24 May 2018 Lens on the Week UK ROYAL WEDDING: Since the Shaw Sheet believes that the wedding between Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle has already had adequate coverage in the press, we do not propose to add to it, save to wish the couple a happy future. SPEAKERS CORNER: Doesn’t anyone ever… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Lens on the Week
Article Category: Comment
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Seizing the High Ground
24 May 2018 Seizing the High Ground The Great Game and Iran. By J R Thomas The ex-President may be staking his claim in virtual reality, but it is the current President who has hands on the levers (on the button even) and he claims the right solutions are not always the obvious and easy… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Seizing the High Ground
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: The Beautiful Island
24 May 2018 The Beautiful Island Taiwan and Beijing. By Neil Tidmarsh Two weeks ago, I saw the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre perform their new production, Formosa, at Sadlers Wells. At least, I think I did. I’m not so sure now. Cloud Gate is a contemporary dance company from Taiwan. Taiwan is, of course, an… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: The Beautiful Island
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: How Good Is Whitehall?
24 May 2018 How Good Is Whitehall? Are the mandarins competent? By John Watson Just how good are they, really? No, not the politicians who make the policy decisions but the civil servants who implement them. It is of course usual to be fulsome about their intelligence. “Oxbridge’s finest”, “They even fart firsts”, that sort… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: How Good Is Whitehall?
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Have I Missed Something?
24 May 2018 Have I Missed Something? General Data Protection Regulation 2018 By Lynda Goetz As our cartoonist has highlighted in today’s issue, the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force very, very soon, i.e. tomorrow 25th May. Like the rest of the population I am tearing my hair out trying to deal… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Have I Missed Something?
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: The Source
24 May 2018 The Source of the Apprentice The Apprenticeship Levy is counterproductive. By Frank O’Nomics At the heart our low productivity conundrum lies a simple problem – the UK economy is hamstrung by a skills shortage. This is something that is only going to get worse as a result of Brexit, and already we… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: The Source
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Diary of a Corbynista
24 May 2018 Diary of a Corbynista Snap Election Rumblings by Don Urquhart 17 May Sports Minister Tracey Crouch announced that the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) will be reduced from £100 to £2. Philip Bowcock, CEO of William Hill, said that a £2 FOBT limit would have a devastating impact on the… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Diary of a Corbynista
Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Livingstone
25 May 2018 Livingstone’s departure Inevitable not excellent. by Pat Edlin I’m no fan of Ken’s and have not been one for 25 years. His ego is his biggest weakness and it has come to obscure his positive impact on politics, mostly in London. For years he was a brave and good advocate for Socialism.… Continue reading Issue 155: 2018 05 24: Livingstone
Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Jaw-Jaw in the Sun
17 May 2018 Jaw-Jaw in the Sun Impasse in Catalonia by J.R. Thomas Jaw-Jaw is better than war-war, said Winston Churchill. And also better than trying to govern Catalonia, might add Mariano Rajoy, the current Spanish prime minister. Mr Rajoy has had that unenviable task since last October when his gamble of forcing new… Continue reading Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Jaw-Jaw in the Sun
Issue 154: 2018 05 17: The Past Is Never Dead
17 May 2018 The Past Is Never Dead It isn’t even the past. By Neil Tidmarsh Let’s take a break from the Present this week, and escape into the Past with some current stories about heritage – Rome’s Colosseum, Marie Antoinette’s toy farm, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat – which can’t possibly have any bearing on… Continue reading Issue 154: 2018 05 17: The Past Is Never Dead
Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Dog Aggression
17 May 2018 Dog Aggression Who’s to blame? By Lynda Goetz Last week, both The Times and The Telegraph carried a picture of an attractive young blonde woman cradling a pop-eyed Chihuahua with headlines to the effect that the poor creature had been attacked by an ‘out-of-control’ hound owned (would you believe!) by a Cruft’s… Continue reading Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Dog Aggression
Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Grenfell Tower Inquiry
17 May 2018 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Politics and Panels? By John Watson “Yes, but who?” That is the question posed by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, when he heard that the Prime Minister is to appoint two panel members to assist with its second phase. Of course, he didn’t put it… Continue reading Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Grenfell Tower Inquiry
Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Silver Striver Or Skiver?
17 May 2018 Silver Striver Or Skiver? The danger and futility of taxing the elderly. By Frank O’Nomics The UK faces a huge economic problem as a result of its ageing population. Recent projections of the increased money needed for education, health and social security spending by 2040 amount to an additional £63bn – the… Continue reading Issue 154: 2018 05 17: Silver Striver Or Skiver?
