This week, Nick Clegg officially opened WorldSkills, the biggest skills competition in the world.
More than 1,000 competitors from around the world attended the opening ceremony at the O2 arena, kick starting the greatest skills competition, jobs and careers event in the UK's history with featured performances from young people across the country.
"Boris's speech was full of waffle because he's done so little for London as Mayor. He claims other people's achievements as his own because he doesn't have any himself and he clearly has no vision for the city's future.
"During the riots, while people were worried about their safety and their communities, Boris stayed on holiday and then came back waving a broom around like some modern day Mary Poppins.
"Londoners deserve a serious Mayor who has experience of keeping people safe and dealing with crime."
The teaching materials developed by not-for-profit company Media Smart mark an important contribution to the government's ongoing Body Confidence campaign.
Primary school teachers will be able to download the materials to structure a lesson specifically tailored to the 10-11 age group - an important stage in a young person's development.
Pupils will be guided to look carefully at the images they see in order to gain a more realistic perception of what is real and what is not. The lessons will explore how and why idealised images in advertising and the media are used to construct particular messages and make people feel a certain way.
Arab Spring - democracy for some
by EDWARD McMILLAN-SCOTT
Extraordinary times need extraordinary measures. With the fall of Ghaddafi, a swathe of North Africa is on the path to democracy and human dignity - the watchword of the Arab Spring. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels and hope for the best. Britain's role was decisive, and right. The European Union - and other member states - for too long relied on business as usual, with a string of despots.
I have always believed that one day the Arab world would throw off its shackles and have travelled widely there to encourage reformists.
In 2004, the Egyptian liberal El Ghad ('The Future') party was founded by Dr Ayman Nour; he was imprisoned for it. I got Nour freed by standing up to his tormentor, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament. Today, the speaker is in the same prison - indeed the same cell - once occupied by Nour. Despite continuing tension, Egypt is getting ready for a democratic future.
In Cairo, as elsewhere, the Arab Spring was often led by young, educated activists using social media to organise revolt. Britain and the EU should be backing reformists in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen today. If this means new mechanisms for the EU, modelled on the Westminster or Washington democracy promotion foundations, so be it.
One of the important lessons for the Arab world from Europe's 1989 revolutions was that the EU was not engaged in the struggle for reform. The EU Democracy Initiative (EIDHR), which I founded in 1992, helped to destabilise Milosevic. It has become bureaucratic. We need the courage of our convictions today, and a sharper edge.
Moreover, the EU needs not only to support civil society but also political parties and foundations in reforming countries. Contacts between Europe's politicians and the Arab world are now developing into active support and engagement. The liberal group in the European Parliament [ALDE] has just sent one of its most experienced political staff members to open an office in Cairo. Koert Debeuf, former chief of staff to Guy Verhofstadt, group leader, will help to coordinate the liberal and democratic forces across the region.
Islamist parties across the region are going to stand, and in some cases do well, just as Christian Democrats do in Europe. I observed the 2005 parliamentary polls in Egypt and, despite the gerrymandering, it seemed that the Muslim Brotherhood - standing as independents - were supported by some 20 per cent in Cairo, and their support is greater in rural areas.
The first free poll is likely to be in Tunisia in October. Too many parties - over 100 - have been formed, but the international secretary of the Liberal Party, Mariem Hedhili, assured me last month that merger talks are well under way.
The EU office in Tunis is working actively with the authorities and civil society to make sure the polls are held to the highest international standards. The Arab Spring really has led to democracy - but still only for some.
Edward McMillan-Scott is Vice-President of the European Parliament for Democracy and Human Rights
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The organisation aims to ensure Liberal Democrat members and supporters living overseas can stay in touch with the party in the UK and that the party understands their concerns.
Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, patron of Liberal Democrats Abroad, said:
"We have made terrific progress in our first year. It shows what I always thought - as an internationalist party to our core we have many supporters overseas who want to be involved.
"Lib Dems Abroad gives us this chance. I hope it goes from strength to strength."
"This is further confirmation of how many English universities are failing to advance social mobility. This report confirms why the new Government has been right to make widening access to higher education a priority for this parliament.
"The spotlight is now well and truly on our top academic institutions and from now on they will have nowhere to hide.
"In my report to the Prime Minister in July, I made clear that the powers of OFFA should be strengthened in the higher education bill that will be coming soon. OFFA must be given the power to use sanctions against those institutions which do not deliver more places to young people from less privileged backgrounds. In every region of England, all universities should also co-ordinate outreach so that no secondary school or college student does not know the opportunities and benefits of going to university.
"Top universities must work much harder to increase their number of students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.
And in the next few weeks, everyone who is doing A-levels next year- whatever their background- should consider Cambridge and Oxford as well as every other university, and to rule nowhere out. "
Ms Bowles, who was heavily involved in the negotiations on the economic governance package adopted by the European Parliament today, said:
"The UK is not an island in economic terms. Our economic fate is closely linked to what happens to the Euro. It is in the UK's interest to make sure that economic policy coordination across the Eurozone improves and quick and automatic sanctions are put in place for euro members flaunting fiscal rules."
"I've just returned from the IMF where there was fear of a global meltdown similar to that following the collapse of Lehman brothers, if the Euro crisis is not solved."
"Against this background Labour and Conservative MEPs who refused to back this common sense package have acted in a very irresponsible manner. Threatening the stability of the Eurozone is threatening economic recovery, and worse, in the UK."
Ms Bowles also accused Conservative MEPs who voted against the new rules for actively undermining the UK Government, which strongly supported the package adopted today in the Parliament.
She added: "How can George Osborne credibly call for better economic governance and tighter fiscal rules in the Eurozone when Conservative MEPs vote against such measures."
Mr McMillan-Scott, who co-chairs the Single Seat campaign determined to bring an end to the European Parliament's historic three working places arrangement in Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Brussels, said:
"After a year of internal studies and research showing the financial, environmental and physical costs of travelling between Brussels and Strasbourg, it is time to step up the pressure on Member States to reform the system.
"Liberal Democrat MEPs will vote against any money being spent on buildings for the European Parliament in all its meeting places at least until the real costs of working in three different locations are revealed.
"At a time of economic crisis it is indefensible to let Member States get away with dictating to the European Parliament where and when it has to meet."
"It is clear that self-regulation of the press has failed spectacularly and we need to put this right, but Labour's plan for an official register is deeply flawed.
"It is muddled, completely unworkable and has worrying implications for Labour's view of a free press. From your cousin's occasional blog to some of the most respected journalists, all would be at risk of censure.
"Liberal Democrats have set out a clear, sensible plan for the future of media regulation and will be working to use this to put the media back on a sure footing."
The delegates met with Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP, in addition to other senior figures from the party including Party President, Tim Farron MP, and former leader of the party in the House of Lords, Baroness (Shirley) Williams.
The delegation was led by Hon. Alice Nzomukunda; Africa Liberal Network Vice-President for Central Africa, Leader of ADR, and former Vice-President of Burundi. The delegation also included participants in previous ALN Gender Workshops, Hon. Regina Alcindor from the Seychelles National Party and Mrs Ashura Mustapha from Civic United Front, Tanzania. They were joined by Hon. Rachel Shebesh MP, representing the Orange Democratic Movement of Kenya, and Mrs Sophia Deressa, Vice-President of the Ethiopian Democratic Party.
Hon. Alice Nzomukunda addressed the conference delegates, speaking on a panel with former Party Leader, Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, Chair of the International Affairs Committee, Martin Horwood MP, and Vice-Chair of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Prof. Myles Wickstead. During her speech, she thanked the Liberal Democrats for their support for her party and drew attention to recent violence in Burundi.
In addition to attending policy debates and receiving briefings from senior Government Ministers, the delegates also met with and Chair of the International Development Select Committee, Malcolm Bruce MP, and Lord (William) Wallace, Spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which gave them the opportunity discuss government policy toward their own countries.
In the margins of the conference, the delegates met with senior women from national, regional and local government including Minister for Equalities, Lynne Featherstone MP, Leader of the London Assembly Group, Caroline Pidegon AM, and Birmingham Councillors Sue Anderson and Karen Hamilton. The delegates had an opportunity to learn how the Liberal Democrats are organised during a meeting with former CEO, Lord (Chris) Rennard. Finally, the participants were able to discuss their integration in the liberal family with Robert Woodthorpe-Browne, Chair of the International Relations Committee and Emil Kirjas Secretary-General of Liberal International, and Catherine Bearder MEP.
Following a meeting with the delegates, Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat Governor on the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, commented: "I was delighted to meet with the delegates and to welcome them to our conference. I was particularly interested to hear the comparisons which they made with their own parties and countries. It is clear that such inward visits contribute to building capacity among women politicians in Africa, and we look forward to following-up this work through the Africa Liberal Network. I will take-up some of the issues which we discussed at the ALN General Assembly in Kinshasa this October which I am really looking forward to attending."
