We can win without The Sun, but not its readers.

Don't often agree with Paul, but do on this.

We can win without The Sun, but not its readers09:40 am, Wed 30th Sep 2009.
By Paul Richards

It was the column that Trevor Kavanagh has been itching to write for years. The Sun’s leading lights have never been happy supporting Labour, even in 1997, when they dramatically backed Blair. Now, they return home to the Conservatives. We can expect a Kinnock light-bulb style attack on Brown, with all its viciousness and vindictiveness, over the next few months.

The news that the Sun Backs Cam flltered through the conference hotels last night like a bacillus. It took whatever bounce had been afforded by the big speech out of the step of delegates. In effect it means that at the end of the week in Brighton the task of winning the next election is harder than it was at the start.

It would be easy to misunderstand the meaning of the Sun’s switch. For many Labour people, the Sun is a little short of demonic. They remember the slavish support for Thatcher. Some recall the lies about the Hillsborough disaster. They consider Rupert Murdoch an over-powerful plutocrat. But the point is not that individuals like Murdoch, Kavanagh and Pascoe-Watson have turned the Sun round to the Tories. The point is that the Sun follows, not leads public opinion. They back the winner. They reflect the dominant views of their ten million readers, which they assiduously monitor, test and poll with every kind of focus group and opinion poll. What their polling of Sun readers is telling them is that the people who buy, read and enjoy reading the Sun newspaper, what the admen call C2Ds, and what you and I call taxi-drivers, plasterers, sparks, posties, check-out assistants, and the rest of the millions who make Britain tick, have deserted the Labour Party.

What’s the lesson? The Sun was always going to do this, as long as Gordon Brown was leader. Their timing is designed to inflict maximum damage, and they haven’t finished yet. They’re not coming back to Labour any time soon. But Labour’s task in the few months we have left before polling day is to win back the Sun readers who form the backbone of the British electorate.

Labour conference: Fears over supervised homes for teen parents

I await for further clarification on this from DCFS.

By Neil PuffettChildren & Young People Now29 September 2009

Teenage pregnancy experts have reacted with concern to Gordon Brown's announcement that all 16-and 17-year-old parents who receive benefits will be housed in a network of supervised homes.
In his address to the Labour Party conference, Brown announced the measure but gave no indication of how it would work in practice.
Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, described the announcement as "an ill-thought out sop to an ill-informed section of public opinion".
"This measure ignores the huge differences between individual young people's ability and support to care for their children and does not address the complex problems they may face," she added.
Simon Blake, chief executive of sex advice charity Brook, said the speech left a lot of questions to be answered. "We are all absolutely committed to high quality support with housing available for young women but that is very different to the way this has been described today and I'm really concerned," he said.
"If it's about any form of compulsion then that is obviously a new policy approach and we have no knowledge about it being a new policy approach. This reinforces stereotypes of young women getting placed in council flats and undermines the excellent work going on across the country which has led to decreases in conception and birth rates."
During his speech Gordon Brown said it was time to "address a problem that for too long has gone unspoken".
"It cannot be right for a girl of 16 to get pregnant, be given the keys to a council flat and be left on her own," he added.
Some 90 minutes after the Labour leader left the conference stage in Brighton, civil servants in London had yet to be fully briefed on the announcement. A spokeswoman for the Department of Children, Schools and Families, said the department had no detail on the policy.
Lucy Lloyd, director of communications for the Family and Parenting Institute, said the announcement struck her as "frightening and draconian". "It harks back to the bad old days when teen parents were hidden away and had their babies in secret," she said.
But she added there could be positives in the policy. "In situations where the family relationship does break down the prospect of living alone in small accommodation can be devastating for a parent and child," she said. "If you look at it in that context this proposal could make a lot of sense. But we need to know more about how it would work in practice and in particular how a young person could maintain links with their home environment."

Message from Gordon Brown

John,

I hope you will have caught something of my speech to Labour Conference today. You can watch it in full here but I wanted to drop you a line just to let you know what mattered most to me today.My message is clear: our country faces the biggest choice for a generation – a choice between a change that benefits people like you - or a change that benefits the privileged few.I am determined to stand up for the mainstream majority of families in Britain – to stand up for those British values of fairness and responsibility for all.Today I believe we have shown that we are the party of ambitious change for the many:- Change for a new society with new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and ensure our public services meet new challenges - expanding free childcare for two year olds, a new offer on social care for older people, and additional funding to local authorities to help keep people in their homes.- Change for a new economy with tough new rules for bankers and investing for growth, with a new legal obligation for fiscal responsibility.- And change for a new politics so we ensure that MPs guilty of gross financial misconduct are recalled and we modernise our democracy with a new voting system.In the coming weeks, don’t just listen to what our opponents say - demand to know what they would do. Because if you’re a family that’s feeling the pinch – don’t take it from me – just ask them the question. If you care about me, why is your first priority to give a £200,000 pound tax cut to each of the 3,000 wealthiest estates?I am confident we are on the side of the British people on the fundament al choices our country faces in the years ahead.

Gordon

P.S. Now let's go out and campaign for this change. Click here to get involved

Labour's Home Secretary, Alan Johnson's speech to the 2009 Labour Party Annual Conference:

Labour's Home Secretary, Alan Johnson's speech to the 2009 Labour Party Annual Conference:There are three things that we need to do over the coming months - defend our record, explain our vision, display our unity.Crime is the area of government policy where statistics matter the least and perception matters the most. But the fact is that we have an excellent record to defend.Jacqui Smith was the first woman to serve as Home Secretary in the 327 year history of the Department. In her two years alone, neighbourhood policing has been established in every locality, a points-based immigration system has been introduced and police accountability is being improved through the Policing Pledge.Overall crime is down by 36% since we came to power, violent crime by 41%, domestic burglary by 54% and vehicle-related theft by 57%. In effect, the volume of crime and disorder has been reduced to the level it was at before the substantial and sustained increase that began under Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980s.These achievements are a tribute to our policemen and women. There are more of them than ever before, supported by 16,000 Police Community Support Officers with a budget 60% higher than we inherited in 1997.They've been helped by new powers that we introduced and the Tories opposed. Be sure to remind the public that David Cameron and his colleagues:Voted against tougher sentences for murder and sexual and violent offences;Voted against the banning of handguns;Voted against five year minimum sentences for carrying an illegal gun;Voted against allowing fresh trials for murder in the light of new evidence.They have the unenviable record of having failed on crime, in government and in opposition.John Wayne in their rhetoric; Woody Allen in their actions.When I hear the Party of Section 28 posturing as defenders of liberty, I am reminded of the words of the great Tony - that's Hancock, not Blair - who said, in a memorable episode of Hancock's Half Hour: "does no one care about Magna Carta? Did she die in vain?"Underpinning our record and illuminating our vision is the simple proposition that social justice means nothing without criminal justice. That safe streets are as fundamental to a good society as decent healthcare and high educational standards.Our streets are much safer, but not as safe as they need to be. We need to do more to tackle gang violence, to further reduce shootings and stabbings, and more, much more, to address the problems of anti-social behaviour.We began the concerted effort to ensure that people whose lives are blighted by such behaviour are rescued from despair.But Fiona Pilkington and her daughter weren't rescued and despair led to the terrible events we've been hearing about. It's an exceptional case but it's one that should never have happened and there must be no excuses, no complacency, no blaming the media because we don't like the facts they report. This case tragically exposes the insufficient response to public anxiety that still exists in some parts of the country and we need to guarantee consistent standards for dealing with anti-social behaviour everywhere. We need to ensure that any breach of an ASBO is prosecuted.We need to support victims and subject perpetrators to the full range of enforcement powers we have introduced, not as a last resort, but as a preventative measure.Above all, we need to make it clear that anti-social behaviour isn't a low-level nuisance to be tolerated, it's a major source of insecurity and unhappiness that has to be tackled wherever and whenever it occurs.But there is another source of misery and unhappiness that takes place behind closed doors.For too long it seemed to be acceptable that domestic violence against women and girls was a private matter. It was Labour that introduced specialist domestic violence courts and helped put 720 fully trained independent domestic violence advisers in place. More arrests are being made and conviction rates are rising.But the police tell us they often find themselves powerless to stop the aggressor in a domestic violence situation - - from returning to the property straight away, putting the victim at risk of more violence.That must change.That is why I am bringing forward measures to allow the police to issue Domestic Violence Prevention Orders to stop the aggressor from returning not just to the house, but to the whole immediate area, and forcing him to remain out of the vicinity for a set period. During this time, support will be provided for the victim including counselling and practical options for getting away from a violent partner.I am enormously proud of our record over the last 12 years. In education, in health, tackling discrimination, establishing basic rights for working people, making our society safer, healthier and fairer.Gordon Brown has been integral to all of these achievements and he has led the way in addressing the biggest global economic and political challenges of our age.As we approach a general election, we have to persuade the British public to do something they have never had the opportunity to contemplate before - to give a fourth term to a Labour government.We need to persuade all those who have supported Labour in the past, perhaps even campaigned for Labour, but who became discouraged or disillusioned that now is the time to come back and join us because this coming political battle really is a fight for this country's future. The Lib Dems are offering savage cuts; the Tories promise an Age of Austerity. Only Labour can offer hope and opportunity against Cameron's Notting Hill version of laissez faire.Nye Bevan could have been referring to the coming battle when he wrote:"For us, power means the use of collective action designed to transform society and so to lift all of us together. To us the doctrine of laissez faire conveys no inspiration because the hope of individual emancipation would be crushed by the weight of accomplished power."That "weight of accomplished power", anti-European, anti-trade union, hostile to public services, throws its shadow across the difficult years ahead. Only Labour can resist its advance by persuading the British people that we remain united behind our leader clear in our vision and worthy of their trust.

Inspiring Mandelson says this will be the election of change

Conference, let me say after these years away – it’s good to be back home.When the Prime Minister asked me to return to the Cabinet last October I felt a lot of things.Shock. I think I was as shocked as most of you were.Surprise. My network of informants had let me down on this one.Apprehension. Returning to the goldfish bowl of British politics – and all my fans in the media. It made me pause.I had been in this movie before - and its sequel - and neither time did I like the ending.But I did not hesitate for too long.The pull was too great.The pull of coming back to serve my country when it was in the midst of the global whirlwind that had hit us.The pull of coming back to serve this Prime Minister, our leader, Gordon Brown – who was gripping this financial crisis, leading the fightback against it when so many others seemed caught in the headlights.But there was something else. It was the pull of coming back to serve our party.I did not choose this party. I was born into it.It is in my blood and in my bones.I love working for this party and those who work so hard for it – even if, at times, perhaps not everyone in it has loved me.I understand that. I made enemies, sometimes needlessly. I was sometimes too careless with the feelings and views of others.But please accept this. It was for one reason only. I was in a hurry to return this party to where it should be – in government to help the hard-working people of our country.I know that Tony said our project would only be complete when the Labour Party learned to love Peter Mandelson.I think perhaps he set the bar a little too high.Though I am trying my best.But the fact is our project is far from complete.A Labour Government has never been more needed.Needed to fight back against the recession.Needed to build and secure our future economic strength.And needed to ensure we pay down debt in a way that is fair and protects jobs, homes and our frontline public services.And yet, we must face facts.Electorally, we are in the fight of our lives.And, yes, we start that fight as underdogs.But conference let me say this.If I can come back…,we can come back.I came into politics to help remake the Labour Party as a party of Government.My relationship with Gordon was forged when people said we’d never form a government again.It made us not just modernisers, but fighters…and certainly not quitters. That spirit still burns as brightly within us now as it did then.Gordon, I am proud to serve in your Government as you lead the fightback against the global recession.The policies conceived and executed over the last year have now begun to pull our economy back onto the long road of recovery.When it mattered, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling have made, and are making, all the right calls.Of course, they could have made different choices. They could have taken David Cameron and George Osborne’s advice to let the recession take its course.Can you imagine if we had?I hope these two can find the humility to acknowledge that at every point Tory policy would not just have put the recovery at risk but have made this recession deeper, longer and far far worse.As we get closer to the election, I want to see them and Tory candidates across the country explaining why they wouldn’t provide the money to help small businesses and families in this recession when they needed it most. No extra money to boost family incomes.No money for the tax deferment for business and no VAT cut.No additional money to help those who have tragically lost their jobs.No funding for the car scrappage scheme.They got it plain wrong at every step along the way and I say to every Labour member and campaigner across the country.Do not let them off the hook.I certainly will not.Conference, the foundation of all that we want to achieve is a strong economy.So what does that mean?It means continuing to limit the recession’s damage to our economy because when private demand plummets governments must step in.It means, once we are through the recession – and only when this is clearly the case - we will tackle the deficit without eating into the fabric of people’s lives.And it means investing in future growth.On all three counts, the Tories are on the wrong side of the argument.I tell you. Withdrawing our help for the economy now as Mr Osborne demands would choke off recovery before it has even properly begun.Not for the first time, Boy George is sailing close to the wind.There are encouraging signs that the economy is picking up. But recovery remains fragile and uncertain, especially in manufacturing and one of its cornerstones, the car industry.Our car scrappage scheme has been so successful the money is running out. The industry has asked that the scheme be topped up. Conference, we cannot do everything but that does not mean doing nothing. So today I am extending our popular car scrappage scheme with extra money for an additional 100,000 cars and vans.In support of our car industry too, this government will stand behind Vauxhall workers in Ellesmere Port and Luton where the workforce themselves have been the main driver of change.And the same goes for Jaguar Land Rover too.But all of this only makes sense if we continue to invest in our country’s future growth. It is growth that will see off recession. It is growth that is key to paying down debt.More than ten years ago I spoke to this conference as Trade and Industry Secretary about how we needed to renew the British economy and build it around knowledge, science, innovation and enterprise.But this isn’t 1998. This is a different world.China and India are undergoing the greatest revolution in the economic history of the world.The greatest financial crisis of modern times also requires us to rethink our growth model for Britain.Of course, we should be proud of our record.Production is up by a third. More businesses. More research. More people than ever at university. More people learning new skills although still not yet enough technicians being recruited for our new industries at the heart of our growth strategy.Some people think that Britain is a post-industrial country that doesn’t make anything anymore.Well, someone needs to tell them that we are still the world’s sixth biggest manufacturer.And we will remain a modern manufacturing nation as long as I and the Government remain in our jobs.But we do need to accept that, during this time, we have not got everything right.The truth is growth was so strong we started to take it for granted. We nurtured finance – not wrongly, but we should have done more to nurture our other strengths as well.The potential is there in Britain – we know that. In the services sector, the creative sector, the biosciences sector and in hi-tech advanced manufacturing. But to release this potential we need a clear plan for growth and this is my mission.First, with Labour in office, there will be no cap on talent in this country. People with university degrees and skills earn more, climb higher and create more value. The Tories think that more means worse. We don’t agree. Britain gains when every person who is capable can get the chance to go to university, get an apprenticeship or a new skill. But to make this possible in a tough public spending environment we all need to contribute – government, individuals and employers.Second. I want to see an innovation nation. Science is one of the jewels in the crown of Labour’s years in office. And we want closer links between businesses and universities so that good ideas don’t stop at the research lab or the library door.We’re one of the world’s biggest investors in Research & Development. But we still do the R better than the D and that must change.Third. We’re going to do more to put finance at the service of industry by building up new public channels to deliver private funds to innovative and fast growing companies.Less financial engineering and a lot more real engineering.Fourth – no more saying: the market on its own will always sort it out, like some kind of dogma.Instead, in my department, over the last eight months, we’ve said: “this is viable, and it’s important, but the market alone won’t get it off the ground. And we can help make it happen”.We’ve committed three quarters of a billion pounds to new manufacturing innovation in Britain.Investing in low carbon cars and aircraft. New digital platforms. Plastic electronics. Life sciences. Industrial biotechnology. Wind turbine development and wave power.This isn’t us picking winners as happened too often in the 1970s, when more often the losers were picking us.This is us giving public support to new technologies without which they may never get off the drawing board.Finally, we’re committed to making sure that the benefits of investment in growth are felt in every part of this country.The Tories say abolish the Regional Development Agencies. We say “go for growth, let’s see what you can do.”This is the industrial activism we need more of in this country and I am determined to provide it.Where are the Tories on all this? When did you last hear David Cameron or George Osborne last say anything about Britain’s industrial future?I would ask Ken Clarke but his mobile phone and blackberry always seem to be turned off. Or given that he keeps privately agreeing with me, perhaps David Cameron has cut it off.The truth is these Tories have nothing to say about an active government economic role because their dogma prevents them.They just don’t get it.This failure, I believe, speaks to a wider truth about our opponents.David Cameron has been pursuing a strategy not of real change, but of concealment.Yes, they have made changes to their presentation. The image-making department has done its work and done it well. Who am I to criticise?But the Tories seem not to realise that change has to be more than a slogan. The first rule of any marketing strategy is that it must reflect the product it is selling.And what is becoming more evident by the day is that, in their case, it doesn’t. The two faces of the Conservative Party are increasingly on show. The one they want to present to the public of a revamped Tory party. And the other that betrays the reality of traditional right-wing Conservatism.You know, the Tories seek to give the impression that somehow they have learnt the lessons from New Labour and our party’s march back to the centre ground.Well, the Tories may have skimmed the headline summary of the New Labour manual. But they never bothered to read the book.If they had they would know what real change involves. They would know what a painful process it is.We in this hall know what it took to make the change. Show me what has really changed in the Conservative Party.The truth is that the old Tory right that was rejected in 1997 are quietly feeling at home again with David Cameron.At home with his tax plans.At home with the barely disguised glee a new generation of Conservatives is showing at the prospect of deep and savage cuts to public services.And at home with a position on Europe that sees them aligned with extremists and sidelined in Britain’s biggest market.That is not change. Its the same old Tory policies.So lets take on the arguments about change.This will be a “change” election. Either we offer it, or the British public will turn to others who say that they do.Of course, we must celebrate our record and be proud of defending it. We did fix the roof while the sun was shining.We can look at the way we have turned around our public services, our record on tackling poverty at home and abroad, our role as a force for progressive social change. The minimum wage and the new rights for working mothers and fathers. And we can feel proud.But let us remember that you win elections on the future, not the past.Do not make the mistake of sitting back and expecting people to be grateful.We must not translate the pride we feel in what we have achieved into a defence of the status quo.Just as we fight against a Conservative Party that is still steeped in the old Tory attitudes of the 1980s, we must not allow ourselves to fall into old Labour thinking.The British people have their eyes on the future and so must we.We are the true progressives.We must be restless for change, impatient to do more for the hard-working people we serve, unafraid to embrace new reform, new policies and new thinking where it is needed.We need to think like insurgents, not incumbents.To challenge. To argue for change. To campaign.To be the real change-makers in British politics.This is our task.We need to fight back. Of course we do.But to do so successfully it is up to us to explain – with confidence, clarity and conviction – what the choice is.The choice between a Conservative party whose judgements on the credit crunch were wrong, or a party providing leadership in the toughest of times.A choice between a party that lurches to the right the second it sees a chance of doing so, or our party that is resolutely in the progressive centre.A choice between a party that does not understand the new world we live in or even what has happened in the last year, or a Labour Party that knows the world has changed and we have to change with it.Experience and change with Gordon’s leadership.Or the shallowness of David Cameron.In one way or another I have been part of the last five election campaigns this Party has fought.Let me tell you a secret. Deep down in my guts I always knew who was going to win. Even, sadly, in 1992.This time, it is not cut and dried.This election is up for grabs.So conference, we may be the underdogs.But if we show the British people that we have not lost the fighting spirit and appetite for change which has defined this party throughout its history then we can and will win.Win for our Party.Win for our country.Win for the British people.

Arts Advice Seminar - Wednesday 23 September, 6-8pm

Join the Salford Arts Development Service for a free seminar which will be hosted amidst the splendour of the Victorian Gallery at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
This special evening is free and is aimed at artists and arts organisations based in Salford. The seminar will include a range of guest speakers and will cover issues such as:
getting established
learning about funding
working with communities
accessing funding for arts projects
professional development for artists
developing art workshops
If you are an individual artist or not-for-profit group based or working in Salford and would prefer to speak to an officer in person, you can also book a free hour-long advice session with the Arts Development Service at any time by appointment.
Spaces are limited so please get in touch to book your place.
For further details, or to book a place at the seminar or a meeting, contact:
telephone Fay Flatt on 606 6736
email: fay.flatt@salford.gov.uk

Britishness shunned despite PM plea

Majority of teachers dismiss proposed lessons in patriotism as “brainwashing”, research reveals
Three-quarters of teachers believe they should point out the dangers of patriotism to their pupils, rather than merely inculcating love of Queen and country, new research has revealed.
Many feel that patriotism is “brainwashing”, preferring instead a John Lennon approach that emphasises universal humanity and the brotherhood of man.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken out in favour of teaching pupils to be patriotic, claiming that lessons in Britishness should be incorporated into the curriculum.
Drs Joanne Pearce and Michael Hand, from the Institute of Education at the University of London, surveyed history and citizenship teachers from 20 secondaries, as well as almost 300 pupils, on their attitudes to patriotism in the classroom.
While more than half of teachers and pupils agreed that patriotic sentiment was a good thing, the majority felt that schools should offer a balanced reflection of all viewpoints.
And 74 per cent of teachers believed it was their duty to point out the danger of patriotic sentiments.
“Praising patriotism excludes non-British pupils,” one teacher said. “Patriotism about being British … divides groups along racial lines, when we aim to bring pupils to an understanding of what makes us the same.”
In fact, most interviewees felt that the role of school was to promote more cosmopolitan forms of identification. “We shouldn’t be promoting patriotism,” one teacher said. “We should be promoting universal brotherhood.” Another added: “I think we should identify as humans.”
Teachers also acknowledged that individuals had the right to choose their own role models, British or otherwise, as anything else would qualify as brainwashing.
One citizenship teacher said: “I don’t think you should be grooming children to be patriotic. That’s as bad as telling everyone that they’ve got to be a certain religion … I am not going to brainwash anyone.”
Even teachers who wanted schools to promote patriotism tended to qualify their arguments. One history teacher commented: “I think it’s an unavoidable human condition that you identify with a group … So to promote it in a positive way is OK, but not jingoistic flag-waving.”
Pupils were equally unenthusiastic. Many felt that they should be allowed to form their own opinions on the matter. One said: “If people want to be patriotic, then let them. Don’t dissuade them nor persuade them.”
Nonetheless, two-thirds of teachers said that they encouraged discussion of patriotism in their classrooms. But this often passed pupils by: more than half said that patriotism was never discussed at school.
The researchers suggest this may be because the subject is often tackled implicitly, without explicit use of the word “patriotic”. Many teachers incorporate the topic into lessons on the First or Second World Wars, or on human rights and democracy.
And they were unconcerned about pressure from the Government to do otherwise. One interviewee said: “I reckon teachers are the greatest profession in the world when it comes to subverting anything the Government puts before them.”
However, the researchers argue that vast areas of history and politics would be incomprehensible without some understanding of the power of patriotic sentiment. They, therefore, suggest that pupils should be made aware of the principle arguments for and against love of one’s country.
“Schools have a responsibility to ensure that students not only understand the phenomenon of patriotism, but are equipped to make reasoned judgments about the place it should occupy in their own emotional lives,” they said.
Patriot act
Teach patriotism as a topic in its own right, rather than as part of a broader discussion.
Respond positively when the topic is raised by pupils.
Know the arguments for and against patriotic attachment.
Challenge easy consensus and uncritical views.
Correct factual errors.
Be sensitive, because national identities are often intertwined with race, ethnicity and religion.
Be aware of influencing pupils unintentionally through body language or humorous asides.
Show pupils that they need not be passive victims of their emotions.
Be aware of the possibility of multiple patriotic attachments.

Bullfighter's book signings called off over 'threats'

I think Waterstones are wrong bowing to this pressure. It stops freedom of speech and an individuals right. Thanks to the MEN for highlighting the story.



SALFORD bullfighter Frank Evans has criticised animal rights campaigners after Waterstone's cancelled all promotion of his autobiography following what he says were threats.
The 67-year-old was due to attend book signings at Waterstone's in Liverpool and Manchester on September 16, with tickets costing £3.
The firm received letters which said the events would glamorise the "cruel, violent spectacle" of bullfighting. Mr Evans said the store's staff also received threats because of his planned appearances.
The bullfighter, who is known as "El Ingles" in the ring, said: "There are a minority of people who are violently opposed to what I do.
"I do not want the store's staff to be in danger so it is not Waterstone's I am angry at.
"These extremists are quite sinister and are trying to suppress literature. We have a democracy and this is almost like the Nazis burning books."
His autobiography The Last British Bullfighter chronicles his four decades in the bull ring.
It details his recent comeback four years after he retired on doctor's orders, due to a quadruple heart bypass and replacement knee surgery.
A spokesman for Waterstone's said: "In the best interests of our customers and staff, Waterstone's decided to cancel the two Last British Bullfighter events.
"No further events related to the book are planned and full refunds will be given."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), the Born Free Foundation and the League Against Cruel Sports were among the animal rights groups which wrote to the book firm.
Peta spokeswoman Poorva Joshipura had contacted the company's events organiser saying bullfighting is "a cruel, violent spectacle that is illegal in the UK."
On hearing the decision to cancel the signings, she said: "Bravo to Waterstone's for distancing itself from the sadistic cruelty and gore of bullfighting.
"There is nothing brave or admirable about anyone who participates in or pays to watch a violent spectacle in which the bull always loses."
Mr Evans, a grandfather-of-five, killed two half-ton bulls and won a standing ovation on his comeback in Benalmadena, Spain on August 30.
He has received several death threats from animal activists, and a post office intercepted a letter bomb with his name on it several years ago, he added.

Discover Salford’s hidden heritage

Discover Salford’s hidden heritage
Ever wondered what's hidden behind the windows, walls and roofs of Salford's oldest and most intriguing buildings?
Heritage Open Days: Thursday 10 - Sunday 13 September 2009
The national project Heritage Open Days invites you inside a whole range of enchanting and enthralling venues not normally open to the public.
And in Salford we’ve actually declared the whole of September as Heritage Month giving you 30 days of other great events and activities including walks, canal cruises, guided tours, museum visits and much more.
Join us for a celebration of the city's rich and diverse heritage and enjoy Heritage Open Days and our Local History Fair and Family Fun Day too.
There's so much to see and discover about the city's fascinating past and best of all, it's FREE!
Full line up of events

Save General Election Night!

Save General Election Night!
Category:
Common Interest - Beliefs & Causes
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The future of General Election Night is under threat.As the Sunday Times reported on Sunday 6th September - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6823320.ece - increasing numbers of councils are planning on counting the votes cast on the Friday morning rather than the Thursday night.The Sunday Times suggests that as many as a quarter of local authorities could end up holding a Friday count. The paper names Newcastle-upon-Tyne as a prime example, but it is understood that much of Norfolk, West Yorkshire and maybe all of Cornwall could count on the Friday, with it under consideration in a number of other areas, including much of North West England.This cross-party campaign, started by political blogger Jonathan Isaby of ConservativeHome with the support of Labour MP Tom Harris and Mark pack of Lib Dem Voice - is for all those - candidates, political activists, broadcasters, journalists and voters alike - who oppose this development.Here are a few reasons why you might support the campaign:*We want to know who won as soon as possible*Quite simply, once the polling stations have closed we want to know the result as soon as possible. And this argument holds on two levels. Firstly, on a constituency level, but more significantly on a national level: if the general election is going to be close, then it is possible that if lots of seats are not counting until Friday - especially marginals - then we will not know who is going to be Prime Minister, form the Government etc until Friday lunchtime.*It would be a backward step*In the digital 24-hour media age when we are used to getting news quicker than ever before, it would be a backward step to delay election counts. If anything, we should be seeking to persuade the few constituencies which historically count on a Friday to bring their counts forward to Thursday night.*Fewer people will be able to follow the results coming in*Sitting around the television into the early hours is an election night ritual for people across the land, many of whom do not perhaps follow politics closely on a daily basis. But if there are fewer results to announce - and the potential of not getting a national result to boot - they are less likely to bother tuning in and when the remaining constituencies declare and the national result becomes apparent on the Friday, anyone at work is not going to be able to witness the climax of the electoral process.*The TV coverage of the election will suffer*The outside broadcasts (OBs) at counts up and down the country have provided many a memorable moment over they years, and they bring the results to life. However, the reason why broadcasters are able to provide such a variety of OBs is that there is no other call on the satellite trucks and outside broadcast units during the night. If there were an increasing number of counts on Friday during the day, fewer of them would have cameras present, thereby reducing the ability of the broadcasters to give full coverage of the results.*It's a tradition, dammit*The traditional British way of doing elections is to have people come out to vote and then count the ballot papers immediately afterwards. It's how we do it and what we're used to.*Threats to the integrity of the ballot*Security is a less important concern, but worth a mention all the same. Some of us might be just a little uncomfortable about increasing millions of ballot papers being left overnight before being counted.HOW YOU CAN HELPPlease contact your local council (most likely the electoral registration department or Chief Executive's office) to discover when the votes for your constituency at the general election will be counted.If it's definitely Thursday, message Jonathan Isaby (the group's admin, right) and a list of confirmed Thursday counts will be posted in the latest news section below.If your council indicates that it will be counting on Friday or that it is yet to be decided, again, please let Jonathan Isaby know so that it can be posted below, but please also lobby your local councillors and council leader to urge them to count the votes on the Thursday night.Together we can save General Election Night!

Proud Pals of Salford to say thanks in final parade

Saw this on The Bury Times website. I think Salfordians should come out in force to honour them.

NEARLY 100 years ago Lord Kitchener, the then prime minister of England, our great country, asked for volunteers to join and fight the Kaiser of Germany.
The call was answered far and wide from men working the coal mines, mills and every walk of life.
The men from Salford and surrounding areas of Manchester, Liverpool, St Helens and many, many more localities were known as The Salford Pals.
Many were brothers, cousins, fathers and sons. They wore a badge called “The Lancashire Fusiliers xx”. They later added to the badge a primrose hackle.
These men from 1914 were very proud of their regiment and although disbanded in the 1960s, they are still highly recognised by the grandsons and in some cases great grandsons who succeeded them. We say “Once a fusilier always a fusilier.”
The greatest honour we hold was seven VCs before breakfast — “Unfortunately the cook overslept.” We stand proud in the city. In September 1947 we were given the freedom of the city.
On November 11, 2009, the last of the Pals of Salford men of The Lancashire Fusiliers xx will reunite. Seventy men in total will gather for the very last time.
These men will proudly parade down The Crescent on the Cenotaph of Salford to say thank you to all those people who fought and fell, not only The Lancashire Fusiliers but civilians, and members of the Fire Brigade, Police, Ambulance Service and all who stood proud against all odds to protect our great country.
So the time has come for the Pals of Salford not to say goodbye but to stand at ease as the end of the road is drawing near for many of the Pals of Salford, The men of The Lancashrie Fusiliers.
So why not join us for this final heartfelt parade and allow us to say good night and God bless

Cameron rewards Hannan for his attacks on the NHS with a plum job

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Health Secretary, said has hit out at news that Daniel Hannan, the Conservative MEP who called the NHS a “60 year mistake”, has been given a leading role by David Cameron.
Following his renewed attack on the NHS during a series of interviews in August 2009, Daniel Hannan has now been rewarded with a position on the Tory frontbench in Europe – the first time he has held an official party position. His new appointment as the party’s spokesman on legal affairs also means he will represent the Conservative Party on an important Parliamentary committee.
Andy Burnham said:
“David Cameron is happy to deride Tory MEP Daniel Hannan in front of the cameras and claim that his views are not the true face of the Tory Party. But privately Cameron rewards Hannan for his attacks on the NHS with a plum job on his frontbench in the European Parliament.
“Will the real David Cameron please stand up?”

Wage Concern update

Hello,
I trust you're keeping well. Thanks for supporting our Wage Concern campaign to defend the National Minimum Wage.
I thought you might like to a listen to the excellent Radio 4 documentary on the Minimum Wage.
It's called 'The Minimum Wage - Where Did It All Go Right.' You can listen to it here
I think it'll put a smile on your face. It did me! My good friend Rodney Bickerstaffe is brilliant on it.
Remember, the Tories were shamed by you into puling their 'Employment Opportunites Bill' to effectively scrap the National Minimum Wage. But it comes back before the House on October 16th.
Don't worry - we'll be reminding the media and the public about this when the time comes. Please forward this email to any friends who might want to join our campaign. The website is still up and you can still sign our petition.
Once again, thanks for all your help,
Yours,
John Prescott