I was a BBC Governor. I can’t discern much difference between the remit of the new Trust and the old Governors. I don’t think that governance structure lies at the heart of the current problems faced by the BBC. Trust or Governors, both can very well regulate and be cheerleaders: after all, doesn’t every school…
One of the consequences of the years of the troubles has perhaps been a reluctance of some to travel and explore the natural treasures of the island of Ireland. On a recent visit I was delighted to see that old images are changing fast. The last time I was in the North of Ireland was…
I am looking forward to attending “Splendours of the Commonwealth”, (www.splendoursofthecommonwealth.com) on September 12th at the May Fair hotel. It’s a catwalk show, celebrating talented fashion designers and models from the Commonwealth as part of London Fashion Week. London Fashion Week has grown to become one of the big four global fashion trade shows, promoting…
To Baroness Warsi: (28.08.13) You are personally in a better positioin than most Ministers to foresee the possible unintended consequences of missile or other air-strikes. These could be very serious throughout the whole Arab and Muslim world. From being something of a pariah, Assad could be transformed into a noble victim. It is worth recalling…
I cannot be at the Lords debate today on Syria, but came across this list of countries the USA have bombed since the Second World War. China 1945-46 Korea 1950-53 China 1950-53 Guatemala 1954 Indonesia 1958 Cuba 1959-60 Guatemala 1960 Belgian Congo 1964 Guatemala 1964 Dominican Republic 1965-66 Peru 1965 Laos 1964-73 Vietnam 1961-73 Cambodia…
I did not think the highlight of my week in Swaziland would be making Vaseline, but this life has many unexpected moments………so more on that later. I often read the complaint that too many are too dependent and incapable or unwilling to look after themselves. Today, I saw three projects that confound many of the…
I am in Swaziland this week to support and assess a new development project called Tools for Life. All the hard work has been done by Wales-based charity Positive Women, and the McConnell International Foundation has supported the pilot underway this month. I will try to Blog here on what I see, and on life…
Or, as the Americans would have it, Egyptian fall. My take on what is happening in Egypt right now is one I set out in the (much delayed) Lords debate on the Arab spring over a year ago. In brief, democracy is not just about voting. Voting is necessary but insufficient in itself. The state needs a constitutional structure and…
First the good news. International students have ranked the UK as the safest place to study because of its multicultural society, the perception that people don’t carry guns and its good medical care, according to new data from the British Council’s Student Insights survey. Safety has grown as a concern to students – surpassing cost of…
