that FSA chairman Adair Turner will propose banning 100% mortgages and restricting the amount that can be lent to just three times your salary -- which is roughly the way it used to be when I bought my first flat (and dinosaurs roamed the earth). Canada had a rule that no mortgage could be more than 75% of the house value -- and its banking system seems to have survived intact (unlike ours or America's, where borrowing rules were much more lax).

When the history of this historic financial meltdown is written people will wonder why we allowed massive mortgages -- sometimes 125% the value of the property -- and paid scant heed to borrowers' ability to pay. Commentators today might wonder why the government (and the FSA) did not do anything to dampen down this sort of borrowing. Some might even think it's worth an apology.

Some in Westminster are saying that Gordon Brown's interview in the Guardian this morning is as close as we're likely to get from the PM to an apology. But he only expresses regret that he did not push for greater international regulation sooner and his support for international regulation is taking on a certain historic myth status. Those who are clamouring for an apology are not thinking of that: they are thinking of a system which allowed the sort of cavalier borrowing by consumers and companies mentioned above and of allowing household and public sector debt to boom when money should have been laid aside for the tough years (i.e. now). But Mr Brown either refuses to acknowledge their mistakes or recognise that he is culpable. That is why he thinks he has nothing for which to apologise.

We'll have to wait till Wednesday to see what the FSA actually recommends but it's clear he's also keen to reign in the excessive risk taking of our high street banks and that, in its way, will be an implicit criticism of the regulatory regime that went before. We'll be discussing all this with our guests -- Angela Knight of the British Bankers' Association, John McFall, Labour chairman of the Commons' Treasury Select Committee and former Conservative Party chairman Norman Tebbit.

We'll also be looking at the problems facing Britain's charities with the head of the Charities Commission, Suzi Leather, and following the Europe Minister Caroline Flint to Brussels where she's discussing the Working Time Directive with EU colleagues today.

That's all at Noon on BBC2 and later on BBC iPlayer.

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On the show today: the Government's Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson finally gets to make his recommendations on alcohol misuse in England - after a weekend of advance spin that saw his bosses in Whitehall stamping all over his proposal to set a minimum price per alcholic unit.

Sir Liam argues a minimum cost of 50p/unit would reduce deaths caused by excessive alcohol consumption; yesterday cabinet minister James Purnell said the government would not allow the majority to be penalised because of the sins of a small minority.

But since Sir Liam's previous proposal to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces in England eventually made it into law, could his latest plans be a taste of things to come?

We'll be discussing this with the Conservative health spokesman Mike Penning, and the president of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Ian Gilmore.

Also today - the 'godfather' of New Labour Lord Anthony Giddens will be here, discussing the future of 'the third way' ... is Gordon Brown planning to give the EU new financial regulatory powers ?

And as a former Tory backer launches his own party, we look at what it takes to break into mainstream politics.

All that on BBC2 from noon today - or you can watch the show later on the BBC iplayer.

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FROM ROBBIE GIBB, EDITOR OF THE DAILY POLITICS:

They have had a go at each other online and now two rival bloggers will face each other for the first time in the Daily Politics studio.

The Battle of the Blogs will see Guido Fawkes and Derek Draper go up against each other on our Thursday 26 March programme.

Draper from the Labour List blog will debate with Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes, from the Order-Order blog.

The two bloggers have been highly critical of each other, and others have been critical about the nature of political blogging.

Draper threatened to sue after his professional qualifications were called into question by his online rival.

And the Labour man has accused Guido of peddling racism and sexism, something that Guido - who rarely appears as himself with his real name - vehemently denied.

We will have the pair in our studio, with Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn taking on the job of referee.

What questions would you like to see this pair answer? Use the comments section below to suggest a question, or see the questions already suggested.

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As usual on Fridays, I shall leave you in the more than capable hands of my co-presenter Anita Anand.

If you've been tuned in this week to the emergency Copenhagen conference on climate change you'll know that there've been some dire predictions on the state of the planet.

In fact you may be sitting at home thinking we're all doomed!

If you've missed it all... environmentalists have warned sea levels are to rise faster than anyone thought, that the Amazon rain forest is in trouble.

In fact they wrapped up the conference yesterday by issuing a desperate plea to politicians to act now before the planet becomes unrecognisable.

They argued their worst-case scenarios are already becoming a reality.

Prince Charles summed up those fears yesterday in a speech in Rio when he he warned we have "100 months to save the planet".

We'll be exploring just how bad things are and whether politicians here can push a green agenda in the midst of an economic downturn.

Also today, G20 finance ministers meet in Sussex as the Chancellor calls for new `backstop' powers to further regulate banks and stop them overextending.

Ahead of the G20 there's tension between countries over whether more fiscal stimulus is needed or greater regulation. We'll have the latest.

And also today - are there dangers for the Prime Minister as Labour MPs increasingly flex their muscle over issues like better conditions for temporary workers and plans to part-privatise the post office.

Nearly 150 Labour MPs have signed Lindsay Hoyle's motion on the agency workers which is in the Commons today.

We'll be talking to a former chairman of the Parliamentary party Clive Soley about his colleagues rebellious tendencies.

With me throughout the show today will be the Daily Mail's Anne Leslie - and one of Tony Blair's former speech writers - Phil Collins.

It's Friday and Giles is back - so he'll be here with his regular run down of what you've made Top of the Political Pops.

Don't forget you can check all the latest on the programme on our website or come for a Twitter. Join us at noon on BBC2 or later on the BBC iPlayer.

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What lessons have we learnt following the tragic death of Baby P? Today Lord Laming, who suggested numerous reforms following the tragic death of another child, Victoria Climbie (nine years ago), will today issue another report. It's expected to say that his original reforms have still to be properly implemented by some councils.

As we go on air today, Children's Secretary Ed Balls will be addressing Parliament on those findings. We'll hear what he has to say to the House.

We'll also hear what Lord Laming has to say and in the studio we'll be interviewing the head of children's services from Newham Council and the Liberal Democrat MP and former Haringey councillor Lynne Featherstone.

Also today the Public Accounts Committee is taking a look at local government, so we thought we would too.

Some of the figures make shocking reading with one individual council spending £9m on publicity, one buying carpets worth £750,000 - with another buying sat-navs for lawn-mowers!

We'll be looking what they pay their leaders - it's a lot - and at their pension pots.

Tune in for what could be a good old ding dong between the Taxpayers' Alliance and the Local Government Association.

We'll also be looking at the retirement age and our guest of the day will be the entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox.

All that coming up at midday and later on iPlayer.

Why not come for a Twitter with us as well.

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On today's Daily Politics, we look at the winners and losers in the recession so far. In fact, there are precious few winners -- unless you are a bankruptcy lawyer -- but some are doing less badly than others. The Institute for Fiscal studies has pointed out that better-off households with cash to spend are benefiting from low inflation - indeed near deflation -- while poorer households are still facing rising prices on necessities, such as food and fuel, at a time when their incomes are static at best.

We'll be live in Bournemouth with a group of pensioners, who are suffering not just from higher prices, but miniscule interest on their savings.

Also on today's programme we hope to be live from Northern Ireland where thousands of people are expected to turn out for peace rallies at lunchtime today to show their anger at the murder of two soldiers and a policeman by renegade IRA killers.

Our Political Editor, Nick Robinson, joins us at midday for PMQs, the first Brown v Cameron match for three weeks. Two weeks ago Mr Cameron's young son died and PMQs was suspended; last week Mr Brown was in Washington. No doubt Northern Ireland will feature prominently, though all parties are pretty much united in condemning what's happening there. But Mr Cameron might not be able to resist the PM's role on the merger of HBOS with Lloyds, which has had some pretty disastrous consequences for Lloyds.

We'll have Sir Parick Moore on the programme. He's angry that the ban on foxhunting isn't being enforced properly.

Our guests of the day are Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne, he'll be talking to us about the government's plans for public sector reform, and from the Conservative Party their Work and Pensions spokesperson Theresa May.

All that at 1130AM on BBC2 and later on iPlayer.

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On the show today: another shooting in Northern Ireland has increased the concern that dissident Republican groups are intent on destroying the peace process.

Last night a police officer was killed in County Armagh as he responded to a call for help from a distressed woman.

Politicians from all parties - including Sinn Fein - have been swift to condemn the latest murder, though with varying degrees of anger.

We'll have the latest on this developing story.

Also on the show today: the Government's approach to tackling extremist recruitment on the internet is criticised in an independent report.

We'll be talking to the Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, shadow security spokesmanPauline Neville-Jones and to former Islamic extremist Ed Husain.

We'll ask both how best to stop young Britons becoming radicalised.

And we're also looking at the Government's record on education - and how to keep kids in school - with former chief inspector of schools Mike Tomlinson, and former Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry.

Latest figures show that fee-paying schools, which educate only 7% of children, produce more teenagers with three A-grade A-levels than ALL the comprehensive schools combined, that the total number of poor pupils reaching this standard is around the same number in ONE public school and that 50% of the poorest pupils fail to get even one GCSE at C-grade in any subject.

Given this evidence of huge (and probably growing) inequality in the existing system, we'll be asking why changing the leaving age would make any difference.

All that on BBC2 from noon - or catch us later on the BBC iPlayer.

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On the show today - Gordon Brown flies into Northern Ireland to visit the army barracks in Antrim where two British soldiers were killed on Saturday night.

As the Real IRA claims responsibililty, we look at where the weekend's attack leaves the peace process.

Also on the show today:

The Home Secretary launches a new campaign against domestic violence and says she wants to consult on proposals to warn women if their partner has a history of domestic violence.

Should the speed limit on Britain's A-roads be cut to 50mph to reduce deaths caused by speeding?

And with David Cameron ahead in the polls, is a Conservative victory now inevitable?

We will hear from American pollster Stanley Greenberg and the radio host Nick Ferrari.

And why not come and Twitter with us on our site.

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All eyes will be on the Bank of England as we go on air at Noon today: as our opening titles run the Bank will announce its latest decision on interest rates -- expected to be another 50 basis points cut, taking the base rate to a new historic low of 0.5% (though after the huge cuts in rates in recent months it matters little whether this cut happens or not). More important, the Bank is expected to also confirm and begin its resort to "quantitative easing."

This is widely described as printing money -- but it's more complicated than that. Somewhat belatedly, because monetary economics is no longer fashionable, the Bank has realised that the supply of money in the economy has reduced to recession-inducing levels -- it's currently growing at less than 4%, which is the sort of level that leads to depression -- there just isn't enough of the stuff around to keep the economy ticking over. So it plans to do what the US Federal Reserve has already begun: the banks and big corporations hold a lot of government debt - gilts - and other kinds of debt on their balance sheets and the bank will start to buy them up, giving the banks and companies cash in return.

This is for two reasons: one, the hope is the banks and companies will use this cash to lend and spend, so that people and businesses will have more money in their pockets (though that is not a foregone conclusion), thereby increasing the money supply in the economy and getting it going again; two, by increasing the demand for gilts (because it is buying them up), the Bank will increase the price of gilts and this will have the effect (no time to explain, but trust me, it does) of reducing the yield (or interest rate) on them -- and that will add to overall decline in rates that the bank wants to see.

In the 21st century, the bank doesn't have to turn on the printing presses to do any of this -- a touch of the keys on its trading terminals will suffice, though it amounts to the same thing. In the first weeks of this year, the early signs from America are that the money supply is on the up. It will be several months before we know if it is working here too. Just as important, given that the eurozone is our major export market, the European Central Bank is also likely to embark on quantitative easing. The danger, of course, is that also this extra money sloshing about will lead to future inflation. At the moment, however, the central banks are more worried about deflation and quantitative easing is the last weapon in their locker for avoiding it.

We'll be talking to one of the Bank of England's former economists, Danny Gabay. We'll have the Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, John McFall, and our guest of the day, throughout the programme is the cross bench peer, Karan Bilimoria.

Also on today's programme we'll be looking at the miners strike - 25 years on. It divided communities and defined industrial relations. We'll have both sides, the home secretary at the time, Leon Brittan and Kevin Barron, a former Miner and former member of the NUM, now a Labour MP. And we'll be looking at workers rights abroad.

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It's Day 2 of Mr Brown goes to Washington and Day 1 was not the presidential snub the British press corps had been hoping for.

In the end our PM had over an hour with Mr Obama and a working lunch in the White House with the President and his staff.

But this was fitted into the President's existing schedule (he had the Boy Scouts to see and the Interior Department to visit), there was no formal press conference, no tete-a-tete over lunch or dinner during Gordon Brown's visit to Washington.

The President said what Mr Brown wanted to hear about the special relationship and gave broad approval to Mr Brown's ambitions for a "global new deal".

But we don't know yet if he's only paying lip-service to this idea and it's clear Mr Obama does not regard our PM as a best buddie: Mr Brown rather presumptively called the President "Barack" but the President referred scrupulously to "Mr Prime Minister".

Today it's on to Congress where Mr Brown will urge a joint session of the two Houses to "Seize the Moment", whatever that means, and lecture them on the evils of protectionism.

Most international economists agree with him about that and Congress will no doubt applaud politely -- after having agreed "Buy America" provisions in the Obama stimulus bill.

British eyes and ears will concentrate on whether he'll apologise in some form for his role as Chancellor in the financial crisis.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has said this week that ministers should show humility and admit to mistakes made in the past.

But don't hold your breath for that in the Brown speech. We'll be joined live from Washington by a Democatic Congressman to get the US measure of Mr Brown.

Also on the show today: actor and landlord Neil Morrissey on pub closures, former England footballer Geoff Thomas on leukaemia treatments, former junior minister Chris Mullin on life inside New Labour, and we'll also be joined for the whole show by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw, and shadow Communities Minister Sayeeda Warsi.

Oh, and live coverage of PMQs of course, though only the B team of Harman and Hague today, with the PM in DC.

All that from 1130 on BBC2 today - or watch later on the BBC iPlayer.

And don't forget to look us up on Twitter.

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On the show today: as Gordon Brown arrives in Washington for talks with Barack Obama, we look at what the Prime Minister hopes to achieve in his half-hour White House chat with the President. Mr Brown has been busy talking up his plans for a 'Grand Global Bargain' which he hopes will be agreed at a special summit of 20 world leaders in London next month. Today's discussions with Mr Obama are seen as smoothing the path to an agreement which will take in reform of the IMF and World Bank, greater global regulation, further 'fiscal stimuli' and measures against protectionism.

But nobody is sure if the President will pay more than lip service to any of this -- given his domestic woes -- and Downing Street is already in a tizz over reports that Mr Obama won't even do a joint press conference with the PM after their meeting. Indeed Mr Brown isn't even being given lunch. Three thousand miles is a long way to go for 30 minutes with the president but Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, whose poll ratings are even worse than Mr Brown's, got the same Obama-lite treatment. This is what the Japan Times had to say:
"Some analysts said the hidden message from Washington was that, while it recognizes the importance of maintaining the strong alliance with Japan to rebuild the global economy and deal with Afghanistan and North Korea, it is also fully aware that mounting pressures may force Aso out of power soon."

We'll see if the Brown trip produces similar sort of comment and we'll hear today from Mr Brown's former Trade Minister Digby Jones.

Also today, just how much trouble is the Government in over its PFI (or Private Finance Initiative) schemes? There are plenty of reports this morning that the Treasury will announce a £2bn bailout of schemes to build hospitals and widen roads - because the private companies involved have run out of money.

We'll discuss whether aid to developing countries helps or hinders with writer and economist Dambisa Moyo.

And the British Medical Association is warning government legislation could lead to private medical records being passed to insurance and research companies - we'll try to get to the bottom of their concerns.

All that from noon on BBC2.

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On today's show we'll be looking at the use of lotteries to allocate places at the most popular state schools.

The government seemed keen on them two years ago when it supported their use but yesterday Schools Secretary Ed Balls said they were "unfair", "destabilising" and should only be used as a "last resort".

It's hard to see this as other than a U-turn, perhaps because it was so unpopular among parents most concerned about their children's education.

Lotteries were introduced in an attempt to break the middle-class stranglehold on the best state schools (among the top 100 comprehensives in England, only 4% of pupils qualify for free school meals, a pretty good indicator of poverty).

"Random allocation" was meant to make the best state schools more comprehensive by stopping the intake being dominated to those whose parents could afford to buy houses nearby the best schools.

The move was unpopular among parents most inclined to vote and did produce anomalies.

The Conservatives have already pledged to scrap lotteries saying that a child's future should not be decided on the "roll of the dice".

We will be joined by Shadow Education Minister Nick Gibb.

Also today, the Scottish government announces proposals to deal with alcohol abuse, especially among youngsters, and we hope to be live with the Scottish Health Minister from Holyrood.

We'll be talking twittering. Do you twitter?

The Daily Politics is about to, so tune in for that. Throughout the programme we'll have Labour's former head of Communications, Dave Hill.

That's live on BBC2 from midday and later on BBC iPlayer.

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