Bicnod for Mumsnet - LIVE AT THE G8!!! Come and keep me company...

[Bicnod]

I'm here in Belfast for you lovely lot as one of the IF@G8 bloggers - original thread here

It all kicks off tomorrow so setting this up now like a good boy scout to be prepared.

Did I mention I'm getting a press pass?!

Still eeking.

Up in 5 hours so must go sleeeeeeep.

[liger]

I just googled Daily mail 0.7 Aid and got lots of the vitriol coming up. Just DON'T READ THE COMMENTS, your heart may melt in the despair and bleakness at the state of humanity.

Hope you get to sit next to Michelle and the girls at lunch today !

[liger]

By the way why has this thread lost its sticky on Active Convo's? ? We need more traffic !

[Bicnod]

The UK action plan is out and DC has committed to set up a central registry of information on companies' beneficial ownership, maintained by Companies House, and to consult on whether information in the registry should be publicly accessible.

The feeling here is that this is an OK outcome: great that the registry will be set up, but not so great that it won't just automatically be available in the public domain.

Waiting to hear what the other G8 countries are planning to do...

[Bicnod]

@liger - just did the same

Lunch at desk today as leaving at 1.15pm for the big press conference at 3.30pm. Why we have to leave 2 1/4 hours before the thing actually starts is a mystery.

[Tee2072]

Security? Maybe?

This transparency thing sounds very promising, but isn't distribution of food a major issue as well? Does IF have ideas on that?

[Bicnod]

Phew - don't have to leave until 2pm now.

Have my ticket for the press conference so will definitely be going

Will put my hand up to ask a question but apparently it's pretty unlikely I'll get picked [stamps feet]

@Tee - Do you mean the unequal distribution of food across the world?

[Bicnod]

Might be a bit of a communications black hole when I head off to the press conference, will keep updating/tweeting if I can, but you can keep up to speed on everything that's going on here on the IF@G8 live blog

[Bicnod]

Very very excited about seeing the leaders in the flesh

[SacreBlue]

Corrupt govts make the selling off of land and redirection aka stealing of aid money and food very difficult to stamp out. At least with transparency of who is dealing with them and colluding in their corruption you would hope that some international pressure would be brought to bear.

I am wondering if they are planning to have actionable sanctions against companies who refuse, or are using ghost hq's in tax haven countries to avoid paying tax in the country or countries they are actually dealing in/with.

Jersey is apparently the leading exporter of......bananas. Which is itself rather bananas.

[Bicnod]

Will take a pic of leaders and tweet it if I'm allowed - are you allowed to take photos in press conferences? Presumably you are?!

Especially of Obama.

I might well have a teensy Obama crush

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Brilliant Huffington Post article.

Jersey - Bananas? Oh dear!

[Bicnod]

x-post Sacre - yes - interesting question about sanctions.

Just asked Richard Murphy (tax dude) about this and he said that unfortunately there is no hint of this in the action plans at the moment.

He called the action plan a toothless tiger...

[Bicnod]

Sacre - missed that about bananas - that is indeed completely bananas. Craziness.

Bewitched - thank you! :)

[Bicnod]

Right - packing up to head over to press conference.

Eek!

[Tee2072]

I meant that even if food aid gets to the countries that need it, there has been a problem of it getting to the actual people rather than being sold on the black market and the money filling the pockets of the governments.

[liger]

Tee , the main issue with Food Aid is that donor aid is tied with conditionalities. Food Aid in the form of Grain from the US for example is bought from US farmers and shipped to countries with a food crisis even if there is a surplus available in other countries in the region. It supports the US farming industry and there would be uproar in the US if the practice was ceased.

Compared to that the inappropriate diversion of Food Aid in the crisis affected country is minimal and can be avoided by appropriate targeting of Aid. So for example families will chose to sell some of their grain to buy sugar or oil. If sugar and oil are included in the initial distribution there is less sold at market.

[Spidermama]

G8 Summit costs... 6 miles of perimeter fence and barbed wire £3 million....

[Tee2072]

Cost to international relations if a loon dissident republican loon managed to get anywhere near the G8 leaders (which was not outside the realm of possibility without the £3m of razor wire etc) - priceless.

If you don't live in NI, you will never understand how important that fence and wire were...

[ChablisLover]

Agreed Tee

It only takes one lunatic to break throughand the reputation of our little bit of the world in tatters.

I too anticipated dissident troubled not normal g8 protestors.

The authorities had to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And that costs. If they didn't and something happened, complaints would ring loud.

On radio this morning a lady attributed the lack of protest to a change in the protestors attitude

I attribute it to the fact the psni are armed and can used water cannon and plastic bullets in riot situations.

I know that normalises to those on the mainland this type of policing. But I grew up with it and it is at times still required

Sad but true

[Tee2072]

There were protesters, and there were arrests, but none of them got anywhere near the actual summit.

And that's what matters.

And I agree that the dissidents are loons, not stupid. And, like most cowards, march with masks on.

[Bicnod]

At Belfast City airport waiting for flight home. Place crawling with journos and flight delayed

Will post later with final thoughts etc.

Generally speaking the feeling is the G8 response on tax and transparency was weak but a step in the right direction.

What do you all think?

By the way I tried very hard to get the PM's attention at press conference for question: second row, right in his line of vision, bright stripy jumper, hand first up every time. .. But to no avail. He studiously ignored me.

[Bicnod]

Phone battery dying. Will check in when make it home. ETA 1am...

[liger]

What would have asked if he'd picked you?

Well done Bicnod - you've done brilliantly, your boys should be v proud of you ! Bet you can't wait to see them.

[RowanMumsnet]

Just want to say WELL DONE and thank you to Bicnod for doing us proud. Looking forward to reading your thoughts when you've had time to 'gather' [Kate Winslet emoticon]

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

My feeling is that results from G8 are always weak. One could be forgiven for being under the impression that motions are being gone through rather than anyone actually being on fire to change anything.

You've been fabulous Bicnod and really risen to the challenge of being "outside your comfort zone".

Sorry about the frustrations, particularly having flight delayed.

and for you, and well done, you've been impressive