The Best and Worst of the British Press

L O N D O N, April 27 -- The papers in Britain are in an uproar this morning after Thursday's announcement of 15 new Lords and Ladies — the first "People's Peers," or Lords and Ladies drawn from the general public. The problem is, the group elected does not really look anything like the general public.

"What a lord of rubbish — Seven knights, three professors, two chief execs and one Lady ... if these are People's Peers, I'm the Duke of Railway Terrace," screams The Mirror in protest.

Prime Minister Tony Blair spearheaded the effort to make the House of Lords more representative of the people, taking away a number of inherited titles, passed down from generation to generation, in order to make space for whomever desired to apply.

At the time of the announcement, the British thought it was a brilliant idea. But Thursday's announcement drew sharp responses from critics far and wide in the country. The intent of "The People's Peers" had been to choose ordinary, normal — but qualified — people to sit beside the remaining hereditary peers.

With this group drawn from the same elite circles, the modest proposal — almost revolutionary in this tradition-bound country — has completely backfired, according to the enraged press.

Show Them the Money — and Monet

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to the world on Thursday for a large "war chest" for the global battle against HIV/AIDS in the developing world. The Guardian recounts that Annan called it an "ethical imperative" that medical treatment be available for all. Annan pushed for the use of generic drugs and for $7 billion-$10 billion in funds to help prevent and treat the fatal virus.

In Africa, experts anticipate that AIDS will kill a third of today's 15-year-olds unless they receive proper treatment. Right now, 25.3 million Africans are estimated to have the disease.

The Financial Times reports the European Central Bank has refused to cut interest rates despite a recommendation from the International Monetary Fund. Since there is now worldwide concern about the potential for a global economic slowdown, the ECB's defiance surprised the FT, which noted "the bank should have cut rates a month ago." There is speculation that some European officials feel that Europe would be protected against an economic slowdown in the United States.