THE COMPANY THAT YOU KEEP...

Gaddafi and friend

News that the director of the London School of Economics Sir Howard Davies has submitted his resignation after admitting an "error of judgement" in establishing links between the LSE and the brutally repressive regime of Colonel Gaddafi. Oops - for soon to be former LSE director had visited Libya to advise the regime about financial reforms and had accepted a £300,000 donation from the Libyan leader's second son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (who counts Prince Andrew, Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson and Nat Rothschild as friends) for research at the LSE.

How times change barely a few weeks ago the Libyan leaders son, Saif al-Islam, was busy socialising with the creme de la creme of British society, now his former friends and business associates in the west are scuttling for the shadows and are deeply embarrassed, and no doubt will soon never even admit ever spending time with the Libyans. If you take this to its logical extent then questions need to be asked about the relationship between educational institutions (and Government) and funds from brutal, despotic and undemocratic regimes (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Peoples Republic of China, Iran, etc). There are a few University's here in Wales that had been the recipient of donations form particularly unsavoury regimes...