Category Archives: Stuff I’ve read
Scottish independence, Ed Miliband & progressive politics
On the 4th June the Scottish government’s Expert Working Group on Welfare issued its report on the possible shape of the social security system in an independent Scotland. They recommended that:
The BMA’s permanent smoking ban
The British Medical Association have voted ‘overwhelmingly’ for a permanent ban on anyone born after the year 2000 buying cigarettes. I have some things I want to say about this. First, it is probably illegal. Second, it would in practice … Continue reading
An unfortunate juxtaposition
The Observer had an interview with Robert Silvers, the veteran editor of the New York Review of Books (he was present at the 1963 dinner party where it was conceived, and has been its editor ever since).
The Euro election results build the case for Scottish independence
I have seen it suggested over the last few days that the results of the European elections in Scotland demonstrate that the division between Scottish and English politics is less stark than commonly thought, and that this has undermined the … Continue reading
Everything you need to know about the housing crisis in two headlines
The following image was grabbed on the late afternoon of Friday, 2nd May, 2014. It’s taken from one of the pages in The Guardian‘s Money section, and it tells you everything you need to know about the housing crisis (which … Continue reading
The Bad Grammar Awards’ bad grammar
The Bad Grammar Awards have apparently come round again. I wrote about these last year. My basic opinion hasn’t changed in the time since. I still think that to conceive of there being any such thing as a single English … Continue reading
But what does “office solutions” actually mean?
I happened to walk along a street I don’t often walk along the other evening, and I saw a van parked at the side of the road. It had one of those all-over paint jobs which left it completely emblazoned … Continue reading
Nicky Morgan: the Minister for Women who doesn’t believe in equality for all women
Ok, let’s start with a very short bit of modern history. The UK government role of Minister for Women and Equality was created in 2007 (superseding the previous role of Minister for Women). The position was renamed Minister for Women … Continue reading
Aethelread the Unread 
Nicky Morgan: the Minister for Equalities who doesn’t believe in LGBT equality
You might currently be experiencing an odd sense of deja vu. That’s because I wrote a post with a very similar title to this – Nicky Morgan: the Minister for Women who doesn’t believe in equality for all women – … Continue reading →