Policywonk, in a smart coat, LIVE FROM WESTMINSTER

[policywonk]

Hello and welcome

I've got my dongle working! Woohoo!

Today is a briefing day organised by the G20 Voice peeps.

Am networking like a wild thing. Oh look, there's Michelle O. 'Scuse me.

Anyone know why the live feed(on my laptop)is breaking up? the speech is all sli t y dal k like...iyswim.

'Tis a bit desperate, ain't it...has that 'thank f*ck for coffee' moment about it.

LOL! and now they've stopped talking completely and disappeared!

Sorry you couldn't hear our one - we were going through the draft communique that was linked to the FT.

Bits about climate/carbon are scandalous apparently (no firm commitments at all)

Move to regulate tax havens, although not many specifics yet so can't say how effective it will turn out to be (from Richard's talk this morning, we all know that the regulation needs to be multilateral and automatic)

Money for development aid - no figures yet but looks like there will be some. Will be channelled through the IMF which a lot of people are unhappy about (still mired in culture of structural adjustment programmes)

Commitment to avoid protectionism, despite the fact that 17 of the G20 countries have introduced protectionist measures in the last year. Meanwhile, a measure of protectionism would actually be helpful in developing country contexts - developed nations all used protectionism to build their economies

Obama and Merkel are going to have a ceremonial arm-wrestle this afternoon to settle this issue of fiscal stimulus

Is the coffee machine right by the camera, do you think?

PW, is the draft communique available anywhere on the web? I'm not surprised about the lack of commitment on carbon, TBH, but I might be able to give you a bit of context on exactly how scandalous it is?

"Meanwhile, a measure of protectionism would actually be helpful in developing country contexts - developed nations all used protectionism to build their economies" - Joseph Stiglitz talks a lot about this in Globalization and its Discontents.

Well, she's sure getting her 15 minutes of fame isn't she! do you think she knows!???

Yes, she found us stalking her.

Here you are giz - ft leak

Duncan Green calls it 'best endeavours' language, which means absolutely nothing is going to happen. He says he's going to try to find out who has nobbled it this afternoon.

I might stare into space for bit now. Will try to find the camera.

Oh - they're interviewing bloggers - pol, get over there!

What are you lot seeing at the moment? (Dweebs with a scattering of wonks?)

Ooooh! the glory seeker by the coffee machine has a microphone!!! do you think she might sing?

Infant blogger being interviewed is what i'm seeing

See! Eurovision! she's going to sing!!!

14? wow

Skimmed it.

Oh Jaysus H Christ that really is DIRE and terribly depressing.

Not a single meaningful figure, just a put off until Copenhagen in December. I know the problem is that a sensibly 'green' solution will vary from country to country, but just re-iterating the existing commitments and outlining some key activities would have been a start.

If nothing else, this is something that bloggers could really get het up about.

Sheeeeeee's pretty!

Ah right, I see where he is. Camera-man's beard is dyed blue, you know. (Is that the kind of thing Justine is after, d'you think?)

I should say, on the combover issue, that I've seen none. I suspect tomorrow will be combover central.