Thandie Newton speaks out about sexism in the film industry

British actress Thandie Newton joined the crowds of people who protested violence against women yesterday as part of the One Billion Rising campaign. In an interview with CNN, she explained about her own experience of humiliation and exploitation during 'casting couch' style interviews she undertook as a teenager.

Newton said she was "definitely objectified to an extreme" as a 16-year-old due to the things she was expected to do in auditions. She told of one "horrific incident" as an 18-year-old where the director asked her to sit with her legs apart and the camera was positioned up her skirt during a screen test.

Newton said she was told to "put my leg over the arm of the chair, and think about [...] how it felt to be made love to by this person." It later emerged that the director played the interview video to other people in his personal time.

Newton went on to say that "we all need to recognise our part in trying to be aware" of sexism and exploitation. "It's really bizarre that violence against women isn't a number one priority," she said. One Billion Rising describes itself as a "global strike" and a "call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends." Comedian Ruby Wax and politician Yvette Cooper also joined the crowds in Westminster.

In 2011 filmmaker Susanna White (Parade's End, Generation Kill) led a campaign to help female directors achieve equality in television. White is part of Directors UK, a group which fights for directors's rights in the industry, which set up the Women's Working Group. In January, the group released an update on the group revealing statistics that showed that while 27 per cent of Director UK's members were women, an average nine per cent of episodes of drama series were directed by women in comparison to 91 per cent by men.

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The 27 Club: in pictures

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Tory MPs want new law to 'lock in' EU referendum pledge

Many Tories, however, were unimpressed by Sir John's comments. They feel emboldened to act because they believe parliamentary pressure effectively forced Mr Cameron to make his referendum promise - and played a big role in his successful bid for a real-terms cut in the EU's budget from 2014-20, which was agreed this month.

In October 2011, 81 Tory rebels defied Mr Cameron's orders at thetime to demand a referendum on EU membership in a Commons vote - a stance which is now party policy following the Prime Minister's landmark speech last month.

A year later, more than 50 Tory Eurosceptics voted with Labour against the government on a real-term reduction in the 2014-20 EU budget.

They have turned their attention to a referendum paving Bill before the next election in an attempt to lock Mr Cameron in to his promise - and put Labour and the Liberal Democrats on the spot in a Commons vote.

Some feel that without a major move this side of the next election, the Conservatives will not be believed by voters. David Cameron pledged in 2009 to stage a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty if the Tories won power, only to back down from his promise later.

Nick de Bois, the secretary of the 1922 Committee of Conservative, backbenchers, said: "David Cameron has shown magnificent leadership with EU policy by putting the UK's interests first, and by inviting the British public to have their say on our future relationship with the EU.

"The icing on the cake would be a paving bill for the referendum inthis parliament to leave no doubt in the public's mind that it is onlyan outright Conservative government, not Labour, and most certainly not a new coalition that will deliver that referendum."

Mark Pritchard, a former secretary of the 1922 Committee, said: "A Bill would help disperse the mistrust of all those inside and outside of parliament who just don’t trust any political leader to deliver on their Europe promises.

"It would give added weight to the Prime Minister’s new European policy”.

Another Tory MP, who did not wish to be named, said: "I share the concern that unless a paving Bill this parliament is achieved, the referendum pledge will only be seen as another pledge which will not be delivered.

"A Bill would show the public we are committed to this, as well allaying some concerns about trust on this issue."

Mr Cameron is determined to resist moves for a paving Bill in the current parliament. In any Commons vote, the Liberal Democrats would be likely to vote with Labour to block it - potentially fracturing the coalition because of the seriousness of the issue.

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, has been criticised for putting forward a confused message on the referendum pledge after telling MPs he does not support a public vote at the moment.

Amid signs of internal Opposition tensions on the issue, Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, last week warned Labour would be "stupid" to fight the next election opposing a referendum.

If we allow ourselves either to be the ‘status quo party’ on Europe,or the ‘anti-referendum party’ on Europe, then we’ve got a problem," Mr Balls added.

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Universities attack A-level reforms

The Education Secretary has announced that sixth-formers will be required to take all their A-level exams at the end of a two-year course.

This would mean that AS-levels, which are currently taken at the end of the first year of study, will no longer contribute to pupils’ final A-level grades.

However, the Russell Group of leading research universities said it was “not convinced” that the move was necessary. The universities warned that the plan would make it harder to identify bright students from working-class homes.

The criticism is a blow to Mr Gove, who has asked the Russell Group to establish a new academic board to advise the exams watchdog on the design of the new A-levels.

The universities’ intervention represents the latest in a series of setbacks for the minister. Last week, Mr Gove was forced to abandon his plan to scrap GCSEs and replace the exams with a new English Baccalaureate certificate.

In a statement released on Thursday, Dr Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group, said her 24 member universities, which include Oxford and Cambridge, “valued” AS-levels “in their existing form”.

“We have argued that AS-levels in their current format are important in giving students the opportunity to take an additional smaller qualification in a contrasting subject alongside their main A-level subjects,” she said.

“This adds valuable breadth and flexibility to their learning programme, and can encourage the take-up of strategically important subjects.

“We are not convinced therefore that a new standalone AS qualification is necessary and are concerned that, with no links to the A-level, it may not deliver the same benefits as the existing AS-levels.”

Dr Piatt said results from AS-levels taken at the end of the first year of study help universities make decisions on which candidates deserve to be offered places.

“Without access to such information, it will be even more difficult for our institutions to identify the most talented students from amongst the very many applicants with excellent results at GCSE,” she said.

“AS-level results after one year of study can also be effective in giving talented students from poorer backgrounds the confidence to apply to a highly selective university, thus helping to widen participation.”

Dr Piatt added: “Whilst we have welcomed the Government's review of the modular structure of the A-level, we do not believe this need be extended to the complete removal of the AS examination from the A-level.”

Cambridge University has already warned that the reforms risk damaging a decade's worth of work to encourage more disadvantaged students to apply.

A spokesman for the Department for Education insisted that AS-levels would be de-coupled from A-levels and would become stand-alone qualifications.

“We need A-levels that are robust, rigorous and match equivalent exams in the world's best education systems,” the spokesman said.

“That is why new A-levels will be linear, with all assessment at the end of two years of study to address the impact of modules and re-sits on grade inflation. As a result, changes must be made to AS-levels.

“AS-levels will therefore be redesigned as high-quality standalone qualifications.”

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We didn't have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. That's how we roll

For a man of my years, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks of it. It started with a “Saints and Sinners Club” lunch at Lord’s. The Saints and Sinners are a gathering of geezers who fancy themselves “raffish”, who meet once a month for lunch, for no good reason other than good fellowship, a bite of food and a mouthful of wine, to tell each other a few stories and raise a few bob for worthy charities.

There are no rules that I’ve ever discovered (and I’ve been chairman), there are only 100 of us, and if guests want to come to our annual Christmas lunch, they have to pay for it by listening to us sing carols at them.

At Lord’s, we had a question-and-answer session with distinguished figures from the world of sport, and a helping of meat so large that there was unworthy speculation that it might be cheval rather than “boeuf bourguignon”.

Then, on Shrove Tuesday, another lunch at Simpson’s, the roast beef Mecca on the Strand. Although the founder of this feast has a fondness for the school dinners of his youth, he settled for gastronomic safety with chicken. The excuse this time was the Oldie of the Year Awards. Unlike the Baftas, Golden Globes or Oscars, and all of the other self-congratulatory showbiz fandangos, these prizewinners are not picked by retired wardrobe mistresses, make-up ladies or former best-boys, but judges of intellect and discernment, and me, whose discussions can often degenerate into bitter wrangling. Despite recriminations, decisions were taken, and, as readers of a better class of newspaper, you will be aware, among the great and good honoured, the main Golden Oldie award garlanded the leonine brow of Lord Heseltine.

It was a close-run thing; the “Turbaned Tornado”, Fauja Singh, was in the running, in more ways than one, having completed the Toronto marathon last October, at 100 years of age. Next Sunday he’ll hang up his running shoes at the finish of the Hong Kong marathon. He doesn’t drink and he’s a vegetarian, with a beard to put George Clooney to shame.

Then, the charming Samantha Cameron invited to No 10 a group representing charities that had attended the City firm Icap’s Big Day a little while ago, allowing us to imagine we were dealing in millions, while brokers, managers and secretaries all dressed up like cowboys and Indians, soldiers, sailors, doctors and nurses, sheikhs and snorklers. A good-hearted, jolly day, that belied the reputation of a self-centred City.

A reputation further demolished by the PM’s wife’s reception, when those of us representing charities, mine being Children in Need, received handsome donations from Icap’s Michael Spencer.

Not a bad few days. Somewhere in the middle, I’ll swear I saw a pancake and a Valentine’s Day card, but it’s all over now, for it’s Lent. I’m not telling you what I’m giving up, but I’ll have a couple on Patrick’s Day…

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Weak pound and high wholesale prices drive up petrol costs

The rise of 6.24p a litre since early January has been blamed on a plunging pound and stock market speculators driving up the price of fuel.

After surging by 5p a litre over a month, the price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days, the AA said.

The average cost in the UK is now 138.32p a litre, with diesel having risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to an average of 145.10p.

The increase in the price of petrol adds £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank, while filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than six weeks ago.

A two-car family's monthly petrol cost has risen by £13.25.

Drivers have been caught between the pincers of a pound weakened against the dollar and soaring wholesale prices, both due to stock market speculation, the AA said.

Edmund King, its president, said: "This latest surge in fuel prices and its impact on spending indicates that UK drivers and families can't take any more. We're no longer talking of the motorist as a cash cow for tax and speculator greed, but a horse slowly but surely being flogged to death.

"This is the third 10p-a-litre wholesale price surge in 11 months, given extra vigour by currency speculators betting against the pound."

He called on the Government to scrap the planned rise in fuel duty scheduled for the autumn.

"Given the lashing motoring families and UK businesses are taking from speculator-driven fuel prices, we hope the Chancellor spells out clearly in the forthcoming Budget that he can feel the pressure rocketing fuel price inflation places on families and business, and that he will cancel the September rise if that strain is too great," he said.

In December, George Osborne scrapped a 3p rise in duty due in the New Year and postponed the next inflation-linked increase from April 1 until September 1

Regional variations mean Yorkshire and Humberside and the north of England are currently the cheapest for petrol, at 137.6p a litre, with Northern Ireland the most expensive at 138.7p.

Yorkshire and Humberside also remains the cheapest region for diesel, averaging 144.2p, while East Anglia, Northern Ireland and south-east England are the most expensive, at 145.2p.

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Weak pound and high wholesale prices drive up petrol costs

The rise of 6.24p a litre since early January has been blamed on a plunging pound and stock market speculators driving up the price of fuel.

After surging by 5p a litre over a month, the price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days, the AA said.

The average cost in the UK is now 138.32p a litre, with diesel having risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to an average of 145.10p.

The increase in the price of petrol adds £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank, while filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than six weeks ago.

A two-car family's monthly petrol cost has risen by £13.25.

Drivers have been caught between the pincers of a pound weakened against the dollar and soaring wholesale prices, both due to stock market speculation, the AA said.

Edmund King, its president, said: "This latest surge in fuel prices and its impact on spending indicates that UK drivers and families can't take any more. We're no longer talking of the motorist as a cash cow for tax and speculator greed, but a horse slowly but surely being flogged to death.

"This is the third 10p-a-litre wholesale price surge in 11 months, given extra vigour by currency speculators betting against the pound."

He called on the Government to scrap the planned rise in fuel duty scheduled for the autumn.

"Given the lashing motoring families and UK businesses are taking from speculator-driven fuel prices, we hope the Chancellor spells out clearly in the forthcoming Budget that he can feel the pressure rocketing fuel price inflation places on families and business, and that he will cancel the September rise if that strain is too great," he said.

In December, George Osborne scrapped a 3p rise in duty due in the New Year and postponed the next inflation-linked increase from April 1 until September 1

Regional variations mean Yorkshire and Humberside and the north of England are currently the cheapest for petrol, at 137.6p a litre, with Northern Ireland the most expensive at 138.7p.

Yorkshire and Humberside also remains the cheapest region for diesel, averaging 144.2p, while East Anglia, Northern Ireland and south-east England are the most expensive, at 145.2p.

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