Are beards a political statement?
Yes, it was right of the police to announce quickly that they did not think terrorism was the motive in Monday's Liverpool horror, thus heading off potential riots. The police also said the person arrested was a white man. If he had been a black man, would they have said that? If not, why not? Watching film of the incident, I felt uneasily reminded of the scene in Belfast in 1988 when two British soldiers in civvies drove out of a side road and found themselves in the middle of a Republican funeral cortege. The suspicious crowd began to threaten the car. The soldiers lost their nerve, one drawing his pistol, and the two men were dragged out and foully murdered. I wonder if the driver in Water Street feared that the boisterous Liverpool fans, one or two of whom were banging his windows, might do him or his car a mischief. The way he drives looks more panicky than murderous. Was the whole thing a terrible misunderstanding?
The politics of welfare is complicated because people – sometimes the same people – both hate it and want it. But, on the whole, it is surely socialism, more than conservatism, which should want strict welfare rules. High-welfare countries tend to have a strong tradition of social solidarity, often reinforced by ethnic homogeneity. The Scandinavian welfare states, for example, arose in countries with low immigration, almost universal membership of state Protestant churches and common behavioural assumptions. It is interesting that Denmark, a model of welfarism, understands the need for welfare discipline and therefore imposes exceptionally rigorous immigration controls. For similar reasons, it now proposes to increase the state pension age to 70 by 2040, the highest in Europe. This is logical, given that the age of working capacity is so much greater today.
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Sky News
17 minutes ago
- Sky News
Former Sinn Fein leader awarded thousands in damages after winning libel action against BBC
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages after winning his defamation action against the BBC. The 76-year-old had claimed a BBC Spotlight programme and an online article published in 2016 defamed him by falsely accusing him of sanctioning the murder of British informant Denis Donaldson. Mr Donaldson, 55, was shot dead at a cottage near Glenties, County Donegal in 2006, months after being exposed as a British agent. During the civil defamation trial at the High Court in Dublin, Mr Adams claimed the Spotlight programme was an "attempted hatchet job" that was "full of inaccuracies". The programme featured an anonymous IRA source named "Martin" who said that murders had to be approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA. When pressed on who he was referring to, "Martin" replied: "Gerry Adams. He gives the final say". A jury at the High Court in Dublin found in Mr Adams's favour on Friday, after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article accused him of being involved in Mr Donaldson's death. It also found the BBC's actions were not in good faith and that it had not acted in a fair and reasonable way. Mr Adams, who spent seven days in the witness box during the trial, described the allegation as a "grievous smear". He told the court that he had "liked" Mr Donaldson and was "shocked" to learn of his murder. "Personally, I think Denis Donaldson was a victim of the conflict. I don't see any other way of describing it," he said. Speaking outside court, Mr Adams, who spoke in both Irish and English, said this case was "about putting manners on the British Broadcasting Corporation". Mr Adams told reporters: "The British Broadcasting Corporation upholds the ethos of the British state in Ireland, and in my view it's out of sync in many, many fronts with the Good Friday Agreement. "It hasn't caught on to where we are on this island as part of the process, the continuing process, of building peace and justice, and harmony, and, hopefully, in the time ahead, unity." Mr Adams added that he was "very mindful of the Donaldson family" in the course of the trial. He continued: "I want to say that the Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible, and that there's an onus on both governments and everyone else, and I include myself in this, to try and deal with these legacy issues as best that we can." Asked what the outcome of the case might mean for his reputation, Mr Adams replied: "I've always been satisfied with my reputation. "Obviously, like yourself, we all have flaws in our character, but the jury made the decision and let's accept the outcome, and I think let's accept what the jury said." Mr Adams's legal team sought at least €200,000 (£168,000) in damages. The former Sinn Fein president had said he would give any award received to good causes. His testimony during the trial was wide-ranging, including a lengthy account of his early years and political awakenings. At times he became emotional as he recalled past events. The BBC denied it defamed Mr Adams and claimed the Spotlight programme and article were put out in good faith and during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest. It defended its "responsible journalism" and said that it was the result of careful investigation. The BBC also argued it was merely reporting allegations, rather than standing over them. Adam Smyth, director of BBC Northern Ireland, expressed disappointment in the outcome of trial. Speaking to media outside court, Mr Smyth said: "We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial processes and journalistic diligence applied to this programme, and to the accompanying online article. Moreover, it was accepted by the court and conceded by Gerry Adams' legal team that the Spotlight broadcast and publication were of the highest public interest. "We didn't want to come to court but it was important that we defend our journalism and we stand by that decision. "(Northern Ireland's) past is difficult terrain for any jury and we thank them for their diligence and careful consideration of the issues in this case. "The implications of their decision, though, are profound. As our legal team made clear, if the BBC's case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it is hard to see how anyone's could, and they warned how today's decision would hinder freedom of expression." Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Richard Satchwell found guilty of wife's murder
The British truck driver, 58, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. He did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at around 12.23pm on Friday. Tina Satchwell (Family Handout/PA) The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell wept as the guilty verdict was returned. Satchwell, who sat with his head in his hand as the jury entered the courtroom, will be sentenced on June 4. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, and the belt of the gown was wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. Forensics officers at the property in Youghal, Co Cork (Brian Lawless/PA) During Garda interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed that she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He added that Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, she went limp and fell into his arms. He then placed her body on the couch in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. It was more than six years before gardai discovered her body.
Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Truck driver guilty of murder after wife's remains found under stairs
Richard Satchwell, 58, has been found guilty of murder after his wife's remains were found under stairs at their home. The British truck driver had denied murdering his wife Tina at their home in Co Cork, Ireland, in 2017. Her remains where horrifically found under the stairs in the living room of their home in October 2023, six years after the husband, originally from Leicester, had reported her missing. Satchwell did not react as his guilty verdict was read out to the court in Dublin.
