Gavin Esler     Gavin Esler spent much of last year working on a BBC Radio series entitled Brits. In November, he delivered an Open Lecture at the University of Kent on the subject. This article is taken from his lecture: There are those who believe that Britain has had its day. There are […]

          February 2010: Murray late nomination for the Edinburgh South constituency – Scandal Hit Nigel Griffiths stands down Griffiths, who was criticised during the MPs’ expenses scandal when he claimed for a 3,600 plasma television, is eligible for a cash payment from the public purse to help him “adjust” to life […]

        Kezia, as Fifi La Bonbon, emerged as a sort of Leader of Labour in the Scottish Blogosphere and became something of a lightning rod, no doubt encouraging the fellow travellers but also attracting the critics from the other side, in massive numbers. And of course, it’s the critics who are more […]

  Professor Paul Krugman   About the Author Paul Krugman joined The New York Times in 1999 as an Op-Ed columnist and continues as a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. Mr. Krugman received his B.A. from Yale University in 1974 and his Ph.D. from M.I.T. in 1977. He has taught at […]

    September 2007: Wendy To The Fore By Brian Taylor And so finally, after weeks of waiting, Wendy Alexander has been confirmed as the new leader of Scottish Labour. Why the wait? Because, although she was sole nominee, her election had to be confirmed by an electoral college comprising Labour MSPs and the party’s […]

      Press and media stranglehold on the public In the last 20 years an ever expanding deregulatory regime has been embraced and abused by the UK media, (including the State funded BBC) despite many requests from the public and their representatives to limit their unfettered power. But politicians and media barons continue with […]

      April 2015:“The next Conservative Government will scrap the Human Rights Act, and introduce a British Bill of Rights” — Conservative Party Manifesto. If you feel strongly about the Scotland’s human rights laws, the general election offers you a clear choice. On the one hand, the Conservative Party and UKIP want to repeal […]

    Welfare Reforms – Tory Policy – But who first thought it up? In 1998/99, not long after taking up the reins of government Tony Blair decided the Welfare State needed to be reformed bringing down the increasing cost to the Nation of maintaining in a life of luxury workshy shirkers and teenage single […]

  Lord BichardLord Bichard   2013: Retired people could do work for pensions Lord Bichard, a former benefits chief, said “imaginative” ideas were needed to meet the cost of an ageing society. And although such a move might be controversial, it would stop older people being a “burden on the state”. The peer is a […]

Inflation-busting increase is expected to be announced after the May General Election A 2014 IPSA survey showed many MPs believe they should be paid £86,000 a year – with some backbenchers insisting they should get more than £100,000. Instead, Labour and Tory sources say Sir Ian Kennedy, head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) […]