Snowmail: Gordon gets a nudge

Last Modified: 04 Sep 2008
By: Alex Thomson

On tonight's show...

In keeping with the political theme of the moment, Charles Clarke has decided it's time to give Gordon Brown a nudge, inviting him to consider the 'honourable' option of resignation if he can't improve the government's performance in a few months.

No outright call for resignation. But then the point of "nudging", according to a handy summary in The Guardian earlier this year, is that rather than leave people to their own devices or give them dos and don'ts, (the authors) want to highlight the best option while still leaving all the bad ones open.

Not that much doubt which Mr Clarke considers the best option. But in keeping with the spirit of the times, he's allowing Mr Brown to make his own mind up - or, as Gary Gibbon, our political editor, put it on our News at Noon, "nudging the pearl-handled revolver across the table towards Mr Brown".

Will Mr Brown respond with a "nudge" of his own? He speaks at the Scottish CBI annual dinner in Glasgow tonight, so perhaps it'll be a kiss instead.

Tribal law meets misogyny?

From differing parts of the globe tonight two stories about the treatment of women. In Pakistan it's been rumoured that a group of women in the remote north western tribal areas were buried alive when they tried to elope with men of their choice.

The evidence emerging appears to suggest they were beaten to death before being buried. So that's alright then. The whole episode highlights again the kind of law operating in areas where Islamabad holds no sway.

Meanwhile here, it seems the proverbial glass ceiling's been replaced with a pre-stressed concrete job. The number of women getting into top positions in a whole range of employment areas has actually got smaller over the past year.

Is this because employers rebel against all the red-tape associated with maternity rights? Is it because women simply don't want the power-trip that floats the male collective boat? Is it because the credit crunch is impacting on all this?

We take a closer look tonight with two women who are chief execs in the football business and the lingerie industry.

Murray and more

There's a lot more around. Andy Murray's through to the biggest match of his life in the Flushing Meadows semis; tropical storms have killed at least 60 people in Haiti with a hurricane now threatening to hit the island; more than two million Biharis could now be homeless after monsoon flooding in northern India; and a man has been in touch with his family.

Nothing unusual about that last matter. Except for one thing. The family had already cremated his body.

Do join me at seven on 4, cheers, Alex.