Snoop Dogg

Wow. Julie Bindel has just realised she is not the only feminist who likes Snoop Dogg. I heard Julie speak earlier this year and she was still scratching her head over the idea of feminists who wear make-up and don’t have short hair. Snoop Dogg has made some great tracks, sexy videos and appeared in the L Word. Odd she doesn’t mention that.

Church and media conference 2010

Is religion sidelined by the media? Broadcasters, church folk and humanists gathered last week to thrash things out. See here: CIF Belief in The Guardian Online.

Ilford North and Ilford South Constituencies

Two shots of adrenaline rush fired with the announcement of the results for Ilford North and Ilford South constituencies during the early hours of this morning in the press pack race for accurate and speedy reporting. The press pack at Redbridge Town Hall included the local papers, The Muslim Paper and BBC and ITN stringers. No TV – they weren’t contentious seats.

Here are a couple of snaps from the press balcony overlooking the count, which were taken just before midnight; way before the announcements.

In the bottom right hand corner of this pic (above) you can see Mike Gapes, Labour MP for Ilford South, in his red rosette – he easily retained his seat.

In the top left hand corner (above), those who know him will be able to make out Lee Scott, Conservative MP for Ilford North, who also easily retained his seat.

Election

The day before the Election and the papers show their colours:

The Guardian: Lib Dem
The Independent: Lib Dem
The Times: Labour (for a Tory-Lib Dem pact)
The Telegraph: Conservative
The Daily Mail: Conservative
The Express: Conservative
The Sun: Conservative
The Mirror: Labour

Ekklesia

The Christian think-tank Ekklesia got a mention in a string of nationals today. They have run the story about Jonathan Bartley’s confrontation with David Cameron on the campaign trail yesterday.

Ekklesia’s profile in the world outside the Christian one is probably a little lower than Theos’s – another Christian think-tank which sits in a different place along the political spectrum to Ekklesia. This may be down to the fact that Theos puts on debates. There were some great ones last year. The last one they did got national coverage. In fact, their next one is: How much religious liberty can a liberal society afford? Joshua Rozenberg is chairing. If I were not going to be in the States at the time, I would be there (it’s an invite only event, though).

UKIP

UKIP death wish. Watch Lord Pearson here.

No, it's not a spoof.

Trident

The Times wins on best front page of the day (with the Telegraph’s splash on the prolonged flight ban finishing a close second). It has run with the Trident question, which cuts clear divides between the three main parties’ politics. Inside, they have printed a letter from four army generals asking whether the Cold War missile is actually value for money.

The generals question: ““Is the UK’s security best served by going ahead with business as usual; reducing our nuclear arsenal; adjusting our nuclear posture or eliminating our nuclear weapons?”

And they make the point: “It may well be that money spent on new nuclear weapons will be money that is not available to support our frontline troops, or for crucial counterterrorism work; money not available for buying helicopters, armoured vehicles, frigates or even for paying for more manpower.”

It does seem like an obvious way to reduce the country’s deficit. But the Times’ leader column cautions: “The only real alternative would be, therefore, to abandon our nuclear capability — and with it our nuclear expertise. That decision would be irreversible. It should not be taken lightly in a flurry of cost-saving, nor because it seems like an easy option in a politically charged debate. The generals are right to argue that Trident should be included in the Strategic Defence Review. The detail would surely make the case for its retention.”

Surely, there would be ways around Britain retaining its nuclear expertise if Trident were scrapped: strategic partnerships between states with experts working collaboratively, for instance. Besides, it is not as there isn't any talk of viable alternatives:

(From the Times' article): “General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank added his weight to the debate last night, saying that a cheaper option to Trident should be considered, particularly as Britain strives for a world without nuclear bombs.

“Do we really need the kind of effective weapon we had in the Cold War? There is quite an argument to say we do not,” he told The Times. He suggested that nuclear-tipped missiles launched from the land or by air were possible alternatives.”