Back to the Banks There is talk of some kind of global tax on banking and now, more realistically, an insurance levy to build a crisis fund. All of this is good. But it does not alter the fundamental requirement to remove from all the calculations and bail out responsibilities that element known as investment […]
Iraq, Iran and Blair Syria, Jordan and Iraq are not countries whose borders have evolved over centuries. They are lines on a map drawn by duplicitous politicians at the end of WWI in defiance of Lawrence (of Arabia) who had promised an independent state to the Arabs in return for their military support against the Turks. […]
Student Rebellion An A level exam paper in biology given to students last Monday, was so at variance with the syllabus of the course to which they had directed both their studies and revision, that an Internet rebellion has been organised with thousands of participants and with dramatic effect. The Examining Board has been stung into a review […]
Weapons of Mass Destruction This blog will not comment on Tony Blair’s evidence until it is all delivered, but there is an issue at the heart of this which is worth airing now. The very term WMD is questionable. It can only truthfully apply to nuclear weapons. There was no doubt Iraq did not have […]
Hutton Enquiry I think it is probably a fact that the Hutton Enquiry, now regarded with derision by everyone outside Westminster, is the most discredited in recent history. The current Iraq enquiry is a far more comprehensive affair altogether and does not suffer the disadvantage of operating under our adversarial system of legal practice. It is […]
Goldman Sachs Clearly the point is not yet driven home. The partners at Goldman Sachs have decided to limit their incomes for this year to £1million each. Where it not for our money these people would all be bust. This gratuitous insult to the rest of the working population shows the totally unreal world these people […]
Defending our Homes. Paul Mendelle Q.C., Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association is a very distinguished lawyer. But his views on Tory plans to protect householders who set about, burglars, kidnappers and assassins who burst into their homes uninvited are wrong. He fears disproportionate force will be used, vigilantism will break out and people will take […]
Afghanistan Over the last few days there have been signals coming from this inflamed country that negotiations with the Taliban are in the frame. I heard the words from President Karzai in a TV interview with the BBC’s John Simpson. Now General McChrystal has talked of negotiations. ‘ There has been enough fighting ‘, he […]