It’s long been thought that politicians have to be born with either a thick skin or a larger than normal dose of arrogance. Some, however, appear to be born with both. As a politician you can pretend to listen to your electorate and you can brush aside criticism of your party’s policies in the media. […]
government
The Right To Live,The Right To Die
The right to live, or the right to die, is a controversial subject. Who has ownership of that right, or that life, is constantly being debated – but, sadly, outside of Parliament. Last week saw a decision in the High Court where a man was refused the backing of the law, to protect doctors from […]
Julian Assange, Politics And A Mexican Standoff!
It’s been over eighteen months since I last wrote about Julian Assange and Wikileaks. At the time I thought it was all about a political move by the US, to stop further embarrassing documents being published on the internet. I still do. After all those months; several extradition hearings; almost as many appeal hearings, and […]
Will The Olympic Flame’s Warmth Fade?
After seven years of planning, and 16 days of competition, the main Olympic flame has finally faded in London. While for now, we bathe in the warmth of it’s memory, the future might not be so warm. We started the Games by giving the world a bizarre history lesson of our country and we ended […]
Confession of an Olympics Addict
OK, I have a confession to make. Over the last 10 days I have become an addict of the evening Olympics coverage on BBC. I was, previously, very vocal in my reservations concerning the benefits of hosting the Games, but I am now completely caught up in the daily routine of checking the medals table […]
Olympic Stadium Legacy – The Biggest Fast Food Outlet In The World
Where do you go to find the world’s biggest fast food restaurant and its hosts who rank seventh in the list of the world’s most obese countries? Weirdly enough, it’s at a place where the world’s fittest people are performing in front of an audience of billions…..yes…..you’ve guessed it…..The 2012 Olympics stadium in London. While […]
G4S, May & Hunt Compete In ‘Pass The Blame’ Olympics
Few can deny that the failure of G4S to find and train enough applicants for the marshaling and security of the Olympic venues is incompetent. However, it appears Home Secretary Theresa May and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt are a part of the few. While it is possible to forgive their need to talk up the […]
Parliament, Tired MPs And A Four Day Week
Hands up all those who haven’t yet realised we, as a country, are in the greatest financial mess we have experienced for decades. Hands up all those who haven’t been slightly rankled by politicians preaching we all need to pull together in our ‘Big Society’ and work longer hours for less money. Hands up all […]
Chancellor Suspends Fuel Tax Rise But…
The chancellor’s announcement, that he is suspending his planned 3p-per-litre fuel tax increase was a welcome U-turn along his road to austerity. Despite the reduced forecourt prices of the last few weeks, its implementation would still have had a huge impact on both businesses and individuals alike. Chancellor Osborne has stated publicly he has done […]
Is Cameron Trying To Benefit From Benefits?
I really didn’t want to like what prime minister David Cameron said yesterday about the need for benefit reforms but the more I read, the more I was surprised to find myself agreeing with some of his reasoning. Normally when a member of this government starts talking ‘benefits’, it is to paint a bleak picture […]