Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

Interesting pieces in the Guardian today about some interesting people

Ecuador's Lenín Moreno gives revolutionary turn by quitting while on top

guardian.co.uk, 19 Feb 2013

Jonathan Watts in Quito

World's only paraplegic head of state eschews high office to focus on link between quantum physics and human values

…Ecuador's Lenín Moreno gives revolutionary turn by quitting while on top … than the trappings of high office.That may be a common refrain from faux-humble politicians the world over, but Lenín Moreno is about to prove it by stepping down despite the near certainty that he would win again if he stood for re…

With Moreno's own time in office about to end, commentators have lamented that this will be a loss to Correa, to disabled people and to Ecuador. But Moreno insists otherwise.

"The other day someone asked me how I would like to be remembered. But I said: 'Who wants to be remembered?' True happiness is to be forgotten and to have the chance to start over again."

Church is central to tackling poverty - first world war hero's message is still relevant today

The Guardian, 19 Feb 2013

Bob Holman

The centenary of the first world war could show just how relevant the message of Woodbine Willie, the unsung social reformer, still is

…The centenary of the first world war could show how relevant the message of Woodbine Willie, the unsung social reformer, still is … is the first world war. In 1914, he enthusiastically supported Britain's declaration of war on Germany and soon enlisted as a chaplain. He distributed fags to troops and earned the affectionate nickname Woodbine Willie. He joined the soldiers on the western…

Today, not just the UK but many other countries are in the grip of neo-liberalism, which advocates large-scale reduction of state services, huge welfare cuts and massive financial rewards for those at the top. No major political party has a critique of this.

Woodbine Willie: an Unsung Hero of World War One, by Bob Holman, is published (Lion Hudson) on 21 March

growing radical Christian consensus that unregulated and unethical market forces are the driving force of inequality. And, in December, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, provost of St Mary's cathedral, Glasgow, described the coalition government as "ungodly" in "robbing the poorest while giving tax cuts to the rich". He and others are challenging the god of the market and advocating systems that promote equality, mutuality, co-operation and self-sacrifice

Society

We can deal with the economy while feeding the soul | Kate McCann

The Guardian, 19 Feb 2013

Kate McCann

Kate McCann: Cultural regeneration adds to a city's economic attractiveness, and makes people happier, says Bristol's mayor, George Ferguson

…Bristol city council will vote next week on elected independent mayor George Ferguson's first budget, in which he aims to save £35m over the next two … Cultural regeneration adds to a city's economic attractiveness, and makes people happier, says Bristol's mayor, George Ferguson…

As the driving force behind a number of big regeneration projects in the city, including a redundant tobacco factory, which he brought back to life as a performance venue, performing arts school, restaurant, cafe-bar and block of flats, Ferguson believes that boosting Bristol's economy can go hand in hand with feeding the soul. And he wants to put the city, which he loves and has called home for 47 years, on the global map.

"I'll shamelessly sell the city and be forceful about it," he says.

Ferguson makes a convincing case for a music arena for Bristol : "We are the only serious city without an arena – that is something I'm going to bite the bullet about and we're going to build one." Without an arena, people will have to travel to see music and other shows, he explains. "I've got a £35m funding gap – but I'll bloody well find the money."

It is clear that, while Ferguson hasn't lost sight of his statutory duties, he does have a different way of thinking. In fact, he uses the word "different" frequently, explaining that he doesn't want to be like London mayor Boris Johnson.

"Someone asked if I was going to be like Boris and I said: 'Boris is a toff and a buffoon, and he never apologises,' and they said 'Exactly!' I want to be the George of Bristol. I think the important thing is I learn from everybody, but I want Bristol to be different and I want to do it differently. I think difference is a very important thing, that Bristol is different and it reinforces everything that is different rather than trying to be like anywhere else."

That is partly why he signed a letter to the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, earlier this year from Core Cities – a group of eight English cities – warning of a "looming crisis" as they struggle to cope with the cuts. The letter also criticises Pickles' suggestion that councils are hoarding vast sums in their reserves.

That's just not true, says Ferguson, who admits he too expected to find millions squirrelled away – "There's nothing of the sort!" The danger, though, is that people begin to think it's true and that the cuts aren't necessary. "Every single thing I'm doing is necessary," he warns.

"He [Pickles] is forgetting the whole essence of localism. He's forgetting that the government is meant to be giving us more choice," he adds, citing Pickles' obsession with freezing council tax as a major problem for councils.