23 September 2021 Moving On The reshuffle. By John Watson In this column we have repeatedly called for Boris Johnson to replace some of the loyalists in his cabinet with people of more administrative ability, so it would be churlish not to comment when he appears to have done just that. What, then, should we
23 September 2021 University Issues Challenging. By Lynda Goetz There have been a number of developments on the University front over the last week or so. Do any of them bring hope of a change in a system which one young journalist, Madeline Grant of The Telegraph, described in an article as ‘rotten’? Perhaps one of
23 September 2021 Measure for Measure Ringing the changes. By Robert Kilconner The proposal that now we have left the EU it should no longer be compulsory for suppliers of foods et cetera to use the metric system will leave plenty of scope for confusion. For once, however, it will be the younger generation who
23 September 2021 Diary of a Corbynista Pre Conference Rumblings by Don Urquhart 15 September Everything was going according to plan in PMQ’s. The PM had his carefully scripted replies to Starmer, generally a mixture of halftruths, insults and evasions delivered with great gusto to the delight of his sycophantic followers. Then Sir Roger Gale
23 September 2021 Shang-Chi goes to Hollywood But not to China. By Neil Tidmarsh Poor old Hollywood. The dream factory is being troubled by nightmares. Desperate for a slice of the $9 billion Chinese box office, not only is it making ‘Chinese’ films but it’s all too willing to appease the officials who control access
16 September 2021 Is Our Cat a Tory? Her message to Boris. By John Watson Saffron, our family cat, is something of an old lady and her eyesight simply isn’t what it was. Where a year or so ago she would have jumped onto a chair, now she will climb up more carefully, feeling her
16 September 2021 Vacation Putting the Question? By J.R. Thomas Amongst all the angry shouting and rising clamour from Conservatives in both Westminster and the constituencies, there is a sense of puzzlement. Has Boris vacated his senses? Or does he have a death wish to vacate his job? This is a man noted for his
16 September 2021 Lies, Damned Lies and Coronavirus Where are we? by David Chilvers In my last article, before the summer break, I summarised the current position with COVID-19: The number of positive tests has started to decline both in absolute terms and as a percentage of tests undertaken, the latter being well below the
16 September 2021 Funding Health Care A game of two halves. By Robert Kilconner Is the government’s cap of £86,000 on social care over a lifetime about right? Should those with assets below £100,000 contribute nothing? How about the proposal to raise employers and employees national insurance contributions by 1.25%? Does it make it fairer
16 September 2021 Education, Education, Education The importance of tolerance. By Lynda Goetz. There was a shocking picture in The Telegraph on Monday. No, it was not of a fleeing child on fire, nor of a plane flying into a skyscraper. It was of seven women all dressed in black, apparently at a university lecture
