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News - Successful season for barn owls

Posted on November 14, 2007
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Barn owls are thriving in Britain because of a good supply of the food they live on, say wildlife experts. The birds’ progress is followed by the British Trust for Ornithology-led Barn Owl Programme. Initial reports showed prolific sites were in Sussex, Hampshire, Devon, North Lincolnshire and Plain. East Anglia, Northamptonshire, parts of the East Midlands, Nottinghamshire, East Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Solway Plain were also successful areas. Colin Shawyer, from the Wildlife Partnership, said: “These are the earliest egg-laying dates we have seen in 20 years of barn owl recording in Britain. “Most clutches were started in the first week of April, over two weeks earlier than average. Fruit glut “Across the country, young barn owls are already learning how to fly and to hunt for their own food.” Scientists said the successful barn owl season was linked to a good crop of fruit and seeds last season. British Trust for Ornithology research biologist Dave Glue said: “The four main food items taken by barn owls are field vole, wood mouse, brown rat and common shrew. “Last winter there was an exceptional glut of wild fruits, including beech mast and haws, which was great news for these mammals. “The rodents in turn provide a ready food supply for barn owls.” The success was highlighted in the BBC Two programme Springwatch Barn Owls, which followed the progress of five young owls at the Fishleigh Estate, Devon. Originaly from:

News - Sri Lanka imposes new curfews

Posted on November 11, 2007
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News - EU vets debate veal calf exports

Posted on November 9, 2007
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European Union veterinary experts are to meet in Brussels to decide whether British farmers can resume live exports of veal calves to the rest of the EU. The exports were banned 10 years ago as part of measures aimed at preventing the spread of mad cow disease. But by then the trade had already sparked mass anti-cruelty protests at British ports, in which one woman died. The ban could be lifted if the vets decide that Britain has done enough to prevent the spread of the disease. And, if this proves to be the case, beef and live cattle could be transported within the next few months. The only beef which is currently eligible for export is UK boneless beef produced under the stringent conditions of the Date Based Export Scheme and beef of foreign origin produced under another scheme. BSE (bovine spongiform ), otherwise known as mad cow disease, has mainly affected cattle in the UK, where millions of animals had to be destroyed in the 1990s. BSE has been linked to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a disease that causes paralysis and death in humans. It is really critical that UK , which I think does a brilliant first-class job, has an opportunity to be present in the s of Europe Peter Kendall National Farmers’ Union president The EU ban was originally put in place to protect food safety. The export of live veal calves prompted mass protests at ports in the 1990s and led to the death of protester Jill Phipps in 1995 outside Coventry airport where calves were loaded onto flights for the Netherlands. Her mother, Nancy Phipps, said protests would be held if exports resume. “Did they really think we’re just going to sit back and do nothing? “After all the trouble there was last time all over the country, people standing in front of lorries and fighting police - do they think we’re just going to sit there and let them happen all over again?” she said. President of the National Farmers’ Union Peter Kendall said he wanted to reassure people that standards had improved “significantly” in the past 10 years, both in transport and in the conditions which the calves are kept in Europe. “We want to see the restoration of 500 million worth of beef exports to the British marketplace. Journey care “It is really critical that UK agriculture, which I think does a brilliant first-class job, has an opportunity to be present in the marketplaces of Europe.” governing the export of live animals include feeding and watering them during the journey. They also have to be rested for 24 hours before the journey, be fit for transport and be shifted in suitable , the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. All aspects of the export must be documented, with a vet involved in checking that the animals are cared for. However, campaign group Compassion in World Farming said any resumption of exports would prompt protests. “This trade is brutal and pointless - meat should be exported, not live animals,” said CIWF transport campaigner Rowen West-Henzell. “Scientific evidence shows that calves travel badly and, if this trade resumes, they will be sent on long and stressful journeys over land and sea, adding to the distress they feel after being taken away from their mothers.” Read more on site

News - Raphael painting sells for £18m

Posted on October 30, 2007
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A painting by Renaissance artist Raphael has sold for more than 18m ($37.3m) at an auction in London.

The portrait, of Florentine ruler Lorenzo de’ Medici, had not been seen in public since 1968.

When it was last sold, the art world was divided over its origins and it sold for just $325.

But experts now agree it is genuine - Christie’s auctioneers describing it as the most important Renaissance portrait to be sold at auction for a generation.

‘Blind date’

The portrait was commissioned by Pope Leo X after he arranged a marriage between his nephew, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Madeleine de la Tour d’Auvergne, a cousin of Francois I, King of France.

The couple had never met, and so Raphael’s paintings were to serve as an introduction - in a Renaissance version of the blind date.

In his portrait, Lorenzo is seen dressed in a gold tunic and fur-lined cape, resplendent against a rich green background.

The Pope’s introduction seems to have worked - the couple married in 1518 and had a daughter, Catherine de’ Medici, who went on to marry King Henry II of France.

Record broken

Raphael started out as a competent master of provincial church decoration and became one of the greatest painters of his era.

The sale has broken the record for a price paid for a work by Raphael.

The previous highest price was 5.3m in 1996 for Study for the Head and Hand of an Apostle, a drawing in black crayon.

Richard Knight, international director of Christie’s Old Master Department, said: “The importance of the artist and the sitter, together with the provenance and the historical context behind this painting’s creation, make it one of the most significant old master pictures to be offered at auction for a generation.”

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News - More time granted in murder trial

Posted on October 29, 2007
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Lawyers for a man accused of a murder 27 years ago have been allowed more time to prepare their case.

Vincent Simpson, 60, faces a charge of strangling Elizabeth McCabe whose body was found in Templeton Woods, Dundee, in 1980.

Mr Simpson, of Camberley, Surrey, was excused attendance from a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh.

His defence team said they were still examining documents from the huge police investigation.

The legal team said they were also consulting experts about evidence likely to be led during the trial.

Other charges

A further hearing before judge Lady Dorrian is expected in July when it is hoped that a trial date will be fixed.

The charge against Mr Simpson alleges that in February 1980 in Dundee’s Union Street, the woods and elsewhere in the city, he assaulted Ms McCabe, hit her on the head and compressed her neck, murdering her.

Mr Simpson faces two other charges of breach of the peace, alleging that he approached women in Dundee at about the same time, causing them distress and alarm.

Ms McCabe was last seen at a disco in the city and was murdered just before her 21st birthday.

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News - Is Rover politically damaging?

Posted on October 22, 2007
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About 5,000 MG Rover workers are searching for new jobs after receiving redundancy notices in the post on Monday.

Companies that supply MG Rover have been given grants of around 300,000 to help stave off further job losses.

Tony Blair said that 150m of government aid was being made available in the wake of Rover’s demise.
Conservative leader Michael Howard welcomed the support package while Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the government should have acted sooner.

Meanwhile sources close to Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) have told the BBC that the company is set to build Rover cars in China.

What impact will the collapse of Rover have on the West Midlands? Should government support have come sooner? If you have been involved has it changed your vote? What would you like to see happen?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Rover died a long time ago when it was taken apart and its profitable components sold to BMW and Ford. What was left was a company producing poor quality, out of date vehicles that no-one wanted to buy. It is easy to try to blame government for the collapse but the true blame lies in the usual case of zero investment and reliance on someone always coming to the rescue at the last minute. When British companies realise that making the same old product range is not the way to keep a satisfied customer base, then we may just regain our place in the world as a manufacturing nation.
Gordon Tate, Redcar, Cleveland

Instead of waiting for a handout, get out there and start looking Philip, Surrey

I’m afraid this is life. Cheaper wages elsewhere in the world mean redundancy here. I was made redundant last year after 28 years + 270 of my friends. All I got was the basic package. It annoys me to hear people at Rover saying the payout is not enough. Well that’s life, wake up to the real world. I have a disabled wife and 3 young children and I now have a job 32 miles away. It means leaving home at 6.30 am and getting back home at 7.00pm. I don’t like it but it’s a job. So instead of waiting for a handout, get out there and start looking.
Philip, Surrey

Cars have become a commodity, and the car industry globally is in trouble. Rover won’t be the last car company making thousands redundant. Just wait until oil starts getting really expensive!
Anthony Cartmell, Lancing, UK

That a so-called Labour government allows the last British-owned volume car maker to go bust is clear illustration that any pretensions of being a socialist party are well and truly gone. Only in Britain would this happen. In France their government has bailed-out numerous privately owned companies against EU rules. Why couldn’t we?
Andy Roberts, Newquay, Cornwall

We were not given special treatment Robin Norman, Oxon

Why should Rover workers get special support from the government. I have been through a few large scale redundancies within the rail industry, we were not given special treatment.
Robin Norman, Oxon

This is nothing more than a political stunt! I have seen many friends and family go down that path but not-one has received that much money. My sympathy goes out to these workers. But let’s face it if it wasn’t for the elections they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Rob, Hartlepool, England

Rover is simply a company that cannot make ends meet - just like many others. If my company was insolvent I would not expect the government to bail me out, nor should Rover. Make what the customers want at a realistic price or get out.
Christopher Sutton, Fort William, Scotland

I watch with sadness the continuing demise of British industry. To a lesser extent it is happening here in Australia. I hope there is are repercussions to the government, since they set the agenda that governs how and where investments are made, and subsequently how industry flourishes.
Paul Harrison, Perth, Australia

We know global competition is making it difficult for all companies David Humphreys, Metro Detroit, USA

Being an expat automotive engineer in the USA, I feel nothing but sadness to see another UK manufacturing company fail. We know global competition is making it difficult for all companies. A week never seems to go by without any Detroit press reports discussing supplier and car manufacturer cost cutting, increasing steel prices, layoffs, and intensifying Far East competition. At the end Rover was too small and too impoverished to truly survive these conditions unless a strategic partner could be found. But despite all this, I cannot help but think that successive UK government “laissez faire” attitudes to manufacturing is wrong and a more proactive position should be taken. What is being done to develop high-tech manufacturing jobs? Let’s hope that Longbridge is not replaced with a supermarket!
David Humphreys, Metro Detroit, USA

I find it laughable that the politicians talk about giving businesses freedom and reducing red tape. But when a high profile business fails they criticise each other for not intervening. Government is there to manage the public sector and the economy, its role is not to micro-manage every employer in the country. Businesses fail, it’s a fact of life. The Phoenix consortium had 450M to invest in a new model but wasted that chance.
Giles Jones, Staffs, UK

I cannot believe how our life has been turned upside down. I took an apprenticeship with Rover under BMW in 1990. Then had to be moved to a contract house five years ago to finish the Mini off when BMW walked away. I returned to MG Rover with the hope of developing a new car, and now I’m left with three years service out of 15 years commitment, giving me around 700 redundancy. Add to that two loan cars that could potentially amount to a debt of 20,000 and my wedding in 5 weeks, things can’t get much worse.
Mark Osborne, Bromsgrove

Rover workers need to realise times have changed Philip Johnson, Telford, England

I have been made redundant four times. No one from the government came to my aid with a compensation package. Rover workers need to realise times have changed. It is totally unfair to everyone else who has lost jobs if they get taxpayers’ money. Perhaps if they had been a bit more flexible and not so preoccupied with militant unions the place would still be open.
Philip Johnson, Telford, England

As a Ford worker I can sympathise with the Rover workforce. Ford stopped car production at Dagenham a couple of years ago and within another several years you will see what is left here close as well.
B Benney, Essex

I don’t think any amount of money would help MG Rover without a new and inspiring model range that could dispel the legacy of BL and Austin Rover. Appalling cars such as the Allegro, Marina, Princess and Metro have left a lasting impression. It’s a shame they are capable of producing a car as good as the 75 and still can’t turn their fortunes around.
John, Manchester

The best bet would be to sell off MG to the highest bidder and admit defeat Roger, Stockport, Cheshire

The decline and fall of Rover has been going on for decades. The good bits have been cherry picked by Ford and BMW. What’s left is a plant making cars based on an obsolete Honda and the Rover 75. The best bet would be to sell off MG to the highest bidder and admit defeat.
Roger, Stockport, Cheshire

The biggest mistake Rover and its parent company made was to ditch an excellent partnership with Honda and align with BMW. Honda helped to turn Rover round in a big way. Once BMW bought Rover, the rot started to set in.
John Darcy, London

What happened to Rover is symptomatic to what is happening to the British Manufacturing industry. The root of the problem is very simple: we don’t get good students to study manufacturing at university. The university departments have either been scaled down or disappeared in the past five years. All we are doing is training Chinese and Indian students in advanced manufacturing technology, so they will continue to enjoy the surge in their manufacturing.
Amy Wan, Liverpool

Rover has an “old man” image that has been impossible to shake off for decades. How about the government buying the company in order to develop eco-friendly hybrids for a greener future?
Gerry Noble, Salisbury, UK

Why are Labour and Tony Blair being blamed for Rover’s failure in the open market? Bossman, UK

Why are Labour and Tony Blair being blamed for Rover’s failure in the open market? Are they the ones running Rover? Are they the directors and managers? Are they the ones making the cars? No. They have nothing to do with it.
Bossman, UK

The only reason MG Rover workers are out of jobs is because the quality of the vehicles were such that nobody wanted them. Also the Phoenix Four plundered the company. Finally, as far as buying British as one of your contributors has suggested, people will buy cars on the basis of reliability and not on nationality. If hat means German and Spanish cars on the roads then so be it.
Alex, Leeds, UK

Do not blame the politicians this time. Blame yourselves. I drive a British made (Land) Rover. What’s the make of your car?
Patrick, Broadstairs

This is yet another wake up call for UK plc Pete, North Yorkshire

This is yet another wake up call for UK plc. If the product you manufacture is not providing value for money, someone else will do it instead. Alchemy Partners, who put forward proposals to save Rover the last time it was in trouble, but were cynically shunned by this government, must feel vindicated. Why should Rover employees get any additional help? There must be an election around the corner! This government recently decimated a profitable industry, hunting, out of pure prejudice and offered no help whatsoever.
Pete, North Yorkshire

I have owned three Rovers and had a further two as company vehicles. The quality of their cars went downhill as soon as their relationship with Honda ended. When BAE wanted out, Honda was Rover’s natural partner - from the moment BMW took over they were doomed, and when BMW offloaded them it was only a matter of time. Much as I feel for the workers and their families, MG Rover is a private company. The taxpayer should not pick up the tab for improved redundancy packages for the workers.
David Cooper, Hull

I feel very sorry for all the Rover workers and their families, but this is a private company. My firm made redundancies a few years ago. We’re a very small company and only statutory redundancy was paid. That’s life in the private sector. I don’t understand why people are blaming the government.
Claire, Aberdeen

You can not keep a company going just to provide employment Andy Wilson, Hove

Whilst it is very sad that these people have lost their jobs, you can not keep a company going just to provide employment.
Andy Wilson, Hove

I’m surprised they lasted this long. They had a very bad reputation in America and withdrew along with the Yugo, Fiat and Peugeot. Peugeot owners tell me that it was a dealer/parts problem. But the Yugos, MGs and Rovers were assembled poorly from poor designs. You just can’t sell poor cars in a harshly competitive marketplace.
Peter, La Marque, Texas

I do feel sorry for the people of Longbridge, and all that rely on the plant for its work. However, it should have happened years ago. When others are made redundant, they accept it and move on. Why should the car workers be any different?
A Buchanan, West Midlands

A great tradition is now gone Richard Westwell, Hua Hin, Thailand

I read the story of the collapse at MG Rover with great sadness. A great tradition is now gone. Morris Garages and the Rover Car company, two of the most famous names in British motoring history now confined to the history books. Some will make money out of this collapse, but it is never the man on the production line.
Richard Westwell, Hua Hin, Thailand

Thousands of people will be losing their jobs and Britain will be losing an iconic symbol, I really wonder what is happening to this country, it is a sad end to a car manufacturer over a hundred years old.
Andrew, Cheshire

Directors should be held more responsible for Rover’s demise and must account for the large dividend payments taken from the company for the mysterious decline in pension fund assets. The former directors of Equitable Life and their auditors are currently in court. So should the directors of Rover be.
Jon, Ascot, Berkshire

For the government to provide any more money for Rover would be throwing good money after bad. How can a company losing 25m a week ever hope to stay in business?
Philip, London

Now that the government have ordered an enquiry into Rover, it effectively puts the whole fiasco off limits until well after the election Gerry Noble, Salisbury, UK

Now that the government have ordered an enquiry into Rover, it effectively puts the whole fiasco off limits until well after the election. Nice move Tony. It remains to be seen if the Birmingham voters will swallow it.
Gerry Noble, Salisbury, UK

Why should it be politically damaging? The managers should be asked to offer their salaries of the last two years and their pensions to the workers. Mismanagement in a private company can’t be blamed on politicians, can it?
Yolker, High Wycombe, England

It’s not just the 5,000 or so at Longbridge, thats bad enough but don’t forget there is the wider effect on the franchise dealer staff countrywide. A dealership with no franchise is on rocky ground.
Stephen Wilkinson, Middlesbrough, England

Of course this is a political issue because the government tries to meddle with most aspects of our lives. The question is why did it not touch Rover in the same way? The answer is that with Rover, it was up against some real issues which could not be solved by setting targets or imposing its own views!
Vic, UK

It is a disgrace that the government presumes to spend 150m of our money to buy votes before an election. Companies go bust, that’s life. We already have a welfare state to provide support for people between jobs, why are these people getting extra subsidy? Utterly contemptible behaviour.
David Johnson, Belfast, UK

If the British taxpayer is going to be forced to subsidise MG Rover, the very least the government can do is buy those cars exclusively for government use and stop buying Jaguars, Rolls Royces and other expensive automobiles instead. At least the British taxpayer will get something of value for his money. If the bureaucrats and politicians don’t like it, maybe they’ll think twice before they spend taxpayer money on a politically motivated bailout next time.
Mark, USA

We live in a capitalist economic system. This is the choice the British people make in election after election Kyle Duncan, Cambridge, UK

We live in a capitalist economic system. This is the choice the British people make in election after election; therefore we have to face the reality of a competitive economy in which all business is governed by market laws not employment or welfare ideals. If people really care about the loss of Rover jobs they should consider the benefits of state-operated manufacturing, not whine in a nationalistic way about a run-of-the-mill car manufacturer.
Kyle Duncan, Cambridge, UK

The Labour Government have made the right decision to offer funding to help supplement redundancy payouts and retraining of those redundant. To keep a company that had a poor product and even poorer management structure would be a criminal waste of taxpayers money. If there was a viable way of saving the company and making it profitable their would have been a queue of companies waiting to take them over.
R King, UK

One word describes the failure of British industries including Rover - unions!
Dave, New Jersey

To all those who think that it is the government’s job to save Rover: What car do you drive? We should all buy British, or stop complaining.
Lucy Bird, Southampton, Hants

I have a close friend who just lost his job at Rover after 23 years. He’s in total shock - he’s 40 and hasn’t got a clue what to do next - he’s been working since the age of 17 and has never set foot in a dole office.
Kashif May, Birmingham, UK

It is within the government’s power to take over the company itself Mike Dailly, Glasgow

Tony Blair states on BBC Radio 2 today that he will do everything within his power to help MG Rover employees, but he insists that the UK government cannot keep the company afloat. Why not? He has the power to do so, and without MG Rover our car manufacturing industry is gone. It is within the government’s power to take over the company itself. That would be good for the people of Birmingham and the UK. Why should political ideology get in the way of saving a UK industry?
Mike Dailly, Glasgow

When the steelworks closed in Cardiff hundreds of workers lost their jobs and pensions. My husband’s job was as important to our family, as Rover workers’ jobs are to their families. There was no government help for us, why should our taxes now be used to support Rover?
Carolyn John, Cardiff

How many of the now ex employees who are moaning about the loss of jobs are members of the unions who have, on so many occasions over the last 25 years, held this company to ransom for more pay and benefits? It is not only the latest management who have milked this company. Moreover, if you were offered a chance to become excessively wealthy off an investment of 60k wouldn’t you take it?
Matt, Solihull

This is a very sad day for the local area. Rover is integral to Longbridge - a huge raft of local businesses which rely on Rover workers for business, such as simple firms like newsagents, will probably go under now. The effect on the local community cannot be underestimated. I sincerely hope the government will help the local area. What we do not need is a huge supermarket built on the site.
Manjit Mand, Rednal, Birmingham

If necessary, Rover should be re-nationalised Ben Drake, York

As a trade unionist I firmly believe the government should step in now and save these jobs. The company bosses may not deserve help but the workers and their families and communities do. If necessary, Rover should be re-nationalised. Don’t let the government tell us it can’t be afforded, they found the money for war quick enough!
Ben Drake, York

A sad end for the workers, but shameful comments by the government that “it has done everything it can” are far from the mark. The whole of UK manufacturing is suffering from a policy of slavishly following Euro policies that have made UK manufacturing progressively uncompetitive.
James, Marlow, Bucks

What’s wrong with British governments? Can you imagine the Germans letting BMW go under or the French Renault? In the past our government has helped Honda, Toyota & Nissan set up in the UK, but let our own underfunded industries go to the dogs.
B Jarrald, Bolton

We all live and work in a global economy and no one can expect to have a job for life. Rover and the car industry in general is no different to those who have gone before like the ship builders, miners, steel workers, printers and carpet makers, to name but a few. It’s sad but these are the economic facts of life.
Andy, Bromsgrove

The workers should pick themselves up of the floor, stop whinging and move on Martin, Birmingham, England

I work in construction and was made redundant four times in the recession of the 90’s and take poorly paid jobs to survive. There was no rescue package for me. I’m against tax- payers money being used to bail out a private company. The workers should pick themselves up of the floor, stop whinging and move on like what I and many of my colleagues had to.
Martin, Birmingham, England

What is the big fuss with Rover collapsing? It is just like any other normal businesses. If you are cursing and swearing at Phoenix Four for not having done much, what about yourself? As an employee, you should have seen it coming if you are really involved in your work. Isn’t it obvious that your “work” is less than before? Is there something wrong with the company? Look around, what cars are the Oxbridge yuppies driving? BMW, Mercs and Audis! Rover does not even qualify. Is this British or Un-British since we have the Aussies call themselves Australian if they buy a Subaru and not a BMW?
Jonathan Sternberg, London

The Labour government has shown no regard for manufacturing industry throughout its tenure. Manufacturing jobs are down 50% since they came into power less than 10 years ago. As long as “other” low paid jobs are available to replace skilled workers, and therefore no state benefits are paid out, then they smugly ignore the social catastrophe for 100s of thousands of UK citizens and their families. This has been a government for non-working classes as opposed to working classes.
Ann Smith, Manchester

Simple fact is that Rover cars were not as good as other cars on the market. Painting them yellow and “re-badging” them MG really wasn’t going to solve the problem. It carried on doing what it thought was best not what other manufacturers were doing and now they have paid.
Nick, Telford

I run a small bakery firm employing 60 people and over the past 20 years have had to compete with the supermarkets and large multiples. I was upset to read that Rovers VAT liability was deferred and they did not have to pay over employers national insurance contributions. What is so special about them, why do us small companies have to suffer when a large company can do things we would be in court for if we did?
Vince, Kent

MG Rover should have produced better cars Lin, Norwich

The onus was not on us to buy Rover cars simply because they are British. MG Rover should have produced better cars. The public should not be accused in this way.
Lin, Norwich

So Rover is finally dead, and the press will have to find another company to undermine confidence in and finally destroy. Hope you are pleased with your recent success.
Chris, Warks

Why don’t the Labour Party keep their sticky fingers out of this mess? Without the help of the Labour party and the taxpayers’ money Rover would have gone out of existence in the 70s when they were British Leyland. How much more money do they want to give this company and its workers? What about the other thousands of workers who lose their jobs every year due to insolvencies? What help do they get?
Dave P, Basildon

Hundreds of uncompetitive companies close every month in this country. I myself have been made redundant twice. Why does everyone expect the government to intervene simply because this company makes cars?
Chris J, London, England

My dad has worked at Longbridge now for 31 years, and the disgraceful redundancy money of 280 for every year they’ve been employed by the company is sickening. Ford Dagenham plant workers were offered a much better redundancy package when they were laid off. The government needs to intervene and safeguard the livelihoods of Rover employees’ families and their mortgages.
Chris Round, Kings Norton, Birmingham

How sad for Rover. However this has happened on the day Royal Doulton closed its gates for the last time Linda, Stoke-on-Trent

How sad for Rover. However this has happened on the day Royal Doulton closed its gates for the last time. In its day it employed far more than 6,000 and nobody has batted an eyelid. My husband was made redundant after 41 years service when his company went into administration. He got just legal amount of redundancy which was 270 for only 20 weeks which is half of what Rover employees are getting. This country is one of the richest in the world but we are treated appallingly.
Linda, Stoke-on-Trent

12,000 manufacturing jobs lost a month since 1997. What makes Rovers 5,000 employees so special?
Doug Hall, Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom

Rover never had any hope of making a success of itself. BMW not only stripped Rover of Mini and Land Rover, but then ruthlessly ensured that Rover were not allowed to build cars in a similar vein, or sell in historically strong markets, such as Japan and Australasia. The government claims to have seen a credible business plan when the Phoenix Four came to the rescue. Is this true, or did they just hope Rover wouldn’t run out of cash? Yet again questions should be asked about the integrity of Messrs Blair and Byers!
David, Weston Super Mare, Somerset

So sad to see MG Rover going down the drain and with it all their nice and beautiful cars. I guess the market for old timers is simply too small?
Hans, Germany, Berlin

There seem to be a lot of comments on here suggesting that it is the general public’s fault because we did not buy British. My response is this - if a foreign company offers a better car at a cheaper price, then why should I buy the inferior product? Yes it is sad that many have lost their jobs, but Rover simply were not competitive in a cut-throat market.
Chris Hodgson, Birkenhead

It is the fault of the management. If the cars were not selling they should have changed the strategy. There should be a public inquiry, not to blame and punish but to learn from the lesson. Key: invest in research and development.
Tharma, Surrey

The Rover workers have at least one consolation - there is a Labour Government in power. Under the Tories, Rover would have got no government help now and would probably have disappeared years ago.
Ken, Hockley Essex

Michael Howard and the Tories are against “the nanny state”. But, when the Phoenix fell to earth, Howard said the government should have prevented the collapse of MG Rover. Whatever happened to smaller government? Whatever happened to anything but soundbites?
Peter Holmes, London

Britain has the fourth largest economy in the world and we still can’t support a British car manufacturer Phil, Burton on Trent

Britain has supposedly the fourth largest economy in the world and we still can’t support a British owned volume car manufacturer without begging for foreign investment. It speaks volumes for British financiers and their short-term profits-now mentality.
Phil, Burton on Trent

None of this should have anything to do with overpaid pontificating government ego trippers. They should mind their own business and concentrate on delivering public services at reasonable cost. Administrative overheads of 23% of tax receipts are not acceptable. Scrap the DTI. Clearly, from this episode, it is a complete and utter waste of money.
Anonymous, UK

Very sad indeed. I think the British government could have done more to help Rover. I know that British government policy is very market orientated when it concerns private companies, but this shouldn’t have happened. Look at France and Renault. What sort of European Union is this?
Jeroen Kormelink, Zoetermeer, Netherlands

I regret the downfall of what was a great company Nick Laffan, Blandford St Mary, UK

As a new MG 75 owner, I regret the downfall of what was a great company and I blame greedy management and incompetent politicians who rule us despite very little, if any, business experience. How can lawyer Blair and Nanny Hewitt consider that they have the experience to lead great national business’?
Nick Laffan, Blandford St Mary, UK

What can we do now? We always previously supported local interests, by buying Rover. The whole tragic situation is yet another poor reflection of our attitude to manufacturing and support for national interests.
David Treadwell, Birmingham

Er, why is the government involved anyway? Isn’t Rover a private company? So why is it a political issue? You know the answer!
Nick Grant, Horsham, UK

Like many British companies, and judging by some of the replies here, there is a notion of brand loyalty by country of origin. This isn’t something that has happened in Britain for a long time now since many have accept that we want quality over loyalty.
Darren Burnham, UK

I’d loved to have had a few thousand of help when my employer made me redundant. I imagine that the people working at Dyson would have liked a similar retraining deal when their jobs were taken abroad. Quite a lot of companies collapse and are unable to pay the people’s wages. Why Rover? Why do they deserve special treatment that no-one else gets?
Tim Almond, Swindon, Wilts

I suspect the damage will extend far beyond Rover’s management, employees, dealers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Surely, the company’s auditors stand accountable to explain why the company continued to trade when its finances were so unstable; maybe this is also a question for the insolvency specialists at PricewaterhouseCoopers who now control the company?
William Bemister, Oxford

Such special cases deserve special treatment David Ostojitsch, Rowley Regis

I agree with the comments that a large support package shouldn’t be given to Rover, as other companies in the UK which close may receive nothing at all. However; 5,000 workers losing their jobs at once, suppliers and dealerships all around the UK and worldwide hit, the implications of the closing of Rover at a regional level. Such special cases deserve special treatment.
David Ostojitsch, Rowley Regis

Surely greed, the curse of the modern western world, is the ultimate reason why Rover collapsed? With less greed, perhaps the Phoenix Venture group would have aspired to build up a company, which made quality cars this country could be proud of, rather than simply running the company they acquired into the ground. Why can’t this once great company be re-nationalised? Why can’t top jobs be offered to highly qualified businessmen, who are charged with turning a profit, while receiving real performance based bonuses which are purely down to numbers of cars sold? It seems so simple. Why can our government spend hundreds of millions on overseas aid and pay for wars nobody wants, but is unable to re-nationalise a company? Britain would be proud to have a modern and competitive national car industry. If the cars were actually developed to meet modern standards I’d certainly buy one.
Neil Duffield, Gloucester, UK

I used to work for a Rover dealership. What the Directors have done to the finances of the company is criminal. They have sucked the firm dry of capital and assets and now expect the British taxpayer to pick up the pieces. I work for a small company of 14 employees - would the government bail us out if my directors did the same? No. Enough is enough - the people at the top must be held responsible for their actions.
Ritchie Hicks, Colchester

Rover has been in decline for many years. It is a private company which has failed. To use tax payers money to help prop it up or investigate its demise to the tune of many hundreds of millions of pounds is scandalous. It should be treated in the same way as any other private business in administration. There are rules and checks already in place which will bring to the fore any wrong doings by the board of directors and punish them accordingly.
Hilary Tucker, Sutton Coldfield

Nobody else gets any government handouts when they lose their jobs Patricia, Henley, UK

The Rover workers simply have no idea how they have alienated themselves over this. Nobody else gets any government handouts when they lose their jobs; why on earth should they? Why am I going out to work, taking risks, moving house, changing jobs, watching my employer’s performance, making sacrifices, to pay for these? Everyone I know feels disgusted about this.
Patricia, Henley, UK

Another fine mess. Labour has done it again, too little too late, saying what it will improve if we vote them back in. They have had over 8 years to show us what they can do.
Alan Flitcroft, UK

No, I don’t think it should be politically damaging as Rover is a private company. Rover cars are good, there is nothing wrong with them at all, but people like Jeremy Clarkson and the rest of the media helped sell that company down the river by their “smart” remarks. Ian Hislop hit the nail on the head when he intimated that it was people like Clarkson who had helped put the boot in. I think the government should certainly set up an enquiry into the accounting. Phoenix Consortium have a lot to answer for, but much as I dislike this current government I can’t blame them for this - the blame lies squarely with Phoenix and the media in this country who are always quick to put the knife in.
Vicky George, Redditch, UK

When people look back to today, the Rover calamity will be seen as the first sign of the wheels coming off the British economy. The buoyant economy of late has been fuelled by low international interest rates, and cheap consumer goods from the Far East, not from any fundamental strength of the UK economy. We are living beyond our means, with a 40 billion trade deficit annually. Whoever wins the election is going to have to make some unwelcome decisions to bring what we produce in line with what we consume. Rover will then look like the tip of the iceberg.
Dudley Holley, UK

The collapse of the rescue attempt is the symptom not the problem. The problems are: the fatcats who milked the company knowing full well it wouldn’t last; and the political climate which allowed this to happen.
Phil, UK

My thoughts go out to all those who have lost their jobs, but there are some very serious questions to be asked and quickly. Where has all the money gone? How much have the directors awarded themselves and why have they been rewarded when the company has failed?
Julian Hale, Stockton on Tees

The government could have helped, but they were more interested in sticking to the EU rules. When will our people come first Mr Blair?
Alfie Noakes, UK

For too long they have been making too few, poor quality cars, inefficiently. It’s not rocket science. My girlfriend was made redundant 2 years ago and we have suffered a reduction in income of 4k pa. Did the government help us? Of course not, we have simply had to get on with it. Everyone bleating about government help should consider that they are only receiving this help due to cynical vote generation by Blair and Brown.
Dave Smith, Shropshire

Regardless of size, a company manufacturing a product that doesn’t sell should not be supported HF, UK

Would a private company have allowed the government to step in earlier? Would the government not then be accused of being a nanny state? Private companies are just that. Regardless of size, a company manufacturing a product that doesn’t sell should not be supported. Rover has been in trouble for years and surely the workers knew that.
HF, UK

Tory cries for an independent enquiry are a joke! They want to spend more public money doing a post mortem on a private corpse. They’ll have plenty of time on their hands to do it themselves.
Ian, London, UK

All this talk of the government getting involved sooner and being able to save Rover is very wrong. The Chinese were denied access to the books just like the Government and the directors of Rover painted a much better deal to the Chinese then what is known now. I believe the government did all it could. Rover failed because the British people did not buy enough Rover cars. It’s that simple. Trying to score political points is sickening to watch. People should focus on the workers who are being made redundant and the efforts to save what works and concentrating on creating new jobs. The Lib Dems are a disgrace: in 2000 they backed the deal that supported the Phoenix team, how petty is it now for them to pretend otherwise and as for the Tories, they’re being opportunistic yet again.
Gary Hills, Willenhall

I think what has happened is disgusting. The decline in Birmingham’s once powerful industry sector is totally down to the Labour government who refuse to invest in technology. How are Rover and Jaguar meant to compete when we are producing horse carts for twice the price of automobiles you can buy abroad? We need to invest in the future.
Ad, London

Read http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/have_your_say/4450229.stm

News - War-torn Iraq ‘facing collapse’

Posted on October 14, 2007
Filed Under Dating advices, Dating experts | Leave a Comment

Iraq faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation, UK foreign policy think tank Chatham House says.

Its report says the Iraqi government is now largely powerless and irrelevant in many parts of the country.

It warns there is not one war but many local civil wars, and urges a major change in US and British strategy, such as consulting Iraq’s neighbours more.

The report comes as Iran said Iranian and US diplomats would hold talks on 28 May on the security situation in Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the talks - the third such meeting - would be restricted to the subject of Iraq.

“Negotiation is limited to Iraq, in Iraq, and will start in the presence of Iraqi officials,” he told reporters during a visit to Pakistan.

The situation in Iraq will form part of discussions between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush in Washington on Thursday.

It is Mr Blair’s last official visit to the White House before he steps down as prime minister on 27 June.

‘Harsh realities’

The UK Foreign Office, responding to the Chatham House report, stated that security conditions, although “grim” in places, varied across Iraq.

CHATHAM HOUSE Established in 1920 Formerly known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs Takes its name from building in which it is housed Regarded as one of world’s leading think tanks on international affairs Famous for Chatham House Rule, on free speech and confidentiality at meetings

“Most insurgent attacks remain concentrated in just four of Iraq’s 18 provinces, containing less than 42% of the population,” a Foreign Office spokesman told the Press Association news agency.

“Iraq has come a long way in a short time,” he added, saying the international community “must stand alongside the Iraqi government”.

Maj Gen William Caldwell, spokesman for the multinational force in Iraq, told the BBC the US troops surge in Baghdad was showing progress.

“We are seeing positive indicators that within Baghdad levels of violence are coming down,” he said.

“That’s what we want it to do, so that it will set the conditions to allow for the economic and political process to take place.”

There is not ‘a’ civil war in Iraq, but many civil wars and insurgencies involving a number of communities and organisations struggling for power Chatham House report on Iraq Report paints grim picture

The Chatham House report, written by Gareth Stansfield, a Middle East expert, is unremittingly bleak, says BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins.

Mr Stansfield argues that the break-up of Iraq is becoming increasingly likely.

In large parts of the country, the Iraqi government is powerless, he says, as rival factions struggle for local supremacy.

The briefing paper, entitled Accepting Realities in Iraq, says: “There is not ‘a’ civil war in Iraq, but many civil wars and insurgencies involving a number of communities and organisations struggling for power.”

Mr Stansfield says that although al-Qaeda is challenged in some areas by local leaders who do not welcome such intervention, there is a clear momentum behind its activity.

Iraq’s neighbours also have a greater capacity to affect the situation on the ground than either the UK or the US, the report adds.

US-Iran talks

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that US-Iranian discussions at ambassador level would take place in Iraq on 28 May.

American and Iranian officials have held talks at ambassador level in the past. There were discussions in Baghdad in March and brief exchanges at a summit in Egypt earlier this month.

Given the climate of suspicion and hostility which has existed between Iran and the US, it is doubtful that the talks stand any chance of yielding quick or substantial results, our correspondent says.

Washington accuses Iran of arming Shia militants in Iraq.

Tehran says American and other coalition forces should be withdrawn from Iraq.

Originaly from

News - Your comments

Posted on October 12, 2007
Filed Under Dating advices, Dating experts | Leave a Comment

Your comments on the A fight to the death programme.

Due to the high number of e-mails we get we cannot guarantee to publish every single message we receive. We may also edit some e-mails for legal reasons and for purposes of clarity and length.

The views expressed on these pages are not necessarily the views of the BBC.

The e-mails published will be reflective of the messages we have been sent.

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After watching Panorama I was able to stabilise my views on the possible outcomes of the Hutton Inquiry. I feel that this programme has clarified a great deal of uncertainty for me. I think that the producers were as unbiased as possible, although they may have leaned slightly towards the side of the BBC. But it was unfair of the Panorama producers to release evidence of this new interview during the programme. They used the advantage of media control to take a cheap shot at the Government.
C Nichols, UK

I disagree strongly with the correspondents here who criticise the BBC for taking a “pre-emptive strike” and trying to “clear itself” before the publication of the Hutton report. The Government will use the media in any way it sees fit to add spin and push its own agenda, and has done this to the British public for years.

Whilst I believe the programme was a thoroughly unbiased account of the circumstances surrounding the weapons dossier and Dr Kelly, I also believe that had the government not tried to bully the BBC into submission so much during the summer, that this programme may well have been aired after Lord Hutton’s report. In showing this programme tonight, the BBC are again levelling the playing field.
Matt Taylor, Bristol, UK

I think that the Panorama programme showed what most people suspected - that the government and the BBC’s clashing of swords brought about the demise of Dr Kelly.
Mr Carvel T Smith, uk

I was very impressed by the impartiality of the reporting. Neither the BBC nor the government have come out of this affair well, irrespective of where the eventual blame for Dr Kelly will lie. Your reporting of this affair has given me back much of the faith I used to have in the BBC’s impartiality.
Tony Morris, UK

The BBC have proved themselves to be expert spin doctors, as well as artful producers of sexed up documentaries - this is one thing they certainly can’t pin on Campbell.
Jagruti, UK

I find it interesting to see how this programme has divided opinion so sharply - some absolving the BBC and blaming the government, others accusing the corporation of engaging in yet another piece of subterfuge and spin. The truth, as so often is the case, likely lies between these two extremes.

It seems to me that the whole premise behind this programme is flawed Ian Hewes

I cannot understand, however, most of the criticisms made of the Panorama programme. The timing of the broadcast is, admittedly, perhaps unwise. Accusations of “spin” and “cover-up” simply do not hold up as it was scrupulously fair. The simple fact is that the BBC is and often has been caught between its twin roles as both a British institution and a news organisation.
Cliff Single, UK

It seems to me that the whole premise behind this programme is flawed. There is no such thing as unbiased reporting or exemplary government. “A Fight to the Death” was merely a continuation of the fight, offering apparent olive branches to disguise its real objective - continuing the process of undermining the BBC’s perceived enemies in the government.
Ian Hewes, UK

The BBC let us down in the form of Mr Gilligan by the original news report. I am a daily consumer of BBC News and have listened to the Today programme daily for many years, and will not trust it again until the fault on its part is publicly acknowledged and apology made to its listeners.
Jonathan Coad, England

Either this was aired as a reminder for us all prior to the publication of the Hutton report, or it was an arrogant piece of nonsense that seemed slavishly to follow the Tory line in needlessly stirring up a hornet’s nest.
Duncan Williamson, UK

The BBC are as bad as everyone else, manipulating information and facts John

The fact this unseen interview was only just released, proves that the BBC are as bad as everyone else, manipulating information
and facts, rather than putting them forward in the correct manner, and at the right time.
John, UK

The programme has restored my faith in the integrity and honesty of the BBC. The transmission of the programme shows that the BBC is prepared to commit itself to high quality journalism, and presentation of the facts irrespective of how unpopular these may be with the government or any other vested interest.

Ramon Prasad, UK

I am heartily sick of the BBC’s continuing attempts to use its powerful media control for the purpose of self-justification. My former high regard for the BBC’s impartiality has been damaged beyond repair by this one matter. I have never been a Labour party member, but I respect Mr Blair for his openness and honesty more than I have ever appreciated any other politician - with the exception of Sir Winston Churchill.
Dr Trevor Watts, UK

Your strategy is to get your self-criticism in first in order to dilute the impact of criticism from Hutton. Screening this programme one week before the Report is a disgrace. Behind the self-criticism you also include criticism of the government. You can see, from today’s headlines, that the real purpose of your programme was to prompt further criticism of the Government.

I am asking Lord Hutton to investigate the circumstances behind your programme Peter James

I am asking Lord Hutton to investigate the circumstances behind your programme and to include comments on it when he reports.

Peter James, UK

Whilst both parties did not do themselves any favours, with tragic consequences, it is my opinion that the BBC is only guilty of ineptitude. Their “Keystone Cops” comedy of errors eroded the generally held perception of quality and fair journalism.

However, the greater blame lies with the government, in their blatant and cynical manipulation of what was known (and, more importantly, what was NOT) to justify the war in Iraq. The BBC managed to regain some of its “pride” by showing this well made and incisive programme last night. I wonder what the government will do to “regain” its “position”? Make Geoff Hoon the fall guy?
Simon Mason, England

I think that the closing comments of ‘A Fight To The Death’ - the feared conclusion that the public’s belief in the BBC as a trustworthy source of the truth has been damaged will have been greatly mitigated by this brave programme. With the publication of the Hutton inquiry findings so close, it still remains to be seen whether or not the government will have the courage to do the same. Yes, I am pre-judging!

Michael Scott, UK

I think it was wrong of the BBC to allot itself, before the appearance of the Hutton Report, 90 minutes in which to give a very biased in its own favour account of the Hutton Inquiry and the events leading to it. Government members and intelligence officials are painted black. The BBC admits to one black sheep, Andrew Gilligan. The others are only a pale grey.
A Hinton, UK

I would have liked to have seen a more definite line adopted Dean Bainbridge

I note there was previously unseen footage of Dr Kelly stating, as a weapons expert, and on the record, that chemical weapons would be ready for use in days. The question that came to my mind was why this was not broadcast previously by Panorama?

Iain Anderson, UK

I would have liked to have seen a more definite line adopted regarding the analysis of the parties concerned. Whilst factually and analytically excellent, the “punch” of coming to a conclusion was lacking, although the decision to criticise the BBC’s Board of Governors’ blind support of management was brave and correct.
Dean Bainbridge, UK

Why mar an otherwise professional programme by such extensive and distracting use of actors? Is this balanced reporting of events (news), or ‘docudrama’ (entertainment)?
Robin Gill, UK

Having just watched the BBC’s Panorama programme on the Hutton inquiry I feel that there was a tendency to lean towards ‘bashing’ the government. Although the BBC admitted (or exposed) wrongdoings on their part, I cannot help but feel that they are trying to clear themselves before the publication of Lord Hutton’s report. I realise that some of the findings may prove ’slightly’ damaging to the BBC, but there seemed to be a massive focus on trying to explain their way out of a situation before the Hutton inquiry has been published.

Would it not have been considered appropriate that the BBC would respond to the comments made in the report, rather than trying to use the propaganda of the media before publication, after the report had been published? A very sorry sight from the BBC. I ‘was’ a believer that the BBC was an independent, and impartial, corporation, but apparently not. Get your side of the story in before you get slated in public; that’s what it looks like.

Chris Archer, UK

I’m cynical that the BBC knows it was wrong and this is the start of a major climb-down Nigel Barclay

David Kelly betrayed the government so that we the people might know something of the truth. To me David Kelly will always be a hero, whereas for most of the others involved in this tale, there are only differing degrees of shame. Blair, Hoon, Gilligan, Sambrook, Dyke, Davis, Scarlett should resign; as for Campbell who is defined by his role in this, he should never be allowed to profit from the death of a good man. He should contribute all the profits from his diaries to charity.
Mark Brown, UK

A very well balanced and objective programme but I’m cynical that the BBC knows it was wrong and this is the start of a major climb-down. I have to say that my opinion of the Government and Campbell have improved significantly whilst surely Greg Dyke’s and Gavyn Davies’ positions will be untenable if Hutton draws the same conclusions.
Nigel Barclay, west Lothian, Scotland

A very good, brave programme. It took all the bits that have been worked over in the press, added some new footage and worked it into a coherent and instructive record of what we think we know before Hutton delivers his conclusions. Please, please will the BBC always live up to this standard. I do not want any British government ever to have a valid reason to dismantle the independence of the BBC
Juliet van Rijsbergen, UK

The BBC are playing the game of spin. No-one believes them. They will only ever print the occasional e-mail criticising them. This is worse than anything Campbell and co ever did. The man is dead and they are still at it. You have lost credibility and it will never return.
James Adamson, UK

How is it that Andrew Gilligan and Geoff Hoon still have jobs? Amanda Nimon

How is it that Andrew Gilligan and Geoff Hoon still have jobs? The Hutton Inquiry has clearly demonstrated that each has performed with gross incompetence with regard to a major function of their respective roles. Further, I find it repulsive and nauseating that the government acted to ensure the revealing of Dr Kelly’s name by pursuing a covert policy of leaking small clues, then confirming journalists’ guesses, in order that it could later categorically deny a specific policy of naming him itself. Previously I was a supporter of Tony Blair but he should also lose his job for this deception. There is only one final place the buck can stop.
Amanda Nimon, UK

It appears to me that both the agents of the government and the BBC have committed errors in their handling of the Kelly affair. The Panorama programme broadcast tonight suggested that the Hutton Inquiry may produce the answers to many of the important questions raised by the event. I would not wish to hold my breath on this but I would question the BBC’s use of a public network to broadcast its view in advance of the outcome of the inquiry. Has the BBC offered the Government equal use of the network to put its view across? If not, is this action not a misuse of a publicly owned facility?

J.O’Keeffe, U.K.

This was a riveting programme and pieced together coherently the sequence of events that led to the tragic death of Dr David Kelly. What struck me most forcibly was the contrast between the essential decency and morality of Dr Kelly and the dishonest, self-preserving actions of both the government and the BBC. There are no ‘winners’ here.
Amanda Smith, UK

Having watched this programme the key question in my mind is why the programme was broadcast nearly a week before the Hutton report is published. It appeared to question the validity of the Hutton Inquiry in relation to the Prime Minister’s position. As the BBC who produced this programme is in a ‘Fight to the Death’ with the Government, it appears logical to conclude that the BBC is trying to prejudice the results of this independent inquiry in the public’s mind. I am appalled by this action.
Jean Peyton, England

This was one of the most outstanding and compelling pieces of television I have ever seen Nick Owen

A very fair depiction, and not at all BBC biased. What comes across to me is that the major fault lies on two sides. Andrew Gilligan clearly sought to make a name for himself, and the mess that unravelled itself and engulfed Dr Kelly, will obviously criticise the government, but not enough to inflict a fatal blow. Geoff Hoon is being primed to be the sacrificial lamb, but the smell comes from higher up. Being a lawyer, Tony Blair will use argument over wording and semantics to stress that he isn’t being criticised that much at all. I voted New Labour in ‘97 and ‘01, but I think he should go. Government high-handedness is in clear view.
Neil Jeffery, Herefordshire, UK

I don’t think that you made it clear just how narrow the terms of reference were for the inquiry. The obvious contradictions between government statements and the subsequent evidence will not appear in the report. In fact, they were not even submitted to Lord Hutton. The government’s intention is to deflect any criticism by pointing to issues that haven’t even been investigated. By raising peoples’ expectations of a definitive answer to the reasons for war, you are making their job easier.
Martin Bove, UK

Utterly brilliant and compulsive viewing, John Ware at his informative best. Panorama has regained its b***s, though I do have some misgivings that my ex-employers are trying to regain the moral high ground and employ a bit of spin themselves before next Wednesday but on the whole a balanced and fair programme regards to my ex-colleagues.
Alan Stevens, UK

This was one of the most outstanding and compelling pieces of television I have ever seen. I have followed the Hutton Inquiry very carefully, and find it to be a very accurate account of the conflict between the BBC and the government. It accurately describes the mistakes made by the BBC and the lies and duplicity of the Blair government. It went further than my own study, however, in clarifying the conflict in Dr Kelly over his struggle to be loyal to his employers and truthful about the distortions in the government’s version of our intelligence on Iraq. The use of dramatised events mixed with newsreel can be criticised as being Gilliganesque or tabloid and potentially misleading, but I think it was worth the risk to do this. The contrast between a fallible BBC and a government that so clearly misled its people, taking us to war on false pretences cannot be more convincingly demonstrated.
Nick Owen, UK

From watching the programme intently, the politicians come out of it not too badly, and the BBC extremely badly Dave Cathy

I wanted to congratulate the Panorama team on an excellent programme tonight about the death of David Kelly. I commend it for its impartiality. Clearly the BBC were not given an easy ride and nor was the government. It is clear to me as it has always been that, despite the argument about semantics and loose use of language etc, Andrew Gilligan was in essence right. His story was dynamite and an excellent piece of journalism. He’s uncovered an appalling disservice to the British public by No 10 and should be supported 100%. He exploded the myth, as many had suspected, that Saddam Hussein posed no threat to the UK and that this country was taken to war under false pretences and many people died as a result of the manipulation and presentation of so-called intelligence. Andrew Gillian has produced one of your best pieces of journalism and should be carried shoulder high for it and not sent on gardening leave.

Jacquie Biggs, UK

It seems to me that the BBC was genuinely onto something and got the story largely right. I think it is understandable that the errors Andrew Gilligan made were not picked up as quickly as critics would like. There is no doubt, however, that the government, the MOD and the JIC have the most to answer for. In my opinion, their behaviour in this tragedy was infinitely worse than that of the BBC.

Unfortunately, we can’t overlook the fact that David Kelly appeared himself to have lied, and had to face the fact that he had been found out. The twitch on his face when he was asked about the Newsnight reporter is surely one of the defining moments. Sadly, as more and more lawyers become politicians we will be faced with men and women who will claim they never ‘leaked’ a name but will never admit they allowed a name to become known. If this is the future of British politics, it makes you want to throw up.
Carl Taylor, UK

A fascinating programme. The fact that you did not pull your punches regarding the BBC’s part in the saga has restored some of the faith I have always had in the BBC, but had recently lost. However I believe, from watching the programme intently, the politicians come out of it not too badly, and the BBC extremely badly. It is a politician’s job to implement policies, and to do their best to bring the public behind them. Therefore, truth is always a little stretchable. On the other hand, the BBC have only one purpose - to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. On the David Kelly affair, they signally failed to do so, and the blame for his death must largely be at the door of the BBC in general, and Gilligan in particular.
Dave Cathy, England

I think tonight’s Panorama programme is just a PR stunt and has added little to what is already in the public domain. Since the report will be out next week, one wonders why the BBC decided to agonisingly bend our ears and bore its viewers rigid with this kindergarten rehearsal. Please ‘allow the judge do the judging’.
Chidozie Onovo, Nigeria

This was a pathetic piece of television Simon Murphy

This was a pathetic piece of television. You billed it as an investigative independent programme but it was a trawl through everything we already knew. It highlighted government embarrassments but only criticised Gilligan from the BBC. It attacked the naming strategy but didn’t mention the pieces of information about Kelly that the BBC released to the media itself in its releases and letters. This was a PR exercise. And shameful for it.
Simon Murphy, UK

Very interesting programme tonight. In my view this will be the end of Mr Campbell, already gone, before forced to go. Mr Hoon will be next but will Mr Blair be gone as well? In my view Blair will have to step down.

Ian Summerell, England

The programme kept rightly referring to the issue of trust. Trust is engendered by a willingness to keep examining one’s own truthfulness and integrity. That is exactly what the BBC demonstrated here, through an open and critical approach to its own ability to tell the truth. Proof again, were it needed, that the BBC is a treasure of immeasurable worth to the whole of the UK. As an American living in the UK, I am astonished at the reluctance of some to pay the licence fee. I for one would pay double.
Eric Christianson, UK

An absolutely outstanding documentary, full of impartial information and observation. Full credit must be given to the cast and crew for putting together a superbly well-researched and edited programme. This story would make a truly gripping film about the role of governments and journalists within society today, along with one man’s pressure to cope with such an important issue.
Stef Notarangelo, England

As a communication degree student I am used to deep analysis of textual content. There is no way this programme could be described as impartial. Camera angles, background music and a myriad of other devices were employed to discredit the government and enhance the ’saintly’ image of the BBC. However, I am not actually complaining. It was riveting viewing and at the end of the day weapons of mass destruction - the justification for an attack on Iraq - have not been found - so who is telling the most damning lies?
Trisha Lewis, UK

It was fascinating and well researched, but toothless without the knowledge of what is in the Hutton report Richard McCoy

Congratulations on tonight’s programme, which combined incisive reporting with unflinching analysis and is an invaluable preparation for the (delayed) publication of the Hutton Report next week. This was an example of BBC news journalism at its very finest, unafraid to criticise either the Corporation itself or the highest powers of government. The BBC would be doing itself - as well as its viewers - a favour by re-installing Panorama in a regular prime-time weekday slot. Thank you.
Mary Lloyd, England

Mr Blair may be too clever to have told any outright lies. However, the Government may well have manipulated the intelligence to bolster its desire to go to war. The question is why? WMDs? Not even the Govt can have actually believed in them. Barbaric regime? Hardly - we’d be permanently at war, sometimes with allies, if that were the case. United States pressure? That’s more like it!
Pete Dunipace, Scotland

I am intrigued by the timing of this programme. It was fascinating and appeared well researched, but is toothless without the knowledge of what is in the Hutton report. I can only hope that there will be a follow-up immediately after the report, but how much more interesting that would have been if tonight’s broadcast had not been made.
Richard McCoy, UK

Congratulations for an impeccably fair and factual programme. I have to say I do not see why Panorama gave so much emphasis to Iraq’s elusive weapons of mass destruction. Finding out why the UK went to war against Iraq was never the remit of the Hutton Inquiry and there is plenty of information available in the public domain for the British people to decide on the issue. As for the tragic death of Dr Kelly, it is clear that he was betrayed by Andrew Gilligan as well as his employers at the Ministry of Defence. His blood is ultimately in the hands of both the BBC and the government.
Gregory Roumeliotis, UK

The BBC has redeemed itself with this outstanding documentary Tim Cornell

Whatever mistakes were made with regard to the Andrew Gilligan/Dr Kelly “interview” and its fallout, the BBC has redeemed itself with this outstanding documentary. I only hope the government can be as honest with itself.
Tim Cornell, England

Congratulations on a very open programme. It appears to set the case very fairly from all sides. Questions remain as to whether the BBC will have the courage to give Alastair Campbell the apology it so obviously owes him, and whether Andrew Gilligan will continue his employment with the Today programme, which was undeservedly brought into such disrepute over this matter.
Catherine Lee, England

Interesting programme and reasonably well balanced. It would have to be though - wouldn’t it - considering the subject. Anyway, it seems to me the BBC allowed the whole cycle to start by allowing a reporter to make a blas accusation that the government was lying, back him to the hilt and not expect the government to come out all guns blazing! That is the essence of what happened. I still feel the BBC is more responsible than all other news organisations but in this case they were very wrong. If you are going to accuse the government of lying, the BBC had better make sure there is a rock solid case before proceeding. Sorry Beeb, but you really messed up on this one.
Danny Anderson, Scotland (UK)

I just watched your programme on the Hutton Inquiry. An extremely difficult programme to do and while reporting everything factually, it still is possible to impart a certain spin. As I’ve not read everything in the inquiry I’m not sure. What I am certain of is, that I don’t think there is another broadcasting organisation in the world that would devote 90 mins of its prime time to a programme which in part criticises itself. The pure essence of why the BBC is different and sets the standards for the rest.
Terry Devlin, UK

The programme was an impartial, well researched piece of documentary. Panorama is still leading the way in investigative journalism. It is clear that the programme posed many questions for the government and the BBC. It remains to be seen what will happen upon the publishing of the report next week but it is apparent that the BBC and the Labour Party will both come in for severe criticism for their behaviour in regard to the whole saga.
Stephen Quinlan, Dublin, Ireland

We shall have to wait to see if Hutton agrees with your conclusions Mike Stephens

A very useful and balanced programme. We shall have to wait to see if Hutton agrees with your conclusions. One criticism however and it applies not only to this programme but to news reporting generally. I believe that when showing reconstructions this should be displayed on the screen at all times. Similarly when library pictures are shown both this fact and the archive date should be displayed on screen. Too often the viewer may be left with the impression that the pictures are of events happening on the day they are broadcast.
Mike Stephens, England

I found your report riveting on the basis that your own organisation was under scrutiny in the Hutton Inquiry. The fact that the BBC was even allowed to make this programme is a reflection on the impartiality of reporters within the organisation and the management. It raised some interesting questions and how words taken out of context can be “blown up” in a volatile environment. I feel human nature and people striving to do what they think is right had a lot to do with what developed. No one will get off without criticism I feel, when the final report is published, but maybe they all felt they were doing what they thought was right at the time.
Charles Nicell, Northern Ireland

I’m not sure I watched the same programme as some of the others commenting on this page. I didn’t think the programme was at all balanced - “at least the BBC did this” … “the Government is yet to do that”. I think some in the BBC need to consider their position - Gilligan, Dyke and Gavyn Davies all need to re-examine the embarrassment they’ve caused what is, and should be, an internationally respected corporation.
Dan Lloyd, UK

I was a little surprised while watching the programme, which was about people using word play. That Panorama said that Dr Kelly “appeared” to have took his own life. (In his despair, Dr Kelly appears to have taken his own life. He’d been caught in the crossfire between the government and the BBC.)
Andrew Smith, England

This whole affair is disgraceful, partly because it took the life of an expert in his field Bilal Manzoor

This whole affair is disgraceful, partly because it took the life of an expert in his field, and partly because we may never know who was right and who was wrong. Andrew Gilligan and Geoff Hoon should both resign as they played a very important part in this. And no, I don’t think the war against Iraq was just. People who supported the war are now starting to realise this, but the sad thing is that so many people, who died in this unjust war, can’t be brought back, thanks to Mr Bush and Mr Blair.
Bilal Manzoor, UK

After further ‘analysis’ of the Dr David Kelly affair, it is still very clear to myself, that this whole issue would have not been created had the BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan not lied. Panorama’s latest analysis reinforces this belief. What I would like to see, are the BBC Board of Governors - who apparently represent me as a licence fee payer - resign their positions. Greg Dyke should also consider his position, as should senior news editors and managers. Why the Gilligan’s claims were not properly investigated time after time, is proof enough that the BBC is currently poorly run, managed and monitored.

If this organisation were a proper business, it would go out of business. By this, I mean it is now time for this organisation to drag itself into the 21st century, stop asking me for a subsidy every year, and run its affairs more professionally. Oh yes, and apologise unreservedly for causing such a mess. Perhaps, following the release of the Hutton Report, the BBC would like to seek a further inquiry into suicide attempts - and tragically successes - of schoolchildren in the UK. Such an inquiry would achieve a whole lot more, and would also be more deserving of such media attention! Then, both the BBC and government could be seen to be acting in the best interests of the country - instead of their own standing. Here’s to common sense for the future - and news reporters reporting the news, not creating it.
Richard Galliers, Wales

I was very disappointed to hear the way the news director and Greg Dyke conducted themselves I Bard

Nice to see that Panorama was critical of both sides in the Kelly debate and I think as a licence payer I was very disappointed to hear the way the news director and Greg Dyke conducted themselves. They should both walk as a minimum. The BBC was doing the very thing they were (wrongly) accusing No.10 of doing - saying something that no-one had said. Gilligan must take full responsibility of Kelly’s death. He put him in an untenable position. The quicker we get rid of the licence fee the better, so that people like Dyke and his robots should have to work for their money.

I Bard, England

I just watched your excellent programme about the Hutton Inquiry. It confirms my instinctive feelings that we can no longer trust this government and their advisors. The BBC has also been blooded, for nobody can now believe that the governors are truly working on behalf of the public they are meant to represent.
Martin Philip, UK

Tonight’s Panorama good or bad? Well to be honest it was a little better than I expected, although you could still smell the stench of an apologist for the state, well suppose that’s your job in reality. But within your guidelines, it did offer some insight into the nature of corrupted government in today’s world based on cash not people.

Now all we have to do is stop the same thing happening in the near future with Iran. Lets see if you can stop it this time by reporting more dissent and question the reply from the state instead of taking what they say as a starting point.
Mark Wood, Shropshire, England

When I saw the BBC News at 6 O’clock I was expecting a fair and unbiased programme. What I saw was two lengthy attacks on the government and a short, though fairly damning examination of the BBC. Made worse when supposedly crucial evidence was voiced over.
Charlie Garratt, England

Tonight’s Panorama was merely a poor attempt by the BBC to divert any blame away from itself John Fowler

It will be interesting to see if the Hutton Inquiry reaches the same conclusion about the unwise involvement of the JIC Chair with the Prime Minister and his staff.
Helen, UK

Tonight’s Panorama was merely a poor attempt by the BBC to divert any blame away from itself before the publication of the Hutton report. When serving British men and women fighting in Iraq refuse to watch BBC News coverage because of its bias against the war, then that is good enough for me and just about says it all. Trying to twist the facts to fit the BBC own agenda is simply deplorable.
John Fowler, England

Tonight’s programme was very interesting but at the same time extremely sad. The government and the MoD between them handled the whole issue in a totally irresponsible way. Someone should have taken control and brought the dispute between themselves and the BBC to a sensible conclusion by agreeing a formal statement, fit for public consumption, on what happened over the dossier and the latest understanding of the perceived threat posed by Iraq. Instead they played a despicable game with journalists hoping Dr Kelly would be the fall guy and be discredited, to get them off the hook. The whole shabby affair cost a decent man his life.

Philip S Hall, UK

However well made or not tonight’s Panorama on the Hutton Inquiry may be, its timing a week before the report is published shows appalling lack of judgement. We have an extensive inquiry about to be revealed. It is inappropriate for a BBC programme to be making its own judgement (as the last part of the programme certainly did - even if some of the earlier part of the programme had made some valuable points) on what that report should be saying. It would be far better to comment on the conclusions drawn by Lord Hutton. Even Michael Howard wasn’t that crass today in Parliament.
Tim Hilborne, UK

Breathtaking. ‘A Fight To The Death’ was a most enjoyable programme, maybe the BBC should now really start to think of becoming a private independent company, which is no longer held by the constraints of the government in power. If heads do not roll in government, and yes I did use the word heads (plural), this will be a shame on the whole country.
Eric McKenzie, England

You let the government off lightly in this programme Mark T

I heard and trusted the BBC throughout the 1939-1945 war, and have since travelled in many countries and know the BBC’s worldwide reputation. In my opinion, tonight’s Panorama on the Iraq dossier and related matters, was in accord with the BBC’s finest traditions. Congratulations. (Unfortunately, compared with the BBC, those who revile it look pretty shoddy.) Please, good BBC, fight for your independence; we all need you. And remember, we all get something wrong sometimes. What matters is whether we can perceive our own mistakes and learn from them. You have shown that you can.
Jeffrey Boss, England

I am astounded that all the news preview reports about this programme have stated that both the BBC and Andrew Gilligan do not come out of it very well. My only conclusion is that the government of this country, its Ministry of Defence, its minister of defence, and in particular its prime minister and his “advisers” have very many questions to answer. My only hope is that Lord Hutton has the same impartiality and integrity as poor Dr David Kelly.
Mrs Julie Mallinson, Wales

A very impartial and well presented programme providing the Beeb-bashers with some ammunition.
Hasan Abdullah, UK

You let the government off lightly in this programme.

Mark T, UK

Thank you Panorama for tonight’s excellent programme. I’ve followed every step of the UK and USA invasion of Iraq - but for those who have not, and there were many who didn’t follow the events surrounding Dr Kelly’s death, it was a most thorough exploration. Also an honest exposure of the BBC’s own shortcomings. Would that the present government would display such an honest approach. It was a defining programme and one of those moments when I felt proud to be British - there haven’t been too many of those lately under our present government regime.
Christine Costello, UK

The BBC should remember it is there to report the news and not to make it M Whitaker

I think that the BBC behaved appallingly in publicising the story from Andrew Gilligan. It was incomplete and a lot of it cobbled together to seem sensational when in fact a lot of it was fiction. My opinion of the BBC has been damaged forever. The fact that the BBC continued to support Gilligan was another mistake and reduced my opinion further. The BBC should remember it is there to report the news and not to make it. I’m sick of reporters and commentators who are constantly asked their opinion about what is going on. What is their opinion worth? Not a lot mostly. From an ex-listener to Radio 4 and BBC news.
M Whitaker, England

This programme went a huge way to restore the BBC’s reputation for public service and objectivity that was so badly damaged by the ‘flawed’ reporting and governors’ arrogance last summer. Long may it continue.
Andy Ibbs, United Kingdom

The Beeb must be quite worried about the Hutton report to resort to using Panorama as its ‘prebuttal’.
J.S. Brown, Essex

I have just watched the BBC try to cover its tracks through casting a little doubt on Gilligan’s reporting. They then try to portray themselves as the vanguard of independent reliable British reporting. Absolute nonsense, we cannot trust a corporation who will go to such lengths to defend the indefensible. They still will not admit they got it wrong, knew they got it wrong and denied they got it wrong.
James Adamson, UK

An excellent balanced programme - a credit to the BBC that it could be made - containing, as it did, criticisms of the BBC.
Diana Jeuda, UK

Tony Blair et al - Guilty. I don’t suppose the Hutton Inquiry will say this. He will be protected by the New Labour establishment.
Mrs M Leadbitter, United Kingdom

Why could you not wait for the publication of the Hutton Report in a week’s time? R A Sykes

Whilst I believe the Panorama programme was a fairly unbiased attempt by the BBC to present the facts of the David Kelly case, I do have some concerns. Firstly the BBC is again guilty of playing politics with the tragic case of Dr Kelly. Why could you not wait for the publication of the Hutton Report in a week’s time? At least the government have kept a respectful silence about the matter for the last few months (though I am sure they will carry some considerable responsibility for the death of Dr Kelly).

Secondly, when will the BBC see that it is not the opposition to the government. Please leave this to the other politicians. Do not become part of the story and start making the news. Please return to factual journalism without your own motives. I do hope that this sorry affair will teach both the government and the BBC (and all journalists) to behave with more decency and some vestige of honesty. Truth is not a game and neither is government or official bashing.
Mr R A Sykes, UK

‘A Fight To The Death’ seemed to provide the one piece of information the public hadn’t got hold of. “THE TRUTH.” Whether my assumption is correct is something the that Lord Hutton may reveal next week. However I do appreciate the programme’s attempt to give a balanced statement on the whole affair. It’s not something we often in British journalism. I do have my own beliefs which I have had for sometime but they are strictly between me and those closest.
Chris Ridings, England

Interesting programme. Gave more credit to the BBC, aside from Mr Gilligan that is, but maybe that’s what the report will find. It certainly sounds like the BBC are gearing up for a fight next week, probably more to do with maintaining their unique status, than possibly proving Gilligan was right in his reporting. What matters is no-one gloats and Dr Kelly is remembered with the respect he deserves.
Jonathan Ward, UK

Massive egos, establishment paranoia, bullying, and the Christian virtues of our glorious leader Andrew Baker Munton

A very interesting re-enactment of events, but obviously viewed from the BBC’s perspective. As a viewer hoping to formulate an objective conclusion on events that took place, I would wish to see the government’s view presented, in a similar re-enactment, broadcast by the BBC. Will this take place, and if not, why not?
David Laughton, UK

I watched tonight’s programme with interest. I’d always found the information around Dr Kelly and the Dossier quite confusing and conflicting. Your programme gave a lot of interesting information and cleared up a lot of questions in my mind. You were objective of the BBC’s position which I found reassuring. My condolences to Dr Kelly’s family. May the BBC continue to be independent and able to freely report the facts - but only the facts. Thanks.
Lisa Cotton, Derby, England

An outstanding piece of journalism and a brilliant example of public service broadcasting at its best. It takes a lot of skill and effort to make something this complicated, comprehensible - well done to all concerned. Totally riveting television.
Jim Conroy, UK

Massive egos, establishment paranoia, bullying, and the Christian virtues of our glorious leader… makes you proud to be British. Great programme.
Andrew Baker Munton, England

A very objective presentation. It clearly demonstrated how members of government and ministries can politically influence civil servants for their partisan political interests and ends without giving direct orders. It also demonstrates the need for journalists to carefully choose their adjectives in reporting coverage of events and interviews.
Jerome Whitney, UK

The truth seems elusive but my faith is a tad restored Daniel Cotter

As usual for the BBC, a travesty of objective or impartial reporting. All along the BBC has been peddling an anti-Iraq war agenda regardless of the situation. I no longer believe any of the statements made by the BBC. I should also point out that in general, I am in no way a Labour supporter.
Paul Rowley, England

Utterly Brilliant. BBC at its Best.
Chris Sandall, UK

A very well made informative programme which has given me a greater insight to the facts. Thank You.
Raymond Lee, England

Good programme (good editing). BBC is really exerting its integrity before the verdict of the Hutton Inquiry. Is BBC nervous?
Guerin Hugh, UK

We must not forget that underlying this whole sad affair - for Dr Kelly, his family and the countless number of people harmed and damaged in a war that seems to have been avoidable - there are human lives damaged for the sake of egos, power and personal distortions of importance from all sides - I hope they all sleep peacefully with their consciences all clear - they probably will as their egos override everything - especially the truth.
Di Dawes, UK

As a student who had lost all faith in politicians and journalists, I found this evening’s programme a beacon of the journalism the Beeb still has to offer. The truth seems elusive but my faith is a tad restored. Andrew Marr should also be prime minister.
Daniel Cotter, England

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