Both Labour and Tories are backing plans to more than double student tuition fees to £7000 within four years. Labour shamelessly abandoned its 2001 election manifesto promise that ‘it will not introduce top-up fees and has legislated against them’ – then introduced them in 2004.
The Dearing Report, commissioned in 1996 under Tory [...]
Monthly Archives: July 2009
Pay attention, class. This is an important revision course on UK student tuition fees
July 26, 2009 – 11:21 pm
All things considered, Labour is finished. Next question?
July 25, 2009 – 11:35 pm
The Tories overturned a 5459 Labour majority by 7,348 votes in the Norwich by-election on Thursday in a decisive and pivotal victory. Their turnout was 6% lower than expected, but 70% of the Labour constituency stayed at home watching Big Brother. The Lib Dems came third as usual, giving the lie to those who perennially hope that [...]
Is this civil rights 2.0?
July 25, 2009 – 10:08 am
India just de-criminalised gay sex. That is a staggering fact, because it affects the sense of sexual freedom of 1 in every 6 human beings. Despite the fact that many of the laws currently being challenged date from colonial occupation, many in India identify this reform with dark forces of westernisation and globalisation rather than [...]
Afghanistan's 'democratic' election – a Karzai shoe-in aided by Western media indifference?
July 16, 2009 – 10:52 am
In the interests of transparency, I have made no secret of my support for Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s Presidential candidacy (Thus passim). I don’t know much about the other candidates (and should do) but it appears crazy to endorse the Karzai regime, which has presided over a culture of warlord cronyism and corruption which has increased [...]
Next week, all UK mobile numbers will be fair game for spammers, scammers and buggers – not a lot of people know that
July 10, 2009 – 9:27 am
. . .and that’s the problem. The Directory of Mobile Phone numbers goes live next week. All numbers, including those belonging to children, will be potentially open to cold calling and the general abuse that unscrupulous telesales people subject us to. Unless you particularly wish to be cold called, deluged with text offers and – [...]
Kicking National Express was a good call from Labour
July 5, 2009 – 4:18 pm
On the National Express, there’s a jolly hostess, selling crisps and tea. She’ll provide you with drinks and theatrical winks for a sky-high fee. We’re going where the air is free. Tomorrow belongs to me. Lyrics from ‘National Express,’ by The Divine Comedy.
Surely some mistake? Privatised train operators are supposed [...]