Improvements to the Newshound blog

Changes to Newshound

Apologies for my recent absence, ( I had taken an impromptu Easter break.)

Anyway I would like to announce some changes to my blog, I will be expanding Newshound over the next few weeks, and will be adding some posts by contributors for a trial period. There will also be more video footage and audio added through my website.

More details will follow.

The price of truth- Politicians horrified as MoD permit soldiers to sell stories.

The MoD has announced that it gives service personnel who were captured in Iran permission to sell their stories to the press. Conservative politicians have publicly condemned this decision, Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said:

“One of the great things about our armed forces is their professionalism and dignity. Many people who shared the anxiety of the hostages’ abduction will feel that selling their stories is somewhat undignified and falls below the very high standards we have come to expect from our servicemen and women." - Sunday Times

But are the conservatives simply leaping to attack the present government, without considering the issue? It seems that their stance on most events is in contrast to the government by default.

This is a unique and interesting situation, on which everyone has a view.

Personally I feel that those at Westminster should be concentrating on why the personnel were captured in the first place, and focusing on the international implications of the incident. The discussion over the selling of the stories is in danger of becoming a smoke-screen for many un-answered questions. The oppositon must ensure they are prepared to confront these when parliament re-convenes.

Tony Blair and the unlikely Easter bunny (aka Mahmoud Ahmadinejad )

Today in a surprise turn-around Iran announced that it would release the British service personnel it was holding as an 'Easter gift to the British people'. Downing Street have so far been irritatingly tight-lipped about the unlikely 'gift' in my opinion. However what interests me is why the apparently sudden change of heart? Was it..

• The threat of a possible attack from a Britain which changed their minds?

• Pressure from the security council and our allied friends?

• Or simply that they felt that their point had been made, they were able to demonstrate power over the West?

I think that it may even be all of the above, combined of course, with a photo-opportunity for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to create a little spin of his own; Although his rather long speech at today's press conference didn't appear to have anyone fooled. (Commentary on the BBC was rather un-restrained today!) I await with baited breath to hear what will be said about the incident in its entirety at Westminster during the next few days.

Squash your opponent!

Politics today seems very like a game of squash - a ball is batted backwards and forwards by two players desperate to win; Then it becomes increasingly aggressive as each strives to return the ball harder, to knock the other's position.

Today the local elections began in England, and it was mainly an array of policies which were batted around, with increasing aggression.

The Lib Dems appeared desperate to hit labour hard, striving to gain power they attacked the party scoring a double whammy by also smacking the conservative party in the face: "reject labour, and its mimics." They urged voters.

I'm sure David Cameron could think of nothing worse than to have his party accused (once again) of mimicking labour today.

The labour campaign launch was less aggressive, and slightly more low-key after Gordon Brown was 'exposed' this week of knowingly building up a pensions crisis. They chose to focus mainly on the public sector and crime reduction.

The Tories are perhaps playing a slightly more secretive game, as their campaign hasn't been unveiled yet...