All eyes on Japan

PM David Cameron said Britain stands ready to help Japan in “any way we can”. Mr Cameron said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary William Hague about Britain’s contribution and what can be done to help British nationals caught up in the disaster. Meanwhile the Queen extended her “heartfelt sympathy” to those affected by the earthquake. Mr Hague convened the emergency Cobra committee in Whitehall and the Foreign Office set up a hotline for British citizens concerned about friends and relatives. – Daily Mirror

Lib Dems set to ‘get used’ to protests

Nick Clegg last night warned Liberal Democrat supporters to “get used” to protesters as he launched an impassioned defence of his party’s record in Government so far. With police in Sheffield gearing up for the largest demonstations South Yorkshire has seen since the 1984-85 miners’ strike, Mr Clegg admitted that his party was more used to being protesters themselves than being protested against. But he called on members to “hold their nerve” and insisted that they were helping to build “a new economy from the rubble of the old”. “It is not easy for us as a party to be the focus of protests,” he said. “Some of our proudest moments have been on marches: against climate change, against child detention, against the illegal war in Iraq. We’ve put down the placards and taken up the reins of power. It’s a big change but it is worth it. You can’t do everything when you are in power, but you can’t do anything when you are not. With power comes protest. We need to get used to it.” Mr Clegg faces a difficult couple of days in Sheffield – the city he represents as an MP – with expected defeats against the leadership on the conference floor and protests outside. Yesterday, South Yorkshire police said the operation to control today’s expected 10,000-strong demonstation by trade unions and students would be the biggest challenge the force had faced since the floods which devastated parts of the county in 2007. “We hope for the best and have planned for the worst,” said Assistant Chief Constable Max Sahota. – the Independent (more…)