24 March 2016 Exit From Syria, Exit From Yemen Saudi Arabia and Russia look at each other in the mirror of the Middle East’s conflicts. by Neil Tidmarsh Last week, Russia announced its military withdrawal from Syria; this week, Saudi Arabia announced its military withdrawal from Yemen. A curious coincidence, given that the conflict in… Continue reading Issue 46:2016 03 24:Exit from Syria, Exit From Yemen (Neil Tidmarsh)
Category: Comment
Issue 46: 2016 03 24:Pointless:The problem with Budgets(Frank O’Nomics)
24 April 2016 Pointless: The problem with Budgets by Frank O’Nomics Problem singular? Why stop at one? ” Surely there are myriad issues that make the whole UK Budget process an exercise in futility?”, I hear you ask. You have a fair point and could start with the general issue that Budgets are driven… Continue reading Issue 46: 2016 03 24:Pointless:The problem with Budgets(Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 46: 2016 03 23: IDS Falls on his Sword (John Watson)
24 March 2016 IDS Falls On His Sword A look at the whys and wherefores. By John Watson Being Chancellor of the Exchequer must be like trying to steer a raft on a stormy sea. You do your sums. They all seem to add up nicely and then, suddenly, horror of horrors, you are knocked… Continue reading Issue 46: 2016 03 23: IDS Falls on his Sword (John Watson)
Issue 46: 2016 03 24: The Brussels Tragedy (John Watson)
24 March 2016 The Brussels Tragedy What does it mean for the UK? By John Watson The first emotion felt by those reading about the atrocities in Belgium will be pity: pity for those who have lost loved ones, pity for those who are injured, whose dreams for the future are destroyed, pity for those… Continue reading Issue 46: 2016 03 24: The Brussels Tragedy (John Watson)
Issue 45: 2016 03 17:Stand out from the crowd(fund)? (Frank O’Nomics)
17 March 2016 Stand out from the crowd(fund)? by Frank O’Nomics Crowdfunding is growing. In a recent report from the University of Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and Nesta, UK alternative finance was shown to have grown by 84% to £3.2 billion last year. This figure was below £100 million as recently as 2011. The… Continue reading Issue 45: 2016 03 17:Stand out from the crowd(fund)? (Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 45:2016 03 17: Does it matter? (J.R.Thomas)
17 March 2016 Does It Matter? by J.R.Thomas Does It Matter?” sounds like a newly discovered Trollope novel. So does the plot of the USA Presidential primaries so far. But “Does it matter?” are the thoughtful words of a Shaw Sheet reader, who is following the excitements across the pond. He does not mean, as… Continue reading Issue 45:2016 03 17: Does it matter? (J.R.Thomas)
Issue 45: 2016 03 17: Teaching Maths (John Watson)
17 March 2016 Teaching Maths UK at 26th by John Watson “A mile wide and an inch deep” might be an achievement if one was talking about some new way of manufacturing plate-glass. It certainly isn’t, however, when the subject is the nation’s maths curriculum. And yet that is the expression used by Andreas Schleicher,… Continue reading Issue 45: 2016 03 17: Teaching Maths (John Watson)
Issue 45:2016 03 17:A Lenten Change of Heart in the Kremlin (Neil Tidmarsh)
17 March 2016 A Lenten Change of Heart in the Kremlin Does Putin read Shaw Sheet? by Neil Tidmarsh Remember the piece in Shaw Sheet four weeks ago called ‘Maskivrovka’? It concluded by saying; “Perhaps someone ought to tell the Russian leadership that … Lent is now upon us, and Lent is the season for… Continue reading Issue 45:2016 03 17:A Lenten Change of Heart in the Kremlin (Neil Tidmarsh)
Issue 44:2016 03 10:Turkey and the EU (Neil Tidmarsh)
10 March 2016 Turkey and the EU They both need each other. by Neil Tidmarsh This week’s EU summit was dominated by negotiations with Turkey to secure its help in tackling the migrant crisis. The EU had agreed to pay Turkey €3 billion and allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel within the Schengen zone, in return… Continue reading Issue 44:2016 03 10:Turkey and the EU (Neil Tidmarsh)
Issue 44: 2016 03 09: Nearing the Crest of the Wave (J.R.Thomas)
10 March 2016 Nearing the Crest of the Wave by J.R.Thomas Briefly, on the USA primaries, where the current excitement is too fascinating to ignore: There have been nine primaries since Super Tuesday. Trump has won five, but except in Mississippi by much narrower margins than forecast; and he lost Idaho, Kansas, and Maine to… Continue reading Issue 44: 2016 03 09: Nearing the Crest of the Wave (J.R.Thomas)
Issue 44: 2016 03 10: Legalising Prostitution (John Watson)
10 March 2016 Legalising Prostitution Mr Corbyn may well be right. by John Watson Jeremy Corbyn is not afraid to buck the political trend by expressing unfashionable views, but his comment at Goldsmith University that it would be civilised to decriminalise prostitution has outraged prominent members of his party. Prostitution is “exploitation and abuse” and… Continue reading Issue 44: 2016 03 10: Legalising Prostitution (John Watson)
Issue 44: 2016 03 10: An Arsenal of plastic (Frank O’Nomics)
10 March 2016 An Arsenal of Plastic Frank O’Nomics No, this is not a complaint about the standard of football at the Emirates – although recent weeks have been one of great frustration for die-hard gooners who, yet again, find that February and March bring a fading to hopes of silverware (trust me, I do… Continue reading Issue 44: 2016 03 10: An Arsenal of plastic (Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 43: 2016 03 03: HSBC (John Watson)
03 March 2016 HSBC A difficult balancing act. by John Watson “Go on, then. A little closer to the edge. It’s ages since anyone fell off the cliffs, so it must all be pretty safe. No, don’t take any notice of the warning signs. Experts are always much too conservative. Just try a little further.… Continue reading Issue 43: 2016 03 03: HSBC (John Watson)