Helle Thorning-Schmidt expected to lead centre-left coalition into power and become Denmark’s first female prime minister Ten years of rightwing rule that have turned Denmark into the most closed country in Europe for immigrants looks likely to end this week, with a Social Democrat tipped to become the Danes’ first female prime minister. Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the daughter-in-law of Neil and Glenys Kinnock, looks set to head a new centre-left coalition, replacing the Liberal leader, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, whose minority government has been propped up for the past decade by the far-right anti-immigrant and europhobic Danish People’s party (DPP). The Social Democrats are struggling in the opinion polls and may lose votes and seats in the 179-seat parliament in Copenhagen, but her four-party “red” coalition is expected to nudge ahead of the coalescing liberals and conservatives. The latest polls ahead of Thursday’s general election give the centre-left a margin of victory of between three and 10 seats. A victory for the centre-left would wrest the kingmaker status from the DPP, which has leveraged its support for the current government to drive legislation on immigration and asylum. The DPP has tried to ratchet up the debate over migration and border controls, but in the run-up to the election the issue has been overshadowed by Denmark’s struggling economy. “With the economic crisis as the backdrop we find ourselves in the middle of a completely different election from what we have seen in many years,” said Thomas Larsen, a political commentator writing in the Berlingske newspaper. “Gone is the talk of value-based politics. Gone is the often heated and emotional debate about justice and immigration policies, which were such a big part of the elections in 2001, 2005 and 2007. Today the political battle is about three things – economy, economy and economy.” A Social-Democrat-led government might serve as a tonic for the centre-left across Europe, which has failed to come up with attractive policies in response to the financial and economic crisis since 2008 or to the potent issues of Islam and immigration, ceding traditional working-class support to populist far-right movements. If Thorning-Schmidt fails to secure the Danish premiership on Thursday, her six-year spell as Social Democrat leader may be over. Dubbed Gucci Helle by her opponents and the tabloid press because of her expensive tastes and privileged pedigree, she has struggled to shrug off doubts about her leadership credibility. She appeared on Danish television this week at home with her family, in an attempt to burnish her image. Her husband, Stephen Kinnock, a director of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and former British Council official, said he had taken over the cooking, cleaning and child-minding during the campaign. The Danish press have raised questions about the couple’s tax affairs. Last year tax inspectors cleared them of tax avoidance after tabloid allegations that Kinnock was exploiting his employment in Switzerland to pay his taxes there at about a quarter of the rate in Denmark where he was said to be mainly resident. New allegations were aired this week concerning tax on the couple’s properties. It is unclear whether the allegations will have any impact on Thursday’s election. Danes are eager voters, with turnouts of up to 90%. The economy will be the key issue. In a country boasting some of the highest living standards in the world, the economy is stagnant, the budget deficit is set to soar to almost 5% this year, and job losses have been high. Thorning-Schmidt has promised a new era of public investment in welfare, education, and infrastructure. The government is preaching austerity and public spending cuts, the general trend across a Europe dominated by the centre-right. Denmark The far right Europe Ian Traynor Lars Eriksen guardian.co.uk
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Strasbourg court due to rule on kettling of Lois Austin in London during May Day demonstrations in 2001 A case that will decide the legality of the police containment tactic of kettling is to be heard at the European court of human rights in Strasbourg later. The case, brought by Lois Austin , began in 2001 after she was detained along with 3,000 protesters for up to seven hours at Oxford Circus in London during May Day demonstrations. Trapped alongside her were tourists and newspaper vendors who were not part of the protest but were refused permission to leave the cordoned area by the Metropolitan police. The 2001 incident was one of the first major uses of kettling, and came as a response to protests by anti-capitalists the year before that saw Parliament Square vandalised and a statue of Winston Churchill defaced and daubed with graffiti. Kettling has since been used by a number of police forces, particularly in the last 12 months as a response to anti-austerity protests, and most prominently during student demonstrations last winter. In April the high court ruled that thousands of protesters were illegally detained in a kettle at G20 protests in 2009. In 2009 the House of Lords ruled that the 2001 Oxford Circus “crowd control measures” had been proportionate. Today, lawyers acting for Austin will argue that the ruling was flawed on the basis that it allowed Austin’s liberty to be deprived. They will say in Strasbourg that article five of the European convention on human rights is an absolute right, and police detention tactics may not be justified by outcomes on the day and must be specified in law. Austin said: “Since the House of Lords judgment, the police have increased their use of the tactic of kettling, with disastrous consequences for the right to peaceful protest and the safety of protesters. I am deeply concerned that this tactic will discourage the next generation of peaceful protesters to express their legitimate concerns.” Kat Craig, of Christian Khan solicitors, said: “The police have, wrongly, taken the House of Lords judgment as a carte blanche to kettle protesters even when they are exercising their legitimate rights to express their opposition to government policies. “The judgment threatens other aspects of personal liberty which are highly prized in any democratic society, such as the right not to be interned. It is imperative that this decision is challenged and [that] the balance which has for decades been struck between personal liberty and the power of the state is restored.” Kettling Police European court of human rights Europe Shiv Malik guardian.co.uk
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Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick says decision to remand more than 65% of riot defendants in custody had resulted in problems at London jails An influx of more than 1,000 prisoners in the immediate aftermath of the riots that hit England last month has fuelled gang culture in prisons and led to serious incidents, the chief inspector of prisons said on Wednesday. In his first annual report, Nick Hardwick said the decision to remand more than 65% of riot defendants in custody had already resulted in incidents at Feltham young offenders prison and Brixton prison, in London, and “significant numbers” of people being placed on suicide watch. Hardwick said that although the prison service had coped with the influx of riot-related inmates, there had been serious tensions involving existing prisoners who had been moved to other prisons to make way for the new inmates. But he also reported that his prison visits in the last four weeks had revealed first-time inmates on riot charges had been joining gangs for their own protection. He said the gym at Feltham was wrecked during an incident, and young prisoners got out onto a roof space before the situation was brought under control. At Brixton, prisoners refused to go back to their cells. Prisons and probation UK riots Alan Travis guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth across the decades – interactive
September 14, 2011 No Comment
As this year sees the 50th anniversary of WWF and the 40th anniversaries of Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, this timeline charts the successes of the three green groups Christine Oliver Eric Hilaire Shiona Tregaskis
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Americans will remain in jail ‘a bit longer’, despite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim they would be freed within days Two US nationals arrested while hiking in Iran and convicted of spying will not be released imminently as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had announced, a judiciary official has said. “The two Americans are going to stay in prison for a bit longer. Reports of their imminent release are wrong,” Iran’s English-language Press TV quoted the official as saying. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were sentenced in Iran last month to eight years in prison. Ahmadinejad told US media that they would be freed “in a couple of days” in what he called a humanitarian gesture shortly before he travels to a UN meeting in New York. Iran Middle East United States guardian.co.uk
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Survey shows that funeral costs have risen by 61% over the past seven years, as bereaved families struggle to cover the expense The average cost of dying has risen to £7,248, according to a survey which warns that many bereaved families will struggle to cover all the expenses. The analysis of death-related costs from insurance company Sun Life Direct , which include funerals, probate costs and memorials such as headstones, shows that next of kin and other key relatives are often ill-prepared to cover the final bills. More than a quarter (26%) of participants in the survey admitted they had made no plans for the practicalities of later life, while 87% had made no arrangements regarding where they will live and how they will be cared for if they are unable to look after themselves in old age. The research shows that in the UK today, end-of-life costs have increased to an average of £7,248 – a rise of 20% since 2007 and more than £400 since 2010. Specifically, funeral costs have increased by 61% over the past seven years, which Sun Life Direct believes will continue for the foreseeable future. The report also reveals that this increase in costs has been met with surprise and concern from those who have responsibility for such arrangements. Simon Cox, head of life planning at Sun Life Direct, said: “Many people are sleepwalking into a financial nightmare, leaving end-of-life plans to their families, the state or no one at all. “As a nation we need a wake-up call. Our research indicates that although there is indeed openness to talking about death, action is still greatly lacking. Steps need to be taken to avert the sort of distress and concern experienced by the nearly one-in-five (100,000) people who struggle with funeral costs.” Dr Kate Woodthorpe, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Bath , said the number of deaths in England and Wales was at an all-time low, but was set to rise significantly. While 491,348 deaths were registered in 2009, she said that by 2030 an additional 80,000 people would die each year. “As a society, we have to ask ourselves whether the current infrastructure for end-of-life support is fit for purpose,” she said. Meanwhile, separate research revealed that families are holding on to their loved ones’ ashes after death because of restrictions and confusion on scattering cremated remains. The study by the Co-operative Funeralcare , which has 880 funeral homes nationwide, revealed that three in five people would like to scatter a relative’s ashes at a special place or bury them under a memorial, but were prevented from doing so because of rules or environmental concerns. It said three out of four people were keeping ashes for up to a year. The most popular place to keep them was on the mantelpiece, but more than a fifth would choose the bedroom while one in 17 would store them in the attic, bathroom or garage. Family finances Consumer affairs Rebecca Smithers guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Survey shows that funeral costs have risen by 61% over the past seven years, as bereaved families struggle to cover the expense The average cost of dying has risen to £7,248, according to a survey which warns that many bereaved families will struggle to cover all the expenses. The analysis of death-related costs from insurance company Sun Life Direct , which include funerals, probate costs and memorials such as headstones, shows that next of kin and other key relatives are often ill-prepared to cover the final bills. More than a quarter (26%) of participants in the survey admitted they had made no plans for the practicalities of later life, while 87% had made no arrangements regarding where they will live and how they will be cared for if they are unable to look after themselves in old age. The research shows that in the UK today, end-of-life costs have increased to an average of £7,248 – a rise of 20% since 2007 and more than £400 since 2010. Specifically, funeral costs have increased by 61% over the past seven years, which Sun Life Direct believes will continue for the foreseeable future. The report also reveals that this increase in costs has been met with surprise and concern from those who have responsibility for such arrangements. Simon Cox, head of life planning at Sun Life Direct, said: “Many people are sleepwalking into a financial nightmare, leaving end-of-life plans to their families, the state or no one at all. “As a nation we need a wake-up call. Our research indicates that although there is indeed openness to talking about death, action is still greatly lacking. Steps need to be taken to avert the sort of distress and concern experienced by the nearly one-in-five (100,000) people who struggle with funeral costs.” Dr Kate Woodthorpe, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Bath , said the number of deaths in England and Wales was at an all-time low, but was set to rise significantly. While 491,348 deaths were registered in 2009, she said that by 2030 an additional 80,000 people would die each year. “As a society, we have to ask ourselves whether the current infrastructure for end-of-life support is fit for purpose,” she said. Meanwhile, separate research revealed that families are holding on to their loved ones’ ashes after death because of restrictions and confusion on scattering cremated remains. The study by the Co-operative Funeralcare , which has 880 funeral homes nationwide, revealed that three in five people would like to scatter a relative’s ashes at a special place or bury them under a memorial, but were prevented from doing so because of rules or environmental concerns. It said three out of four people were keeping ashes for up to a year. The most popular place to keep them was on the mantelpiece, but more than a fifth would choose the bedroom while one in 17 would store them in the attic, bathroom or garage. Family finances Consumer affairs Rebecca Smithers guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Survey shows that funeral costs have risen by 61% over the past seven years, as bereaved families struggle to cover the expense The average cost of dying has risen to £7,248, according to a survey which warns that many bereaved families will struggle to cover all the expenses. The analysis of death-related costs from insurance company Sun Life Direct , which include funerals, probate costs and memorials such as headstones, shows that next of kin and other key relatives are often ill-prepared to cover the final bills. More than a quarter (26%) of participants in the survey admitted they had made no plans for the practicalities of later life, while 87% had made no arrangements regarding where they will live and how they will be cared for if they are unable to look after themselves in old age. The research shows that in the UK today, end-of-life costs have increased to an average of £7,248 – a rise of 20% since 2007 and more than £400 since 2010. Specifically, funeral costs have increased by 61% over the past seven years, which Sun Life Direct believes will continue for the foreseeable future. The report also reveals that this increase in costs has been met with surprise and concern from those who have responsibility for such arrangements. Simon Cox, head of life planning at Sun Life Direct, said: “Many people are sleepwalking into a financial nightmare, leaving end-of-life plans to their families, the state or no one at all. “As a nation we need a wake-up call. Our research indicates that although there is indeed openness to talking about death, action is still greatly lacking. Steps need to be taken to avert the sort of distress and concern experienced by the nearly one-in-five (100,000) people who struggle with funeral costs.” Dr Kate Woodthorpe, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Bath , said the number of deaths in England and Wales was at an all-time low, but was set to rise significantly. While 491,348 deaths were registered in 2009, she said that by 2030 an additional 80,000 people would die each year. “As a society, we have to ask ourselves whether the current infrastructure for end-of-life support is fit for purpose,” she said. Meanwhile, separate research revealed that families are holding on to their loved ones’ ashes after death because of restrictions and confusion on scattering cremated remains. The study by the Co-operative Funeralcare , which has 880 funeral homes nationwide, revealed that three in five people would like to scatter a relative’s ashes at a special place or bury them under a memorial, but were prevented from doing so because of rules or environmental concerns. It said three out of four people were keeping ashes for up to a year. The most popular place to keep them was on the mantelpiece, but more than a fifth would choose the bedroom while one in 17 would store them in the attic, bathroom or garage. Family finances Consumer affairs Rebecca Smithers guardian.co.uk
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• Jobless total rises to 2.51m • Unemployment rate at 7.9% • Public sector employment falls by 111,000 • Claimant count rises by 20,300 in August Public sector job cuts imposed as part of the government’s austerity drive have sent unemployment back through the 2.5m barrier, according to official figures released on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said the number of people out of work rose by 80,000 in the three months to July, reaching 2.51m. Despite ministerial hopes that the private sector will be able to compensate for the squeeze on the public sector, the ONS said the May to July period had seen the sharpest rise in unemployment in two years. The unemployment rate using the internationally agreed yardstick for calculating joblessness rose to 7.9% for May to July, from 7.7% in February to April. Officials said that employment in the public sector had fallen by 111,000 in the second quarter of 2011, the biggest drop since recent records began in 1999. The government’s alternative measure for unemployment – the claimant count – indicated that an additional 20,300 people were out of work and claiming benefits in August, a smaller increase than the City had feared following an increase of more than 30,000 in July. The claimant count total now stands at 1,580,900. Unemployment on both measures has been rising in recent months as the UK’s recovery from the deep recession of 2008-09 has stalled. Economic output has increased by just 0.2% in the nine months to June. The ONS data showed that employment in the three months to July fell by 69,000, the weakest performance since spring 2010. Employment minister Chris Grayling, said: “Today’s figures underline the scale of the challenge that we face particularly given slower growth across Europe and North America. Unemployment remains lower than it was six months ago but clearly we must continue to focus our efforts on supporting business growth and ensure that people who do lose their jobs have the best possible support to get back into employment.” Unemployment and employment statistics Economics Public sector cuts Economic policy Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Jobless total rises to 2.51m • Unemployment rate at 7.9% • Public sector employment falls by 111,000 • Claimant count rises by 20,300 in August Public sector job cuts imposed as part of the government’s austerity drive have sent unemployment back through the 2.5m barrier, according to official figures released on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said the number of people out of work rose by 80,000 in the three months to July, reaching 2.51m. Despite ministerial hopes that the private sector will be able to compensate for the squeeze on the public sector, the ONS said the May to July period had seen the sharpest rise in unemployment in two years. The unemployment rate using the internationally agreed yardstick for calculating joblessness rose to 7.9% for May to July, from 7.7% in February to April. Officials said that employment in the public sector had fallen by 111,000 in the second quarter of 2011, the biggest drop since recent records began in 1999. The government’s alternative measure for unemployment – the claimant count – indicated that an additional 20,300 people were out of work and claiming benefits in August, a smaller increase than the City had feared following an increase of more than 30,000 in July. The claimant count total now stands at 1,580,900. Unemployment on both measures has been rising in recent months as the UK’s recovery from the deep recession of 2008-09 has stalled. Economic output has increased by just 0.2% in the nine months to June. The ONS data showed that employment in the three months to July fell by 69,000, the weakest performance since spring 2010. Employment minister Chris Grayling, said: “Today’s figures underline the scale of the challenge that we face particularly given slower growth across Europe and North America. Unemployment remains lower than it was six months ago but clearly we must continue to focus our efforts on supporting business growth and ensure that people who do lose their jobs have the best possible support to get back into employment.” Unemployment and employment statistics Economics Public sector cuts Economic policy Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
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