Ministry for Change

Whitey not on the moon...

Back in 1969 a seminal hip hop group called The Last Poets released Whitey On The Moon. It was a reactionary piece that expressed the divisive nature of a society in which the American black man was still worrying about paying the rent, putting food on the table, or generally… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 15 Jul 2008 2:05 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

10 reasons we might not be...

Nelson Mandela has been removed from the US list of terror suspects. The Telegraph. Strikes by truck drivers in India suggest that we're not alone in this crazy, messed-up world. BBC. The European Commission has announced plans for cross-border healthcare system that would allow UK residents to seek treatment overseas.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 2 Jul 2008 10:43 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Fair Play

Bojo to fly cattle class to China...

Boris Johnson yesterday announced that the Greater London Authority was to take a more frugal approach to Olympic spending than predecessor Ken Livingstone may have done if he'd remained in office. At a meeting with the Olympic Board he proclaimed that, under his management, the key priority regarding both the… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 13 Jun 2008 10:59 AM. There are 2 comments so far. Permalink

Documentary

Santa's Workshop...

Inspired by a BBC report today that claims 4,000 Chinese babies have been blessed with the name of Aoyun, which means 'Olympic Games', Westmonster would like to present the documentary 'Santa's Workshop'. Detailing some of the working conditions inside Chinese factories, the piece, which lasts for just over half… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 Jun 2008 3:17 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

UK tourists most popular in Europe...

A German newspaper has printed a guide on how to avoid British tourists when travelling abroad. BBC. Private firms could be called in to help a failing NHS if new plans unveiled today prove fruitful. BBC. MPs have warned that something called 'crash-for-cash' insurance fraud is on the rise. ePolitix.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 4 Jun 2008 7:57 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Brown goes down...

It's another lugubrious day for the Prime Minister as new YouGov polls show that Labour's popularity is at its lowest since 1943. BBC. Further compounding Mr Brown's gloom is the news that consumer confidence has also sunk like the Titanic. The Guardian. It was revealed that UK life expectancy is… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 30 May 2008 7:54 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Parliamentary wages not as high as expected...

According to recent figures, MPs only get paid £61,820 a year. So stop complaining. The Guardian. China and Taiwan are to start talking again for the first time in a decade. BBC. The company responsible for computerising the NHS, Fujitsu, has lost it's contract to do so. BBC. It seems… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 29 May 2008 7:50 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Warning: theft of manhole covers on the rise...

As metal prices increase, the theft of manhole covers is seen to be on the rise. Newsweek. Ofsted has revealed that about 20% of UK kids leave primary school being unable to read properly. The Guardian. UK house sales could drop by up to 40% this year. This is Money.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 20 May 2008 7:43 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Bin Laden to release new video..

Within the next 72 hours Osama Bin Laden is expected to release a video message about his thoughts on Israel's 60th birthday celebrations. Reuters. A Pakistani man who stabbed his racist BNP neighbour to death is currently undergoing trial. The Times. The high court will today rule whether or not… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 16 May 2008 7:51 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Embryo Bill gets the majority vote...

MPs have voted to allow controversial plans to update human embryology laws. BBC. MPs say that national school tests should be made fewer in order to provide children with a rounded education. ePolitix. The BBC has been criticised for wasting millions each year on props, catering and costumes. The Guardian.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 13 May 2008 7:44 AM. Permalink

Ministry for Unedification

Dalai Lama banned from Number 10...

Gordon Brown has made another funky prime ministerial decision by banning the Dalai Lama from 10 Downing Street. Naturally, quite a few people are disgusted by such a move, especially the legions of Free Tibet protestors that live in the UK, Tibetans themselves, and suppliers of monastic robes who were… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 May 2008 10:55 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Prescott not a fan of Brown either...

John Prescott has revealed that he asked Tony Blair to sack the current PM whilst he was nought but a mere chancellor. ePolitix. Gordon Brown has sworn to make social care for the elderly 'fairer'. BBC. Companies may soon start using lie detectors when employees call in sick. The Sun.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 12 May 2008 7:44 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Doctors seek cure for ineptitude...

MPs have labelled the government's handling of last year's junior medic recruitment drive as 'inept'. BBC. The Guardian. It has been claimed that Alastair Campbell sexed-up Tony Blair's 45 minute WMD claim whilst the case for invading Iraq was being made. New Statesman. A report has shown that UK households… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 8 May 2008 7:52 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Bojo to unveil booze ban...

Boris Johnson is to unveil a ban of alcohol on public transportation. Channel 4. It was revealed that a third of British employees have turned up to work with a hangover. BBC. Ed Balls is seeking to help dyslexic pupils by providing them with one-to-one lessons. The Guardian. The Lib… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 7 May 2008 7:46 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Still hope for Labour...

It has been said that Labour 'can still win the next election'. The Guardian. The NHS has claimed that the public are in favour of the government's proposed 'polyclinic' scheme. The Guardian. New rules regarding the number of skilled migrants allowed to work in the UK are to be announced… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 6 May 2008 7:47 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Vote early and vote often...

Millions will vote today in the UK local elections. BBC. ePolitix. Londoners will also be voting in the Mayoral Election. ePolitix. It was revealed that a quarter of UK pupils will not get into their first choice primary school. The Times. The House of Lords has ruled that doctors trained… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 1 May 2008 7:49 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Despite strike, oil firms report record profits..

The strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery may cost the industry an estimated £50m a day. The Guardian. The Telegraph. Oil firms such as Shell and BP report profits soaring to around £68bn. The Guardian. It was revealed that home repossessions will increase by more than a quarter this year.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 28 Apr 2008 7:43 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Brown bites back..

Gordon Brown has defended himself against party rebels. The Guardian. David Miliband has praised Pakistan's 'fragile' new government. BBC. The cost of the London 2012 Olympics has risen again. The Times. E-Politix. Chinese shares have become worth only half of what they were last October. BBC.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 22 Apr 2008 7:44 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Ed Balls gets to the point..

Ed Balls has told his disgruntled Labour friends to stop complaining about Gordon. The Times. The Tories have started a new local election campaign with the recycled slogan of, "Vote Blue, Go Green". E-Politix. Gordon Brown has had to talk his ministerial aide out of quitting over tax. The Times.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 18 Apr 2008 7:45 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Tories still don't like Gordon Brown...

The Tories have blamed the country's current economic problems on Gordon Brown (naturally). BBC. E-Politix. Alistair Darling asks banks to go easy on mortgage costs. The Guardian. The Chancellor also has plans to visit China with some of his banker friends. The Wall Street Journal. George Bush and The Pope… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 14 Apr 2008 7:32 AM. Permalink

Foreign Affairs

China and Ireland - a diplomatic spat?

Recent international relations with China have been somewhat fractured to say the least. Not only have the anti-Olympic protests gathered a worldwide strangehold - from activists scaling the Golden Gate Bridge to grown men wrestling with Blue Peter presenters over a fiery torch - but now there seems to… read more…

Written by C J Davies on 13 Apr 2008 10:40 PM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Wednesday morning headlines

Gordon Brown denies accusations that he is avoiding a human rights row with China for economic reasons. BBC. Row breaks out between the BBC and the Internet ISP Tiscali over the bandwidth cost of the iPlayer online TV service. BBC. Tech.co.uk. House prices look set to become even more disparate… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 9 Apr 2008 7:34 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Media folly: Tuesday Morning roundup

Congratulations on making it through the whole of yesterday. Today's top stories seem to be shaping-up as follows: Everybody thinks Princess Diana was unlawfully killed, including William and Harry. Read The Telegraph's spin here. Paula Radcliffe claims that the heat and humidity of China will makes things hard for Olympic… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 8 Apr 2008 7:26 AM. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Media folly: Morning roundup

We're assuming that you're reading this after recently arriving at your office for the Monday morning grind. Please accept our commiserations but rest assured that, despite the planet's usual state of discord, things seem to be pretty much in order. The best of the morning's stories are as follows: Following… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 7 Apr 2008 7:23 AM. Permalink

Department of Doublespeak

Trade humbug

The Brown trip to China has been a rum old thing - it certainly isn't operatic material. One thing that's notable is the absence of the usual umm-ing and ah-ing over China's human rights record, or rather lack of it. Nick Robinson has a bit of a whinge about how… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 18 Jan 2008 1:37 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Chucky's back!

When Cleggers sorts out a shadow cabinet, he doesn't mess about. Everyone's favourite ex-LibDem leader is right in the mix, as President of the European Movement. Westmonster has no idea what the "European Movement" is, but suspects it might have to do with wine. Because anti-prostitution laws have been such… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 21 Dec 2007 9:23 AM. Permalink

Westmonster: “china”