BY ALEX STORY “Are you thinking what we are thinking?” asked the billboard close to Denton town centre, close to Manchester. Not far from the billboard, as the Conservative candidate for Denton & Reddish for the 2005 General Election, I was talking to three ladies. One was 28, the other 15, the last laid in a pram. “Are you sisters?” I asked. “No”, roared the … Continue reading Accelerating Towards the Cliffs
BY ALEX STORY Zia Yusuf, the chairman of Reform, spoke of the “remoralisation” of the young following his party’s recent local election successes. It struck me as a profoundly meaningful word. He argued that the process must begin by teaching history accurately, reminding our children of our country’s greatness and of its Greats. There is much to be proud of, yet over the last two … Continue reading An Old Fresh View
CSM EDITORIAL The scorpion, a creature of venom and survival, asks the frog, a simple beast of water and mud, to carry him across the river. The frog hesitates, knowing the scorpion’s nature. But the scorpion pleads, his voice sharp and desperate. “If I sting you, we both will die,” he says. The frog, swayed by logic, agrees. Midway across, the scorpion strikes. As they … Continue reading Frog or Turtle?
BY DAVID EYLES Politics is driven by ideas, culture and events. Ideas and culture may sometimes clash to produce unintended consequences. These consequences, and events from outside the system, will dictate the outcome. The economist and philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb used the term ‘black swan event’ to describe those events which occur rarely, and which are not only unexpected but unpredictable by virtue of being … Continue reading Starmer and the Nazgul of Events
BY STEWART SLATER The lines go up. All of them. The only difference is the slope. For, according to the manifestoes, no matter who wins the election, the tax burden will rise. And it is not starting from a low base. Under Labour’s published plans, it will reach record levels. As it will under the Lib Dems but it’s the Lib Dems so, frankly, who … Continue reading Shuffling the Deckchairs
The BBC is generally disliked. What best to do with it? Reform or finish it? After all, it is the British Broadcasting Corporation and allegedly it belongs to us – the British People. Have Your Say. Continue reading What Shall We Do With The BBC?
