Archive for December, 2008
A Terrible Decision
Posted by Nick Cowen in Human Rights on 30/12/2008
I cannot believe a recent appeal court decision that is reported in today’s newspapers. Earlier this month, an earlier decision of a lower court was upheld not to cancel debts of over £2,000,000 that a client of the bookmaker William Hill had incurred to it in 2006 through placing bets with it over the telephone.
A bit of magic for the NHS?
Posted by James Gubb in Health on 24/12/2008
Disney is ranked number one in Fortune Magazine’s most admired entertainment industry category for 2008. It was also ranked number three across all US companies for people management and is one of the top performing companies in the world in terms of customer satisfaction. Key to Disney’s success is the clarity of its vision: safety, courtesy, the show and efficiency.
Is the Volume of Ding Dongs Merrily Less High at Faith Schools than at Others?
Posted by Nick Cowen in Education on 23/12/2008
Giving the Green light
Posted by Pete Quentin in European Union on 22/12/2008
Last week’s EU Summit (10-11th Dec 2008) was hailed a victory by those lobbying the EU to stick by its Green credentials.
In the run up to the summit, there were tell-tale reports of squabbling between Member States about the EU’s 20-20-20 targets on energy use, which were agreed in March 2007. For example, it was reported that Italy and Poland were seeking concessions from the targets, because of concern about the potential burden on their states’ economies. However the French Presidency, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, was determined to establish measures to implement the targets before the (decidedly more EU-sceptic) Czech Republic assumes the EU Presidency in January 2009…
An Assortment of School Subjects by Any Other Name…
Posted by Nick Cowen in Education on 16/12/2008
In his regular column on education in last week’s Sunday Times, Chris Woodhead laid into the recently published Rose report on primary schooling in whose defence I posted a blog last week.
If I return to its defence against Woodhead’s attack on it in this week’s posting, it is less in angry defiance of the opinion of such an august authority on education than in the spirit of continued puzzlement as to the basis for the invective that has been levelled at it by not only Woodhead but such other prominent writers about education as Michael Gove and Melanie Phillips with whose more traditionally oriented views I normally find myself in agreement — but not on this occasion.
Time’s up!
Posted by Pete Quentin in European Union on 16/12/2008
This Wednesday (17th December), MEPs will vote on a proposal to end the UK’s opt-out from the EU’s Working Time Directive. If passed, the changes will make it illegal for workers to choose to work more than 48-hours in a week from 2011.