Index on Censorship
From September 2008 until March 2012 John was Chief Executive of Index on Censorship, one of the leading organisations that probes abuses of freedom of expression in the UK and around the world. www.indexoncensorship.org
or via twitter @indoncensorship
From Feb 2012 John took up a new position as part-time adviser to Google on free expression and culture issues for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He will also assist the Global Network Initiative.
See here for press release
Freedom for Sale
My latest book Freedom For Sale was published in hardback version in 2009 to strong acclaim. It was listed as a Book of the Year in both the Evening Standard and The Observer. It was a finalist in the 2010 Orwell Prize. The same year it was published in paperback. It has also been published in the United States, and it has been translated into Spanish and Italian. A Russian version will be published in due course.
For more information click here.
To buy the book from Amazon click here.
In our politics you're either up or down
Suddenly, Cameron's charm is toxic and Miliband has discovered his Mojo
Independent, 14 May 2012
Review: Dial M for Murdoch by Tom Watson and Martin Hickman
This account of the Murdoch affair, co-authored by one of their most dogged critics, is a gripping read
Observer, 6 May 2012
If Blair wants to play elder statesman, let him
It is testament to the man that the suggestion of a return has sent commentators into paroxysms of despair or joy
Independent, 4 May 2012
The ringmaster may change; our circus will stay
Beyond the search for villains, what does this affair say about the nature of public life in the UK? How rotten is our establishment?
FT, 28 April 2012
Tighter privacy laws would only serve the rich and powerful
The report by MPs on privacy talks of the importance of free expression, but the measures it proposes fly in the face of that
Guardian, 27 March 2012
Review: Reagan and Thatcher by Richard Aldous
The Thatcher-Reagan double act was far from being the love-in of myth
Observer, 18 March 2012
Williams isn't a traitor, she's a grown-up
The NHS Bill saga provides a salutary lesson about
expectation management in a coalition
Independent, 12 March 2012
Review: Consent of the Networked by Rebecca Mackinnon
This thoroughly researched study finds fundamental freedom of information under constant threat in our online age
Observer, 12 February 2012
For Russia and China, the Arab Spring only offers a warning
Russia has benefited hugely from trade deals with Syria. It is its main
weapons supplier
Independent, 6 February 2012
Lucky Dave’s show goes on as an(other) irritant departs
The departure of Christ Huhne from the sensitive post in charge of climate change policy changes the choreography of the cabinet
FT, 4 February 2012
Review: Outside In by Peter Hain
Peter Hain's memoir is the story of a radical turned political misfit
Observer, 29 January 2012
Leveson must not delay reform of our dreadful libel laws
It’s bad when the creators of South Park satirise our system
The Times, 24 January 2012
A public mood that won't stand for corporate greed any longer
When it came to the bonus culture and tax loopholes, it took years for
politicians to catch up with popular discontent
Independent, 20 January 2012
Abbott's law - you must not overreact to Twitter
Too often Twitter militates against the development of an
argument beyond the soundbite
Independent, 6 January 2012
Brazil's success heralds the new world order
This historic economic shift has huge implications for our sense of identity
and our role in the world
Independent, 29 December 2011
Call it the Tracey Emin effect: art overcoming austerity outside London
Turner, Hepworth, FirstSite – the success of new galleries is making the case for culture-led regeneration
Guardian, 27 December 2011
How did Obama end up appeasing the neocons?
The President will continue to mind his conservative flank, particularly on security and law and order
Independent, 23 December 2011
Nick Clegg can only deliver on this rhetoric with Labour
For all the bad feeling of the last 18 months, their common interests remain. The left should start to think big
Guardian, 20 December 2011
Silent Liberal Democrats are left on the sidelines
The Europhobes hold sway in every corner of the Conservative party. They have
a simple goal: withdrawal from the EU
Independent, 10 December 2011
Nick Clegg's right. It's time to start means-testing pensioners
It's not 'misery' to have to cancel a holiday. As the wealth gap grows, we must focus on young people looking for work
Guardian, 6 December 2011
The economic crisis poses a threat to European democracy
Politicians and central bankers have long since ditched the stricture – don't
spook the markets
Independent, 5 December 2011
Turner Contemporary
John is Chair of the board of Turner Contemporary, one of the UK's highest profile art galleries. The opening of the gallery in Margate in April 2011 received plaudits around the world, and it is regarded as one of the UK's most important culture-driven regeneration projects. The last show, "Turner and the Elements", has just closed, to wide acclaim. The next exhibition, by Tracey Emin, opens on May 26. The number of people who visited the gallery in its first year was just under half a million - three times the number predicted.
On 11 November 2011, the gallery welcomed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
Click here for BBC coverage
http://bbc.in/sJ0pNL
Click here for selected pictures
http://ymlp.com/zCjj8z
For information about its shows and other news, including latest media coverage, go to:
www.turnercontemporary.org
or via twitter @TCMargate
