Banks refund £2.6bn to customers

The Independent newspaper announced on its front page (31/8/07) that the campaign against the big banks' unfair "penalty fees" has so far cost the banks £2.6 billion in refunds to 3.8 million customers. The Independent's economics editor, Sean O'Grady, writes optimistically about the power of the internet to "humble some of the biggest corporate beasts in the jungle".
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2914378.ece
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2914360.ece

'Anarchy in the UK'

There was a media backlash against Conservative leader David Cameron's use of the phrase "anarchy in the UK" to describe crime levels. The Independent (21/8/07) ridiculed Cameron in a leading article titled "Anarchy in the UK? Hardly...". Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, criticised Cameron and pointed out that "Violent crime is at the lowest it has been since the mid-90s" (Press Association, 31/7/07). But BBC2's Newsnight decided to use the "anarchy" phrase as a headline to their coverage of the Rhys Jones murder a few days later. See our correspondence with Newsnight at Media Hell: http://www.mediahell.org/BBCanarchy.htm
http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2881392.ece
http://society.guardian.co.uk/crimeandpunishment/story/0,,2159918,00.html

The BBC maintained the shock-horror momentum with "news" that children under age 10 committed nearly 3,000 crimes last year. This was the BBC's main headline story on 2/9/07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6974587.stm

See our correspondence with BBC reporter Keith Breene >

Former BBC Crimewatch host accuses
media of fearmongering on crime

Nick Ross, the former presenter of BBC1's Crimewatch upset the Daily Mail by claiming that newspapers are guilty of fearmongering over crime. Ross stated on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "the media have long been peddling a big lie about crime". He went on to say: "The most common forms of crime have plunged. Burglary is down 58 percent, car crime down 61 percent, violence by 48 percent". He referred to the media as "hunting in packs and hungry for the narrative regardless of the underlying truth".

We first read about Ross's statements in Roy Greenslade's Guardian blog (brought to our attention by a correspondent). A comment on this blog adds: "Ross made the same point during an interview on BBC1's Breakfast programme. Sian Williams' fixed smile almost cracked while the dashing Dermot quickly dif[f]used the outbreak of accuracy by abruptly ending the interview." (Daily Mail, 21/7/07; Guardian Unlimited, 23/7/07)
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2007/07/ross_traduced_by_telling_truth.html
http://tinyurl.com/2zbjq2 (Daily Mail link)

Latest crime figures

Following the release of the latest crime figures, BBC1 Ten O'Clock News (19/7/07) announced: "Crime is at a historically low level..." This was a first for BBC1 news. As we've indicated in detailed complaints to the BBC, their headline announcements have, for years, cherry-picked rises in crime. The headline was followed by an informative report by Mark Easton which dispelled some myths about violent crime. He pointed out, for example, that "half of it [violent crime] involves no injury, and it includes crimes like bigamy". He also commented on the example of a 77 yr-old woman, petrified of crime: "Isabel's chances of being involved in a violent attack are extremely remote, but that's not what she reads in the papers".

For details of our previous complaints on BBC News, and our past correspondence with Mark Easton, see:
http://www.anxietyculture.com/bbccrime.htm
http://www.anxietyculture.com/BBCdialogue160407.htm

Students force HSBC into rethink

One of the 'big five' banks, HSBC, was "forced into a dramatic U-turn" after a web-based protest by students. HSBC had planned to cancel interest-free accounts for graduates - until thousands of students signed up to the Stop the Great HSBC Graduate Rip-Off campaign. The bank's hasty re-think led to a leading article in the Independent celebrating "a victory for people power". (Independent, 31/8/07)
http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2914346.ece
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2914378.ece

Government to use lie detectors on benefits claimants

The UK government is set to make countrywide use of lie detectors in a "crackdown" on benefits fraud. The Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) technology works by measuring fluctuations in the voice that indicate stress and "an attempt to deceive". The Observer newspaper (2/9/07) quotes a government spokesperson: "Operators trained in intelligent questioning and behavioural analysis will use the system to identify suspect cases at the start of the claim process...". http://society.guardian.co.uk/crimeandpunishment/story/0,,2160874,00.html

Single Working Age Benefit proposed

The Citizen's Income Newsletter has spotted that a recent Work and Pensions Select Committee report, 'Benefits Simplification' (26/7/07) contains a detailed proposal for something called a Single Working Age Benefit (SWAB), which would replace benefits for both the employed and the jobless. They argue that a SWAB is "nine tenths of the way to a Citizen's Income".
http://www.citizensincome.org/

Previous bulletins

Majority of super-rich pay no income tax

HM Revenue figures, recently released under the Freedom of Information Act, suggest that only a fraction of those earning £10m or more in Britain pay income tax. Prior to the 1997 general election, Gordon Brown promised to end "the tax abuses which reach to the heart of our public finances by indulging the super-rich at the expense of the rest of us". A decade later, The Independent newspaper (22/6/07) describes Britain as "a haven for the super-wealthy". http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/tax/article2692509.ece
http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/tax/article2679488.ece

One wage not enough to live on

Nearly half of all UK families need two or more salaries to cover their bills, according to a recent survey. "Over 11 million UK households are dependent on more than one salary". (BBC News Online, 4/5/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6624047.stm
http://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/documents/generic/2007_2_income_families.pdf

BBC removed details of Director General's pay

The BBC Director general, Mark Thompson, "was paid a total of £788,000 in the last financial year" according to a recent BBC web page, which, oddly, no longer contains this information – although it was still appearing in Google search results when we checked:

Fighting fund announced for battling the banks

Despite two apparent set-backs in which local courts found in favour of banks, the campaign against the banks' profiteering from excessive (and arguably illegal) charges is gaining momentum. A £100,000 fighting fund has been set up by consumer groups and private individuals, to encourage people to launch legal challenges against the banks. Commenting on the coverage surrounding the banks' first court victory, Martin Lewis (who announced the fund), said: "This case has no bearing in law and in practice sets no precedent [...] This is a desperate attempt to scare people away and it is important that we do not allow their spin and spiel to put people off". (The Scotsman, 4/6/07) http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=869502007

The most prominent case is that of barrister Tom Brennan versus National Westminster Bank. Brennan has set up a website to provide updates: http://www.tombrennan.co.uk/

Jobless level is treble the official figure

The real level of unemployment in Britain is almost three times as high as the official figure, according to a report quoted by the Guardian. The reason for the discrepancy (between the 900,000 official "claimant count" and the report's figure of 2.6 million) is that many jobless people are diverted onto other benefits or out of the welfare system altogether. (Guardian, 13/6/07) http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2101437,00.html

Alternative currency flourishes in New Age town

There are about 844,000 "BerkShares" in circulation in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Worth $759,600 at the fixed exchange rate of 1 BerkShare to 90 US cents. In their 10 months of circulation, they've become a regular feature of the local economy. (Reuters, 19/6/07) http://tinyurl.com/28nvwa

Gap between rich and poor wider than ever

Inequality in Britain is at levels "not seen for over 40 years" according to new research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The widening gap between rich and poor has meant that 'average' households (neither poor nor wealthy) have been decreasing in number. (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 17/7/07) http://www.jrf.org.uk/pressroom/releases/170707.asp

Media hysteria over disappearance of child

The Independent newspaper has best summed up the media coverage of the disappearance of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann:

"The hysteria created by the reporting of this and similar cases does no service to anyone. It will lead only to children being wrapped in cotton wool and prevented from developing the social skills and independence they need to survive. Far from offering a shared catharsis, all it does is spread the virus of fear." (Independent, 15/5/07)

http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2542346.ece

Average cost of a house rose £20,000 last year

The cost of an average home (in Britain) rose by £2,000 in March to reach £206,890. This figure is £20,000 higher than a year ago. The average price of a London home has jumped by £42,000 in a year. (Guardian, 15/5/07) http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2079579,00.html

Police report "ludicrous arrests"

The Police Federation claims that "ludicrous arrests" result from the police trying to meet government targets. They quote examples of such arrests:

• A man cautioned for being "in possession of an egg with intent to throw".
• A woman arrested on her wedding day for damage to a car park barrier when her foot slipped on her accelerator pedal.
• A child arrested for throwing cream buns at a bus.
• A 70-year-old arrested for criminal damage after cutting back a neighbour's conifers too vigorously.
• Two children who were arrested under firearms laws for being in possession of a plastic toy pistol.

(Press Association, via Independent, 15/5/07)
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2542834.ece

Soaring antidepressant prescriptions

The number of prescriptions for antidepressants in England has hit a record high. More than 31 million prescriptions for drugs such as Prozac were issued in 2006 – a 6% rise on the year before. (BBC News Online, 24/5/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6653013.stm

Road crashes the leading cause of death

Road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly 400,000 people under the age of 25 are killed in road traffic crashes every year. Millions more are injured or disabled. (WHO, 19/4/07) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr17/en/index.html

Dramatic change in working habits needed

A Guardian news story titled 'Work at home, drivers told' mentions a report by the RAC which claims that: "Only a dramatic change in working habits would prevent implementation of pay-as-you-drive schemes". (Guardian, 14/5/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,2078875,00.html

Setback for anti-bank-fees campaigners

Lloyds bank has won a "landmark victory" against a customer who was claiming a refund of "penalty" charges. This is a setback for the campaign against such charges. However, Martin Hickman, of the Independent says that the ruling "does not mean that if you are claiming back your bank charges, you should abandon your case [...] All the campaigners say that you should continue and that you still have a very high chance of winning". A test case involving a barrister, Tom Brennan, should shed further light on cases later this year. (Independent, 16/5/07)
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2548757.ece
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2548758.ece

Benefit claimants to face lie detector tests

Benefit claimants will face lie detector tests, in a "crackdown on fraud", the government says. (Such fraud is currently worth £0.7 billion per year, compared to £14 billion in business fraud and £85 billion in corporate tax avoidance). Voice Risk Analysis technology picks up signs of stress when telling lies. These are measured against the "normal" voice, "ensuring that nervousness or shyness is not a trigger". (Guardian, 5/4/07) http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2050811,00.html

Talking CCTV to apologise

The UK's "Talking CCTV" scheme got off to a bad start, when a camera's loudspeaker wrongly accused someone of littering outside a McDonalds. (Guardian 12/4/07) http://society.guardian.co.uk/crimeandpunishment/story/0,,2055057,00.html

One man's fight for justice over bank fees

Britain's banks will finally have the legality of their excessive "penalty fees" challenged in court later this month (30 April). Barrister Tom Brennan is reportedly risking his professional career to prove the banks are acting illegally (and since they currently make an estimated £4.7 billion per year from the charges, this almost sounds like John Grisham territory). (Independent, 14/4/07) http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2447665.ece

Bank interest charges "cannot be trusted"

Banks and credit card companies have been issued a "super complaint" over interest charges and face an inquiry from the Office of Fair Trading. A consumer watchdog (Which?) has warned that interest charges "cannot be trusted". (Independent, 1/4/07) http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2411248.ece

Office jobs are big polluters

An article in the Independent points out the environmental cost of working in offices. A typical office building is cited as using (per employee) three times the amount of electricity as the typical person consumes at home. Another good reason to work from home. (Independent, 25/3/07) http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article2390840.ece

Average house price eight times average wage

The average price of a house in Britain is £192,200 - over eight times the average wage (less than £24,000). In the 1930s the average house price was around £600 - three times the average wage (around £200). In other words, the average earner would have to earn £64,000 a year to match the house-purchasing power of someone with a similar job in 1930 (not taking into account other expenses such as food, consumer goods, etc, whose prices have fallen in real terms since 1930). (Guardian, 18/12/1999; Telegraph, 10/3/2007)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/09/nprices09.xml

Alcohol worse than ecstasy on new drug list

Scientists (including members of the government's top advisory committee on drug classification) have produced an assessment of the harm caused by 20 substances, and have rated alcohol and tobacco as more dangerous than cannabis, LSD and ecstasy. The rankings take into account the stronger cultivated "skunk" cannabis (which has been the subject of recent media scare stories).

The researchers say the existing drug classification should be scrapped and replaced with one based on evidence. Ecstasy is shown to be one of the least harmful substances, causing fewer than 10 deaths a year. One person a day is killed by acute alcohol poisoning and thousands more from chronic use. (Guardian, 23/3/07) http://politics.guardian.co.uk/constitution/story/0,,2040890,00.html

Rise in UK child poverty

The number of children living in relative poverty rose from 3.6 million to 3.8 million last year. (BBC News Online, 27/3/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6497981.stm

UK's child mortality rate is linked to inequality

Britain has the second highest child death rate among the 24 richest countries in the world. A new study claims this is linked to the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" which is the third biggest among the 24 countries. (Independent, 1/4/07) http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2411397.ece

Talking CCTV

The Times (4/3/07) reports a case of two teenage girls happily ripping up a magazine and littering the area with it, when a voice from a nearby loudspeaker announces: "You two girls have been witnessed on CCTV camera dropping litter. Pick it up and put it in the bin provided". Later this month the Home Office is expected to announce a nationwide scheme to introduce “talking CCTV”. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1466734.ece

MI5 trains supermarket staff

The security services are advising food retailers on how to identify "extremist shoppers". Supermarkets are apparently an attractive target for terrorists – but the only example provided in this news story is of three Palestinian-Americans arrested in Texas "after staff spotted them bulk-buying mobile phones". (Independent, 4/3/07)
http://news.independent.co.uk/UK/crime/article2326211.ece

Government uses terror plot for political purposes

The police have accused the UK government of using a recent "terror plot" to divert press attention from the "cash for honours" scandal. (New Criminologist, 4/2/07)
http://www.newcriminologist.com/news.asp?id=1170590523

DPP: "There is no war on terror"

The Director of Public Prosecutions has warned that a "fear-driven and inappropriate" response to the terrorist threat could lead Britain to abandon fair trials. He was also reported as denying that there is a "war on terror". (Guardian, 24/1/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1997246,00.html

Drug laws driven by "moral panic"

A report from the RSA commission on illegal drugs says current drug law has been "driven by moral panic", and that the evidence "suggests that a majority of people who use drugs are able to use them without harming themselves or others". (BBC, Guardian, etc, 8/3/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/UK/6429239.stm
http://society.guardian.co.uk/drugsandalcohol/story/0,,2029203,00.html

American estimates of Iraqi deaths

According to a recent AP/Ipsos poll of 1,002 American adults, the median estimate of Iraqi civilian deaths since the March 2003 invasion was 9,890. The responses were as follows:

1,000 or less: 8%
1,001 to 5,000: 24%
5,001 to 10,000: 20%
10,001 to 50,000: 21%
50,001 to 100,000: 11%
100,001 to 250,000: 6%
More than 250,000: 5%
(DK/NS): 4%

AP report: http://tinyurl.com/2nbyul
Poll: http://tinyurl.com/2ph3y8 (currently inaccessible)

Police hysteria over terror threat

Police Commissioner Ian Blair claims the UK is facing an "unparalleled and growing threat of a terrorist attack". However, he said there was "no specific intelligence" about an imminent attack. He also asserted (without any supporting evidence) that the threat of terrorism was "far graver" than those faced during World War II or the Cold War. (BBC Online, 22/12/06)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6202851.stm

MI5's terror alert email service

Not feeling anxious enough? Now you can receive email terror alerts from MI5, notifying you of changes to the terror threat level. Just the thing to liven up your day, whether you're travelling to work on a crowded train or doing the shopping. A spokesman for the Home Office denied that the automatic alerts would cause unnecessary panic among those receiving them. (Press Association, 9/1/07)
https://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/Page575.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6333074,00.html
http://www.itweek.co.uk/vnunet/news/2172124/uk-gets-email-terror-alerts

[A problem with MI5's email service was quickly identified. Activists at spyblog.org.uk revealed lack of protection of subscribers' personal details, claiming MI5 sent them unencrypted to commercial third-party email marketing/tracking companies based in America (leaving them open to snooping by, for example, US law enforcement agencies). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6262719.stm]

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