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Monday, 5 February, 2007

  • Newsnight
  • 5 Feb 07, 05:17 PM

flu3_203_100.jpgBird flu in Britain; Litvinenko's friend speaks out; Iraq's last chance; and debating with a new Jewish splinter group.

Comment on Monday's programme here.

Cathay Craftz diary – 5 February

  • Newsnight
  • 5 Feb 07, 04:41 PM

kathy_203.jpgAs Principal of Manchester Academy, I’m no pushover for an easy sell. Cathay Craftz made their pitch to me last Friday. It was witnessed by two visitors from the BBC who are working with some Year 8 students on a project called “School Report Broadcast Day”.

I got the feeling that colleagues from the BBC thought I was a bit hard but I’ve watched Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice so I think my interrogation of the Cathay Craftz directors was entirely fair and reasonable! They did such a good job with their pitch that I placed an order for table decorations for the United Learning Trust Annual Conference.

The Make Your Mark with a Tenner challenge has been embarked upon as part of the Academy’s “Enterprise for Employability” strategy better known as E4E@MA. This strategy aims to develop the enterprise skills needed for the future. The success of previous E4E projects such as “Enterprise Week”, “Hospitality and Catering Competition”, “Armed Forces Skills Challenge Days” and the “Sport and Leisure Enterprise Competition” have resulted in the focused entrepreneurship which everybody has seen in our Cathay Craftz directors.

The E4E activities range across every year group and ability as good academic results on their own are not enough for the future.

One of our business supporters, Tom Bloxham, CEO of Urban Splash, wrote “Manchester Academy has budding entrepreneurs amongst its students and the introduction of E4E enables them to nurture their aspirations and turn their dreams into a reality.”

It would be wonderful if Cathay Craftz were to win the Make Your Mark with a Tenner challenge but it is the learning journey rather than the destination which will help them the most.

Trouble and strife

  • Newsnight
  • 5 Feb 07, 04:07 PM

beemoney_203.jpgBy Bee Rowlatt, Ethical Wife

Back in November I invaded Justin’s blog with the news that he has a small share-holding in an oil company.

He said I should sort it out myself. So here I am in the heart of Newsnight, on a mission to do just that.

For the last week Rachel the producer and I have been out filming and interviewing people, on a voyage of discovery about ethical finance.

Basically we’re trying to figure out what to do with these shares. Justin has no idea what we’re up to – only that we are indeed up to something. (Poor Justin – not only being hounded at home but now in his very own office…)

Keeping the project secret is proving rather tricky – I’ve had to cover up my notes, hide my phone, and maintain a look of bland innocence every time he asks me about it.

Matt the cameraman has been sworn to secrecy, as he works for both “sides”. I’ve also subjected him to a few home-filming attacks posing awkward questions, when he least expected it.

To find out what happens to Justin’s shares tune in to see the film next week, and if you have any suggestions meanwhile then please share them here…

Major union backs outsider for Labour deputy

  • Paul Mason
  • 5 Feb 07, 12:15 PM

According to the Electoral Commission website, which will be monitoring these things, the first big donation has been made to a Labour deputy leadership candidate by an affiliated union. The donor: Amicus, whose 800,000 members affiliated to the party will form a major part of the electoral college. The recipient: Jon Cruddas MP, to the tune of 15,000.

Amicus' press office tell me that it was a decision made by the union's political committee in December, and that it does not indicate they are actually supporting him for leader. The donation, it seems, has been made in order to create a "level playing field" with the other candidates. One of whom, Hilary Benn, is an Amicus sponsored MP, unlike Jon Cruddas...

[UPDATE! Within seconds of posting this I was informed that Peter Hain's campaign has now also received 15k. This time from businessman and longtime Labour donor Bill Bottriell.]

Continue reading "Major union backs outsider for Labour deputy"

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