Rising public resentment blamed on government focus on alleged 'scrounger' fraud and inflammatory media coverage

The government's focus on alleged fraud and overclaiming to justify cuts in disability benefits has caused an increase in resentment and abuse directed at disabled people, as they find themselves being labelled as scroungers, six of the country's biggest disability groups have warned.

Some of the charities say they are now regularly contacted by people who have been taunted on the street about supposedly faking their disability and are concerned the climate of suspicion could spill over into violence or other hate crimes.

While the charities speaking out ? Scope, Mencap, Leonard Cheshire Disability, the National Autistic Society, Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), and Disability Alliance ? say inflammatory media coverage has played a role in this, they primarily blame ministers and civil servants for repeatedly highlighting the supposed mass abuse of the disability benefits system, much of which is unfounded.

At the same time, they say, the focus on "fairness for taxpayers" has fostered the notion that disabled people are a separate group who don't contribute.

Scope's regular polling of people with disabilities shows that in September two-thirds said they had experienced recent hostility or taunts, up from 41% four months before. In the last poll almost half said attitudes towards them had deteriorated in the past year.

Tom Madders, head of campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: "The Department for Work and Pensions is certainly guilty of helping to drive this media narrative around benefits, portraying those who receive benefits as workshy scroungers or abusing a system that's really easy to cheat."

He added that ministers such as the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, were being "deeply irresponsible" in conflating Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which helps disabled people hold down jobs, and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), a payment for those unable to work. This "scrounger rhetoric" was already having an impact on people's lives, Madders said, citing a woman who rang the charity to say a neighbour who formerly gave lifts to her autistic child had stopped doing so following press articles about disabled people receiving free cars under a government scheme.

Some disabled people say the climate is so hostile they avoid going out, or avoid using facilities such as designated parking bays if they "don't look disabled".

The government has committed to making significant cuts to disability benefits, including a 20% reduction in the DLA bill by 2015/16. Much of its public focus has been on alleged fraudulent claims or cutting benefits to those whose conditions have improved.

Charities point to a series of ministerial statements arguing that the "vast majority" of new ESA claimants are able to work, while the disabilities minister, Maria Miller, said last month that £600m of DLA was overpaid each year, not mentioning that a greater sum is saved by others not receiving what they are due.

This is "playing directly into a media narrative about the need to weed out scroungers," said Richard Hawkes, chief executive of Scope. "Our polling shows that this narrative has coincided with attitudes towards disabled people getting worse.

"Disabled people tell us that increasingly people don't believe that they are disabled and suddenly feel empowered to question their entitlement to support."

David Congdon, head of policy at Mencap, said the charity feared where this could lead. "We are concerned that this narrative of benefit scroungers or fakers connected to the welfare reform bill does risk stigmatising all people with a disability," he said. "The worry would be that this could lead to an increase in resentment against disabled people, and even an increase in hate crimes."

There was "an incredibly strong focus on benefit fraud within the DWP", said Guy Parckar, policy manager for Leonard Cheshire. "It is mentioned at all possible opportunities. Of course, whenever there is fraud you want that to be tackled, but there should be some serious thought given to the long-term impact that this has. There is the impact of potential hate crime, and issues around that."

Neil Coyle, head of policy for Disability Alliance, said his organisation was being told of increasing levels of verbal abuse, and worried this could lead to attacks.

"There's a lot of concern that the level of abuse and harassment goes unrecorded because it's seen almost as a norm. It seems to be growing as a result of a mis-perception of much more widespread abuse of benefits than actually exists. That's being fed by the DWP in their attempts to justify massive reductions in welfare expenditure."

A DWP spokeswoman said the department was committed to supporting disabled people but needed to "do more to change negative attitudes", and had begun a cross-government consultation on tackling discrimination.

She said: "Our welfare reforms are designed to restore integrity into the benefits system and to ensure that everyone who needs help and support receives it."

David Gillon from Chatham in Kent, said: "I think we've lost all the progress we made in the last 30 years in terms of acceptance." Gillon, whose chronic back condition forced him to give up a job with British Aerospace, recounts walking on crutches past a pub in the middle of the day and receiving shouts of: "We're going to report you to the DWP." He said: "When there's a bad article in the press, the next day you think, 'Do I really need to go out of the house?' We're being forced back into the attic, locked away from society."

Fazilet Hadi, head of inclusion for the RNIB, said she also felt the tone was set by ministers: "I think they should be more careful. At the moment it feels like the government is not on the side of disabled people. Most people don't have that much exposure to disabled people. They don't see us in the lifestyle pages, they don't see us in the fashion pages. The only reference they see is in these stories. And that's why the language is so important."

Heavy snowfall causes transport chaos with trains delayed, cars abandoned and flights cancelled across Britain

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Heathrow airport cancelled half of its flights as the snow and cold weather continued to cause problems across the UK, stranding motorists and leaving roads icy and treacherous.

The travel chaos ensuedon Sunday as the worst of the wintry showers came to an end across the country and forecasters predicted dry conditions and a partial thaw.

Although the snow flurries are now expected to move eastwards, swaths of the UK were on "amber alert" on Sunday, the Met Office's second highest severe weather warning, with icy conditions across much of England, Scotland and Wales.

Church Fenton in North Yorkshire and Wattisham in Suffolk recorded 16cm of snow, while up to 15cm was forecast for parts of Cumbria, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, North Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Midlands.

The icy spell has seen daytime temperatures plummet four or five degrees lower than average for February, traditionally the coldest month of the year.

Heathrow, which had initially cut only 30% of its flights, said the decision was intended to minimise disruption and was made in anticipation of freezing fog.

Although the runways, taxiways and stands had been cleared of snow, only half of the 1,300 scheduled flights went ahead. The London airport, however, said its snow plan had worked "far better" than in previous years, adding that it would operate a normal flight schedule on Monday.

A spokesman said Heathrow, which operates at 99.2% capacity, was "getting back to normal" as it worked to clear the backlog of flights. "We took the decision with airlines and air traffic control yesterday to reduce the flight schedule in advance," he said.

"By cancelling flights in advance airlines have been able to rebook some people on to flights that are departing, and passengers have had better quality information about whether they can fly or not."

Extra staff were being drafted into terminals to help passengers rebook flights, he added.Inbound flights to the airport were also affected, with six transatlantic flights from the US redirected to Shannon airport in Ireland because of the cold snap disruption.

Some were in UK airspace or on approach to London when they were ordered back over to Ireland.

Shannon Airport Authority confirmed arrangements were being made for 400 stranded passengers to stay overnight. The affected routes included Heathrow-bound services from Dallas, Miami, Houston, Washington, Denver and Atlanta.

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, said the authorities at Heathrow were taking the right approach to the problems created by the weather.

"Actually cancelling flights in advance so passengers don't get to the airport and then find their flight being cancelled was one of the main recommendations of the inquiry that Heathrow held into the debacle last year when we saw huge disruption," she told the BBC Sunday Politics programme.

"They are clearly trying to manage the airport and I think the most important thing is making sure that we put safety first. We've got to get planes up into the air and down on to the ground safely.

"That does take a little bit more time to make sure wings are de-iced and that the runways are clear, but over all they're trying to do their best."

The airport came in for heavy criticism following severe weather in December 2010 when Heathrow almost ground to a halt and thousands of passengers were forced to camp overnight in terminals. At the height of the chaos on 19 December, it was able to handle only around 20 flights.

A BAA-commissioned report later concluded the operator's response to the pre-Christmas snow was "initially ineffective" and that the potential impact of the weather had not been fully anticipated in the days before the worst of the snow.

A spokesman for Gatwick said the airport was not experiencing "any major delays" on Sunday and had had to cancel only nine flights. "We're taking a business as usual approach," he added.

Stansted, Birmingham, Luton and Manchester airports were forced to suspend operations for a period on Saturday night as snow piled up on the runways, but normal service was expected to resume on Sunday.

A total of sSix flights were cancelled yesterday in Birmingham, where some passengers were forced to spend the night in thea terminal. But aA spokesman said the airport would catch up todayon Sunday, providing temperatures did not drop too much furtherlower.

In Luton, flights were "fully operational" with some delays due to snow clearing.

A couple of departures were cancelled at Stansted, but a spokesman for the airport said there was "movement" on and off the runway, adding: "Flights are subject to delays of up to about one hour". Although the worst of the snowflurries will move eastwards, swathesswaths of the UK have been placed on amber alert, with the On the roads, motorists faced what the RAC described as a "dangerous cocktail of driving conditions" and were urged to stay at home. Some minor routes were closed altogether. Drivers on sections of the M25 in Hertfordshire were trapped in gridlock throughout the night.

One motorist, Tom Jones, was stranded in his car for more than seven hours. He told the BBC: "We joined the back of a tailback, never realising we would be spending the night on the motorway."

He added that the Highways Agency had to deal with much bad driving, and that he had seen several cars stuck in ditches and many blocking the hard shoulder.

Thames Valley police said the snow had caused a tailback between junctions nine and four southbound on the M40 from about 9pm until the early hours of Sunday.

Police in Kent warned people not to travel unless absolutely essential, and urged people not to cause an obstruction if forced to abandon their vehicles.

The Highways Agency has issued an amber alert, advising people to take extra care while travelling because of "the increased risk of adverse driving conditions".

The AA said it dealt with about 1,500 callouts an hour on Saturday.Rail services have also been affected, with disruption set to continue throughout Sunday.

Southern Railway said trains were subject to delay and cancellation, with journey times extended by up to 30 minutes.

In London, all bus routes were operating on Sunday morning after a few "curtailments" to night bus services, Transport for London said.

Tube services were said to have started well but delays and suspensions soon set in on most lines.

A Met Office yellow alert, which warns people to be aware, was in place for the Highlands and Northern Ireland.

The Department for Transport has said it was better prepared than ever for severe weather. Salt stocks across Britain stand at more than 2.4m tonnes, a million more than last year.

Citizens inquiry reports that London borough suffers from lack of employment and 'low self-esteem' after interviewing 700 locals

A "citizens inquiry" into the riots in Tottenham will conclude they were partly caused by high youth unemployment and toxic relations with local police, arguing the disorder reveals the need for a major regeneration project in the area.

The north London borough was the first place to suffer riots last summer, when a protest about the police shooting of local man Mark Duggan turned violent. The trouble which started in Tottenham exactly six months ago quickly spread across London and to other English cities.

The report produced by the Citizens Inquiry into the Tottenham Riots, a grassroots coalition of locals, reveals that many in the community believe their area was "left to burn".

The study, which involved interviews with 700 people, will be launched on Tuesday at an event hosted by Reading the Riots, the Guardian and London School of Economics study into the August disturbances.

More than 270 rioters were interviewed in the Reading the Riots study, which found the government had mistaken the role of gangs and social media in the riots. It also found that hostility toward police, particularly over the use of stop and search, was a big factor.

The home secretary, Theresa May, later announced a police review of the use of stop and search and the Metropolitan police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, indicated the tactic is to be reformed in the capital.

The Tottenham report was written by a panel of nine commissioners, including four members of the clergy and a headteacher. It paints a picture of a community suffering from a poor reputation and low self-esteem.

It identified poor relations with police and a lack of jobs in the area as important "causes" of the riots. Criminal "opportunism" was also considered significant.

"From the stories we heard, there has been a long-term deterioration of the relationship between people in our community and the police, in particular young people from ethnic minorities," it will say. "Stop and search was frequently described as being excessive and disrespectful."

It adds: "A concerted effort is needed by all parties to rebuild a more positive relationship between community in Tottenham and the police" and says large numbers "feel Tottenham was left to burn".

The report proposes involving the community in the training of new police recruits in the Haringey borough and calls on the Met to "increase diversity" among its officers.

The Tottenham inquiry is one of scores of small-scale research inquiries taking place across England, as communities affected by the riots examine the violence and looting that blighted parts of Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

In Southwark, research by Harriet Harman MP found provision of youth services was crucial for preventing a return of the riots. Her inquiry called for more jobs and apprenticeships, sufficient police numbers and a new drive to improve relations with police.

A Hackney council-sponsored inquiry involving a poll of 2,000 residents unearthed complaints of a growing divide between rich and poor in the borough, concern over affordable housing and ? as elsewhere ? found desire for improved relations with police. Other post-riot initiatives are still underway in Ealing, Enfield, Croydon and Birmingham.

The independent communities and victims panel, which was set up by the three main political parties and has also taken evidence from riot-affected areas, will report back in March.

In Tottenham, much of the physical damage done by the fires is in the process of repair. A post office and job centre have been relocated, while moves are afoot to rebuild fire-hit Aldi and Carpetright stores. Haringey council has given £1.5m in grants and support to local businesses and is promising to invest £41m in a regeneration plan.

The Tottenham commissioners plan to call for money to be targeted at the creation of 1,000 new jobs for those aged 16-24 before 2014. "When we listened to young people who chose not to riot, their most important reason was that they had a stake in the community: family and community ties, education and job opportunities," the report states.

At the time of the riots there were 10,000 unemployed in the borough but just 367 job vacancies.

The commission also wants money to train 100 local "leaders" to oversee a transformation of the area.

The proposals are supported by Tottenham's MP, David Lammy. He said unemployment had risen in the area since August ? one ward that suffered rioting now has the highest unemployment rate in the capital.

"We need a passport office or a students loan company here in Tottenham ? a major public sector employer that will do something about the acutely worrying levels of unemployment," he said. Lammy also said he believed that there had been an increase since the riots in the police's use of the Section 60 power to stop and search.

Additional research by Yemisi Adegoke

Reading the riots ? community conversations

Tottenham Tuesday 7 February. In partnership with North London Citizens. Bruce Grove Youth Centre, 10am-11.30am

Peckham Tuesday 21 February. In partnership with the Damilola Taylor Trust. Damilola Taylor Centre, 6pm-8pm

Croydon Thursday 23 February. In partnership with Croydon Voluntary Action. CVA Resource Centre, 6pm-8pm

Birmingham Tuesday 28 February. In partnership with the Haven Community Project. The Drum, 6pm-8pm

Liverpool Thursday 1 March. In partnership with the Unity Community Project. The Unity, Toxteth, 6pm-8pm

Manchester Tuesday 6 March. In partnership with Manchester's Social Action and Research Foundation. Friends Meeting House, 6pm-8pm

Salford Thursday 8 March. In partnership with the Social Action and Research Foundation. 2 Pendleton Gateway, 6pm-8pm

For information contact symeon.brown.casual@guardian.co.uk Sponsored by the Open Society Foundations

No MediaCityUK this week, so here's a topical look instead at the subject we British most like to discuss. It's the white stuff; it's the right stuff...

Yes, it has snowed. But then it does in winter. Last week I was driving over the shortcut from Gosforth to Broughton-in-Furness and there it was, sprinkled all over the fells. Scotland has had it for months.

But now it has reached London too, and our plight is the nation's. Good timing, as it coincides with a revival of metropolitan interest in the north-south divide. Has snow excitement anything to do with the dispositions of so much of the national media (excepting always the glorious BBC at Salford)? I can't make up my mind, but you may have done.

Whatever, it was so warm for early February on the Leeds-Bradford border yesterday lunchtime, that almost all the outside tables were taken at Toby's Tearoom by the Leeds-Liverpool canal. There was plenty of snow on the ground as we circled back home through Esholt sewage works, but the drip-drip-drip of the steady thaw didn't sound like news.

Not to grumble, though. They did get six inches at Church Fenton, and the pictures from everywhere are lovely: delicate snow-covered trees, gleeful children, pillar boxes and 'phone kiosks bright red amid the sudden white. And here, above, is the Northerner's contribution which we also plan to enter for this year's Northern Art Prize. It's called Snow in London, a graceful evocation of shock and awe, albeit installed and photographed in Leeds by local artists (otherwise it wouldn't be eligible). Critiques welcome.

"Let one man's shame be a symbol for all" was the Daily Mail headline. Likewise, one Facebook page has a petition to shame Fred Goodwin into giving up his pension. And Shame is, of course, the title of Steve McQueen's new film about sex addiction.

So how valuable is shame as a means of changing behaviour? According to the American social critic Christopher Lasch, the trouble with modern culture is that we have lost "the shared social and legal boundaries that shame one policed." This is why a number of legal theorists have argued for the shaming of criminals as an alternative to prison or financial penalties. There is little transformative potential in simply paying a fine as if one were just paying an unwelcome bill, they argue. This sort of punishment is just too anonymous. Shaming criminals, on the other hand, makes a very clear public statement about right and wrong. Those caught urinating in public ought to clean the streets with a toothbrush. Those who pick up prostitutes should have their names published in the newspapers. According to several thinkers, shame is a valuable way to reinforce social values.

But all of this makes me feel deeply uncomfortable. For the trouble with shame punishments is that they target too much ? the whole person rather than simply the act itself. It is surely one role of a liberal state to uphold the intrinsic dignity and humanity of all its citizens. This is the secular equivalent of the Christian idea that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God. In the ancient world, criminals often had their crimes tattooed on their foreheads. After his conversion to Christianity, the Emperor Constantine issued a decree that branding be banned: "let him not be marked on the face, so that which has been fashioned in the likeness of divine beauty, may not be disgraced." Both the secular and religious versions of this sentiment are deep sources of resistance to shame punishments. And this suerly applies as much to Fred Goodwin, as to the rest of us.

PwC warns mainstream lenders that customers are being increasingly drawn towards 'smaller, more agile loan providers'

Payday lenders could overtake credit cards and become a mainstream method of borrowing, a report by one of the UK's leading accountancy firms has warned.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said that consumers unable to borrow from traditional lenders, including credit card companies, were seeking alternatives such as so-called payday loans.

But while these short-term, high-cost loans have previously been associated with higher risk borrowers on low incomes, the convenience and innovation offered by payday lenders are attracting a broader and more prosperous selection of consumers, at the expense of traditional bank loans.

In its report, Precious Plastic 2012, Simon Westcott, director at PwC, said: "Mainstream lenders need to be aware that what may have begun as a last resort could be an enduring relationship, as consumers are pleasantly surprised at the convenient and innovative service they receive from these smaller, more agile providers.

"As these providers become more conventional, we are likely to see them venture further into the mainstream market with their own credit card, longer term loan products or even current accounts."

Payday lenders have attracted considerable bad publicity for their high interest rates and tendency to allow loans to roll over, resulting in huge charges for those who can't afford to repay their debts within the original time frame. Labour MP Stella Creasy is campaigning for the government to introduce a total cost cap on short-term loans to protect vulnerable borrowers.

But Wescott argues that the limited length and size of payday loans appeals to consumers who are increasingly nervous about borrowing in an uncertain economic climate. "Our credit confidence survey has shown that there is a growing reluctance to borrow in the future and a marked deterioration in confidence about meeting repayments ? particularly among 18- to 24-year-old consumers where less than half of those surveyed believe they will be able to repay their debts," he said.

The firm, which surveyed 2,000 adults, found that levels of unsecured borrowing had fallen for the third year in succession by more than £355 per household in 2011, but worrying signs remained about their ability to continue paying off their debts, particularly in the 25- to 34-year-old age group, where 25% admitted to needing to use credit to fund essential purchases.

Westcott said: "UK consumers are among the most indebted in the world, with the average UK household still saddled with nearly £8,000 of unsecured debt."

However, credit cards were suffering a "mid-life crisis", with consumers discarding nearly 1m cards in 2011, and credit card borrowing reducing at a faster rate than other types of unsecured lending. Total outstanding credit card debt dropped by 5% in 2011, leaving the average credit card balance at about £1,000.

In contrast, the use of debit cards has grown by 10% in 2011 and they are now used more than cash payments for the first time.

Wescott said: "As the credit card model comes under pressure, there may be a return to annual fees as regulators push for more transparent ways of charging. Other banking products are likely to go the same way as consumers and regulators look for simpler products, and the free bank account may become a thing of the past."

PwC audits the accounts of Wonga, but none of the firm's auditors were involved in drawing up the report.

London hearing to decide whether radical cleric should be freed after extradition to Jordan was blocked by Europe court

A radical Muslim cleric described as a grave threat to Britain's national security could walk free on Monday.

Abu Qatada, who is being held at Long Lartin high-security prison in Worcestershire, will apply to be released on bail as he fights deportation to Jordan.

Lawyers for the home secretary, Theresa May, are expected to oppose bail while British diplomats continue to seek assurances from the Jordanian authorities that evidence gained through torture would not be used against him.

Such evidence is the main reason Qatada, once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", won an appeal to the European court of human rights in January. The judges ruled that sending Qatada back to face terror charges without such assurances would deny him his right to a fair trial and be a "flagrant denial of justice".

May has vowed Qatada, held for six and a half years, will be kept behind bars while she considers all legal options to send him back. The Home Office has said he "poses a real risk to national security".

At a hearing in central London, Qatada's defence team will urge an immigration judge to release him. The judge, Mr Justice Mitting, has said: "Six and a half years of detention requires the eligibility for bail to be considered urgently.

"I accept that it's possible that negotiations with the Jordanian government may produce a rapid solution but past experience ... leads me to believe that is likely to be an unrealistic expectation."

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) will hold a full bail hearing on Monday morning.

January's verdict is the first time the Strasbourg-based court has found that an extradition would be in violation the right to a fair trial as required by the European convention on human rights, which is enshrined in UK law under the Human Rights Act.

The home secretary has three months to lodge an appeal with the court's grand chamber.

The Henry Jackson Society thinktank has said the ECHR ruling "undermines national security" while the former home secretary David Blunkett said Qatada was "extraordinarily dangerous and we don't want him on our streets".

Qatada, 51, is also known as Omar Othman. He featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers.

Since 2001, when fears of the domestic terror threat rose in the aftermath of the attacks, he has challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the government to detain and deport him.

Law lords ruled almost three years ago that he could be sent back to Jordan and Lord Phillips, now president of the supreme court, said torture in another country did not require the UK "to retain in this country, to the detriment of national security, a terrorist suspect".

But the European went against that judgment, agreeing with a 2008 decision of the UK court of appeal that there were reasonable grounds for believing Qatada would be denied a fair trial in Jordan.

Bonus Season report estimates pay and bonuses worth more than 10 times average earnings could raise £1.7bn a year

Companies that pay huge bonuses could be punished by having to pay extra corporation tax, the TUC has said. The move could generate billions of pounds for the exchequer if it is applied to pay and bonuses worth more than 10 times average annual earnings (£26,200). The TUC said it could raise around £1.7bn a year if it was confined to the banking and financial services sector. Companies are taxed on profits after expenses, which included staff costs. A TUC report, Bonus Season, uses data from the Labour Force Survey to show the total pay and bonuses to staff earning more than £250,000 is £6.8bn. It found that over a third of employees earning more than £250,000 a year in the UK work in banking and finance.

Harry Potter star describes Nick Clegg 'whipping boy' of Tories and says he will vote Labour

Daniel Radcliffe has announced that he is no longer a supporter of the Liberal Democrats after emerging as one of the party's most high-profile celebrity backers ahead of the last British general election, and will probably vote instead for Labour under its "genuinely leftwing" leader, Ed Miliband.

In what is turning into a hemorrhaging of support for the Lib Dems among a list of celebrity backers it unveiled in the run-up to last year's vote, the star of the Harry Potter franchise described party leader Nick Clegg as a "whipping boy" for the Conservatives. He also hit out at the "homophobia" of some of the US Republican presidential candidates.

Colin Firth, another actor and A-list Hollywood star declared in December that he was ending his support for the Lib Dems. The party has also lost the support of Bella Freud, the fashion designer, and Kate Mosse, the author.

Radcliffe made the comments in an interview that will be published on Monday in the latest issue of Attitude magazine, the same forum he used in 2009 to announce that he would "almost certainly" be using his first ever vote in a general election to vote Lib Dem.

Asked if he is happy with the Lib Dems's place in the coalition, he said: "No, of course not. Nick Clegg asked to meet me after that Attitude interview and we talked about issues such as gay rights and faith schools.

"I was initially supportive. For me it was good that the Lib Dems would be fighting our corner. But he has become a whipping boy and it seems to me that he has been totally used by the Tories - anything they don't want badly reflected on them they reflect on to him."

The actor, who is estimated to have a £30m fortune, cited "so many concessions" by the Lib Dems' on education and taxes. He added: "I think, if you make a lot more money than most people - like I do - you should pay more tax and subsidise people who work just as hard as you, but don't earn as much."

Radcliffe, whose current film, The Woman in Black, was estimated to have made $21m at the US box office during its weekend opening, said he "will probably be going to Labour".

He said: "From what I've seen of Ed Miliband, I really like him and he speaks for what I believe in. I think he's genuine, genuinely leftwing, and will act as such if he gets in."

The actor ? who is straight ? also used the interview to call for gay marriage, relationship education in schools that would cover both gay and straight relationships, and attacked some of the US Republican presidential candidates.

Radcliffe said that he wished more educational establishments, especially in the US, were not in thrall to religion, stating: "I'm not religious, I'm an atheist, and a militant atheist when religion starts impacting on legislation. We need sex education in schools.

He went on to say that he has been "disgusted, amazed, stunned" by candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination, such as Rick Santorum or Michele Bachmann, who have been openly hostile to gay rights.

"But they disgusted me less than candidates like Rick Perry, who made that ridiculous advert wearing 'the Brokeback jacket', and I think pretend to be homophobic just to win votes." .

Asked if he wished that Barack Obama would publicly back gay marriage, he replied: "Yes, I do, but can he really? Of course he's in favour of it, but he has to be careful about saying so. I'd rather have someone like him in the White House than the alternative."

Commonwealth countries of Antigua-Barbuda and St Vincent-Grenadines among those supporting blocking British ships

A group of Caribbean countries have agreed to back Buenos Aires and block any ships flying the Falklands flag from docking in their ports, Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman has said.

They include the Commonwealth countries of Antigua-Barbuda and St Vincent-Grenadines, along with Cuba, Nicaragua and Dominica, Timerman said.

Argentina received strong support for its blockade at a meeting in Venezuela of a left-leaning bloc of South American and Caribbean nations.

The Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, said: "It is time for Latin America to decide sanctions against this mistaken power that pretends to be imperialist and colonialist in the 21st century.

"I think we have to apply more forceful things. We have to talk about sanctions."

Argentina hopes that diplomatic and economic measures will pressure Britain to comply with UN resolutions encouraging both countries to negotiate the islands' sovereignty. Britain has refused so far.

Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, said: "If it should occur to the British empire to attack Argentina militarily, Argentina won't be alone this time.

"Venezuela is no power, but we've got some weapons and the will to face any imperialist aggression."

Tensions have risen as the 30th anniversary of Argentina's invasion nears.