UK tutorial: What you need to know about the EU referendum

As a knowledgeable EU citizen, with a big love for the city of London and the British culture in general, what is happening now on the other side of the European pond, especially the perspectives that the UK will leave the European institutional framework is of high interest for me. As a journalists that covered often EU affairs, especially EU Councils and bigger than nights discussions on the budget, I reckon that there are many problems within the Union, especially when it comes to coordination of policies and efficiency of the vast bureaucracy. However, the freedom of movement and the working rights as well as the children benefits and food prices are strong incentives for the need of Europe, although a reformed one.
On 23 June this year, British voters are expected to decide if to 'leave' or 'remain' part of the EU, a referendum decided after many intensive discussions for criticism against the Union. Besides the political discourses and rhetorics, it is the right of the voters to know what each of the choices does involve. A Guide for Voters, by David Torrance is aimed to offer exactly this missing milestone from the public debate: a balanced, documented perspective about the EU institutions, the relationship between EU and UK and all the big policy issues at stake, such as sovereignity, education, employment, environment, migration and trade. It also explains what are the EU institutions and how they work, covering even the most 'exotic' institutions for the large public, such as the European Court of Auditors or European Data Protection Supervision.
In a neutral, journalistic style, it approaches one by one, the main points of debate about 'Brexit' - abbreviation for Britain and Exit - such as: 'How much does the EU costs?', the real costs of migration, the advantages of the free trade agreement and the ways in which British citizens rights living abroad will be affected.
It also overviews the points of view among the voters from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, the beneficiaries of many structural and regional EU funds.
There are several possible scenarios if the UK will finally decide to 'leave': either a Norway model, or a Swiss solution, becoming part of the European Free Trade Agreement, entering the EU customs union, an increased role in the WTO, or looking forward to being as strong as the BRIC countries.
The 'remaining' solution will mean anyway a renegotiation of some EU agreements, as decided this February in Brussels.
As for now, the opinion polls are unclear about any of the options. Around 20% of the voters are undecided. Three big TV debates are scheduled, the first one on BBC, this Thursday, in Glasgow aimed at the young voters.
I will carefully keep in eye on everything because either decision will have a dramatical influence on the EU future.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review

"...we would miss the typical British sense of humour"

There were a couple of information and declarations lately regarding the possibility of an EU withdrawal from the Union. Almost 40 years after the UK was received in the EU, the president of the European Council tries to explain why the British monarchy should continue being part of the Union.

Most probably, we will not see soon an EU without the UK, but on the other hand, the EU as such should be changed and this may be one of the biggest challenges of 2013 for Europe.

Some hints about the vote in UK

An interesting aspect is the introduction - not here for the first time, of course, but I noticed the sense of emergency induced - of the environmental priorities. Franny Armstrong's movie The Age of Stupid was distributed with free access two days before the elections, to make people aware of the necessity to turn their vote in favor of those supporting anti-climate change policies. The movie is designed to convince not to charm: fragments of global warming episodes - including Katrina - are mixed with real-time interviews and various testimonies, taking place in a futuristic, end-of-the world setting. I hope to have one day the appropriate time to dedicate a longer article to the problematic of global warming translated at the level of international affairs. As for now, I am trully preoccupied by all these issues, but in the same time I cannot stop observing various ideological arguments associated to the very beginning of this ecologist movement, in the 60s-70s, during the Cold War, under the close surveillance and generous funding of some Soviet connections.

But, beyond any doubts, introducing environmental issues on the political agenda is a very interesting fact and it would be interesting to find possible quantitative evaluations of the impact of these issues on the general public.

A couple of other news about the elections:

The last final meetings with the electorate

The community networks

Possible consequence for the foreign relations with a special impact on the US-UK relation

Nick Clegg and Israel, on Ha'aretz

India, China and the global ambitions

India and China represent for both US and Europe the big challenges. Markets with huge potential and unpredictable but enormous influence, Brussels and Washington are doing their best to win the charms of these two giants.

The latest initiative, supported by UK and Sweden is pledging for an increased diplomatic presence of the EU, as a first step to get a better understanding of the particular contexts of these two countries.

But, if in the case of India, the exposure to the Western institutional system is offering the possibility of a common lecture, in the case of China, the basic understandings of the concepts of power and the military and diplomatic doctrines are still unknown and do not offer an easy key of understanding.

A cross lecture of some considerations of Chinese authors writing about the Chinese-Indian relations, published at the end of the last year by the European Council on Foreign Relations are offering a puzzling image of the bilateral relations between the two countries and the intricate and spontaneous directions these relationships could follow in the near future.

The practical alliances - as it was the case during the WTO negotiations or the joint memorandum on climate change - are surpassed by historical conflicts and different orientations generated during the Cold War. Even at the level of both countries it is felt the need of a relaunch of the trade relations, the strategical interests of the two countries are rather competitive than complementary. The imbalance is reflected as well in the structure of the alliances enforced by both countries - India, for a strategic partnership with US, or China, with a close dialogue with Pakistan. These partnerships are derived by practical reasons as well, both parts being able to have a strict observance of the main agenda.

The end of the two-blocks competitive politics was replaced by a very pragmatical reshaping of the international global strategies. In the case of the countries with such a huge economic and strategic potential, as it is the case of India and China, the question is rather how to understand the necessity of the pragmatic alliances and to be able to predict the outcome and the next steps. The home politics considerations are permanently important and do not help as too much in being accurate in our predictions. And, for our limited Western understanding, China is the big riddle. To be solved - hopefully - in a century or two time.

The case of the Falklands

I always have been very skeptical to use the geopolitical theories when trying to explain foreign affairs. Under a sophisticated wrapping of words you try to excuse basic abuses and "raisons d'etat" of various kinds.

It is easier to explain situations on a case-by-case basis, using more or less recent historical situations, changes of mentalities, economic reasons, irational decisions took by decision-makers laking any kind of rationality.

Islands always played a big role in our human builded imagination, proof being the utopian and SF stories. Beyond literature and fantasies, islands were important as strategical avanposts and ways to exert certain influences. Or, at least, projecting such intentions. Cyprus could be a good example from this point of view, as a possible gate of Europe to the Middle East as well as a junction point of various cultures and influences.

On the other side, our need for resources, directly proportional with the sophistication of our needs and the increase of population is a reality of the last decade. We need more and the resources identified by far are limited. Thus, loooking for new potential energy hubs is a counter time long ride. Is not geopolitics or desire to impose a certain power, but a need of survival. Up to the position on the evolution scale, the survival is, of course, perceived differently.

Different as well are also the pressure and, not least, political resources the countries could use in order to defend and protect their economical interest. From this point of view, the recent tensions between Argentina and the UK around the issue of Falklands are showing the need to go beyond the old Cold War confrontational paradigm and think at a very practical level.

The increasing dependence of natural resources is changing on short, medium and long term habits and communities. And, more or less it is a change of perception among the representatives of the young generation, less focus on recent painful historical episodes and more interested about a better future. These perceptions could maintain a permanent pressure against over reacting outside pressure. If the drilling will start or not, or if meanwhile behind the mediatic buzz, negotiations are on the way, the final solution of the current conflict - but not the whole conflict - cannot neglect the high pressure of including both the concern for sharing more resources, but taking into account as well the needs of the local communities. Because, sooner or later, policies - including in foreign policy - will have to be understood more than confrontations of powers - in geopolitical terms - but as providing content and including pertinent solutions - as the environmental aspects together with answers to social and economic aspects.

For the moment, it looks like nother utopia of the island.

The British elections - the rehearsal

Gordon Brown's optimism.
Cameron's promises and the media feed-back.

New US ambassador

in London.

Sparks of hope from the economy

France and Germany exit recession.

"Fragile recovery" in the UK case.

Euro, third day of gains against the dollar.

Pros and cons the stimulus package.

New bomb attack in Afghanistan

at least 10 people were killed.

UK Conservatives, decided to send more troops in Afghanistan.

The new NATO secretary-general announced Afghanistan is his priority.

France calls on Britain to help close illegal migrant squat in Calais

Henry Samuel in Paris

Telegraph.co.uk

April 24

An immigrant in his tent in a makeshift camp in Calais, northern France Photo: AP

"Our British friends must play a bigger role," said Eric Besson while on a visit to Calais where he pledged to shut down a vast migrant squat known as "the jungle", which is home to 800 migrants and where a London student was raped last year.

"The jungle will cease to exist," he said as he visited a chemical factory next to the shanty town that has endured repeated thefts.

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"Only the clear and credible message that the border to England cannot be crossed will result in dissuading illegal immigration networks from settling in Calais in the long run," he said.

And he urged British authorities to sign up to an agreement making Calais a passport-free zone to help France get rid of thousands of migrants.

He said he intended to discuss the issue at a France-UK summit on July 6.

The migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and African countries, would not be abandoned, he said. Instead, they would be offered food, showers and information on how to claim asylum in the welcome centres.

He denied that these would be "mini-Sangattes" – referring to the Red Cross Centre that acted as a magnet to thousands of migrants hoping to reach Britain before it was closed in 2002. "There will be no new Sangatte," he said.

The new measures would allow local authorities to "better treat people without papers, without setting anything permanent", he said.

On Tuesday, 500 police officers arrested 194 migrants in and around "the jungle" in an operation aimed, they said, at breaking up people smuggling gangs that charge up to £1,000 for illegal passage to England. Mr Besson said the operation had been a success, but all those detained were released without charge.

He called on Britain to do more to solve the problem. "Britain must reinforce its controls, take a more important financial slice of the burden and must above all ask itself why illegal work on its territory is considered by traffickers and migrants alike as so enticing," he said.

Deflation's back after 50 years: Falling mortgage, transport and fuel prices drive down the RPI

Olinka Koster and Sam Fleming

Mail on-line

April 22

Deflation has returned to Britain for the first time in nearly half a century, official figures show.

Plunging mortgage payments drove down prices by 0.4 per cent in March compared with 12 months earlier.

The figures, from the Retail Price Index, represent the first time deflation has been recorded here since March 1960.

Deflation: The Retail Prices Index has turned negative for the first time since 1960. Prices fell to minus 0.4 per cent in March, official figures show

The news could herald widespread pay freezes or cuts because the RPI is used by many employers to set wages.

It also suggests the deepening recession is forcing firms to slash prices.

Coming on the eve of one of the most difficult Budget statements since the Second World War, the report is a serious concern for Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling.

It will also cause alarm at the Bank of England, which is printing at least £75billion of fresh cash to prevent a deflationary spiral.

Prices were driven down by falling fuel and transport costs, mainly as a result of cheaper European air fares.

Even the cost of food – particularly-fresh fruit and vegetables – is finally starting to fall, according to the Office for National Statistics.

But while the slide in the RPI – which stood at zero in February – suggests the cost of living is falling for some families, the report suggested other households are still experiencing painful rises in prices.

The Government’s favoured measure of inflation, the Consumer Prices Index, remains firmly in positive territory, at 2.9 per cent – well above the Bank of England’s target of 2 per cent.

CPI is a measure of the average price of consumer goods and services used by households.

It strips out house prices, so unlike the RPI does not reflect the 21 per cent fall in property prices since their peak.

This means that pensioners, many of whom have lower or non-existent mortgage costs but spend much of their income on fuel bills, may face an actual inflation rate of 12.6 per cent.

The fall in the RPI was attributed to the effects of deep interest rate cuts. In October, the base rate was 5 per cent, but since then it has plunged to an historic low of 0.5 per cent.

More...

• 1960: The year The Beatles formed, a loaf of bread cost 5p and a house £2,530
• Brown pins hopes on £1bn scheme to boost housing market as Darling admits it will take a decade to pay of credit crunch debt
• 5,000 British jobs at risk as desperate General Motors offers to sell Vauxhall 'for a song'
• Confidence returns to housing market as property asking prices rise for third month in a row
• Higher tax rates for wealthiest 1% of population may CUT revenue
• ALEX BRUMMER: This is going to hurt, make no mistake
• What recession? Tesco makes £3.13bn profit as supermarket giant rings up sales of £1bn every week
• A history of inflation (thisismoney.co.uk)
• How inflation affects interest rates (thisismoney.co.uk)
• Global losses from credit crunch hit $4trillion as IMF warns recovery with be 'slow and painful'
• Don't try and stop the housing crash, Bank of England official warns Darling

Analysts pointed out that the RPI is the inflation measure commonly used by employers to determine pay rises. Howard Archer, of the consultancy

IHS Global Insight, said: ‘The decline in March will maintain the downward pressure on wages already coming from soaring unemployment and companies’ deteriorating profitability. As a result, many workers are likely to see wage freezes or even pay cuts.’

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: ‘This shouldn’t be the signal for employers across the country to seek wage freezes or cuts in pay.

‘Although in some workplaces unions have agreed to put pay increases on hold or take cuts in wages to save jobs, many companies are still profitable and able to afford decent pay rises.

‘Widespread wage freezes would prompt families to cut back on their spending, which would be the last thing the UK’s struggling economy needs right now.’

While the CPI remained elevated, many economists expect it to slide into negative territory later this

year. This could herald the onset of full-blown deflation, which is defined as a sustained, generalised fall in prices across the economy.

Deflation cripples an economy when coupled with sinking output. It can prompt consumers to postpone spending as they wait for goods to become even cheaper.

Firms are then left battling for business, unemployment will soar higher, and it will become harder for Britain to prise itself out of recession.

If prices keep falling, it also means money will be worth more, imposing a larger burden on those with debts.

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘Deflationary pressures could make the recession worse in the short term, despite quantitative easing and the huge budget deficit posing inflationary pressures over the medium term.

‘The Chancellor must address both these conflicting risks in his Budget. He must support business and administer targeted fiscal stimulus for the year ahead.

‘But he also has to present a credible medium-term plan for restoring the public finances back to health.’

... but for the elderly, inflation leaps to 12.6%

The elderly are facing a much higher rate of inflation than the official figures suggest, experts say.

While the Retail Price Index fell to -0.4 per cent for March, pensioners are facing an inflation rate of 12.6 per cent, according to the analysts Capital Economics.

This is because pensioners spend their money in a different way to the average consumer.

Much more of their income goes on fuel bills and less on mortgages, which many have paid off entirely.

‘Falling headline inflation masks the fact that many older people’s real rate of inflation remains far higher than the average,’ said Michelle Mitchell, of the charity Help the Aged and Age Concern.

‘Most older people aren’t benefiting from falling mortgage interest rates, which are driving down inflation, and are still struggling with high food and fuel bills.

‘In addition, many have seen the income they relied on from savings reduced to almost zero, leaving many more pensioners facing difficulty affording anything more than the basics.’

Pensioners are being particularly badly stung by rising utility bills and the cost of everyday household essentials.

Costs of food and non-alcoholic drinks also rose rapidly, with a 10.5 per cent annual gain.

The price of meat was up 14.6 per cent, while vegetable costs rose 15.8 per cent and the price of tea, coffee and cocoa increased 14.1 per cent.

Gordon Brown's assault on the traditions of the monarchy is preposterous

Andrew Roberts

The Telegraph

March 28

Gordon Brown should leave the Act of Settlement alone Photo: Reuters

The news that Gordon Brown has opened talks with Buckingham Palace over altering the 1701 Act of Settlement, which bars members of the Royal family from succeeding to the throne if they marry Roman Catholics, has profound implications for the long-term future of this country. For the Act of Settlement is not the bigoted, irrelevant and obsolete law that Downing Street presents it as – it is one of the key pieces of legislation that has defined what Britain was and still is. For a Prime Minister who claims to care deeply about the concept of Britishness, the Act should be sacrosanct, rather than sacrificed in a gross bout of politically correct gimmickry.

Britain is a Protestant country today largely because of the Act of Settlement. It secured the Hanoverian succession 13 years after the Glorious Revolution replaced the Catholic King James II with the Protestant William III (of Orange) and Mary II. Since the only surviving son of their daughter, the future Queen Anne, had died, it settled the Crown after her upon the Electoress Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of James I, and her heirs – if they were Protestants, and married to Protestants, as indeed the four King Georges were.

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Because it is a central tenet of the Catholic Church that the children of Catholics should be raised as Catholics, it was understood that marriage of a Royal opened up the possibility either of a Catholic one day sitting on the Throne, or a Catholic parent committing apostasy by allowing their child to be raised as a Protestant – neither of which were desirable outcomes politically, religiously or morally. Since the monarch is also Supreme Head of the (Protestant) Church of England, above whom there is no one in the Church hierarchy – including the Pope – the ban on Catholics makes further sense.

The Glorious Revolution, Act of Settlement and Protestant succession ushered in a long period of prosperity and order for Britain, and ended a lengthy period of bloodshed and civil war. Religious turmoil was over, and the knowledge that the head of state would always be of the same faith as the national, Established, Anglican Church greatly contributed to that. The emancipation of Catholics proceeded throughout the 19th century, and in 1926 all restrictions were abolished except that the Sovereign, Regent, Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper could not be Catholics, and that Roman Catholic priests could not sit in the House of Commons. There is no law preventing Catholics marrying into the Royal family, merely from inheriting the Throne if they do. Prince Michael, for example, nobly and uncomplainingly gave up his right to the Throne when he married.

So there is a "discriminatory" ban on Catholics becoming monarch – but since only direct descendants of King George II can do that, 99.9 per cent of us are discriminated against on that basis, whatever our religion. Similarly, the proposals to "open up" the monarchy to women, by scrapping the laws of primogeniture, is another way in which Gordon Brown is treating our thousand-year-old monarchy as though it is just another public-sector job, like those advertised in the Guardian, subject to anti-discrimination legislation.

It is also worth looking at what Brown's proposals would have meant in the past. If they had been in place a century ago, it would have meant that Kaiser Wilhelm II – the only true psychopath to sit on the throne of a major country in recent history – would have become King of England, as the eldest child of the eldest child of Queen Victoria.

Of course, the proposal to have the eldest child inherit regardless of gender is itself just the kind of discriminatory ageism to which Mr Brown is supposed to be opposed. Perhaps there ought to be an examination among the children of the monarch, along the lines of the old civil service exams? Or maybe Mr Brown could set up an interview panel to see who was the best candidate? Why not award the Crown to whoever got the best GCSE results?

The obvious truth is that the whole concept of monarchy – with its coronations, anointings, ancient traditions and customs and usages – is simply not logical in the modern business sense. Attempting to legislate for it rationally leads to absurdities like Mr Brown's.

Considering that these proposed new laws are unlikely to come into practical effect for a couple of decades – assuming Prince William marries the Anglican Kate Middleton – one wonders why the Prime Minister should be bringing this up now? With New Labour's track record for "burying bad news", might this be merely an attempt to detract attention from what really matters?

With the world in a cataclysmic economic meltdown, Gordon Brown has chosen to put forward the proposal that the presently unmarried Prince William's as-yet-unborn children should be allowed to marry Catholics without losing their right to the Throne, and should themselves inherit on the basis of age rather than gender. Is this not a quite deranged set of priorities for our Prime Minister, quite apart from the inherent weakness of the arguments themselves?

The accidental encounter between The Vanguard and Le Triomphant

The first such event after the end of the Cold War, a British and a French nuclear subs collided.

TIME's question: Why if did they had a better communication?

BBC: Q&A Submarine Collision

Dutch MP refused entry to Britain

BBC

A Dutch MP who called the Koran a "fascist book" has been sent back to the Netherlands after attempting to defy a ban on entering the UK.

Freedom Party MP Geert Wilders had been invited to show his controversial film - which links the Islamic holy book to terrorism - in the UK's House of Lords.

But Mr Wilders, who faces trial in his own country for inciting hatred, has been denied entry by the Home Office.

He told the BBC it was a "very sad day" for UK democracy.

The Dutch ambassador was also at Heathrow to make clear his government's opposition to the ban on Mr Wilders entering the UK.

'Free speech'

Mr Wilders' film Fitna caused outrage across the Muslim world when it was posted on the internet last year.

After being questioned at Heathrow, the MP said he had been to the House of Lords two weeks ago and there had been "no problem".

He added: "I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm not protesting or running through the streets of London."

Mr Wilders added: "Democracy means differences and debate. It's a very sad day when the UK bans an elected parliamentarian... Of course I will come back."

He said the government's actions had proved that Gordon Brown was the "biggest coward in Europe".

Mr Brown's spokesman said the prime minister "fully supports the decision" taken by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Mr Wilders was invited to the House of Lords for a screening of Fitna by the UK Independence Party's Lord Pearson.

The peer said it was a "matter of free speech", telling the BBC: "We are going to show it anyway because we think MPs and peers should see this film."

'No purpose'

He added: "The film isn't offensive unless you are a violent Islamist. Most of my Muslim friends think it's a very good film."

Fitna's opening scenes show a copy of the Koran followed by footage of the 9/11 attacks in the US and the bombings in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005.

The Lords screening went ahead as planned, despite Mr Wilder's non-attendance.

RECENT CASES

Jamaican reggae singer Bounty Killer (real name Rodney Pryce) allowed entry despite using controversial lyrics about homosexuals and gang culture

Muslim cleric Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi refused entry in order to protect community cohesion. He has described suicide bombers as "martyrs" and homosexuality as "a disease"

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan barred on the grounds that his allegedly racist and anti-Semitic views could threaten public order

Martha Stewart and US rapper Snoop Dogg denied entry because of criminal convictions

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said about 30 people had been at the screening and had given a round of applause, while calling for a debate on the issues raised.

The Dutch prime minister has said the film serves "no purpose other than to offend".

Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the BBC's Hardtalk: "The home secretary made a decision on an individual case as she is required to do."

He added that the film contained "extreme anti-Muslim hate and we have very clear laws in this country".

Mr Miliband also said: "We have profound commitment to freedom of speech but there is no freedom to cry 'fire' in a crowded theatre and there is no freedom to stir up hate, religious and racial hatred, according to the laws of the land."

The Home Office said there was a blanket ban on Mr Wilders entering the UK under EU laws enabling member states to exclude someone whose presence could threaten public security.

'No respect'

"The government opposes extremism in all forms," it said in a statement, adding that it had tightened up rules on excluding those engaging in "unacceptable behaviour" in October.

The home secretary has the power to stop people entering the UK if she believes there is a threat to national security, public order or the safety of UK citizens, but she cannot exclude people simply because of their views.

Earlier this year, a Dutch court ordered prosecutors to put the MP on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination by making anti-Islamic statements.

Labour peer Lord Ahmed, who expressed his concerns to the parliamentary authorities about Mr Wilders' visit, told the BBC: "This man doesn't have any respect for law. He's doing this for publicity and he's seeking that and getting that."

He added: "If this man was allowed into this country it would certainly cause problems within communities around Britain."

The Muslim Council of Britain said Mr Wilders was "an open and relentless preacher of hate".

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Freedom of speech is our most precious freedom of all, because all the other freedoms depend on it.

"But there is a line to be drawn even with freedom of speech, and that is where it is likely to incite violence or hatred against someone or some group."

"Fitna" could barely be called "movie". Rather, it is a mix between various common sense personal appreciations of the "author", put in a Power Point graphical background. YouTube is plenty of such "masterpieces". In fact, I think this Duth MP was looking for some popularity and found the recipe for getting a wider media coverage by using the window of opportunity opened by the scandal of the Dutch cartoons. He used the case of Islam , because he seized the opportunity, not by deep belief. And, by this, is more harmful.

Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev to buy London Evening Standard

Luke Harding in Moscow and Mark Sweney
guardian.co.uk
January 14

Alexander Lebedev: read the Evening Standard when he was a young KGB agent. Photographs: AP/Public domain

The billionaire and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev is to buy London's Evening Standard tomorrow, in a dramatic move that would see him become the first Russian oligarch to own a major British newspaper, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.

Lebedev is poised to buy a controlling stake in the ailing title, following a year of secret negotiations with Lord Rothermere, its owner and the chairman of the Daily Mail & General Trust.

Under the terms of the deal Lebedev will purchase 76% of the newspaper, with the Associated Newspapers group retaining 24%. His son Evgeny, who lives in London, is due to sign the deal with Daily Mail & General Trust tomorrow. The agreement will make Lebedev the paper's controversial new proprietor.

A source close to DMGT admitted: "The deal is still very much alive." DMGT failed to comment.

The purchase will be an astonishing moment in British press history – the first time a former member of a foreign intelligence service has owned a British title. Speaking to MediaGuardian.co.uk on Wednesday, Lebedev said he had read the Evening Standard and other British newspapers when he was a young spy at the Soviet embassy in London in the late 1980s.

"I had to read every newspaper. I was there for that," he recalled. "I had to read the FT, the Guardian, Standard and the Daily Mail." The Standard was "a very good newspaper" with some "brilliant journalists," Lebedev said, adding that the Daily Mail was a "highly influential" title that closely reflected British public attitudes.

The Standard's sale to an ex-Russian spy is likely to have been discussed at the highest levels of government. It follows three years of fraught relations between London and Moscow following the November 2006 murder in London of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko – and the Kremlin's refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, his alleged killer.

In Russia, however, Lebedev is known as a semi-opposition figure who has frequently been at odds with Vladimir Putin, Russia's former president and current prime minister. In 2003 he ran unsuccessfully against Moscow's pro-Kremlin mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Lebedev is also part owner of the critical Novaya Gazeta paper, one of the last sources of media opposition inside Russia to the government.

Last night Lebedev said he had no intention of interfering in British politics if he became the Standard's new owner. "My influence would be next to zero," he declared. He promised an "absolutely" hands-off approach, and said it would be up to the Standard's editor-in-chief and journalists to agree the paper's editorial line.

But it is understood that the Standard's editorial direction would inevitably change. The paper would be less under the influence of its sister paper, the Daily Mail, sources suggest, and would not necessarily reflect the Mail's rightwing editorial line. It would probably continue, however, to support Boris Johnson, London's Conservative mayor, they add.

The Daily Mail group is likely to fund the cost of redundancies for some Standard journalists, it is understood. The Russian tycoon also wants to establish a new editorial and advisory board for the Standard. This could include heavyweight global figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev – the former Soviet president and Lebedev's personal friend – as well as Tony Blair, former French president Jacques Chirac and leading Russian editors.

It was last night not clear how much Lebedev is paying for the Standard. Before the credit crunch, Forbes listed him 39th among Russia's top 100 billionaires, with a $3.1bn fortune. He puts his own wealth now at $2.5 billion. His portfolio includes one of Russia's largest private banks, a 30% stake in Aeroflot, Russia's state airline, and other interests including a London restaurant and a luxury Italian hotel.

On Wednesday Lebedev, who holds an annual fundraising event in London to support a charity for children with cancer, said he accepted it would be difficult to revive the Standard's flattening circulation. But he said he was keen to own the newspaper since – as a figure working outside the Kremlin – he has exhausted the publishing possibilities in his native Russia.

"As far as I'm concerned this [buying the Standard] has nothing to do with making money. There are lots of other ways. This is a good way to waste money," he told the Guardian.

The Evening Standard is facing a combination of the industry-wide downturn in advertising, the shift of readers to the internet and a war of attrition in London with rival News International. The two publishing companies have waged a bitter loss-making battle since launching their respective free afternoon papers, London Lite and the London Paper, in 2006.

Associated Newspapers, the DMGT subsidiary that also publishes the morning fresheet Metro, launched London Lite partly to protect the Standard against the London Paper. In November it emerged that DMGT had sought a truce of some kind with News International, an offer that was rebuffed. It has instead looked at a range of radical options for the Evening Standard – which now include its sale to a cash-rich Russian businessman.

Mr. Lebedev don't want to make money out of the Standard which he knew very well as a former KGB spy. The good Samaritan and the friend of the media.

Russian oligarchs, tycoons, former whatever always were interested - not for profit, of course - in the media. For the moment, remember the Gazprom-NTV case, only 8 years ago:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1595416.stm

http://cpj.org/2001/04/gazprom-occupies-ntv-headquarters.php

http://www.eng.yabloko.ru/Publ/2001/Papers/mtimes-040401.html

Inquiry of UK operations in Iraq

The pressure is mounting in UK for an inquiry of the war in Iraq. According to the prime-minister Gordon Brown, the pull-out of British troops is scheduled by July.
One day ago, the last 155 Bulgarian troops returned home from Iraq, after five years in mission. Pn Wednesday, Estonian Parliament approved a one year extension of the mandate of the 37 troops and 3 officers dislocated in Iraq.



The present situation of the foreign troops currently deployed on the ground is the following, according to Reuters:

United States 143,000

Britain 4,100

Romania 600

Australia 300

El Salvador 200

Denmark 55

Lithuania 53

Estonia 38