Tag Archives: small state

A century so far: will the need for International Women’s Day ever be past?

Today is the one hundredth International Women’s Day.  Whilst I can’t speak for the first half of the past century, I recall fairly clearly most of the second half. And strangely – given that my early years were of necessity geographically … Continue reading

Posted in Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inside Job – the film we (and George Osborne) really, really need to study

We went to see the film Inside Job this evening.  A hit at the Cannes Film Festival last year, it was also an Academy nominee for the Best Documentary in 2010. Written and produced by Charles Ferguson, this film demonstrates beyond doubt that the 2008 meltdown … Continue reading

Posted in Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Incompetent Conservative Government… or de-governance?

Michael Tomasky of The Guardian, in a recent article entitled ‘Good at theatre, dreadful at governing’, quoted the American scholar Alan Wolfe’s view of conservative (e.g. Republican) politicians: Conservatives cannot govern well for the same reason that vegetarians cannot prepare a world-class … Continue reading

Posted in Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A really worrying start to 2011… maybe they just don’t want to learn

Education in England appears to be undergoing not so much a policy review as sporadic and random assault, if recent decisions by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, are any guide to what’s happening. First we have the school sports fiasco (personally … Continue reading

Posted in Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A ‘new culture’ of giving – but what dignity in receiving?

We learn today (29 December 2010) that cash machines are to be one of the delivery points for the Government’s ‘new culture of giving‘.  Apparently 8% of the UK population currently ‘gives’ 47% of the cash (wouldn’t it be good … Continue reading

Posted in Viewpoint | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment