Love thy neighbour as thyself?
14 June 2010Forget asking your neighbour for a cup of sugar and a couple of eggs in a school cake sale disaster, writes Annaliese Briggs.
The Blog
EU spies opportunity to probe Member State finances
10 June 2010EU governments are discussing how to avoid future EU economic crises, writes Natalie Hamill. A month ago an EU Commission paper suggested that national state budgets should be reviewed by the EU ahead of national parliaments. No one likes “Big Brother” looking over their shoulder; but does the current crisis justify these draconian measures?
Turning pages
9 June 2010The chair of a lecture at a Hay festival last week commented that the event had become a job interview: Niall Ferguson had been asked by Michael Gove, sitting in the audience, whether Harvard would allow him spend more time in Britain ‘to help us design a more exciting and engaging history curriculum’, writes Zenobe Reade.
For whom the bell tolls
5 June 2010The beginning of June marks the start of an obligatory period of hushed activity in my family household, writes Annaliese Briggs.
Europe’s Golden Age is going Grey
2 June 2010An EU Commission paper on pensions argues that no more than a third of our adult lives should be spent in retirement writes Natalie Hamill. This means that by 2060, according to current trends, we should expect to be retiring at 70.
A future tragedy of our commons?
1 June 2010Yesterday, Libby Purves wrote in the Times of the free-range child as endangered species, writes Zenobe Reade. Purves’ eulogy touched upon the demise of dens, boating, unattended bramble scratches and nettle stings. Yet, as she acknowledges, this has long been the preserve of the wealthy, rather than the rural child.
Another one bites the dust
28 May 2010Just how many punches constitute one punch too many, asks Annaliese Briggs?
Is this the right climate for change?
26 May 2010A new climate change initiative is the cause of the latest rift in EU politics, writes Natalie Hamill. An EU Commission proposal that the target for the reduction of EU-wide carbon emissions should be increased from 20% to 30% (from 1990 levels) has been met with indignation by Germany, France and big business lobby groups,… [Read More]
Degrees of value
24 May 2010A short article in the Telegraph last week was of a gravity unmatched by its modest coverage. It told of Oxford University’s plans to create a fund to pay the tuition fees of graduates who go on to careers such as teaching and social work. Graduates would apply to have their fees paid by the fund, made up of donations by alumni.
Freedom. Fairness. Responsibility. And the NHS.
20 May 2010Freedom. Fairness. Responsibility. The sounding words of the coalition document, released today. But do these words (most particularly the last one) not, then, require at least a mention in the section on the NHS of the scale of the productivity challenge facing the health service… and perhaps a few ideas of what to do about… [Read More]