31 March 2016 Betting Against Brexit The UK should remain in the EU. By John Watson “Ultimate authority”; “Our priorities”; “Take back control”. The heady words glitter on the “Vote Leave” pamphlet which dropped through my letterbox. No more European Court of Justice imposing EU law. No more European Court of Human Rights. Let’s… Continue reading Issue 47: 2016 03 31: Betting Against Brexit (John Watson)
Tag: John Watson
Issue 47: 2013 03 31: Time to wind down Gay Pride? (John Watson)
31 March 2016 Time To Wind Down Gay Pride? Surely this movement has now served its purpose By John Watson Those who spend their time trawling through second-hand shops will tell you that in every one of them, if you look hard enough, there is something worth finding. It may be hidden at the back,… Continue reading Issue 47: 2013 03 31: Time to wind down Gay Pride? (John Watson)
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: 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 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 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)
Issue 42: 2016 02 25: In or Out? (John Watson)
25 February 2016 In or Out? The start of the race. by John Watson So at last we know. The starter’s gate opens in April and the finishing line will be crossed on 23 June. The great Europe referendum, the apogee of David Cameron’s term as prime minister, is finally in the sporting calendar. The… Continue reading Issue 42: 2016 02 25: In or Out? (John Watson)
Issue 41: 2016 02 18: Bye Bye Indie (John Watson)
18 February 2016 Bye Bye Indie The ringing of the bells of change. By John Watson The numbers are striking enough. Circulation down from 428,000 at its peak to a current 28,000. No wonder that the broadsheet version of the Independent is being withdrawn. Figures at other newspapers tell much the same story. In 2000… Continue reading Issue 41: 2016 02 18: Bye Bye Indie (John Watson)
Issue 40: 2016 02 11: Do Multinationals Pay Enough Tax? (John Watson)
11 February 2016 Do Multinationals Pay Enough Tax? The Shaw Sheet’s litmus test. by John Watson If you read bed-time stories to young children you will have discovered that they like to hear the same tale over and over again. It doesn’t matter that they know the ending. Their minds are locked onto a particular… Continue reading Issue 40: 2016 02 11: Do Multinationals Pay Enough Tax? (John Watson)
Issue 39: 2016 02 04: Lynching Google (John Watson)
04 February 2016 Lynching Google Analysis of a tax witch-hunt. By John Watson What are the ingredients of a witch-hunt? No, put down that recipe book, I am not talking about a new form of gateaux but rather the sort of thing that went on in mediaeval England with ducking stools, ostracism, stocks, lynchings and… Continue reading Issue 39: 2016 02 04: Lynching Google (John Watson)
Issue 36: 2016 01 14: The Monkey Puzzle (John Watson)
14 January 2016 The Monkey Puzzle How the ape about town would spend its money by John Watson To those who like acronyms, the discovery that there is an organisation called “PETA” or “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” throws a dash of colour across an increasingly grey world. To those who are not… Continue reading Issue 36: 2016 01 14: The Monkey Puzzle (John Watson)
Issue 34: 2015 12 24: The need for abuse, deceit and manipulation
24 December 2015 The need for abuse, deceit and manipulation An apology which says too much By John Watson The thirteenth stroke of the clock. “It’s quiet, Carruthers, too damned quiet”. Yes, we all recognise those little indications that, although everything may seem fine on the surface, matters will not stand closer scrutiny. In the… Continue reading Issue 34: 2015 12 24: The need for abuse, deceit and manipulation
