Ireland has become so rich, so fast—it now has far higher GDP per capita than Britain—that it doesn't know what to do with its old self-image, based on wit and bloody-mindedness in the face of grinding poverty. But only yesterday—1976, to be precise—the country was so poor that it could barely afford to pay for the prime minister Liam Cosgrave and his small delegation to fly to the US for St Patrick's day. Newly published Irish state papers from 1976 reveal that the government had planned to present President Ford with The Orderly Book of General Burgoyne for the Saratoga Campaign, worth £5,000. But when it realised how much the air fares would cost, the government decided on a cheaper present, worth just £160. (And as part of the preparations for the visit, the wife of the Taoiseach—Vera Cosgrave—was warned not to upstage Betty Ford by wearing a hat. The Irish embassy in Washington DC pronounced sombrely that Mrs Ford "does not ordinarily wear hats.")
The 7/7 drama that never was
Is the BBC shying away from topics of vital public interest for fear of raising the hackles of Britain's Muslims? It recently emerged that an expensive and intensively researched BBC2 docudrama about the 7th July bombers was unexpectedly shelved by the channel's controller, Roly Keating. Researchers for the programme spent months procuring the co-operation of close relatives of two of the bombers, Mohammad Sidique Khan and Germaine Lindsay. The resulting script concluded, controversially, that their religious radicalism was rooted in long-standing tensions within the British Muslim community. The programme, which was enthusiastically backed by Jane Tranter (then the BBC's head of fiction) and George Entwistle (head of television current affairs), was set to go into production last autumn before being blocked by Keating (who, rather mysteriously, had sat on the script for several weeks). The message came down from on high that the script had been judged "too dark" and "anti-Muslim." At the time, the Danish cartoon controversy was still fresh in the memory. Was the decision not to go ahead motivated by visions of Muslim protestors outside White City?
But at least no one can claim that it is only Muslims that the BBC is going out of its way to appease—it also recently scrapped a docudrama about Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian shot at point blank range in Stockwell by anti-terrorist police.
French presidential news
On the day France's new rolling news channel France 24 launched, Jacques Chirac gave an interview in the studio in which he was asked about the rumours that it would be "the Chi chi channel," acting on orders from the French government. He replied that the merest soupçon of any such business would constitute "certain failure." "Well, he said it," was Libération's laconic comment the following morning.
It seems that someone in the chain that links Chirac and France 24 is determined to test the president's prophecy. At the Élysée's insistence, Chirac's traditional new year speeches to the military, media and other posses—bland affairs devoid of newsworthy content—were broadcast live, with snips repeated throughout the day. And then there was the genuinely exciting story of how French soldiers had Osama bin Laden in their sights in 2003 and 2004 but weren't allowed to shoot—abruptly taken off air following a call from the defence ministry.
The nascent channel is hoping to see its docility rewarded with an international scoop. Rumour has it that if Chirac does decide to stand for re-election, he'll announce his decision on France 24: another exclusive interview is due in late January.
Arcati
Who is Madame Arcati? The new literary and media blogger is causing consternation in celebrityland for her well-informed indiscretions. She can crop up anywhere but has a decided taste for the raffish end of the media circus. The Daily Express thinks she is Prospect contributor Duncan Fallowell, especially after Arcati interviewed him in intimate fashion. Fallowell says, "It's not me, but the site is great fun, sort of the News of the World getting off with the TLS at a drag ball."
Equality
Nicola Brewer, the foreign office high-flyer who did not get the permanent secretary job, has been snapped up by Trevor Phillips as chief executive for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights, launching this autumn. With John Grant, Britain's ambassador to the EU, also announcing that he is moving on, some officials are getting twitchy that too much experience—especially on Europe—is departing. Is this an excuse for Gordon to pack the FCO with his treasury mates?
At the heart of euroland
Since Slovenia joined the euro on 1st January, the geographic centre of the eurozone has moved—slightly—eastwards. The new centre is the French village of Mhère (pop 290). Five miles to the west, the village of Montreuillon, the deposed centre, is lamenting its loss: for five years it was the focus for coachloads of tourists. Asked for his view, Mhère's mayor, a retired farmer confused by all the attention, could only hope that the honour would enable him to reopen the village shop.
