Newsweek Highlights

Liverpool Hope Radio

Here are the highlights of the Newsweek starting 12th of December, during this time I took part in illustrated two ways, interviews, news bulletins and phone correspondence audio work as well as running the desk and general production duties when my colleague Mark Pike was hosting.

My first phone correspondence piece featured on the highlights followed the recent exam board scandal where Edexcel had been at the center of a number of complaints over its Geography exam. One of the examiners Steph Warren, was filmed saying ‘’There’s so little [in the geography qualification] we on’t know how we got it through[ Ofqual, the examination board regulator]”

However Edexcel has completed it’s own internal investigation that found no evidence that the questions are easier than the rival boards and Steph Warren has now been suspended and is said to regret the statement.

Michael Gove

Education sectary Michael Gove has stated he is now planning to put a stop to this alleged corruption by abolishing competition between school examining bodies, favoring one board for each subject. He has called the current set up ‘’grotesquely unfair’’ to our nation children.

Also during the week I took time to discuss the recent decision to trail a badger cull with Countryside ambassador Chris Jackson and animal rights defender Dave Brock. Both were very passionate about the plight of the Badger and wanted to make sure the cull was justified. Christ Jackson believed that the cull was needed to stop the spread of bovine TB to cattle, Dave Brock disagreed with Chris stating that the badgers are a scapegoat and it is down the farmer’s poor treatment of the animal’s living spaces that breed the TB.

Badger Cull Trails to Start

But both interviewees could agree that the cull must be as painless as possible and not just have anyone shooting badgers. Dave Brock suggests that there probably won’t be a full-scale badger cull after the trail run. If you would like more information on the badger cull contact the Badger Trust here. Or alternatively for the other view point the Countryside Alliance here.

I did a second phone correspondence piece about the recommendations to allow couples who have lived together for five years to inherit each other’s estates without writing a will and a illustrated two way about the fact that the United Kingdom isn’t about to enter another recession, it’s already in one.

Justice for Hillsborough Tour

Journalist, Musician and political activist John Robb also sat down with me to conduct an interview about the recent Justice Tonight tour. The tour was compared by John Robb and featured guitarist Mick Jones playing a whole set of Clash songs for the first time in 20 years. 

This six date tour was to promote the need for more light to be shone on the Hillsborough disaster and to show their support. One iconic on the tour was when the recently reformed Stone Roses came out during the Manchester leg of the tour and played a few songs.  John Robb believes this was to show solidarity between fans of different football teams, The Stone Roses being huge fans of Manchester City.

Journalist and Singer John Robb

He also stated that the tour was also to join together the St Pauls protesters and Occupy Wall Street protesters, to link together with don’t buy the Sun campaign and to spark off more politically motivated music tours.  

For more information on the Hillbrough Justice campain please click here 

The second Two-way correspondence piece I conducted with Paul McEvoy centered around the relationship between Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron after they disagreed on the Eurozone crisis.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg made his view on the Eurozone veto clear when he stated that ‘’there is nothing bulldog about Britain hovering somewhere in the mid Atlantic, not standing tall in Europe, not being taken seriously in Washington’’

There was talk of the coalition splitting and the fact David Cameron could call a snap election. Also polls showed that if he did call the election with the public support of the veto he might win it.

However as political journalist Mike Jones stated ‘’when the coalition first took power the government pledged to introduce a five year fixed term parliament which effectively took the Prime Minister’s power to call an election. So without getting a motion through Parliament with a two thirds majority there wont be an election any time soon"

Here is the full 15 minuet Newsweek Highlight package for December 12-16^th.

If you have any thoughts, questions or queries feel free to email me here 

I would like to thank my producer Mark Pike along with Amanda Meeghan, Paul Mcevoy, Nazia Ajibe, Maurizio Molinari and Brian Plumridge.

Picture Copyright

Michael Gove -Express and Star

Badger - www.newsbiscuit.co.uk

Justic Tonight - Hillsborough Justice Campain

John Robb - John Robb

Nick Clegg - Left Foot Forward