|
Comment=20
Headlines
Stories=20
dominating today's comment pages...
UK ECONOMY: In The Times =
Camilla=20
Cavendish argues that small businesses can generate the =
growth we=20
need so desperately. But only if they are freed from crazy =
red=20
tape. Simon Wolfson, chief executive of Next, thinks the =
economy=20
could be boosted by reversing the burden of proof for =
planning.=20
Planners should give good reasons not to grant permission, =
rather=20
than developers having to go through the tortuous and=20
time-consuming process of proving a =E2=80=9Cneed=E2=80=9D =
for their investment.=20
The Daily Mail's Max Hastings believes that unless we =
start to=20
educate our children, inspire new entrepreneurs, cut state =
spending and make business more competitive =E2=80=94 =
which means=20
shrinking workers=E2=80=99 rights rather than expanding =
them =E2=80=94 we are on a=20
royal road to decline. The Independent's Steve Richards =
says=20
George Osborne will not stride through the storm with no=20
alternative if the tempest gets worse. Ed Balls will form =
an=20
economic policy that will be subtler than an echo of =
Labour's=20
vote-losing past. The Daily Telegraph's Benedict Brogan =
believes=20
the Chancellor will be judged by his actions, and whether =
he has=20
got the economics right. Demolishing Labour on the economy =
is=20
hardly the black run at Klosters. In The FT Tim Leunig, an =
LSE=20
economic historian, is concerned that the Coalitions =
policy on=20
growth is little short of a fiasco.
EGYPTIAN UNREST: The =
Independent's=20
Adrian Hamilton thinks that something is stirring in North =
Africa,=20
right across the Arab world indeed. But it's not =
necessarily what=20
we would wish for nor, given what we have done to support =
the old=20
regimes, do we have any right to try and influence it. In =
The=20
Times Richard Beeston says it is hard to exaggerate the =
importance=20
of what happens in Egypt and its impact on the Arab world =
and the=20
wider Middle East. This is not Tunisia, a small and =
relatively=20
prosperous country, nor Lebanon, a small and permanently =
volatile=20
one. Egypt is the largest Arab state and the home of the =
Arab=20
League. In The Sun Mark Almond, a professor of =
international=20
relations, says the North African regimes have been =
threatened by=20
the way protesters have harnessed new technology to spread =
discontent. In The Wall Street Journal Anwar Ibrahim, a =
former=20
deputy PM of Malaysia, sees a new dawn for democracy in =
the Arab=20
and Muslim world. In The International Herald Tribune =
Michael=20
Meyer-Resende and Paul O=E2=80=99Grady, directors of =
Democracy Reporting=20
International, think it is time for the opposition forces =
to find=20
a consensus on their demands and to make them =E2=80=94 =
loud and clear.=20
SEXIST PUNDITS: The Daily =
Mail's=20
Stephen Glover worries that our intolerant nation now =
expects=20
football pundits to behave like the Archbishop of =
Canterbury. The=20
Independent's Julie Burchill believes that Andy Gray and =
Richard=20
Keys are half-witted Neanderthals who should have their =
voting=20
rights removed immediately, in the manner of lunatics and=20
murderers. But, on the other hand, what sort of milksop =
cares=20
about the opinions of said half-witted Neanderthals? John =
Walsh=20
argues that if we cross the line at work and treat each =
other as=20
figures of fun, as servants or sexual prospects, we'll =
soon be=20
told by the faces around us that we've gone too far. We =
won't need=20
the tabloid press, or Sky News, to remind us to show each =
other=20
the respect we crave to be shown ourselves. The Guardian's =
Jane=20
Martinson hopes that if these remarks go some way towards =
changing=20
behind-closed-doors behaviour, we can all claim a victory. =
Tanya=20
Gold thinks we will look back on this week in the same way =
we look=20
back on October 2009, when Twitter rioted against Jan Moir =
and her=20
homophobia. In The Daily Express David Robson says Andy =
Gray may=20
understand the offside law but obviously there=E2=80=99s a =
lot else he=20
doesn=E2=80=99t understand. His final contribution may be =
his best: for a=20
week at least he has made football a feminist issue. The =
Sun's=20
Kelvin MacKenzie thinks Gray was lucky to get away with =
his=20
boorish behaviour for so long. |
This=20
year=E2=80=99s Oscars are an acrid smokescreen fanned by a =
nervous industry=20
to hide the awkward fact that 2010 was one of the most =
abysmal years=20
for =E2=80=9Cquality cinema=E2=80=9D in the history of the =
medium. - Kevin=20
Maher, The Times
|
Leader=20
Lines
We=20
select the most interesting leaders of the day...
CONTROL ORDERS: The =
Independent says=20
the decision by the Coalition on control orders is a =
considerable=20
disappointment. The official assertion that controls can=20
legitimately be placed by the state on an individual's =
life=20
without a trial or presentation of evidence in court is=20
intolerably offensive to our liberal traditions.
EQUITABLE LIFE: The Daily =
Express=20
thinks all those involved at senior levels in Equitable =
Life in=20
the years before it crashed should hang their heads in =
shame. They=20
will never be forgiven. People who were trying to do the =
right=20
thing by putting money aside for the future have been left =
high=20
and dry thanks to the incompetence, irresponsibility and =
downright=20
greed of financial professionals they should have been =
able to=20
trust.
NIMROD FARCE: The Daily =
Telegraph=20
argues that the extent to which last summer=E2=80=99s =
security and defence=20
review was driven by cost-cutting rather than a long-term=20
strategic vision is underscored by the fate of the Nimrod =
MRA4=20
maritime patrol aircraft. This =C2=A34=E2=80=89billion =
project has already been=20
paid for, yet these sophisticated aircraft will never take =
to the=20
air. |
|
Comment=20
Cornucopia
Some=20
of the wide-ranging topics covered today...
WOODLAND FUTURE: In The =
Times Caroline=20
Spelman, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and =
Rural=20
Affairs, says we are not simply going to sell off our =
precious=20
forests to the highest bidder. We are not going to allow =
England=E2=80=99s=20
forests to be bought up, chopped down and built over. This =
simply=20
is not true. We=E2=80=99re in fact uprating existing =
protections to secure=20
the future of our woodlands, and enhance them over =
time.
FOLLOW BRITISH LEAD: In The =
Wall=20
Street Journal Neil O'Brien, director of Policy Exchange, =
urges=20
Barack Obama to follow Britain's lead and make tough =
decisions on=20
spending cuts. There is no other option.
PALESTINE: The Guardian's =
Seumas Milne=20
thinks it is a tragedy for the Palestinian people that at =
a time=20
when their cause is the focus of greater global popular =
support=20
than ever in their history, their own political movements =
to win=20
their rights are in such debilitating disarray. =
|
Thought=20
for the Day
from=20
Brian Reade in The Daily Mirror![](3D"http://www.editorialintelligence.com/ebulletin/images/quotes1.png"=) A=20
wise man once said that a test of a civilised country is how =
it=20
treats its criminals. I=E2=80=99d say it=E2=80=99s how it =
treats its victims of=20
criminals. And we fail. Atrociously. |
|
Why=20
not add mailto:dailydigest@=
editorialintelligence.comto=20
your address book so these emails always arrive in your =
inbox?http://www.editorialintell=
igence.com/=20
ei=20
Digest Editor: Stephen =
Fleming | |
|
eiClub=20
Spring 2011 Conversation Partner |
|
Early=20
bird tickets on sale for Hay Festival 2011: book now =
for=20
selected events. |
|
50=20
journalists, 40 FTSE100 clients. Be trained by the=20
best. | |
What=20
the Bloggertariat is saying today
BuzzMachine=20
- Davos: Too little content
View=20
website
Peston's=20
Picks - News International's new hacking evidence
View=20
website
Big=20
Brother Watch - Control Orders - why the delay?
View=20
website
|
Tomorrow's=20
comment forecast
Come=20
rain or shine there will be comment tomorrow. What might =
prompt=20
it?
Phone=20
hacking
Huge=20
cost of fraud
Speed=20
cameras not working
The=20
next e.i event
Thursday=20
10th February
'Thought=20
for the Day' network
With=20
a =E2=80=98Thought for the Day=E2=80=99 from Sally Bercow, =
Labour Activist and=20
Commentator; Louise Chunn, Editor, Psychologies and Amol =
Rajan,=20
Deputy Comment Editor, The Independent. |
|
Another=20
e.i event
Wednesday=20
9th March
'Thought=20
for the Day Network'
With=20
a 'Thought for the Day' from Catherine Mayer, London Bureau =
Chief,=20
TIME Magazine and John Whittingdale OBE MP, Member of =
Parliament for=20
Maldon and Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
For=20
more details email or=20
call 020 7759 1850 |
|
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