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Monday 6 June 2011

Sarah McDermott | 11:22 UK time, Monday, 6 June 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that no changes are needed to UK economic policy. It said weak economic growth and rising inflation had been "unexpected", but said they were "largely temporary". It pointed to rising commodity prices and the increase in VAT as temporary problems for inflation. Our Economics editor Paul Mason has been blogging on this subject and you can watch more from him on tonight's programme, when we'll also have interviews with the interim boss of the IMF, John Lipsky (), and the shadow chancellor Ed Balls.

Then, as Nintendo becomes the latest company to suffer an online security breach due to an attack by hackers, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones investigates how much we put our own personal data at risk by storing it on servers and hard drives that are not our own. Read more on the dot.Rory blog here.

Ahead of the publication tomorrow of the government's revised Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, the Home Secretary Theresa May has accused universities of "complacency" in tackling Islamist extremism. Richard Watson is in Nottingham and has more on this story for us this evening.

Do join Jeremy for all that and more at 2230 on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    CUI BONO

    Ms May picks a public fight with the universities. Pre-arranged for our deception and 'their' advantage? A surprise attack to impress the public? Ineptitude?

    These political posturings are now de rigueur. Obama is supposed to have offended Netanyahu, but attention to detail suggests it might be for show.

    THIS IS THE AGE OF PERVERSITY

  • Comment number 2.

    CUI BONO

    These political affrontings - May/universities, Obama/Netanyahu have a 1984 ring.
    But NewsyNighty are not going to step outside any lies.

  • Comment number 3.

    What nearly three years in to this financial crisis and all those emergence measures designed to mask the fact that our banks are insolvent haven't actually worked!

    I'm shocked and suprised too, you hear.

    We've been running the biggest debt ponzi schemes in history and we haven't been able to sort it out with a few nip and tuck cut backs here and a bit of money printing there.

    By gosh. Let's just carry on doing more of the same then.

  • Comment number 4.

    Look forward to tonight's edition :o)

  • Comment number 5.

  • Comment number 6.

  • Comment number 7.

    'Paul Mason has been blogging on this subject '

    'The IMF has spelled out a clear Plan B for George Osborne'

    Others have blogged on this too.

    IMF backs George Osborne's spending cuts plan


    Funny how words can be spun to conjure such varied impressions.

  • Comment number 8.

    The IMF forecasts were wrong, but "the beatings will continue until morale improves!"

    In the leadup and aftermath of Churchill's disastrous 1925 budget, Keynes' analysis was that official policies were designed to favour the rentier class at the expense of the working class. Krugman makes a similar point now: "thinking of what’s happening as the rule of rentiers, who are getting their interests served at the expense of the real economy, helps make sense of the situation." Tax dodger Osbo is a typical self-serving example.



    In fact all Krugman's current posts are well worth a read. It's depressing though, because the economic zombies have taken over the US, and are gradually taking over the rest of the world.



  • Comment number 9.

    Reading between the lines it would appear that the IMF " Plan B " is just an extension of the current Welfare State for the Stock Market Parasites in the form of further quantitative easing etc !

  • Comment number 10.

    imho universities are not doing enough to prevent UK Govt-terrorism which, by any rational measure, is causing far more destruction, mayhem, terror and fear than any possible action of "al qeada".

    lets ask UK academics what they think of this morality-free desire to inflict a war upon the Libyan people?

    presumably, once we have "degraded Libyan infrastructure" (that's bridges, schools, hospitals, power plants, water treatment plants, airports, sea-ports, police stations, roads and "colonel ghaddafi's compound" to you and me, aka "normal life in a normal country"), - then we will force them to pay for us to rebuild them, no doubt taken from 'oil revenues', and with as shoddy (but highly profitable) results as "Iraq's Rebuilding" by Halliburton and other multi-nats.

    but this is unmentionable, isn't it?

    the idea there could be moral equivalence, or even links, between the atrocities past and planned by Western Govts including the UK, and the atrocities of small groups of extremist individuals, even a whisper of such is enough to have oneself labeled a "terrorist sympathiser". But i do NOT sympathise with Bush, or Cameron, any more than i sympathise with Zarkwani, Hitler, Pol Pot, Netan-Yahoo or Emperor Trajan. They are all terrorists, who deliberately use(d) terror to achieve political aims. Let's not even ask the influence of Rupert Murdoch on recent wars, either!

    so perhaps the UK Universities SHOULD be doing more to "prevent terrorism" - standing up and opposing the illegal acts of war by this Govt would be a fine first step, academically taking apart the terror-inspiring "cuts" would be a good second, and teaching the truth about Citizen Empowerment would be an excellent 3rd.

    introducing spying and the ending of free discussion and speech by groups of students/lecturers would seem to be a long way down the list - somewhere alongside the introduction of other totalitarian measures that any illiberal Dictator would recognise.


    i'm actually beginning to think that this Govt is completely incapable of ANY decent policies!! No wonder Camoron's Cabinet are leading the charge against Human Rights - they believe Human Rights are restricted to multi-millionaires, and the rest of us simply aren't deserving of them, presumably because we were born to the wrong parents. The UK's moved a long way on the last 300 years, SURE!!

    this Govt is "The Best of Britain"? I profoundly hope not, and frankly - every week there are far wiser and simply *Better* people in the Question-Time Audience than are squatting in Westminster or Downing St.

    pity we don't live in a Democracy, and can change our leaders for incompetence/gross misconduct, isn't it?
    But mere Workers are not supposed to have any influence, let alone control, over the behaviour and actions of the company's CEO. Draw the inference yourself.

  • Comment number 11.

    so the IMF back gorgeous George, well, what a surprise! Could they do anything else? It was the most predictable statement to come out of the IMF this year. They always say....no money for anyone especially the workers, women, anyone daring to join a trade union and anyone agreeing with Ed Balls. I would be worried if the IMF gave me a seal of approval, I would have failed miserably as a human being......

  • Comment number 12.

  • Comment number 13.

    on the IMF - this is like asking the Mafia second-in-command if you should "pay back" some usurious debt owed to the Mafia boss.

    "yes", came back the response.


    ---i sat down in shock at this!!!

    i mean, who has EVER heard of the IMF imposing draconian cuts in the living standards of normal people to "repay" debts created by incompetence and corruption at high levels in a country?? I mean - AS IF!!!

    what else would they say - "actually, we think the banks should be stripped of their secure holdings, wages should be increased, workers rights and pensions should be strengthened, media ownership should be diverse, and Govt should become fully transparent, non-corrupt, and accountable."?

    about as likely as any member of this or the previous Cabinet admitting that what is "going wrong in the financial sector" was planned a long time ago - along with the "CUTS" program attached to (and justified by) the very same planned collapse.

    but don't worry, you and your children will be needed as cannon-fodder in the permanent wars to come, and cannon-fodder hardly needs to be educated, or even in good health. You can almost see their point when its looked at this way... almost.

    i bet loads of people are glad they voted Tory - or wasted their vote by voting 'Labour', now that it's too late.

    after all, who needs decent incomes, an NHS, education, or any Quality of Life? The Welsh and Scots may have it, but clearly it is beyond the capacity of the English.


    wish i was Welsh or Scots, and then i could gloat at the Auld Enemy's stupidities!! ALAS...! :'(

  • Comment number 14.

  • Comment number 15.

    wow, - the Libyan Govt is using deliberate spin!!! :O

    i am so shocked. I'm sure therefore all the other claims of civilian casualties are also faked. Damn the evil Libyans for wanting the bombardments to end. I'm so glad our own Govt would never deliberately lie to us. We can always trust our Govt. We can always trust our Govt. We can always trust Govt. We can always...


    Cable: what a shock as well. Even the LDs admit he is actually an economic hawk in the party, frankly i actually admire his guts in being so open and frank. Now we know completely - the LDs and Tories are completely prepared to force down the living standards of the majority, they are in complete accord on many levels in the parties.

    there is NO discussion/ideas of about how the State can invest in creating jobs, new worker-owned companies that would repay the investment in a few years, as well as producing and employing, creating growth and tax-returns.

    there are ONLY discussions/ideas about slashing the rights and incomes of normal working/retired/unemployed/studying citizens, about putting all the "pain" upon those both least responsible, and least able to resist the onslaught upon them.

    cable basically said that you have rights, but only until you try to use them. Will that be the motto?? :/

  • Comment number 16.

    I was interested to hear the ´óÏó´«Ã½ sent some of their hacks all the way to Texas to just sit in on the Alex Jones show, albeit in the wings.

    Alex Responds to 9/11 Questions from the ´óÏó´«Ã½:

  • Comment number 17.

    "flexible" - to a "Plan B" by Osborne:


    what he will be "flexible" on is TAX-CUTS!!! - this either means tax cuts greater for the wealthy (like the US recent tax-cuts), or best outcome increasing the threshold rates giving more equal tax-returns, BUT at the permanent loss of State services, such as Health, Education, even Prisons and free Roads, as they will be effectively privatised by these cuts. In effect, this Govt is using ONE TERM to force through the privatisation of the entire UK Social-Welfare provisions, from free education to being looked after in old age.

    this is Osbo's "flexibility", his Plan B. That the IMF has okayed the idea of tax-cuts for the UK if Growth remains slow, is simply they are saying this is a deliberate INTENTION to destroy the Welfare State, as we can apparently afford tax-cuts, but we cannot afford nurses, doctors, police-persons, teachers, firemen, librarians....

    lets make Big Society models of the banking sector, sounds like a good idea right now.

  • Comment number 18.

    Ed Ball giving lessons on the economy!..the nerve of some people.

  • Comment number 19.

    Europe getting bigger and bigger?



    What fun, more unemployment for Brits.

  • Comment number 20.

    Thoroughly brilliant interview by Jeremy with Lipsky tonight. Unfortunately, Balls (both by name and nature) disagreed with the IMF :p I can't even begin..............
    For once (and probably only once), I agree with Hazel Blears - she spoke sense.

  • Comment number 21.

    blears: "Terrorists are everywhere, watch everyone".

    blears: "vulnerable individuals in universities should be spied upon".

    blears "some students in UK universities currently believe the West is attacking Islamic lands - we should protect people from such extremists.". Hmmm. MANY people hold such views hazel.


    i know which of the two i trusted more.

  • Comment number 22.

  • Comment number 23.

  • Comment number 24.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 25.

    @#21:

  • Comment number 26.

    RADICALISED BLEARS

    Hazel Blears (not the sharpest synapse in the lobe) explained that vulnerable individuals, in institutions harbouring extremists, can become radicalised to the point of doing violence to the law.

    Well - it's a risk all MPs run in Westminster! And she did pay the money back.

  • Comment number 27.

    unfortunately, unlike the quangos, *i* didn't get paid huge wads of cash:




    Peace, is nicer than war, - isn't it??

  • Comment number 28.

    brossen, watched a couple of your info-wars links: i lolled @ his passports skit, and the dig at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ (although i would have liked to see that interview - perhaps he could meet Paxman...? :D ) but the link: "manged economy" was mainly lame, with a few good references from David Icke, but also another attempt to link Ecological/Green politics with Nazism, and other hints of his own possible agenda. He reminds me of a cross between 'The Voice of the Nation' in "V for Vendetta", - and nick griffin of Questiontime fame. :)


    what is your honest take on him?

  • Comment number 29.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 30.

  • Comment number 31.

    24 hrs is a long time in economics!

  • Comment number 32.

    I am concerned at the political bias in Tim Whewell's piece last night from Gaza. His commentary repeatedly stressed tensions between Hamas and Fatah. However, the interview extracts with Mahmoud Zahar did not support this commentary. He made four clear points:
    1. Palestinians have a right to self defence - why is this contentions?
    2. Hamas do not see the solution through bloody confrontation - surely this is what the quartet, UN and many others have always asked for?
    3. The EU should help Palestinians without preconditions - an entirely reasonable humanitarian position, considering the conditions they are forced to live in and the recent destruction of their infrastructure by Israel
    4. Hamas don't believe that the strategy of asking for a UN resoliution on Palestine will work, because the US will veto it - a matter of political judgement where opinions might reasonably differ - the US will veto it, but the moral support might nevertheess be worthwhile.
    These do not seem to me to be unreasonable positions, and none of them suggest the kid of fundamental division with Fatah which Tim Whewell suggested.
    Finally, he suggested that one positive outcome might be democratic elections, with the implication that they have not had any. Unlike most of the Arab world, Palestinans have had democratic elections - in Gaza they elected Hamas. The fact that the West does not like the outcome does not make this illegitimate.
    As he said, the agreement between Fatah and Hamas has made the Israeli Government furious (since their policy has been divide and rule). By emphasising (without evidence) divisions, Tim Whewell's commentary was clearly encouraging further division.
    Such a blatant disjunction between journalist's commentary and the evidence he put before us is not good or ethical journalism. It may make a more interesting story, but is not helpful to the peace process, and does no credit to the ´óÏó´«Ã½.

  • Comment number 33.

    WHAT HEROES DO - APPARENTLY

    Move over Colour Sergeant, now we have 'Camera Sergeant', and he tells it like it REALLY is.

    Our mercenaries invade Johnnie Foreigner Land, with the intent of killing him. When JF shoots back, it is "good fun" apparently - even when your mates get injured, maimed and dead. It is often reported as 'the job they love' but is it civilised?


    Personally, I see it as part of the feudal mind-set resident in monarchy-church-Westminster, led by the Thatcher/Blair/Cameron 'Rule Britannia' mentality.

    WE SHOULDN'T GO ON LIKE THIS.

  • Comment number 34.

    DEPENDABILITY DAVE IS POSTURING AGAIN

    The revival of 'Prevent' (New Prevent?) Delusional Dave has taken unto himself. He did something similar in the semi-failed 2010 election!



    Clearly: we CAN go on like this!

    WE HAVE GOT OURSELVES ANOTHER ONE

  • Comment number 35.

    Our government is like Don Quixote



    Tilting at windmills, and someone is making a lot of money!

  • Comment number 36.

    WARS, RUMOURS OF WARS, AND BOGUS WARS

    When Hitler was intent on invasion, war made a kind of sense.

    The War on Terror is an insubstantial construct, and the War on Energy Deficit, is one step more ephemeral.

    But it is well established that we live inside a lie - a multi-layered STATE lie - like you find when unmasking the villain in Scooby Doo: there is often another mask!

    Westminster-style manipulative governance, will drive the stupid masses over a cliff, if 'they' choose. Power, and the powerless, are now the two global components - it has come to this. So, if 'they' decide 'windmills', that is what we get. I still think wind energy is set up to fail, and deliver a cataclysmic shortfall. Possibly the plan is to rush to nuclear with no objection or maybe something more Machiavellian (on a par with 9/11 self infliction) is coming.

    I regard tidal stream as a 'contender' but the moment is becomes viable, dropping the price of electricity, something will change. . .

  • Comment number 37.

    Plod and philosophy

    many of the books now 'banned' were freely available in london libraries since the 1970s. probably still are. has anyone checked?

    has HMG asked the israeli government for a list of the british citizens who have worked for the israeli state perhaps committing war crimes? Has HMG arrested those groups in the uk who tell british citizens its ok to join the idf etc? no? why not? bias?

    NN have covered the 'muslim extremism' many many times but NEVER the israeli recruiting british citizens for the idf [which is an illegal act]. why not? bias?

    what about the extremist hindu groups accused of raising money in the uk that is used for ethnic cleansing?

    so the uk has many extremists, some with foreign government backing, so why the obsession only on muslims ?

    the evidence is the uk state/media are creating a defacto muslim apartheid? who might be advising them on this 'gaza style' mentality?

  • Comment number 38.

    My post which said the words 'Daily Mail' and a link from it was too much for the beeb to handle.

    Was the mention of the horrific biblical form of punishment -from a particular religion - just a tad too much? Its easy to rip apart and ridicule christianity -a somewhat benign religion these days - but freely turn a blind eye to the barbaric practices of another religion...and also that would be a double standard..but then, this is the ´óÏó´«Ã½.
    George warned us about you lot. Anyhow, Liberalism is a mental disorder...it also leaves the victim spineless.

  • Comment number 39.

    TO MY CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, THE ´óÏó´«Ã½ REPORTS 9/11 SELECTIVELY*

    But I can fill in the missing data, as I have science, technology, and psychological aptitude and competence, and have studied, minutely, the available data.

    When it comes to global finance, or internet finesse, I am a simple bystander, but I am inclined to the assumption that ‘the truth’ as presented by NewsyNighty in these (and other) areas, is equally adjusted through ‘judicious exclusion’.

    We have now had whistle-blowers from banking, intelligence and military; where is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ whistle-blower? It is time we knew:

    WHOSE AGENDA CONSTRAINS THE ´óÏó´«Ã½?

    * For the few who still don’t know: 9/11 was a complex, Machiavellian charade, with top level complicity.

  • Comment number 40.

    '39. At 14:11 7th Jun 2011, barriesingleton
    TO MY CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, THE ´óÏó´«Ã½ REPORTS [enter news item here] SELECTIVELY


    Larks, as I check my watch awaiting the trail, it seems they might be going beyond 'selective' to none at all tonight.

    Maybe after Mr. Balls, the first few score on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPhone speed dial were less keen to actually be interviewed if things were going to be less unique for a while?

  • Comment number 41.

    a lot of people on here have it in for Ed Balls which tells me....he is probably a thousand per cent right!!!

  • Comment number 42.

    'a lot of people on here have it in for Ed Balls which tells me....he is probably a thousand per cent right!!!'

    Just a track record, consistency, competence and coherence thing. I don't have to like those who would seek, or claim to lead, but the other stuff matters.

    As the reaction by some to the AV voting suggested, the above seems a popular view in some other minority (numbers, if not reach and hence influence) quarters, too.

    Which makes the moves to circumvent mechanisms that operate around reflecting the majority accurately a bit of a worry.

    Not so serious with such as the X Factor... probably.. but otherwise...

  • Comment number 43.

    '38. At 13:56 7th Jun 2011, kevseywevsey wrote:
    My post which said the words 'Daily Mail' and a link from it was too much for the beeb to handle.'


    Pop the word 'readers' at the end of that on a blog post that says nothing other than people who have other views to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and it supporters should not be allowed to comment, and you're golden.

    Not a publication I tend to frequent. But The Telegraph, on the other hand...



    Leading to...



    One is sure that, versus the ´óÏó´«Ã½, he is but a small voice in the wilderness.

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