20 August 2008
Jeremy Clarkson for Prime Minister?
Digital Downing Street has posted an audio visual response to a petition calling for Jeremy Clarkson to become Prime Minister.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNy1w4DV5Hw
There’s no crisis, what crisis?
» Posted by Paul Afshar, Account Manager, Public Affairs, Edelman UK | Comments (0)
14 August 2008
Vice-Presidential Selections
Edelman in Washington DC have put together a superb video series featuring two of our senior advisers, both former politicians, to give a running commentary on the US Presidential elections. Their latest installment talks about the hard choice each candidate has in choosing a running mate. It is a three minute video and is well worth watching. Check it out here.
» Posted by Luke Pollard, Account Director, Edelman UK | Comments (0)
14 August 2008
The Guardian reports on the rounders delay
The heavens did indeed open yesterday in part justifying the delay in the Inter-Party Rounders competition that Edelman sponsors. Over the past five years the competition has got bigger and better each year and testament to its growing importance as the de facto sporting highlight of the summer for Parliament comes in a superb mention in the diary column of the Guardian today.
The picnic at the Rounders is as big an institution as the game itself and so it should come as no surprise to those who follow this annual jamboree that the Tories wanted to make a splash this year after failing to take the picnic crown last year. The Official Opposition has a legacy of winning the picnic competition with a trip to Fortnum and Mason prior to the game. It seems this year everyone's favourite high street retailer, M&S, was their preferred choice. And perhaps it will be again when the rearranged competition takes place on 27 August!
» Posted by Luke Pollard, Account Director, Edelman UK | Comments (1)
12 August 2008
Rounders to be rained off?
Beach holidays are not the only casualty of the soggy summer Britain is enduring, the Rounder Competition that Edelman sponsors looks like being postponed due to a soggy pitch. Due to be held tomorrow in Hyde Park the annual competition between the three main parties looks like being rained off. The weather forecasts for tomorrow is changeable with some providers predicting a dry afternoon and others certain that the heavens will open and soak Hyde Park making the games a little difficult and the picnic a rather damp mess.As I blog the team captains are deciding whether to postpone or to risk a wet pitch tomorrow. If it does get postponed the most likely date for the game will be Wednesday 27 August. More updates to follow...
» Posted by Luke Pollard, Account Director, Edelman UK | Comments (0)
06 August 2008
A pedestrianisation too far
I have long been an advocate of plans to pedestrianise (part of) Parliament Square in Westminster. It is, in my view, a national disgrace that the Mother of all Parliaments is next to a roundabout especially one that is so poorly designed to maximise the quite stunning views of Westminster. Ken Livingstone made pedestrianising Parliament Square a key proposal in his final few months in office and like most Londoners I wondered if this idea would survive Boris' cuts of all things Ken.
The Evening Standard today reports that London’s new Tory Mayor, Boris Johnson, has scrapped plans for a £18m overhaul of the square due to congestion concerns. I must be careful about making partisan points on this blog...but this is, in my opinion disappointing.
Increased congestion may well be a good reason not to, but what it is not is a good reason to do nothing to Parliament Square. If it is not to be pedestrianised then it must at least be opened up to the public with a pedestrian crossing from the overcrowded pavements to the green grass in the middle of the square. Tourists (and Londoners) must run across three lanes of traffic to reach the square at present and allowing this to continue would be as disappointing as cancelling the pedestrianisation in my opinion. Boris is soon to announce his own plan for London's open spaces and I do hope he includes some refresh of Parliament Square in it. It is long, long overdue.
What do you think?
» Posted by Luke Pollard, Account Director, Edelman UK | Comments (0)