Section one of the Human Rights Act of 1998 enshrines the single most important human right, the one that towers above all others, to be the right to life.

Like many towns and communities across the country, Southend marked Veterans Day on 27 June with public displays performed by serving members of the armed forces and ceremonies centered on veteran members. But these public acts of recognition are not known by everybody. This country still has an awkward attitude towards its military personnel. Unlike other Western democracies, the civilian population is largely unaware of what the armed forces actually do and - as shown by some recent, notorious examples - there are increasing incidents of public abuse of personnel in uniform.

Whether you're running on a treadmill or for American president, flip-flops can be dangerous. In the last fortnight both candidates for president have been accused of pursuing this deviant activity. First, McCain announced support for offshore oil drilling (a position he had opposed in his 2000 race) then Obama revealed that he would opt out of the public financing system after all.

This week sees the end of the year at Holyrood, with parliament now in recess until September.

David Cameron has slickly moved to claim the progressive mantle from Labour. But bold, genuinely progressive proposals like those announced today will reveal the true nature of Conservative politics on equality. Predictably tensions have already been exposed between the Tory frontbench and backbench MPs. When it comes to supporting concrete proposals the Conservatives will be found wanting and once again the Labour party will demonstrate our representation of all Britons and not just the privileged few.

I demand an apology for the credit crisis; an apology from the financial services industry. I don't demand regulation; I don't demand satisfaction; I simply demand an apology from the greedy, bonus paying, Tory-financing industry that has managed to damage the reputation of my Labour party through its profligate gluttony.

Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the annual Bankers' Dinner at the Mansion House. I'm not a banker, although the ones I was seated next to were very good company. It was one of those rare occasions where one gets to see the establishment at play, up close and personal. And the pomp and ceremony of the dinner manages to be both surreal and strangely reassuring at the same time, or perhaps that was just the fine wine.

As the foreign minister of Tanzania says of the situation in Zimbabwe, ‘there is little chance of the elections being free and fair'. The mind of progressives must be focused on the battle for peace, justice and democracy that our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe's trade unions have to wage.

A recent survey claimed that 30 per cent of youths have carried a knife. To connect the recent spate of knife attacks with this survey does seem like a perfect correlation, until you notice that 30 per cent of young people are not murderers or in the morgue right now. When considering this, you begin to realise that the correlation isn't as clear-cut after all. By ordering police to charge every lad found in possession of a knife, we're criminalising vast numbers of lads who aren't criminal types. This is not a positive way to tackle the problem.

On a recent trip back to London I was struck by the number of people who saw the conclusion of the Democratic primary as the final act of the American election, as though it was just a matter of Obama seeing out the next five months and being anointed leader of the free world.