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Tuesday 20 September 2011

Sarah McDermott | 12:43 UK time, Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Paul Mason is in Athens today. Tonight he will bring us the latest on the crisis in the eurozone and Greek attempts to avoid a debt default.

We will also be asking whether a default is inevitable and if so why leaders aren't setting out a plan for handling it, rather than continuing down the current path.

The Liberal Democrat conference is continuing today and we will have an interview with Energy Secretary Chris Huhne. Plus Iain Watson will be looking at what the Lib Dems think now about the role Britain should play in Europe, and in dealing with the eurozone economic crisis.

David Grossman will report on the tribes that make up the Liberal Democrat membership and look ahead to leader Nick Clegg's speech tomorrow.

And documentarian Michael Cockerell, whose latest series The Secret World of Whitehall broadcast this month, will report for us on the allegations that an aide Education Secretary Michael Gove used a personal email account to circumvent freedom of information laws.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Problem with the links again, 3 comments vanished from the original tuesday posting, is this deliberate ?

  • Comment number 2.

    An overdose of empty rhetoric in Huhne's speech, no new ideas and competition in the energy market is never going to improve unless the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's get in on the act in a big way. No chance of that because its not their particular cartel, the banks probably wont lend to small companies to buy the bulk energy up front so unfortunately the current energy cartel will continue unimpeded.

  • Comment number 3.

    '1. At 15:33 20th Sep 2011, brossen99 - Problem with the links again, 3 comments vanished from the original tuesday posting, is this deliberate ?

    And now, in a cheaper, faster, easier, better world (chipped in after the latest 'editor' invited comment on 'The Editors', and promptly referred as they have a very narrow view on such matters), it has been 'improved' still further:

    'Error 404 - Page not found'

    'First they decided on a referral and we could not post,
    Then they thought it might be because of House Rules and we could not post,
    Then they opted to close the thread so what we couldn't post was academic.
    And then they retroactively purged, and whatever had been posted was no longer there'

    Or, maybe, Xmas hols really have come early?

  • Comment number 4.

    the energy crisis especially for the old will continue until the politicians get tough with the energy companies, imagine an Attlee government going through this pallaver, they would slap a tax on them that would make their eyes water. They did the surgeons and the vested interests in the health service and neutralized them...so it can be done but Huhne doesn't have the bottle nor do any of the others.....

  • Comment number 5.

    '4. At 15:51 20th Sep 2011, stevie - they would slap a tax on them that would make their eyes water.

    Is that not what is rather happening now?

    And, as with any tax, how it gets passed on is the eye-watering part. From my first tank of petrol as a lad, I was not unaware that whatever the oil companies got up to, the real dirty deals were being added on after cost of manufacture, delivery and profit, and not very much of those funds were anything to do with the roads and a lot to do with shoring up 'other projects'.

    Yet there still seems to be a rather odd fudge between the pols and media on clearly articulating what part of my energy bill is going to the product, and what elsewhere, with what intention and/or actual level of effect.

  • Comment number 6.

    Mr. Huhne, and his 'policies', seem somewhat of a joke. And not a good one. At least outside a very odd bubble.

  • Comment number 7.

    Should be a corker by Jeremy with Huhne tonight :)

  • Comment number 8.

    Forgot to add, Jeremy will be guest presenting on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service at 13:00GMT on 26 September on Newshour :o)

  • Comment number 9.

  • Comment number 10.

    Lib Dems have a superb opportunity to become UK/England's 2nd main political party - but they seem to be talking mostly to themselves & not the wider electorate.

    Perhaps its because only really like other posh socialist liberal democrats like themselves - you know the one's that read the Guardian/I and not the Daily Mirror.

    In which case, perhaps they should be pleased to hang on to their 11% share of the electorate - unless they really do think that the next general election - next year? with the UK economy heading for the rocks - will put them into bed with Labour?

    But I do have plan to frustrate this - if Alex Salmond will allow English democrats to register for voting in Scotland & vote for Scottish Independence & give up their votes in England - this would ensure Scottish Independence goes ahead as pushing the Lib Dems out of the picture as surprise, surprise - coalition govt has delivered a weak govt at Westminster, on many, many issues.

  • Comment number 11.

    Is this going to be the usual 10 seconds to cover the global economic crisis and then 40 minutes of very dull talking heads Liberal politicians in grey suits talking about stuff that only Newsnight is interested in?

    Go on, be different - focus on the global economic story. It IS the main story.

  • Comment number 12.

  • Comment number 13.

    12.At 19:58 20th Sep 2011, brossen99

    On some of these old newsreeel shots of the astronauts on the moon with US flag flying in the wind?

    I wonder if that is a solar wind or the draft from cooling fans in a warehouse (Area 51?) in a secure area of a remote US airbase somewhere in the wilds of e.g. Utah/ Nevada?

  • Comment number 14.

    13. At 20:30 20th Sep 2011, nautonier

    Here is the proof:


    (Declaration of interest: I was involved in the post production of this clip!)

  • Comment number 15.

    14.At 20:51 20th Sep 2011, Kit Green

    Wow - what an amazing clip it is too

    I just don't know what to believe on this - its all 'green cheese'

  • Comment number 16.

    I've gone missing, whats going on. Is it censorship of a new level or just a blip?

    I 'll try again (if I can remember what I posted earlier)

    ...something about "Chris Huhne"...blah blah (from the newsnight team thats now gone missing)

    would that be this Chris Huhne:



    Chris Huhne..a political hack of hacks. I can't believe that some are still trying to peddle the "man mad global warming" nonsense -AKA climate change...and trying to raise cash via higher utility bills and higher taxes to build yet even more windmills...the nerve of some people! Isn't Al Gore of the Algorleone racket syndicate still pushing that nonsense as well?...yeah I think he is.

  • Comment number 17.

    #14 & 15 nautonier and Kit Green

    Then how do you explain these pics taken by the robotic LRO...

    Probe pictures Moon landing sites
    /news/science-environment-14813043

  • Comment number 18.

    Muse #17

    Its dead easy to photoshop stuff, especially now in the digital age !

  • Comment number 19.

    17.At 22:05 20th Sep 2011, museV wrote:
    #14 & 15 nautonier and Kit Green

    Then how do you explain these pics taken by the robotic LRO...
    >

    I've no idea - I just know that I have never seen a satisfactory explanation of why US flags apparently filmed on the moon appear to flap around as if affected by a 'breeze'

  • Comment number 20.

    Jeremy at his finest with Chris Huhne - oh how he squirmed with his views on Britain joining the Euro as he had advocated in the past.....and then Huhne's reference to the "Tea Party" :p

  • Comment number 21.

    Wow really enjoyed tonight's Newsnight. Found it to be getting very tired and tedious over the last few months. Of course there were the obligatory suits, but some interesting reports and interviewing. Especially Paxman with Chris 'avoid the question' Huhne on Europe.

    See that Elliot Morley has been released after serving quarter of his 16-month sentence. Another early release for a crooked MP. Good to know the law is equally applied. I wonder if all criminals jailed for having their fingers in the till will also only serve quarter of their sentences. What makes me think they won't.

  • Comment number 22.

    If you ever need a bottle of sactimony, get yourself near Chris Huhne..you'll get bucket loads. I bet Paxmans glad the Lib conference is nearly at an end..proper head battering stuff this has been so far. with a room full of Libs to deal with and having to question Chris Huhne tonight - both in two consecutive days - must've been a real test of patience for Paxman. No wonder Paxman goes fishing..well its either that or deep meditation.

    Whats with the disparaging Tea Party comment from Hooonster the Lib hack. If you don't have tea party (conservative/republos)...you'll end up like San Francisco...a once lovely place until the Libs moved in and ruined it.

  • Comment number 23.

    #14 & 15 nautonier and Kit Green

    There are some answers here about the flapping flag



    In the end you believe what you want to believe. Amazing how many people put their faith in a Youtube video as 'proof'. Perhaps there's one of God. Be interested to see what he/she/it looks like. On the other hand.

  • Comment number 24.

    Privatisation has been really bad for ordinary people - cost of trains, electricity, water, gas and privatised public services has risen hugely more than the publically owned utilities in Scotland & NI.

    Electricity would be a third cheaper if the private generators had stayed with coal and gone for clean technology and used British coal instead of imported fuels & wasted N. Sea natural gas reserves to generate electricity.

    We had 400 years of coal reserves - now unminable due to the asset stripping of British Coal. We could do what the Norwegians have done - capture, compress and sequestrate the CO2 into depleted N. Sea wells. We'd also have 100k more jobs and a much healthier balance of payments.

    Privatised utilities are greedy, shortsighted and play the system whilst exploiting consumers mercilessly. Huhne is p*ssing in the wind if he thinks he can change anything - it's too late - break them up inmto much smaller companies is the only chance to change things.

  • Comment number 25.

    #24 Agreed Mr Bunning.

    Thought this cartoon very appropriate

  • Comment number 26.

    SURPRISE NEWS: THE BANKS ARE STILL CHEATING US - AGE OF PERVERSITY (#25)

    What a 'desperately' funny cartoon Liz! (Weep England?)

    I might have said before (!): "While unregulated Westminster ignores us; while unregulated political parties lie to us; while dishonourable MPs, treat us with undisguised contempt, IT FOLLOWS that the country, its various functionings, and its individuals, are all sliding into mutual abuse." And the young learn by example.

    As Destiny Dave once said (WITHOUT A SHRED OF SINCERITY OR INTEGRITY) "We can't go on like this". But to call a halt to Degradation Dave's destruction, GOOD MEN MUST CEASE DOING NOTHING.

    If we start now, the next election COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT.

    SPOILPARTYGAMES - DISMANTLE WESTMINSTER - SHOW THE YOUNG WHAT GOOD MEN DO!

  • Comment number 27.

    '16. At 22:01 20th Sep 2011, kevseywevsey wrote:
    I've gone missing, whats going on. Is it censorship of a new level or just a blip?


    Wouldn't dare offer an opinion, lest that becomes a blip, and yours gets added (have a nice collection of 'we can take out others too, you know' taunts from the 'guys upstairs'.

    Whatever it is, it's faster, cheaper, easier and better. I'm told.

    Weep Pastor N., Weep.

    They've learned from history. Just... the wrong bits.

  • Comment number 28.

    Just watched the Paxman/Huhne exchange.

    We are totally ****ered, aren't we?

    Can't say I am a fan of Jeremy's style, but despite it we had laid bare what is invited into cabinet, allowed to operate within it, and protected no matter what despite all evidence of our own eyes and ears.

    It's like Brown all over again, though I would grant him some sense of humanity deep down.

    I don't recognise any hope for this country if this is deemed the calibre of mind, and level of integrity suitable to run anything, much less a country.

    This person was a Turing machine without the charm, programmed only for self-preservation by appealing to a very small, and shrinking powerbase.

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