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Monday 19 September 2011

Sarah McDermott | 14:47 UK time, Monday, 19 September 2011

Tonight's Newsnight comes live from Birmingham where the Liberal Democrats' 2011 conference is in full swing.

Iain Watson will be reporting from the marginal seat of Birmingham Yardley where he's asking if the Lib Dems are facing electoral meltdown, David Grossman will be auditing exactly what the party has achieved in government so far, and Jeremy will be speaking to the Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Join us at 22:30 on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two for all that and more.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    I suspect that I am not alone but I for one am sick to the back teeth of fat cat ´óÏó´«Ã½ news, politics and current affairs presenters bleating about the 50p top rate of income tax. Despite the fact that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ wont publish the actual figures it must prove that they are all on over 150k a year, and not one of them is worth it if they appear to be operating on a personal agenda and against the national interest. Of course they could theoretically dodge the new tax rate if they put more money into the black hole their Climate Scam based ´óÏó´«Ã½ pension is bound to become when the truth comes out about CO2 and climate change.

  • Comment number 2.

    given private eye reported a week or so ago that due to endemic corruption in India many indian business are hardly investing in India and are mainly investing where corruption is mild or can be controlled.

    So rather than the govt paying for people to open factories in the uk they should be charging a premium?

  • Comment number 3.

    Carrying on from Jeremy's interview with Dawkins last week, Sir David Attenborough also supports creationism being banned from the classroom.

  • Comment number 4.

    And soon we will have to sort our rubbish out into 9 separate bins!

  • Comment number 5.

    Jaunty #2

    The corruption must be pretty bad in India if LRJ are prepared to invest in the UK and put up with the obvious corruption of our 2008 Climate Change Act which must significantly add to their future energy intensive engine production. However, its probably no skin of LRJ's nose as they tend to produce products specifically aimed at the mega wealthy who will probably still be able to afford the premium ?

    ( That is unless LRJ know full well that the 2008 Climate Change Act will be confined to the dustbin of history in a couple of years when the mass job losses start as the result of it )

  • Comment number 6.

  • Comment number 7.

    why did the NN team let Michael Crick go to C4News, they are not worthy of him only a quality news programme like Newsnight can appreciate Crick's aggressive style.....a waste...

  • Comment number 8.

    Spot the latent dyslexia ! #5

    The corruption must be pretty bad in India if LRJ are prepared to invest in the UK and put up with the obvious corruption of our 2008 Climate Change Act which must significantly add to the cost of to their future energy intensive engine production. However, its probably no skin of LRJ's nose as they tend to produce products specifically aimed at the mega wealthy who will probably still be able to afford the premium ?

    ( That is unless LRJ know full well that the 2008 Climate Change Act will be consigned to the dustbin of history in a couple of years when the mass job losses start as the result of it )

  • Comment number 9.

    Please get Jeremy to ask Vince Cable why unpopular and flawed NHS reforms must be rushed through ASAP, whereas much needed but watered down banking reforms are being kicked into touch until 2018.

    Also ask him what it is like being subordinate to George Osborne - a man who has never called any economic issue correctly and who clearly suffers from the Dunning–Kruger effect!

  • Comment number 10.

    The ghost of Gordon Brown, and will it come back to haunt Ed Miliband ?

    Its got me thinking, but the UK economy has already reached a stage where no sustainable business can afford to increase their outgoings whilst they key factor being to remain competitive. If fully enacted as planned, the 2008 Climate change Act must threaten the future of many currently viable SME businesses as it is impossible for them to pass on any further extra cost due to legislation. Similarly many small companies currently paying good wages ( even the labourers on 8 quid an hour ) are faced with the cost of actually having to cut wages to make up for the 12% they will have to pay on NEST. Of course any sensible worker would opt out, but the ordinary guys on the street have absolutely no idea what's going on with NEST, like with the green energy taxes and welfare reform.

  • Comment number 11.

    Also please ask Dr Cable whether he agrees with Mervyn King that there is a case for abolishing fractional reserve banking:

    /blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2010/10/post_1.html

    Does he think that Mr Osborne is aware that there is no difference between money and credit, but that the amount of debt is bound to exceed the amount of money in circulation?

  • Comment number 12.

    I am led to believe that Vince Cable is proposing further " quantitative easing " later in the year, a further increment in the Welfare State for the Stock Market Parasites, which in turn is likely to lead to further inflation in the price of essentials. I read somewhere that the last two times it made little difference to our real sustainable economy any theoretical GDB growth was practically wiped out with inflation. If we are not very careful our real sustainable economy could easily implode under the strain caused by the current ongoing " Corporate Nazi " virtual welfare state for the Banks and their stock market parasites, near zero interest rates etc..

  • Comment number 13.

    Perhaps it is becoming increasingly apparent that despite Vince Cable's theoretical past economic credentials he has sold out to the Corporate Nazi ideology big time now. Nice try with the energy policy objections, but it would appear that resigning on a pont of principle is totally out of the question, its all about the " power " he has already grabbed with both hands. I suppose that principle applies to all the Lib-Dem party, in fact they would appear quite satisfied that they have ideological control on Climate Change, and can inflict eco-fascism on the UK population almost at will.

  • Comment number 14.

    Apparently Michael Crick left NN because he was ‘very unhappy’ about new ‘ill-defined’ role

  • Comment number 15.

    Liberalism is a mental disorder and should be treated as such:

    Er yeah, do we really need to bother ourselves with the Libs conference...I mean, is there anybody out there -other than the mentally ill and the green movement -really interested in what a bunch of Liberals in a room have to say. Are we gonna have this all week?


    Where did the Cleggster learn his stage craft?...he had me in fits of puzzlement with his performance..especially the Q & A stuff. The North Korean crack finally got an airing...he's been storing that one up for weeks no doubt. Don't give up your day job Nick...we're laughing at you..not with you..except the Libs in the audience, they'll be still laughing whilst being taken away with the help of those nice people in white coats. ..."yes they'll be windmills and bunny rabbits at the funny farm...now get in the van and shut up."

    Someone above laments the departure of Michael Crick and wondered why he left the Beeb to go and work at C4. I reckon the Beeb was not left-wing enough for Crick..the hard faced Liberal leftists hacks at C4 is more to Cricks liking.

  • Comment number 16.

    @ Kevsey #15 - If the Lib Dem conference isn't covered, they would start screaming "bias," so they have to cover it! Highly amusing Jeremy tonight lambasting the chosen 80 at the conference :o) I see the conference as more of a comedy than a reality....

  • Comment number 17.

    "IN GOVERNMENT ON YOUR SIDE"

    Is it me?

  • Comment number 18.

    never watched newsnight til tonight!!! never been interested, but i wondered so sought it out!!! so now i wonder why????

  • Comment number 19.

    Mistress: If this lib conference is gonna be covered on Newsnight all week, I may as well get the Scalextric out of the loft. I can get a few laps in between 10:30pm and 11:20pm...the practice will do me good.

  • Comment number 20.

    THE DISHONOURING OF HONOUR GOES UNCHALLENGED

    Do we all remember fake wrestling on TV?

    Tonight, in the yellow corner, we had Prancing Paxo, and in the red (faced) corner, Cable the Fable. Cable spelled out the ultimate canard that Dave's signature, on his pledge WAS A MISTAKE, from which 'they had learned'. What they learned was that they had better renege on the signature, if they wanted to pretend they are "IN GOVERNMENT" (by keeping ON SIDE with Dave). See #17

    Such a pathetic cop-out is DISHONOURABLE. No honourable man goes back on a signature, word given, or a hand-shake. THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL ESSENCE OF HONOUR. Why did Paxman not point this out to Cable? He likes to learn.

    It is time Paxman, et al, took to reminding MPs that they blithely cloak themselves in de facto, un-earned, bogus 'honour', simply by being 'ROSETTED' to Westminster, AND SHOULD BE AT PAINS TO, RETROSPECTIVELY, PAY FOR THAT EFFRONTERY.

    DISMANTLE WESTMINSTER - SPOILPARTYGAMES - INSTALL HONOUR

  • Comment number 21.

    @20 What Cable's sophistry amounts to Barrie, is an end to election pledges. The only message they can give now is "Vote for us and we will do what the **** we like!" "Trust me, I'm a politician!"

    The Lib-Dem conference will make plenty of noise this week, promising "action". Little if anything will happen. Lib-Dem MPs were elected under false pretences and should resign.

  • Comment number 22.

    THE IMPORTANCE OF WATCHING NEWSNIGHT (#18)

    Newsnight is a 'flagship' news and comment programme of Britain's 'flagship' broadcaster. Watching Newsnight reminds us just how low we have sunk as a nation - it is a gravitas-free zone, where 'art' triumphs over content, daily, and political bias buries any really significant contention.

    This is why I have taken to adding MY embellishment to the programme name, yielding: 'NEWSYNIGHTY'.

    Keep watching 66, and keep asking yourself: "Y DID WE LET THIS HAPPEN?" - "Y ARE WE LETTING IT CONTINUE?"

    REMOVE THE Ys FROM NEWSYNIGHTY - INSTALL GRAVITAS

  • Comment number 23.

    '1. At 19:22 19th Sep 2011, brossen99 wrote:
    I suspect that I am not alone but I for one am sick to the back teeth of fat cat ´óÏó´«Ã½ news, politics and current affairs presenters bleating...


    Being resolved. Usually with a 404 error. Or an 'early closing'. Once anyone wakes up to read anything that might need 'dealing with'. Finger on the pulse and all.

    Soon be all repeats from the 70's, so no worries on the quality score. And possibly no need to raise the fee any further as a consequence.

    'if the Lib Dems are facing electoral meltdown'

    Who cares what the public may get to think when they are told how to?

    Especially when 'they are all doing awfully well'.



    I guess some feel we do need more 'guiding around'.

    Just saw Mr. Clegg is trying to further bury the plot long lost by Mr. Huhne. I don't want or need yet another 'label' to tell me I have 'choices' on energy supplier.

    But maybe the 'eco' % skimmed off, and what it actually goes to and what difference that makes, may help more when I come to vote?

    And, er, Mr. Cameron & Mr. Miliband, that includes those who have too much 'relative interest' or pushed it all through earlier, too.

    Meltdownwise, wendyv66, your arrival will do much to compensate for less encouraging moves in the other direction.

    But, as The Editors keep assuring me, it is all easier, cheaper, faster and better.

    I am, of course, convinced. It's what makes Britain Great these days.

    Conviction. Ask this chap:



    Of course, events dear boys and girls, events may show the long and short of it to be 'uniquely' different.

  • Comment number 24.

    Sasha Clarkson @ 11

    Those of us who are not bankers are usually stunned when we discover the Fractional Reserve Banking (FRB) system - and not stunned in a good way, either.

    Another method from the (Central) Bankers toolkit is the so-called Quantitative Easing (QE).

    Seems to this blogger that FRB and QE are really two sides of the same coin - that is, creating money out of thin air - both variants of a Ponzi scheme.

    Is it any wonder that some wealthier people are shifting assets away from 'money'.

    Money is becoming untrustworthy.

  • Comment number 25.

  • Comment number 26.

    brossen99 @ 25

    Anybody reading the link carefully will note the words 'in England' because, yes, yet again, this is something that (adversely) affects England only as Fire Services are devolved in Scotland and Wales.

    Again, we English are punished for not being interested in politics and thereby allowing a bunch of profligate 'British' politicians at Westminster to, in this case, squander nearly half-a-billion pounds.

    Somebody in England urgently needs to put out the bonfire of taxpayers money at Westminster.

  • Comment number 27.

    26. At 11:48 20th Sep 2011, JohnConstable wrote:
    Anybody reading the link carefully will note the words..


    A few other words not as headline worthy as might be though helpful.

    'Fire Minister Bob Neill said Labour must be held accountable for the "comprehensive failure".

    From broadcast efforts thus far, when the 'matter' is mentioned, I had not appreciated 'the government' being referred to was not the current one.

  • Comment number 28.

    JunkkMale @27

    In the context of politics, especially when you are no longer in power, being 'held accountable' is an utterly meaningless phrase.

    Very similar to another one that is often trotted out of the politicians toolkit 'lessons must be learnt'.

    I invite bloggers to publish their favourites.

  • Comment number 29.

    Are we in a double-dipper or not?

    I turned to a very reliable source for the answer - my local crimper.

    He told me yesterday that in our locality, which comprises of two small suburbs of a relatively prosperous town in England, six years ago, there were 240 people claiming job-seekers allowance.

    How many do you think that number is now? he challenged me.

    Umm, 800 I suggested, factoring in that quite a bit of so-called 'social housing' has been errected in the intervening period and a fair number of the tenants are probably on the rock-and-roll (dole).

    Nowhere near, said my crimper replied - its actually 3500 people.

    I think we are probably in a double-dipper, don't you?

  • Comment number 30.

    28. At 14:08 20th Sep 2011, JohnConstable -
    I invite bloggers to publish their favourites.


    Ooo, where to start (though, with LHBL, you have captured possibly the most lame).

    I'll chip in with 'This is unacceptable', always uttered by a fine fellow or female at the top, pay and perks and pension secured no matter what, referring to something they have a) accepted in the past to this point, and b) will do zip all about when the golfishian attention spans of our media-in-a-state find a new bone to worry.

  • Comment number 31.

    2. Having just heard it deployed by the head of the 'EU', '[xx] is not an option' is always a giggle, as used by those who seldom seem to have much beyond a vague desire and no clue on how actually those words get backed up.

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