Brown’s belated signing of the Lisbon Treaty has been documented well enough and there’s not much I could add to the chorus of criticism that surrounds his doing so without granting what everyone wants for Christmas – a referendum. This despite earlier that very same day having declared to the House of Commons that ‘you… [Read More]
Our recently published children’s reading and writing course, The Butterfly Book by Irina Tyk, has become a hit in the run up to Christmas. In the wake of one Daily Mail report, the office telephones have been positively buzzing with calls from parents (and grandparents) eager to offer the gift of literacy to young members… [Read More]
Was it Ted Cantle? John Denham? Charles Clarke? Hazel Blears? Wrong, if you thought that it was any of these. According to John Stuart Mill, and I have not come across anything to contradict his claim, it was Samuel Taylor Coleridge. continued on the Centre for Social Cohesion blog.
EU, Sarkozy, Merkel, wise men, reflection group
In March this year, 48% of patients recalled being offered a choice of hospital for their first outpatient appointment. Since then, in every survey the DH has conducted, this figure has fallen. In the latest survey – conducted in July – it stands at just 43%. This really is quite a feat – though not… [Read More]
Yesterday Ed Balls, the secretary of state for children, schools and families, unveiled the government’s plan to make Britain “the best place in the world for our children to grow up in” – writes Claire Daley and Nick Cowen.The so-called “Children’s plan” aims to tackle crucial education and social issues facing children today in the… [Read More]
Yesterday at the Old Bailey, three young men, Sodrul Islam, Delwar Hussain and Mamoon Hussain, were convicted of the attempted murder of a thirty-one year old fourth man, John Payne. The attempted murder took place in April 2006 on the Clichy estate in Stepney in London’s Tower Hamlets. continued on the Centre for Social Cohesion… [Read More]
EU, Africa, Brown, Buffalo, EPA, Trade
Final straw for government’s education record: world’s most comprehensive assessment of pupil knowledge and skills crushes UK government claims of rising school standards. PISA results show declining standards between 2000 and 2006: 523 – 495 (28 point decline) from 2000 in reading amongst UK 15 yr olds: a decline from 23 points above the OECD… [Read More]
Slowly, slowly, I sense the beginnings of a great historic sea-change in public opinion at home and abroad concerning the wisdom of President Bush’s decision in 2003 to go to war in Iraq. Initially, his decision was greeted with very widespread condemnation both here and abroad, condemnation that grew louder as any suspected WMD failed… [Read More]