I am told that there’s a foodshop in Shoreditch that sells only porridge! …
Meeting in the meat world
Again I have been remiss in writing here, but last night I went to a “Labour Digital” get together; and met up with some interesting people. Yes, it was in North London, and just round the corner from Tech City. …
Everyone is doing it
Since PMQs earlier this week, when Ed Miliband accused the Tories of relying on donations from the rich and tax avoiders to fight and win the election, the fight of words has been rumbling on. Lord Fink, an ex-Treasurer of the Conservative Party first threatened to sue Miliband and then stated that everyone is doing it. Not so! …
Digital Question Time
I went up to Blackfriars to techUK’s offices to listen to their Digital Question time. They had arranged for Vaizey, Onawurah and Huppert to speak. I covered the event using storify, which I moved here, after storify terminated their service.
I originally said on this blog that they covered privacy, access and inclusion, start-ups, brexit (briefly) and government IT. Computer Weekly have hosted a video here…, if you want the complete story. The Guardian ran a story, “Vaizey calls for tech firms to ‘meet politicians halfway’ over encryption” and sub-titled, “Debate needs …
Boris Johnson, President of the USA
While writing up the pointer to my linkedin piece on banks and customer service I looked up Google’s view of Boris Johnson and FATCA, possibly the world’s most famous dual citizen tax exile. The press have been keen to comment, here’s one of the Forbes article’s and here’s Nigel Green in City AM. Green reveals that Johnson claimed that he was going to renounce his US citizenship in 2006, but clearly hasn’t. I wonder why? …
Patriots
So no storify on yesterday’s meeting; I am planned a blog article on PASOK’s collapse instead; I finished the day watching Boston Legal S4E20, the last of the season where Alan & Denny go head-to-head over the “Patriot Act”, using the conceit of a town secession. This was first shown in May 2008 and is, given the time of production, a magnificently brave piece of writing; exploring the dilemma of the Republic and how one defends a democracy and keeps friends. Fiction as a lens on politics. …
Poltech
Yesterday, a trip up to town to attend the BCS/techUK technology hustings. I must do a storify. …
PASOKisation in Britain
The once mighty PASOK has been reduced to the smallest Party in the new Greek Parliament. In 2009, it won 44% of the popular vote and formed the Government; earlier this year, it won a under 5%. Its decision to join the New Democrat led coalition in 2010 had led to a split, with much of the left of PASOK leaving to support its eventual replacement, Syrizia. PASOK has been killed by its own austerity policies and walking away from the hopes and causes of their political base. …
Banks Eh?
Have you got outraged over FATCA yet? Over the last quarter, I have received several pieces of correspondence from different banks asking me to certify that I have no income that the US Government might be interested in. It goes to show just how poor, the Banks’ whole person/customer knowledge is. …
Doubt
The gap between new cuts proposed by the Conservatives (£33bn) and Labour (£7bn) after 2015-16, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. “Lest there be any doubt,” says IFS director Paul Johnson, “there is a big difference.” Source …. …