Why it’s money, not sex, which causes political scandal today
People are no longer shocked by mistakes they can relate to, which means the modern-day political sex scandal is far overshadowed by misdemeanours involving tax or expenses. Another day, another...
View ArticleWant to end cruel lunch isolation policies? Make school meals free for all
A fragmented school system is allowing for Victorian-style punishment. The withdrawal of hot food and companionship from a child as a form of punishment, especially a child who may rely upon that...
View ArticleI went to Europe to get away from British politics – then someone clocked my...
At least I’ve mastered Italian. Well, enough to sing “Jealous Guy” and discuss the works of Caravaggio. So I go to Rome to get over my dangerous obsession with Boris Johnson and what happens? You know...
View ArticleThe property-owning democracy is dead - so build one for renters instead
Politicians need to face reality. Labour’s leadership challenger, Owen Smith, is full of new ideas, but when asked about the housing crisis he reached for an old one. He wanted to see a...
View ArticleSRSLY #53: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child / David Bowie Prom / Ask Polly
On the pop culture podcast this week: a spoiler-filled dissection of the new Harry Potter play, David Bowie at the Proms, and agony aunt column Ask Polly. This is SRSLY, the pop culture podcast from...
View ArticleThe HIV drug dispute highlights the danger of the conservative case for gay...
As the NHS is set to appeal a High Court decision to fund PrEP, a drug that can prevent HIV, rhetoric shaming LGBT people has resurfaced. At his 2011 party conference, David Cameron made the...
View Article5 things Theresa May must do if she's serious about ending modern slavery
Local government cuts won't help. In 2015, Theresa May managed to get Parliament to pass the Modern Slavery Act. This week, she launched a new task force to tackle the issue abroad. It is funded by...
View ArticleLabour challenger Owen Smith pledges "true" living wage for all adults
The challenger for the Labour leadership rails against in-work poverty. Owen Smith is to pledge to match the “true” living wage of £8.25 in a speech in Milton Keynes today. The Labour leadership...
View ArticleJeremy Corbyn's Brighton rally divides a town: "What about the polls?"
The Brighton, Hove and District Labour party has been suspended. When Jeremy Corbyn arrived in Brighton on Tuesday for yet another packed out rally, he was greeted by weather as unsettled as...
View ArticleEscape to victory: the refugees who will run at the Rio Olympics
Escaping South Sudan in 2005, Yiech and his family had to eat leaves to stave off hunger. Now, he's part of the first ever "Team Refugee". It was in the middle of the night when Yiech Pur Biel fled...
View ArticleLabour's Manchester mayor candidate: Everything you need to know about the...
Who can vote to choose Labour's candidate in the Manchester mayor election. In May 2017, Greater Manchester will go to the polls to elect a "metro mayor" for the first time. The winning candidate...
View ArticleOn the HIV drug row, the Daily Mail inevitably decides that illness is a...
Forever standing up for the oppressed masses of cataract surgery patients. Another morning when you think we may have made an inch of progress, another Daily Mail frontpage. This time, the...
View ArticleHas the Labour party rejected a quarter of registered supporter applications?
Why are people being disqualified from voting in the Labour leadership contest? Is there a “purge” of Jeremy Corbyn supporters underway? In yet another twist for the rollercoaster that is the Labour...
View ArticleThe refugee crisis is a moral test - Britain is failing
A new report shows 80 per cent of councils failing to accept a single Syrian Four years ago, as London prepared to host the Olympic games, the eyes of the world were on Britain. Around the globe people...
View Article"It's a coup!" Ukip excludes frontrunner Steven Woolfe from leadership...
What's the time Mr Woolfe? Time for a computer-aided coup, it seems. Steven Woolfe will not be allowed to compete for Ukip's leadership in decision likely to spark controversy in the party. Ukip's...
View ArticleCan film ever work in an art gallery?
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Primitive 2009, currently at Tate Modern, looked every bit as ravishing as his cinema work, yet it was hard to enjoy while people around me scrolled through their phones....
View ArticleIn defence of Father John Misty: an anarchic antidote to Trump America
Amid the backlash against the musician’s controversial onstage rant against Donald Trump, his role as a mythical figure – though often maddening – reveals a certain authenticity. The other day a...
View ArticleOwen Smith's agenda shows that Jeremy Corbyn has achieved the victory he...
The Labour's leader's aim was to shift the debate, not to win the contest."Now we need to make sure I don't win," Jeremy Corbyn told a supporter after he made the Labour leadership ballot last year....
View ArticleThe best summer reading, as chosen, half cut, from my deckchair
I like my holidays chatty, boozy, and booky – the only problem is what to pack. Holiday time again, packing again, trying to work out how many books I can fit in a suitcase and still be able to lift...
View ArticleThe Da Vinci Genome – how science drives art and art drives science
“The Leonardo Project” is exploring the interface between scientific research and the humanities. The re-convergence of science and art might be about to receive the ultimate catalyst. A group of...
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