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The Glass Box for Monday

Comments

1. At 05:21 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   P’lice and Than-Q

   ?

2. At 05:32 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Tony wrote:

   Police Pay - what a master class in not answering the question

   Asked about the ballot on to ask if perhaps police would ask for the law to be changed on strike action
   it was interperted as 'oh no they can't vote to strike'
   - NOT the question

   then ' give them what they want ' and we get some waffle about 'well they had asked for 3.9 (ish) % - again NOT the question - but hey, why answer anything ?

   You need listen any further why politicians are not trusted - a straight answer to a strainght question - fat chance !

   Mught have been nice to ask him about the 10k he just got for his website and I don't think that MP's will go for 1.9% - hippocrites the lot of 'em !

3. At 05:32 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Anthony wrote:

   I appreciate you covering the Conrad Black sentencing so promptly, but without context the 6.5-8 year figures are utterly meaningless.

   Is this the range within which the judge *will* sentence?

   Or is this the range that the judge will discount or add to using aggravating or mitigating factors?

   The arguments are still going on in court - wouldn't it be more accurate to say he is being sentenced rather than 'he has been sentenced'?

4. At 05:44 PM on 10 Dec 2007, wrote:

   
   New Study: Iraq War Increased Terrorism 607%
   Another good reason to invade Iran.

   U. S. NEWS
   Bush Pledges Long-Term Military, Political Commitment to Iraq
   Under powers granted him by Right of Kings article in U.S. Constitution.
   Rice To Appoint Wolfowitz to Advisory Panel
   Ousted World Bank president will serve on Next War Location Planning Board.
   CIA Destroyed Interrogation Videos
   In dispute over residuals.

   Salaaaaami
   ed

5. At 05:50 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

   Anthony @1, good point: he has been found guilty, but the sentencing is still going on and seems a bit nebulous.

   On a different and grossly over-aired topic, what on earth has the ring Dodi Fayed did or did not buy for Diana Spencer have to do with the pair of them failing to do up their seat-belts and dying in a car-crash as a result? Their status as bedmates has absolutely nothing whatever to do with their deaths, except insofar as her being in Paris to be with the man and being in a car belonging to his father is concerned.

   Can we have a verdict of unlawful killing by negligence brought against the man who hired the driver of that car and paid his wages? That would give some meaning to the proceedings...

6. At 06:06 PM on 10 Dec 2007, wrote:

   
   
   Jenna Bush Calls Her Dad From TV Show
   Tells him Iran ceased its nuke program in 2003.
   
   Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
   Namaste -ed

   Good news. Ten weeks from Friday will be a pretty good day.
   

7. At 07:24 PM on 10 Dec 2007, wrote:

   Chris (5) I have the same reaction to you regarding the inquest. For all the conspiracy theories that exist around this, none of them have managed to answer three main questions:

   1: How could anyone force the occupants of the car to not fasten their seatbelts?
   2: How could anyone force the driver to take the route that e took?
   3: How do you explain that it was, in fact, Dodi Fayed's decision (and indeed plan) to try to fool the paparazzi with the elaborate plan for that night?

   It's sad that the three people died in the car crash that night. That said, it was an accident, plain and simple. Fortunately, PM tends to avoid too much reporting on this, after the initial rush. I hope that when the inquest closes, a line can be drawn under the whole affair. Unfortunately, I think Mohammed Fayed is never going to accept the fact that his son's poor choices, along with the negligence of one of his employees led to the whole sorry sequence of events that night.

8. At 10:00 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Stewart M wrote:

   Did I hear the police minister correctly. When asked why the arbitration award was not going to be honoured in full he basically said that the government would just ignore the findings of the arbitration board. So they the police are legally bound not to strike and the government decides how much to pay you. He certainly was squirming and I doubt gained any converts to the Government position.

9. At 10:06 PM on 10 Dec 2007, DB wrote:

   On this evening's PM Eddie Mair asked Tony McNulty the following question about police pay: "40 million to pay all the police what they want - what does it cost to fight the war in Iraq?"

   There are thousands of things upon which our government wastes millions of pounds, but Iraq is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ journalist's reflexive standby.

   Grow up Eddie.

10. At 10:13 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Stewart M wrote:

    Did I hear the police minister correctly. When asked why the arbitration award was not going to be honoured in full he basically said that the government would just ignore the findings of the arbitration board. So they the police are legally bound not to strike and the government decides how much to pay you. He certainly was squirming and I doubt gained any converts to the Government position.

11. At 10:51 PM on 10 Dec 2007, Chris Ghoti wrote:

    Stewart M @8&9, I particularly admired the way that the first question, to the effect 'are you proud to be part of a government that has done this?' never got a reply, even when he was asked to reply to the question. That's high-class avoidance, that is. Give the man a CDM.

12. At 07:41 AM on 11 Dec 2007, Peter Rippon - PM Editor wrote:

    Hello,

    On Conrad Black. the sentencing came very late. We got this from Reuters at 1657.

    FORMER MEDIA MOGUL CONRAD BLACK GIVEN PRISON SENTENCE OF 78 TO 97 MONTHS
    REUTERS

    It was the possible range of the sentence. We were expecting a sentence so Nils was ready to do something but given his office is a good five minutes walk from the studio is was very tight. It was also interesting to see how poor our Maths was under pressure as we tried to convert it into years.

13. At 08:16 AM on 11 Dec 2007, Charlie wrote:

    PR@12

    "It was also interesting to see how poor our Maths was under pressure..."

    But perhaps Peter, not a surprise given Rupert's comments on iPM on 07 Nov..?

    "I read this week that journalists are not very good with figures. "The great majority come from an arts or social studies background" Guilty, I failed my maths O-Level..."

14. At 09:33 AM on 11 Dec 2007, Fiona wrote:

    Chris G and F Fred, re Diana inquest - I could not agree with you more!! To say I am exasperated hearing about it is a mild understatement. It was a tragic accident and nothing that can be said now will bring them back - why can't we just the let the pair of them rest in peace? Incidentally, who is paying for this long drawn out inquest???

    By the way, where can I buy that man's cheese? The minute I walked in the door I went straight for the fridge and broke off a big chunk of my boring old pastuerized cheddar - he had tickled my taste buds that much! (but then it is my weakness - more so than chocolate!)

    As an old "rock chick" - any chance of a follow up on the Led Zeppelin gig tonight to hear how it was (slightly self indulgent I know!)

15. At 10:32 AM on 11 Dec 2007, Steven curran wrote:

    So the police are upset about not getting there full pay award, well im for one am not and think they are over- paid for what they do.
    I often hear it,s a dangerous job- they do a good job -well you know the risk if you can,t do what the job involves don,t do it.
    My mate is a steward at a football ground he gets £22 for four hours work. A police man told him he gets £15 pounds hour when he covers a match -six hours + overtime! we need to look at what police do a security guard at my place of work gets £5.50 to look after the site all most people want from police is patrol. we need a diffrent police force, those highly trained to deal with crime and get paid for it ,them to patrol streets as a reasuring present. But as a society the more police we need the more we fail we should not need the amount of police we now feel we need.

16. At 11:18 AM on 11 Dec 2007, wrote:

    Despite being a Northern Rock shareholder, even I can see the appalling injustice of throwing £30 billion at that problem, whilst thoroughly demotivating the entire Police Force by denying them their meagre pay increase in full. The nett cost of which would be a small fraction of that figure. Who is actually making these ludicrous decisions in our (the electorate) name? They've already de-motivated the Army with similarly cheese-paring tactics over life saving equipment, housing standards, etc. A re-evaluation of priorities would seem appropriate if we are serious about fighting crime and terrorism. I could go on...........

17. At 01:35 PM on 11 Dec 2007, wrote:

    Despite being a Northern Rock shareholder, even I can see the madness of throwing £30 billion at that problem, whilst simultaneously demotivating the entire Police Force by denying them their meagre pay increase in full. The nett cost of which would be a small fraction of that figure. Is there actually any joined up thinking going on with this Govt - or is it as it seems, a series of unrelated knee jerk decisions made by separate departments devoid of any strategy? If so, Lord help us!! They've already de-motivated the Army with similarly cheese-paring tactics over life saving equipment, housing standards, etc. A re-evaluation of priorities would seem appropriate if we are serious about fighting crime and terrorism. I could go on...........