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Diary: Buckles has bolted but still the millions roll in for G4S Diary: Buckles has bolted but still the millions roll in for G4S
(4 months later)
• There's no way back from the bungling of a £284m contract with the government, one would have thought. And certainly the future looks less than bright for G4S's departing chief executive Nick Buckles, who presided over the Olympic security fiasco. But in the privatisation-crazed 21st century, one never says never. Last week while G4S was, not very reassuringly, replacing the aptly named Buckles with a man called Ashley Almanza – who had joined the company only three weeks before – Barry Sheerman MP was asking a question in parliament. How much was the Foreign Office paying G4S? Quite a lot, it turns out. "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has over 40 contracts with G4S globally," replied the minister David Lidington. "For the current financial year, these are valued at £36m approximately per annum. The highest value centrally managed contracts are for the provision of armed static and mobile security services in Afghanistan (£25m this financial year), guarding services in the UK (£4.5m per annum) and armed mobile security services in Somalia (over £1m per annum)." In total, £112m since 2009. That's just from one department. So Nick passes on but everything else stays much the same.• There's no way back from the bungling of a £284m contract with the government, one would have thought. And certainly the future looks less than bright for G4S's departing chief executive Nick Buckles, who presided over the Olympic security fiasco. But in the privatisation-crazed 21st century, one never says never. Last week while G4S was, not very reassuringly, replacing the aptly named Buckles with a man called Ashley Almanza – who had joined the company only three weeks before – Barry Sheerman MP was asking a question in parliament. How much was the Foreign Office paying G4S? Quite a lot, it turns out. "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has over 40 contracts with G4S globally," replied the minister David Lidington. "For the current financial year, these are valued at £36m approximately per annum. The highest value centrally managed contracts are for the provision of armed static and mobile security services in Afghanistan (£25m this financial year), guarding services in the UK (£4.5m per annum) and armed mobile security services in Somalia (over £1m per annum)." In total, £112m since 2009. That's just from one department. So Nick passes on but everything else stays much the same.
• Unexpected repercussions flow from Wednesday's dreadful terrorist atrocity in Woolwich. Already, those who yearn for even more burdensome anti-terrorism legislation see opportunity. Trouble too for the energy company EDF, for its reputation means everything. As the far-right English Defence League (EDL) descended on Woolwich, the utility company was forced to defend itself on social media. "If you are referring to Woolwich, the protest was from the English Defence League (EDL), not EDF Energy," it said. With revenues of £8.4bn last year, EDF has little to protest about anyway.• Unexpected repercussions flow from Wednesday's dreadful terrorist atrocity in Woolwich. Already, those who yearn for even more burdensome anti-terrorism legislation see opportunity. Trouble too for the energy company EDF, for its reputation means everything. As the far-right English Defence League (EDL) descended on Woolwich, the utility company was forced to defend itself on social media. "If you are referring to Woolwich, the protest was from the English Defence League (EDL), not EDF Energy," it said. With revenues of £8.4bn last year, EDF has little to protest about anyway.
• More rumblings among Green activists. On Wednesday we flagged up the controversy over the party's "flawed" selection process to find MEPs in London. Today, the issue is population. The party policy says: "There is a limit to the level of ecological impact the Earth can sustain. The number of people on the planet, their levels of consumption and their local and global impacts are key factors determining how far the Earth's ability to renew its resources and to support all life is compromised. Even within this limit, high rates of population growth, as well as local depopulation can have a damaging effect on sustainability, equity and justice." But what has many members distressed and perplexed is this email fired off by deputy leader Will Duckworth. "I personally believe that the Earth could comfortably accommodate twice the current population if we all lead a more sustainable lifestyle," said Duckworth. "I feel that undue concentration on numbers of people excuses the greedy western lifestyles which are dozens of times more destructive than others. When you look at the land in this country, for instance, devoted to grass and non-productive trees it illustrates that we are not trying to produce our own food in this country." Few Greens are willing to contemplate a doubling of the Earth's population, but then the deputy leader leads by example. And as members tend to like trees – even the "non-productive" ones – one fears trouble ahead.• More rumblings among Green activists. On Wednesday we flagged up the controversy over the party's "flawed" selection process to find MEPs in London. Today, the issue is population. The party policy says: "There is a limit to the level of ecological impact the Earth can sustain. The number of people on the planet, their levels of consumption and their local and global impacts are key factors determining how far the Earth's ability to renew its resources and to support all life is compromised. Even within this limit, high rates of population growth, as well as local depopulation can have a damaging effect on sustainability, equity and justice." But what has many members distressed and perplexed is this email fired off by deputy leader Will Duckworth. "I personally believe that the Earth could comfortably accommodate twice the current population if we all lead a more sustainable lifestyle," said Duckworth. "I feel that undue concentration on numbers of people excuses the greedy western lifestyles which are dozens of times more destructive than others. When you look at the land in this country, for instance, devoted to grass and non-productive trees it illustrates that we are not trying to produce our own food in this country." Few Greens are willing to contemplate a doubling of the Earth's population, but then the deputy leader leads by example. And as members tend to like trees – even the "non-productive" ones – one fears trouble ahead.
• Much to admire in a lecture at Cambridge University by the celebrated philosopher Judith Butler, whose influential work Gender Trouble challenged and reshaped society's view of gender. The gender issue follows her everywhere. She recently stayed in a hotel, she said. There was a knock on the door. "I'm here to check the minibar, madam, mister, madam, mister, madam, mister," said the man with the trolley. "I thought about putting him out of his misery," she told students. "But instead I said 'I'm quite sure it's not necessary to designate my gender for you to check the mini-bar'." One assumes he was out of there quite quickly.• Much to admire in a lecture at Cambridge University by the celebrated philosopher Judith Butler, whose influential work Gender Trouble challenged and reshaped society's view of gender. The gender issue follows her everywhere. She recently stayed in a hotel, she said. There was a knock on the door. "I'm here to check the minibar, madam, mister, madam, mister, madam, mister," said the man with the trolley. "I thought about putting him out of his misery," she told students. "But instead I said 'I'm quite sure it's not necessary to designate my gender for you to check the mini-bar'." One assumes he was out of there quite quickly.
• Finally, why the top TV anchor never jumps to conclusions. "I guess, you gotta thank the Lord, right?" said CNN's Wolf Blitzer, empathising with a survivor of the Oklahoma tornado. "Do you thank the Lord?" "I'm actually an atheist," she replied. God Bless America. God bless Wolf.• Finally, why the top TV anchor never jumps to conclusions. "I guess, you gotta thank the Lord, right?" said CNN's Wolf Blitzer, empathising with a survivor of the Oklahoma tornado. "Do you thank the Lord?" "I'm actually an atheist," she replied. God Bless America. God bless Wolf.
Twitter: @hugh_muirTwitter: @hugh_muir
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