LAST PRAYERS FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS

How sad that Independent Councillor and Mayor of Dartmouth Debbie Morris thinks that councillors who do not share her own Anglicism should be excluded from parts of Council meetings. In the 21st century I would have hoped that the saying of prayers would be a thing of the past. The story of Atheist Brian Boughton being discriminated against is surely wrong. he quite rightly argues for a period of silence so that Jew, methodist and Agnostic can ponder their own civic responsibilities in their own way. Suppose a Council with a majority of Atheists had insisted upon a Humanist ceremony before the meeting? What if Tower Hamlets where I am pretty sure the majority of councillors are Muslim had insisted on having an imam in before each council meeting? Would Debbie say it was right for Catholics to be told they should stand outside a Council Meeting as second class councillors before the proceedings began?

We can imagine the Daily Mail and the Telegraph fulminating and formenting at the very thought. In my experience quite rightly the majority of London Councils no longer have prayers.

In the European Parliament we are secular and do not have religious ervices, quite rightly. Can you imagine the bureaucarcy trying to calculate and appropriately apportion slots between Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Atheists etc. It would make the Lisbon Treaty seem simple.

Sadly Parliament sets a poor example, still saying Anglican prayers. The sooner we have the disestablishment of the Church of England and a secular political life throughout the country the better.

ZIMBABWE

Yet another plus for human dynamo, President Obama. Tackling Zimbabwe really should have been higher on the West's political agenda. Thankfully the new President of the United States understands that something needs to be done and has wasted no time in taking up the cudgels.

I am constantly amazed that the people of Zimbabwe are managing to survive. How does a country manage to exist when an economy has collapsed? How do people cope with the outbreaks of virulent disease suffered by Zimbabweans? Zimbabwe is not just another failed state. It is a disaster of truly massive proportions.

This disaster has been caused by one man. Robert Mugabe has allowed his own megalomania to destroy his country and reduce his people to inhumane levels of suffering, the like of which we can hardly imagine.

This article from yesterday's "Times" provides a harrowing report of just one small part of what is going on.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5600621.ece

According a report in today's "Times" from Tim Reid in Washington and Jonathan Clayton in Johannesburg, President Obama wants a fresh approach to toppling Robert Mugabe and is discussing with aides an unprecedented, US-led diplomatic push to get tough new UN sanctions imposed against the Zimbabwe regime.

The idea is to take the issue of Zimbabwe before the UN Security Council, having prepared the ground with Russia and China to persuade them to support the initiative. Neither country has supported previous moves against Zimbabwe, and both have significant financial interests in the country. The goal of taking Zimbabwe to the Security Council will be to pass strong sanctions, including a ban on arms sales.

In addition, the US and Britain are apparently anxious that Mr Tsvangirai does not sign up to a power-sharing deal. Failure to reach an accord would help clear the way to take the issue back to the UN.

All of this sounds very good. I for one have no faith in another attempt at any kind of deal with Mugabe. Tsvangirai has already tried that one and Mugabe would have none of it.

I wish Obama and his allies all success in their attempts to restore civilisation to Zimbabwe and end the appalling suffering across the whole of that unfortunate country, a country in thrall to one of the worst dictators we have seen for a long time.

DOES ANYONE EVER GET AN ANSWER TO A PRIORITY WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION?

You may have seen the blog which I have copied at the end of this post which went up on 5 December.

You will see that I put down a priority Written Question to the European Commission. This was, in fact, sent to the Commission on 3 December 2008. To date I have not heard anything back from either the relevant Commissioner or any Commission official.

I have therefore sent the following letter to Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, the Cyprus Commissioner with responsibility for public health, feed and food safety and animal health and welfare (and incidentally a woman).

Dear Mrs Vassiliou,
WRITTEN QUESTION - ANSWER P-6662/08
You will recall that I submitted a priority Written Question to the Commission on 3 December 2008 about the website
http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/home_en.html.

I have not yet received a reply.

As you know from reading my Question, I am extremely concerned that a website developed and funded by the European Commission to teach children about farming in Europe uses an inappropriate image of a young female. The image in question shows an unhealthily thin and provocatively dressed girl who is used to guide visitors through the site.

Such an image is both an horrific gender stereotype and an unhealthy example to the very children for whom the site is intended. You will be aware that the European Parliament recently passed a report seeking to end the use of obvious gender stereotyping. Given this, I find the Commission's seeming disregard for the views of the Parliament both worrying and insulting.

I have to say, the neglect of my Question has only added injury to the aforementioned insult.
I trust you will reply as a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely,
Mary Honeyball MEP


Earlier blog posted on 5 December 2008

COMMISSION WEBSITES
This new website, developed and funded by the European Commission, came to my attention this week:http://www.farmland-thegame.eu/home_en.htmlThe site aims to teach children about farming in the Europe. Sadly it completely ruins any good work it does by using an image of an unhealthily thin and provocatively dressed young girl to guide users through the site.I find it both shocking and depressing that the Commission’s Department for Health and Consumer Protection finds it acceptable to promote their work by using this image. Not only is it a horrific gender stereotype but it is also an extremely unhealthy image to promote to children. In the recent gender stereotyping report passed by Parliament, my colleagues and I noted that children are particularly impressionable audiences and that promoting unhealthy and unrealistic body images can negatively affect young viewers’ self-perception.The DG Health evidently was not listening.I have written a priority question to the Commission asking them what they were thinking of when they made this site and how much it cost to develop. I am also currently rallying support in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee to take further action.

IGNOBLE LORDS

Woe indeed is the Labour Party when our members of the Upper House sell their integrity for money. If the allegations against Lords Taylor, Truscott, Moonie and Snape turn out to be true, they will all have breached House of Lords rules. But it goes further than that. In an interview on the Andrew Marr show yesterday morning, Tory returnee Kenneth Clarke, Cameron’s newly appointed Shadow on the BERR portfolio, called the allegations against the four tantamount to corruption. I agree with this. Peers, MPs and MEPs are not to be bought.

There is little appreciation in the UK about the extent of lobbying which takes place in the European Parliament. The EU system resembles the set up in the United States and other European countries, including France, in that the European Parliament is the legislative body, scrutinising and amending legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission. Given that there needs to be agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers (Member State Governments) before the proposals pass into legislation, MEPs have considerable power. Those affected by European legislation, particularly the big business interests, are only too aware of this. Hence the lobbying. I have been contacted by all kinds of organisations from the Ford Motor Company to the Women’s Institute regarding every piece of legislation on which I have worked.

When I do meet lobbyists I do so in my offices in Brussels and Strasbourg. Very occasionally I accept a free lunch or dinner, though usually for rather matters such as the one I recently blogged on when I heard a speech by Mr Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. Sadly not all my colleagues, especially some Tories and UKIP MEPs, do not take the same view.

Every MEP has had the same experience. We therefore know what we are talking about. I am absolutely clear that it is totally wrong to accept payment from lobbyists. It is even worse to ask for money for facilitating the submitting of amendments. Elected representatives and legislators in the House of Lords are not, and never should be, up for sale.Baroness Jan Royall has handled this sad and sorry matter quickly and decisively. It is to be looked at by the Sub-Committee on the Committee on Privileges, whose verdict I hope will be known sooner rather than later.

PROGRESSIVE LONDON CONFERENCE

I have to say the idea of a conference with Ken Livingstone monopolising the front of the programme sponsored by the GMB, UNITE and ASLEF filled me with some dread. What could possibly be progressive about that was my initial reaction. On further investigation this was not even a Labour conference. Greens and even Liberal Democrats were there in force. This confused me even more. As a pluralist use to the European spirit of discussion and compromise, I heartily approve of cross party working. But is this what our trade union comrades see as the way forward?

In actual fact, it proved a good day, an event which included a number of imaginative workshops. I attended “Blogging London – The New Media and London Politics” chaired by Ivor Gaber, Research Professor in Media and Politics at the University of Bedfordshire, with Adam Bienkov from Tory Troll blog, Martin Hoscik, editor of MayorWatch and Tom Barry from Boriswatch.co.uk. It was a shame about the all male top table and the overwhelmingly male attendance. However, it was a good hour and a half and very good indeed to meet other bloggers. Given that I get concerned about the disembodied nature of the blogosphere, the workshop provided a welcome opportunity to meet people and discuss issues face to face.
Ivor introduced the session with the idea that the online environment had been significantly enhanced by the Obama campaign. They had collected 10 million e-mail addresses. Staggering though this achievement was, information needs to be used in the right way. Left of centre blogging appears weak on the whole (except perhaps for Liberal Conspiracy) in contrast to the more vibrant work done by the Right. Moreover, left blogs in London did not appear to have any impact on the mayoral elections.

Adam Bienkov from Tory Troll said that as newspaper readership declines more people are turning to blogs which are now read by a number of people engaged in politics, including activists, journalists, civil servants. A blog needs to be distinctive to get noticed. Local newspapers are very stretched so there is often scope to follow local authorities. Adam was convinced that the main impact of blogs was on the politicians themselves.

The editor of the MayorWatch website, Martin Hoscik, pointed out that during the Mayoral election all the candidates were keen to harness some blogs. The smaller parties, especially, found blogs useful for getting their message across. However, bloggers need to make sure their content is attractive. Left politicians should also engage more with blogs; sometimes there is a feeling that it is beneath them. MayorWatch has, in fact, been rebuffed by every Minister of London since it was set up.

Martin predicted that by the next GLA elections there will be much more audio and video content on blogs. YouTube is becoming more popular, and politicians will be increasingly do interviews to be put on the internet.

Tom Barry from Boriswatch.co.uk gave an amusing talk, concentrating on how blogs can be used for reporting. He had found out where Boris Johnson wanted to site the new London airport by plotting a dredger Boris had taken down the Thames Estuary and noting where it stopped.

It won’t surprise you to hear that these presentations were followed by a lively discussion. I am particularly grateful to LabourList who not only provided a blog from the whole conference, but gave me the following mention when I made a contribution at the blogging workshop:

Mary Honeyball MEP makes the point that Labour bloggers need to be linked up far better. She also goes on to illustrate how driving more people to blogs like her own could show up just how fringe and nutty European Tories actually are. All fair points, in our view.

APRIL COOL

I am at the Progressive London Conference and have just heard Harriet Harman announce that Barack Obama will be visiting Gordon Brown on 1st April.

Feminist in Chief or will Obama keep ladies waiting?

“I am a feminist” exclaimed the man pinned with the world’s hopes, Barack Obama, when he met two eminent experts on women’s rights last year.

One of these women, editor of America’s leading feminist magazine Ms. seems to have been convinced by this statement. The front cover of this month’s magazine has the President ripping off his inaugural day red tie and white shirt to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with “This is what a feminist looks like”.

However, as the President sits down this week to an in-tray, of economic despair and two wars, will women’s issues be in the forefront of his mind?

Let’s hope so. In his first week, which incidentally shares the 36th anniversary of US women’s abortion rights, the President has pledged to rescind the Global Gag Rule that stops UN family planning programs receiving US federal funds. This rule has been the subject of political ping-pong for the past 25 years, initially put in by Reagan, rescinded by Clinton then reinstated by Bush. A telling example of how presidential powers set the lifelong agendas of women across the world.

Obama’s next planned move, in what is fast looking like a full set of political ping-pong, is to overturn the shameful decision, by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire Rubber, with a new Fair Pay Act. This will re-empower American women workers to sue for wage discrimination. In a country where parking attendants still make more than childcare workers, and there’s only one woman on the Supreme Court, this is some much needed equality legislation.

However, as we know from over 30 years of equality legislation in the UK and a widening pay gap, legislation can only go so far. American economist, Randy Albelda, points out in a recent article “The Macho Stimulus Plan” that in order to effect any real change government rhetoric must match the statute books. And so far, for all Obama’s oratory heights, in my opinion his triplets don’t look far enough past alliteration to make any great cause for feminisation. In Obama's speech on stimulating the economy he spoke of “building roads, bridges and schools, developing eco friendly technologies”. But as these are construction based industries that are dominated by men (just 2.7 per cent of US construction workers are women) such fiscal stimulation is almost to the sole benefit of male workers. To rectify this Albelda proposes an additional stimulus plan for the female side of the economy: “caring for those who cannot care for themselves, healthcare and primary education are the very foundation of a civil society. Investing in these outcomes is as vital to our long-term economic health as airports, highways, wind turbines, and energy retrofitted buildings.” She points out that not only do these jobs disproportionately employ women, but “investments in direct care, education, and healthcare would also go a long way in alleviating poverty.”

Taking it a little closer to home let’s examine Obama the boss. How is the new president shaping up as a pro-female employer? Disappointingly, just five out of the 20 cabinet-level posts in his administration have gone to women. A number comparable to cabinets of the last previous presidents, which has earned the scorn of one journalist who claimed Obama’s feminist credentials as no more “impressive than any previous president”.

A measly one in four ratio in no way gives the voices of American women equal representation in the room where all the big decisions are being made. But it can be argued that Obama’s cabinet does not just have the responsibility of being representative in terms of gender, but also ethically, politically and in terms of people’s life experience.

According to the Fawcett Society ethnic minority women face double discrimination on the grounds of their gender and race. So Obama’s appointment of six black women as his closest aides and ambassadors pushes back barriers of discrimination beyond that of gender.

Nonetheless, rumbles of discontent amongst many women’s groups are already audible in the media. Co-founder of non-partisan women’s group New Agenda has accused the new president of taking “shocking steps backwards”.

The President’s choice of pastor Rick Warren to lead the invocation at his inauguration ceremony was also felt to be an affront by many liberal women’s groups who had previously backed Obama in his campaign. On this issue, I think people’s upset and confusion is justified. Choosing a pastor who preaches socially conservative views on abortion rights and gay marriage does not shout “I am a feminist” to me.

But President Obama got to his position and an approval rating of 80 percent, dramatically higher than either Clinton or Bush, not by making enemies but by finding common ground with people with whom he disagreed with on some issues. This is most certainly an outstanding skill to have as a diplomat and even as a politician, world leader and president. But will it will make for an outstanding feminist? We don't have time to wait and see. Feminists of all political colours across the world need to put pressure on Obama to set about making concrete feminist policies and include the needs of women in all of his globally inspiring oratories. As one thing you can be sure of, is that pretty much every other interest group is doing that, right now.

LABOUR MISSED

It was meant to challenge ConservativeHome. We hoped it would be the activists' arena. Instead LabourList is top heavy, dominated by people centred around Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Ken Livingstone. These three may make interesting bedfellows, but where is the authentic voice of the Labour Party? Where are the grassroots members who make Tory blogging so appealing?
By no means an expert, I have nevertheless been blogging for almost two years, often but not exclusively, on issues and events in the EU. As a MEP I am extremely concerned that there appear to be no European references on LabourList. Foreign policy in general fares little better. I know from my post bag that Labour Party members care passionately about foreign affairs, as my massive inbox on Gaza amply demonstrated.

I am immensely proud of the Labour Government's achievements over the last ten years in more than doubling overseas aid, writing off millions of pounds of debt and leading the world in campaigning for the millennium goals. Labour Party people are international people - it’s one of our defining characteristics. Conservative Home can’t beat us on this. The Tories stand isolated in the European Union with economic policies no other right wing party in America, France or Germany shares. Let them be Little Englanders, but let LabourList be a Labour InternationaList.

However, my biggest LabourList bugbear is its casual sexism. I expect it from ConservativeHome but not a Labour product. The Labour Party has striven to increase women’s political representation with all women shortlists and equal gender representation on closed lists. But frighteningly LabourList is taking us a step backwards by appointing just six women out of 34 as contributors on the site. Making up just 17 per cent of contributors, women are better represented in the Commons than they are on this Labour blogsite!

This gender bias is not just a loss to women in politics, but it’s a distinct loss to the quality of the site. In a recent discussion on blogs on women’s hour, media historian Professor Jean Seaton argued that political blogs run by men tend to be gossipy, aggressive and partisan, whereas those run by women are more often issue-led and constructive, with wider cross-party appeal.
On the same show, Iain Dale said that he is disappointed that women only make up 15 per cent of visitors to his site. This is not because women do not engage with blogging. Women fuel internet traffic with lively and amusing debates, for example campaigning on domestic violence on Nerys Evan’s blog and discussing women’s rights on the F-Word. The difference between these sites and Iain Dale’s, or some of the other overtly political sites, is that they open up blogging to real social problems, away from the arguments of Westminster, and into the day-to-day issues that affect people beyond the Village.

There’s an election coming. We have won the last three because we have taken record shares of women’s votes. New media should take us forward, not back. Sadly once again women must battle for their share of the political arena.

LabourList is also far too London centred. I say this as a London MEP. I truly believe London is the greatest city in the world, but LabourList needs more voices from the regions. Let’s have Bob Piper from the West Midlands or Grimmerupnorth, rather than yet another former minister or adviser from the London dinner party circuit.

LabourList should also make cleverer political judgments by, for example, remembering that the majority of Labour representatives, including myself, are in opposition rather than power. Someone like Stephen Cowan reporting from the frontline fighting the Tory Taliban in Hammersmith merits a slot. For a Trade union voice active in the Party, LabourList should perhaps include John Gray.

As a former member of the Labour Party in the South West region, I was especially pleased when Jim Knight won South Dorset. Up until university I spent my life in Tory areas. At times it was a little lonely as a socialist. One of the great things about the internet is the way it can bring people with the same views and interests together whatever the geography. So for the campaigner in a safe Tory seat, coming home and clicking on LabourList should feel like the embrace of solidarity from virtual comrades.

There is no doubt that a cohesive community has developed around Conservative Home. The feeling of working with like minded souls motivates Tory activists. Let’s reach out through the web to all Labour Party members in all parts of the country.

Labour Party activists frequently tell me how much they appreciate National Executive Committee member Ann Black’s reports on meetings. Why not sign Ann up to provide a forum where Labour Party supporters can discuss events after every meeting of the Party’s governing committee? She’s a voice from outside London too.

LabourList could also put the informative campaigning work done across the Party online. Someone like Mary Southcott in Bristol who sits on the National Policy Forum and the South West Convention, writes for Chartist and campaigns on Electoral Reform and Cyprus would be an ideal contributor. Such Party stalwarts are one of the strengths of ConservativeHome.

I know LabourList will not have much in the way of resources, let alone the Ashcroft untaxed millions, but I question whether the money is being used to the best advantage. Why only a weekday operation? Why the fixed deadline of the lunchtime list? Many Labour people will only be able to surf in the evening or at weekends. Most people can’t surf the web for long in working/childcare hours, and if they can very few will have LabourList as a priority ahead of Facebooking friends or making online purchases.

Too many of the initial LabourList bulletins contain large chunks of press reviews. If people want that they will sign up for a press summary service, a newspaper email service or get text alerts. It is not sensible to spend resources on such duplication. References to other media are fine; a Labour press list is not.

I think there is a real need for a blog space for Labour Party members and I very much want LabourList to succeed. I hope these comments will be taken in the spirit in which they are intended - to do the very best for the Party and the Government.

UKIP MEP GOES UP IN SMOKE

This diatribe comes to you courtesy of a Ms Brenda Orsler, a delegate to the conference against prohibition who apparently paid to attend out of her own resources.

As far as I can make out, it is a pro-smoking event. What is even more interesting is that has been sponsored by the appalling Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP.


Press release:
The 1st international conference against prohibition which was scheduled for the 27/28th January in the EU parliament, Brussels, was blocked on the 15th January following a letter to the EU president from the anti smoking organisation, The Smokefree Partnership. The conference had gathered a great deal of interest and support due to the fact that eminent scientists from around the world, including some from within tobacco control, were attending to give speeches regarding the passive smoke fraud. Fortunately the organisers of the event, TICAP, anticipated underhand tactics by the anti smoking industry to prevent the conference from happening, and a contingency within a separate venue right opposite the EU parliament has now been put into place. All scientists and other participants along with live satellite links for
those unable to attend in person are available in the alternate building.

In the letter that resulted in the EU venue being withdrawn Florence Berteletti Kemp, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership, falsely claims a commercial interest for financial sponsors of the conference offering no factual evidence to back up her allegation. She also states that –
the event goes “against all of Parliament’s adopted reports and the European Community’s legislation and commitments on this topic”, and that “it violates the spirit of the International
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.” This is clearly a demand to prevent the freedom of speech of some of the most highly recognised scientists in the field; a demand that was upheld by the EU Bureau and hidden from the parliamentary sponsor of the conference,
Godfrey Bloom MEP. Kemp also stated that – “The TICAP conference purports to develop methods and strategies to end “the use of pseudo-science” in relation to tobacco control, in contrast the WHO FCTC recognizes “that scientific evidence has unequivocally established that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke cause death, disease and disability”. In other words, no debate will be allowed, no scientist will be allowed a platform to disagree, only those who do agree with the policies have the right to freedom of speech on this subject in the EU building. In an unprecedented move, the EU Bureau cancelled the conference with no record on their meeting agenda and without communication or right of reply to the sponsoring MEP, who was left to discover the truth by rumours almost a week later. These astonishingly undemocratic revelations were based upon unsubstantiated false claims and a demand that no debate should be allowed, and were submitted by an anti smoking group opposed to the content of the event. For decades the anti smoking industry has grossly perverted science for their own ideology; it comes as no surprise to us whatsoever that they are now perverting democracy and freedom in the very heart of the EU.

ANOTHER TAKE ON BLOGGING

This article from today's "Financial Times" makes some interesting points.

The new corporate firefighters
By David Gelles

Published: January 22 2009 02:00

When advertisers launched a campaign last September for the pain reliever Motrin, they hoped to attract the attention of mothers whose backs might be sore from wearing baby-carriers. The advertisements implied that while baby-carriers might be fashionable, hauling a child around could be painful.

Mothers were not amused. Soon after the ads were released, anti-Motrin campaigns appeared on Facebook and blogs. Outraged mums, furious at the suggestion that their babies were a hassle, posted rebuttal videos on YouTube. Through Twitter, the microblogging service, thousands of people attacked the company.

Motrin was caught off-guard. For days, no company representative replied. Critics accused the company of being not only insensitive but also unresponsive.

Eventually a marketing executive at McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that markets Motrin, e-mailed individual bloggers to apologise for the campaign. But the damage was done.

The "Motrin moms" episode illustrates the power of social media - the expanding network of websites that allow users to interact with each other and, increasingly, with companies. It also demonstrates the perils for enterprises that are unprepared to interact with social media.
But now a growing number of companies, including Ford Motor, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo and Dell, are creating new high-level jobs to ready themselves for engagement with social media, with titles such as director of social media, head of communities and conversation, vice-president of experiential marketing and digital communications manager. The role of these new executives is to monitor and influence what is being said about their companies on the internet.

Johnson & Johnson made its own appointment in the wake of the Motrin debacle. Having already dabbled in social media, in December the company promoted Marc Monseau, a 10-year company veteran and former director of media relations, to director of social media. "My responsibility is to work with the corporate office and the individual companies to better interact online," Mr Monseau says. "It underscores the fact that we realise this is an important audience and one that we need to develop relationships with."

These new jobs represent a broad shift in media relations strategy at large companies. "Corporate communications has radically changed," says Andy Sernovitz, chief executive of the Blog Council, an organisation for heads of social media at big companies. "It's no longer just companies talking to the press, and customer service talking to customers. All these other people showed up in the -middle. They may not be press and they may not be customers, but suddenly their collective voice is bigger than the traditional channels."

The essence of social media is conversation. Rather than a one-way stream of information, where companies make announcements to the press and customers, social media enables a great deal of interaction, where companies are in constant dialogue with the public. "We've seen a shift from doing things the old way to now having conversations with our customers," says Jeanette Gibson, director of new media for Cisco Systems.

Ms Gibson, who began her job in 2007, says there is now a mandate at Cisco that all staff be attuned to what is being said about Cisco online. "It has definitely shifted how we've done communications," she says. "Our executives are video blogging every day. Everybody's job is now social media."

Dell, the computer maker, has one of the most robust corporate social media programmes. Bob Pearson, former senior vicepresident of corporate communications, became vice-president of communities and conversation for Dell in 2007.

He now has 45 people working for him. The core team works on "blog resolution" - trawling the web for dissatisfied customers, then attempting to contact them to make amends. Others on Dell's social media team manage the company's 80 Twitter accounts and 20 Facebook pages. Still others manage IdeaStorm, Dell's forum for customer feedback.

Dell is taking its customer feedback seriously. When the company launched the Latitude laptop last summer, six of the features, including backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader, were ideas that came from IdeaStorm. "It's always worth talking directly with your customers. It's always worth listening to them," says Mr Pearson. "It's the wisdom of crowds."

Peter Shankman, a social media expert and founder of Help a Reporter Out, a service that broadcasts reporters' requests to a network of experts, says many companies are still reluctant to get involved: "Companies are slow to adapt because they're still not 100 per cent sure they can make money with social media," he says.

Yet Dell, for one, has made a business of it. By broadcasting discount alerts on Twitter, it says, it has generated more than $1m in sales. And in the US, 59 of the 100 leading retailers, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, now have a fan page on Facebook, according to Rosetta, an interactive marketing agency.

Other savings can be realised through the Web's ability to reach many people at once. "If you solve someone's problem on the phone, nobody knows," says Mr Sernovitz. "If you solve that same problem in writing on a blog, it costs you no more, but thousands of people are satisfied. And then, if 100 people never call because they found the answer, you very, very quickly get to multimillion-dollar savings."

Other companies are using Twitter to douse public relations fires before they erupt. Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford Motors, used Twitter to appease users who were angry after the carmaker sued an enthusiast website that was selling unauthorised Ford merchandise. When fans of the enthusiast site posted angry messages, Mr Monty "tweeted back" to explain the company's position.

Bonin Bough, who was appointed director of social media for PepsiCo last year, also used Twitter to defuse a brewing crisis after the company released a series of advertisements depicting a cartoon calorie character committing suicide.

"Social media is much more than getting out there and having conversations," says Mr Pearson of Dell. "It transforms a business if you use it correctly."

LABOURSPACE.COM

The Labour Party has just launched a unique campaigning site Labourspace.com.

The Labourspace.com site gives organisations and individuals the opportunity to set up campaigns they want to bring to the attention of Labour politicians.

Ed Miliband, who is compiling the next Labour election manifesto, launched the site today. Speaking about the importance of working with campaigning organisations and individuals to build our manifesto, he explained how the website can help achieve that:

"LabourSpace is the Labour Party's campaign social networking site. I hope it will provide a unique home for organisations and people to host and promote their campaigns - and to bring their ideas to the attention of Labour ministers and the wider party.

"The idea behind Labourspace.com is really simple. You get your own webpage within the Labourspace network where you can tell us why you think Labour should be implementing your campaign ideas.

"I will be regularly checking out the site which I expect will become a lively forum for discussion and debate. I hope people will use it to let us know what their priorities are for a better, fairer Britain under Labour in the future."

OBAMA - MY TWO HOPES

Well, who could fail to be inspired. The hope (to use Obama's own word) and excitement reminded me of May 2 1997. I was one of the many lining Whitehall that balmy summer's morning cheering our new Prime Minister, Tony Blair, being completely carried away by the optimism he was bringing to Britain. It was, indeed, a glorious day, just as it was yesterday.

I have two dreams of my own:

Obama's statement in his inaugural address that "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers" bodes well for those of us who are humanists and secularists. While it may not be a massive move away from faith (and Obama is himself is a committed Christian), it did at least put down a marker that the 44th President may be moving away from the religiosity of the Bush years. I can only hope that freethinking, ie not possessing a religion, will again become acceptable in America. My dream will be well on the way if we see non-believer candidates for the 2012 presidential contest.

Obama has shown some willingness to carry forward the equalities agenda. Yet it is not enough for him to quote his personal experience as "a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant (who) can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath" and leave it at that. He must deliver on equalities. I was pleased to see three women among the 14 names so far announced for his Cabinet. Yet appointing Janet Napolitano, Susan Rice and Lisa Jackson is not enough. I want a complete change in attitude to abortion in America and equal pay across the United States, and that's just for starters.

TURKEY CONSIDERING NUCLEAR POWER

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last night spoke of Turkey's intention to build nuclear power stations to meet its growing energy needs. Addressing a dinner organised by the European think tank, Friends of Europe, Mr Erdogan described how Turkey will soon be making its final decision about the nuclear power he claimed it now required.

I must say I find this an uncomfortable thought. Although I have no objection to nuclear power in the UK and other countries with an established nuclear capablity, the idea of a non-nuclear power developing the potential, albeit for peaceful, civil use fills me with dread. Since Turkey is a member of NATO, my misgivings may be misplaced. However, we only have to think of Iran to see where this could go.

Much of the reminder of Erdogan's speech at the elegant Cercle Royal Gaulois Artistique et Litteraire in Brussels, was, as you may have expected, taken up with Turkey and the European Union. The EU, he claimed, will not be served by a fortress Europe mentality, and such an attitude will not help solve the present economic crisis. As far as Turkey joining the EU was concerned, the Turkish PM pointed out that a number of countries had once been considered inadmissible for EU membership. As well as mentioning Spain and Portugal, he cited the twice vetoed application from the United Kingdom. Turkey, which has had a successful customs union with the EU since 1996, is also negotiating for EU membership. Ten chapters of the accession process have already been opened and one is practically closed.

Mr Erdogan stressed that Turkey's goal is full membership of the EU. Privileged partnership is not acceptable and has never been raised in connection with any other country. Turkey will benefit the EU. It is the 17th largest economy in the world and the sixth largest in Europe while also being a member of the G20. Turkey's economy has consistently improved. Six years ago the GDP was 259 billion US dollars; it is now $750 billion. Inflation has been reduced from a high of 30 per cent to 10 percent and interest rates now stand at three per cent. All this means that Turkey is in line with the economic criteria in the Maastricht Treaty for EU accession.

As I have indicated before on this blog, I am a strong supporter of Turkey joining the EU. I think all of us involved in the EU now have a responsibility to make it happen.

On the question of Cyprus, Mr Erdogan expressed his displeasure that the Greek Cypriots had rejected in a referendum the plan put forward by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. He also took the view that the north of Cyprus is not in the EU and told the audience that the Turks would always be one step ahead of the Greeks. This was not, I fear, a very helpful response. I only hope those participating in the current peace talks take a more enlightened view.

KEN CLARKE - MONEY BEFORE COUNTRY?

In today's Independent, Jeremy Hunt Shadow Secretary of State for Culture says

“David Cameron rightly expects all members of his Shadow Cabinet to put every ounce of energy they can into defeating this disastrous government, so no one should have any interests that deflect them from this.”

So will William Hague be giving up his directorships and make more speeches in the House of Commons than he does at dinners?

Will Oliver Letwin stop going to work in the City in the mornings for a merchant bank and make his work in the Shadow Cabinet what he puts “every ounce of energy into”?

Nothing released to the press to say that Ken Clarke will be dropping his directorships to focus his energies fully. I have always found puzzling the media view that Ken Clarke is a “nicer” Tory. As Deputy Chairman of British American Tobacco he has promoted a habit smoking that kills millions prematurely and puts vast unnecessary costs on health services, ultimately paid for by us as taxpayers.

Come on Jeremy, weren’t you being a little economical with the truth?

How can David Cameron ask to run the country when he can't even get his Shadow Cabinet to do what he asks?

HOW LONDON'S BUSES COULD GRIND TO A HALT

I have seen adverts for churches on London buses for decades and never heard of a Muslim, Buddhist, Jew or Atheist refusing to drive our iconic red London buses. London is the great cosmopolitan city of the world and we tolerate each others faith and those of us who are sceptical readily.

Now a bus driver is being allowed to drive only buses which do not have the "There's probably no God" advert. This is wrong. London buses would grind to a halt if the drivers all had to check whether they agreed with the religious adverts on them. Rightly they keep on driving.

I hope bus driver Ron Heather will show more tolerance and understanding, qualities which I consider to be part of Christianity, and changes his mind and drives buses whatever their adverts.

DISCUSSING GAZA WITH THE ISRAELI EMBASSY

At the moment sadly Gaza is the subject I am blogging on most. I appreciate the comments that constituents have made on my previous postings here and here.

Letters/emails on Gaza continue to dominate my mailbag/inbox and I am responding to every single one of them as soon as I can.

This week I arranged a meeting with a senior member of the Israeli embassy to press my view that there should be an immediate ceasefire. I took the opportunity to provide him with copies of my blogs and all the comments that have submitted on them. They demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of Londoners writing to me support me in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Please continue to let me know your views. I will continue to do all I can to work for an immediate ceasefire.

VICTORY IN HARINGEY

The coldest I have been leafletting in a very long time was last week for the 7 Sisters by-election in Haringey. Great to hear about the victory and my congratulations to Joe Goldberg. For details of the result and some analysis see Luke Akehurst.

TORIES ABSTAIN ON EQUAL TREATMENT AT WORK

MEPs today voted on a Report on the implementation of Directive 2002/73/EC, a Directive on putting into practice the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions.

Written by Spanish Socialist Teresa Riera Madurell, the report concerns the implementation of the Directive rather than any policy change. The UK has, in fact, done all it should and fully implemented the terms of the Directive.

Strange indeed then that nearly all Tories voted as a bloc and abstained on the final vote to accept the Report. Those who abstained were:

Ashworth, Bowis, Bradbourn, Bushill-Matthews, Callanan, Chichester, Deva, Elles, Evans, Harbour, Heaton-Harris, Kamall, Karim, Kirkhope, Nicholson, Parish, Stevenson, Sturdy, Tannock, Van Orden

Only Beazley and Dover voted for the Report

By abstaining, the Tories have again broken with the EPP (the centre-right group in the European Parliament to which the Tories loosely belong). The first draft of Theresa Madurell's Report was objected to by the EPP who tabled many amendments which watered it down. However, in the end, true to the spirit of European compromise the EPP, PSE (Socialists), ALDE (Liberals) and the Greens came together to propose a jointly amended text. All of these parties therefore voted in favour of the report - with the not so honourable exception of the British Tories.

It will, of course, come as no surprise that UKIP Members Bloom, Clark and Farage together with the far right, including father and daughter Le Pen, voted against the Madurell Report. The Tories are certainly keeping interesting company these days.

TORIES VOTE AGAINST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

You will have seen that I blogged yesterday on the Tories anti-women votes on two paragraphs on the report by Giusto Catania dealing with fundamental rights in the EU.

You may be interested to know that on the final resolution on the report on fundamental rights in the European Union the Tories mainly abstained. Nicholson, Sumberg, Sturdy, Beazley and Bradbourn actually voted against the report.

This means they voted against or abstained on calls for greater equality measures for women (in equal pay, direct and non-direct discrimination, right to return to same job after childbirth etc), cross-border rights for same sex partners, improved rights for immigrants (particularly the Roma) - just to name a few.

TORIES VOTE ANTI-WOMEN AGAIN

The Tories are at it again, abstaining on votes in the European Parliament which will have a profoundly beneficial impact on women's lives.

A report went through today on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union 2004 - 2007. Written by Italian Communist, Giusto Catania, the report looked at all aspects of the European Declaration of Fundamental Rights.

Yet this was not good enough for the British Tories, some of whom abstained on two crucial votes on women.

Beazley, Bushill-Matthews, Deva, Kirkhope, McMillan-Scott, Stevenson, Sturdy and Tannock would only accept the paragraph below if all references to sexual and reproductive health (the italicised section) were deleted:

"Stresses the need to raise public awareness of the right to reproductive and sexual health, and calls on the Member States to ensure that women can fully enjoy these rights, to put in place appropriate sex education, information and confidential advisory services,
and to facilitate access to contraception in order to prevent all unwanted pregnancies and illegal and high-risk abortions, and to combat the practice of female genital mutilation"

The other Tories abstained, with only Atkins, Karim and Purvis accepting the complete paragraph.

The other significant paragraph was:

"Stresses that ethnic minority women should be ensured access to public funds, irrespective of their legal status, to enable them to access safe, equal, culturally sensitive health services and rights, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights; a European legal framework to ensure the physical integrity of young girls from Female Genital Mutilation should be adopted "

Only Purvis accepted this complete paragraph. All other Tories either abstained or voted against the complete text, objecting to the section highlighted above.

Interesting that this week it was only men who were representing the Conservative Party in Europe.

GLENIS WILLMOTT MEP

My congratulations to Glenis Willmott - the new leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party!

ABORTION BAN IN NICARAGUA

I heard a discussion on Women's Hour today about this important issue. It reinforced to me the cruelty of a blanket ban on abortion.

Click here to listen to the segment or the whole programme.

LABOURLIST GAINS COVERAGE

Let's hope this is just the start for www.labourlist.org!

GAZA

You may like to read the following article which has just appeared in the European weekly newspaper, "New Europe":

Will women be excluded from Gaza peace process?

Author: Mary Honeyball, MEP from the United Kingdom

Mary Honeyball is a Member of the European Parliament from the United Kingdom, the Socialist Party, and a member of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

12 January 2009 Issue 816

“We ........ demand an end to the bombing and other tools of death and call for the immediate start of deliberations to talk peace and not make war......”

A broad spectrum of 23 women’s organisations in Israel have issued a statement demanding that war no longer be an option and that the dance of death and destruction in Gaza be brought to an end. Released on January 2, it reminds us that it is so often the women caught up in war who seek to spread the message of peace.

“The society we want is one in which every individual can lead a life of security - personal, economic and social. It is clear that the highest price is paid by women … .who now, as always, are excluded from the public eye and dominant discourse.” On the other side, thousands of Yemini and Palestinian women took to the streets in Sana at the end of December. They too condemned the violence in Gaza and demanded an end to the war. Women have a long and honourable tradition as peacemakers. The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition played a crucial role in the peace process, occupying a position beyond the reach of other participants.

During the 1980s the women’s peace camp at the United States airbase at Greenham Common in the UK did much to alert the world to the dangers of nuclear war. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom still does sterling work with the United Nations. In a different way, Women in Black alerts the world to conflict in many parts of the world through public vigils and disseminating information. Perhaps women will one day be able to forge alliances, and perhaps friendships, across the Israeli/Palestinian divide.

Tragically this seems a long way off. The Hamas-controlled parliament in the Gaza Strip has recently voted to introduce Sharia law. The bill, which has passed its second reading but not yet been signed by Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, will allow the courts to condemn offenders to a number of violent punitive measures.

Sharia law has the potential to be used in the most cruel and barbaric way against women. Last year a 13-year-old rape victim in Somalia, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, was convicted of adultery under Sharia law. She was then buried up to her neck and stoned to death by 50 men. Over 1000 spectators watched this indescribable act. Religious fundamentalism is rarely good for women. On a parliamentary visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories three years ago I met a number of leading politicians on both sides. Business was conducted in the usual way with the usual greetings, including the handshake, the universally recognised greeting symbol in such circumstances. The one exception was a high-ranking Muslim man who refused to shake my hand for religious reasons. Since I was the only woman on our delegation, I was the only person subjected to this treatment. Needless to say, this man’s attitude does not fill me with confidence about the future for women under those who hold such views.

I join my colleagues in demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Palestinians should receive humanitarian aid and Israel needs certain assurances including an end to the firing of rockets across its borders. The kind of warfare being waged in Gaza disproportionately hits civilians, children and their mothers. Diplomatic efforts must concentrate on a lasting, two state solution providing a homeland for the Palestinians. I believe women could, and should, play an important role in future peace negotiations. May this be sooner not later.

LABOUR LIST

I am excited by the arrival of Labour List onto the blogosphere. I hope the site will be a place where views can be exchanged and a place where debate is sparked. There is already a diverse selection of contributors and I am sure this will only increase as the site gains momentum. I look forward to Labour List's progression.

THE FUTURE FOR SOCIAL EUROPE

Following my blog yesterday on Europe's achievements on rights for parents and pregnant women, I have found this excellent article on workers' rights in a Social Europe.

http://clients.squareeye.com/uploads/compass/documents/CTP42CorbettSocialEurope.pdf

It is written by my colleague Richard Corbett, Labour MEP for Yorkshire and Humber, and shows the vital importance of voting Labour in the coming European elections.

On a different note, it is great to see my fellow blogger Jon Worth out supporting the excellent atheist bus campaign:

http://www.jonworth.eu/lifes-ambition-achieved-on-tv-in-a-foreign-language/#more-1899

RIGHTS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEW MOTHERS

In October the European Commission announced a work-life legislative package that will review existing EC legislation on the rights of parents, pregnant women and new mothers at work. Reports are now being drafted by the European Parliament Women's Committee. This legislation will have a very positive impact on the lives of women across Europe and I am very pleased to have the opportunity of being involved in this important work.

You may be interested to read a summary of the current legislation regarding the rights of pregnant women and new mothers in Europe. I am proud that the EU has always led the way on this equality legislation.

Pregnant workers’ directive (1992/85/EEC)

This legislation gives women:

• Right to minimum 14 weeks maternity leave
• Right to guaranteed income during at least 14 week maternity leave
• Rights to specialised health and safety laws in the workplace whilst pregnant and breastfeeding
• Protection meaning they cannot be dismissed whilst on maternity leave
• Rights to employment contract ensured whilst on maternity leave

The Commission's new proposals for this legislation include:

• Increase in the minimum maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks (as suggested by the ILO)
• Increase flexibility regarding when leave is taken (i.e. before or after the birth)
• Improved employment protection on return to work. Woman will have right to return to same / equivalent job and right to benefit from any improvement in working conditions to which she would have been entitled in her absence.

The Parliament is also revisiting the Self-employed workers' directive (1986/613/EEC) to ensure that self-employed parents are entitled to the same parental leave rights as other workers.

Equal treatment (employment) directive (2002/73/EC)

This fairly recent legislation is not currently being updated by the Commission. But it already:

• Prohibits discrimination against pregnant women and women on maternity leave
• Ensures the right to return to same / equivalent post after maternity leave. Denying this right is defined as discrimination.
• Allows women to take their cases to employment tribunal because this unfair practice is defined as discrimination.

The Women's Committee has just written a review of the implementation of this directive which we will be voting on next week in Strasbourg. I will blog on how this goes.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 4 JUNE 2009

This is my first blog in 2009 about the elections to the European Parliament which will take place on 4 June 2009.

You may like to see my quotes in this article recently published in "Total Politics" magazine.


http://www.totalpolitics.com/magazine_detail.php?id=218

GAZA

The tragedy of the Middle East is once again making news, demonstrating the seemingly intractable nature of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I would hope that everyone wants peace in this troubled part of the world. To this end I support the calls for an immediate ceasefire. I also agree with Gordon Brown that the Palestinians need humanitarian aid while at the same time Israel requires certain assurances, including stopping the rockets being fired across its border and a resolution of arms trafficking into Gaza.

The State of Israel has existed since 1948. It is an internationally recognised sovereign country and must continue as such. This is not to say I agree with the occupation of parts of the West Bank or the Israeli security barrier and checkpoints. Neither do I agree with Hamas terrorism, and certainly not with suicide bombings. I do, however, hope that sooner rather than later it will be possible to agree a two state solution providing a homeland for the Palestinians.

By using its military strength in Gaza Israel has killed children and elderly people in its quest to stamp out Hamas terrorism. On the other hand, Hamas has constantly fired rockets into Israel, often aiming their missiles at Israeli schools, and sustained a grinding campaign of suicide bombing. Moreover, Hamas's stated aim is to get rid of the State of Israel. It is shunned by the EU and the USA as a terrorist organisation. Hamas is also a fundamentalist group and is in regular contact with Iran.

It is not easy to take sides in this unending war which seems to defy resolution. Unfortunately at present both sides are acting in an extreme manner. Israel has an election looming and each political party is seeking votes. Hamas gained power due in large part to corruption and lack of effectiveness in Fatah, Yasser Arafat's organisation which led the Palestinians for many years. The result has been continuing conflict, fighting which causes each side to take up more and more entrenched positions.

I visited Israel and the West Bank about three years ago on a parliamentary delegation, meeting both Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well as seeing the West Bank for myself. Although basic human rights are being violated on both sides, it is true to say that Israel is a functioning democracy, a rarity in the wider Middle East.

However, there is an additional matter which concerns me very much - the position of women under the Islamic fundamentalist Hamas. Personal issues such as marriage and divorce are adjudicated under Sharia law, which discriminates against women; a Muslim man can marry more than one woman and a son receives double the inheritance given to a daughter. My own experience of Sharia law came a few years ago when I was involved in the case of Amina Lawal, a Nigerian Muslim woman who was sentenced to death under Sharia law for committing adultery.

As Labour Spokesperson on women's rights in the European Parliament, I believe I have to speak up for women. Fundamentalist religious organisations are by their nature anti-women. This, I am afraid, includes Hamas.

PROSTITUTION AND THE METROPOLITAN POLICE

Season's geetings and good wishes for 2009.

This article appeared in the London Evening Standard on 31 December while I was on my Christmas/New Year break. As you will see, I am quoted in the last paragraph.

I thought I would put it up today to get back into blogging following my short absence.


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23609917-details/We+turn+a+blind+eye+to+many+brothels%2C+admits+Yard+chief/article.do