Thursday, 26 January 2012
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Letters: Bishops in the Lords speak up for justiceFriday, 27 January 2012
Like it or not, we have a second unelected chamber in Parliament called the House of Lords, and for historical reasons, 26 of the 104 bishops of the Church of England have seats there. Since Parliament still sees fit to legislate for the Church of En...
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Leading article: Elected mayors are too good a chance to missFriday, 27 January 2012
Ironically, the very indifference voters often show in relation to anything to do with local government – which many tend to regard as powerless and pointless – would actually be addressed by the appointment of an elected mayor. In the handful of tow...
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Owen Jones: Gay people have come a long way – but hatred is still out thereFriday, 27 January 2012
Both episodes are unpleasant reminders that anti-gay hatred hasn't gone away. But they also offer hope, too, about just how far we've come. Ball's bigoted tirade landed him with a £6,000 fine from the Football Association on Tuesday – the highest the...
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Ian Burrell: We shouldn't keep victims of dark arts in the darkFriday, 27 January 2012
That gumshoe, Steve Whittamore, was as meticulous in his record keeping as Glenn Mulcaire, the private eye at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World. Whittamore logged more than 17,000 transactions in A4 notebooks colour-cod...
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Letters: Tories must uphold rights codeThursday, 26 January 2012
The convention was founded following the atrocities suffered by millions during two world wars. Britain and Churchill were the driving forces behind the convention and it was drafted by British lawyers and based on British law. There is nothing contr...
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Leading article: Blaming Europe will not mend Britain's economyThursday, 26 January 2012
The question now is, what happens next? In the immediate term, it is as good as certain that the Bank will launch more quantitative easing next month. But the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street cannot keep the economy out of double-dip by itself. The Go...
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Guide Westerwelle: Growth through competitivenessFriday, 27 January 2012
Citizens and investors are asking themselves: is Europe doing enough to prevent the crisis from escalating further? Will we manage to transform the EU quickly enough into a stability union? Are we Germans in particular asking too much of our partners...
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Simon Kelner: The badge of honour that is refusing a royal gongFriday, 27 January 2012
Yesterday, my Tube train stopped in a tunnel, and immediately the guard was on the public address system: "I'm sorry," he said, "but we're waiting for the train in front to clear. We shouldn't be waiting longer than a minute." That simply wouldn't...
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Leading article: Talking sense on fair taxationFriday, 27 January 2012
Given that the £10,000 threshold was the centrepiece of Mr Clegg's speech on taxation yesterday, it is fair to assume that the scheme is all but signed off by the Treasury . But while the Liberal Democrats may be able to turn the sliding economy to t...
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E Jane Dickson: Google, don't put me in a pigeonholeFriday, 27 January 2012
Actually, I quite like the talking dogs. I'm not sure I'd want to employ one, though, and I can't say I'm cheered by news that employers are increasingly ignoring the classic CV and choosing job candidates on the basis of their "online profile". Whic...
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Simon Kelner: The very tangible benefits of a sense of belongingThursday, 26 January 2012
Ms Abbott elbowed her way into the argument and, in the ensuing moral panic, the original point was lost. I have always been suspicious of the use of the word "community" when referring to a diverse group of people who are differentiated by their e...
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Amol Rajan: Mayor has had a starring role in re-shaping our cityThursday, 26 January 2012
I have argued in this space before that the community organisation pioneered in this country by London Citizens is the most exciting development in our democracy for decades (full disclosure: I had a walk-on part with them years ago).The biggest alli...
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Leading article: Bishops and benefits don't mixThursday, 26 January 2012
Then yesterday, in what appeared to be a belated effort to redress the balance, out came the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, with an article in the Daily Mail, arguing the case for the other side. The "greatest moral scandal", he said, w...
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Clare Short: I didn't get rid of Page 3 – can Leveson?Thursday, 26 January 2012
There was little publicity for the speech but enough to produce a torrent of moving letters from women saying yes, please do it. And so I went ahead and introduced my tightly-drawn Bill, and the floodgates opened. The Sun went to war with me. "Twent...
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David Blanchflower: Recession looms as the Chancellor lays waste to growthThursday, 26 January 2012
Unemployment is increasing fast and is set to rise further through 2012. As Ed Balls pointed out, the claim that this is all due to the eurozone is without foundation given that exports have been rising. Shamefully, George Osborne still has no growth...
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Hamish Macdonell: This brand new Scotland is slick and professionalThursday, 26 January 2012
From the high, wood-beamed ceiling and the suits of armour in this most impressive of ancient Scottish halls to the lines of verse from Scotland’s national bard which the Scottish First Minister dripped into his speech, everything was designed to imp...
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Deborah Ross: Your problems solved (not really – you're beyond help)Thursday, 26 January 2012
Dear Depressive Pessimist, I am thinking of trying a new recipe today, but what are the chances it will look anything like the photograph in the cookbook? Zero. Dear Depressive Pessimist, I would like a "bikini body" in time for summer but can't see...
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Leading article: A vote that must not be marred by age-old grievancesThursday, 26 January 2012
Much can happen between now and 2014, when the referendum is to be held. The vote and the question must be approved by Westminster. Mr Salmond has not ruled out a third option, offering something just short of independence. The coming months will pro...
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