The Case for Change
Britain needs a stable and legitimate government to navigate its fiscal crisis and punch its weight abroad. On balance, the Conservative party best fits the bill. – FT
FT – Editorial: The word “change” has ricocheted around the British election campaign. All the main parties, including the incumbent Labour government, have promised it, with varying degrees of plausibility. None has managed to convince a wary public.

To some extent this is because the electorate is uncertain about the change it wants. The national mood veers between cynicism and contempt towards politicians. The main beneficiaries have been the Liberal Democrats, who have transformed themselves, partly by virtue of novelty, from marginal players into potential partners in a future government.

But the parties have not articulated convincingly what change means. The campaign has focused too much on personalities rather than matters of substance. The televised debates between the party leaders briefly captured the popular imagination, but the price was to foster the idea of politics as game show. Real differences on policy have been obscured.

None of the parties has tackled head-on the question of how to restore Britain’s public finances. This year, the UK is expected to run a fiscal deficit of 11.1 per cent of national output – or £163bn. The parties have not been straight with the public about the austerity that lies ahead. Whoever enters Number 10 may suffer a form of winner’s curse.

The Financial Times has no fixed political allegiances. We stand for a liberal agenda: a small state, social justice and open international markets. But we do have a vision of the changes needed for economic and political renewal. It is on this basis that we judge the fitness of the contenders for power.

The problems facing the UK are daunting – more so than at any time since the 1970s. Then, as now, there was much talk of national decline. But Britain’s difficulties are not insurmountable. Strong leadership under Margaret Thatcher made the difference in 1979. Similar resolve is required today.

The economic challenge goes beyond the need to restore the public finances. The state has grown too large, accounting for 48 per cent of national output. Its sprawling size threatens to stifle the economy, crimping private enterprise and the wealth creation vital to preserve Britain’s standing in the world. It must be hacked back. >>> FT Editorial | Monday, May 03, 2010

Not Before Time! Big Companies May Be Coming to Their Senses!
THE TELEGRAPH: Nike, Adidas and other companies may cut their spending on sports sponsorships after the coverage of Tiger Woods's marital infidelity, it has been claimed.

Tiger Woods was earning about $100 million (£62 million) a year from his sponsors before the scandal. Photo: The Telegraph
In the past week, Accenture ended its endorsement deal with Woods, while Gillette said it would not use Woods in its marketing. Others are reevaluating their deals with the golfer.

Omar Saad, a Credit Suisse analyst, said that Nike and other companies are being forced to rethink the effectiveness of the vast sums of money they spend on individual and team sponsorships. Tiger Woods: sports sponsors may slash spending on big stars >>> | Thursday, December 17, 2009

Rebel Boycott as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Endorses Ahmadinejad Re-election
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s supreme leader has formally endorsed President Ahmadinejad for a second term amid a boycott by leading opposition figures.

State television broadcast images of the ceremony today with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei giving the President his seal of approval.

The country’s opposition leaders and moderates boycotted the gathering in protest over the election they claim was fraudulent.

State media reported that the former presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami as well as the defeated pro-reform candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi did not attend.

On Wednesday the President will take the oath of office before Iran’s parliament. Seven weeks after the election, however, the regime is still battling to crush the resistance of millions of Iranians who believe that the poll was rigged.

A new wave of protests linked is gathering over the “show trial” of more than 100 opposition figures detained in the crackdown that followed the ballot.

On Saturday, in an apparent effort to deter further protests, Iran put scores of opponents on trial in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, accusing them of conspiring with foreign powers to stage a revolution. Yesterday it added ten more defendants. >>> Martin Fletcher | Monday, August 03, 2009