Published on
31 May 2012
Posted in Culture, Education, Social Commentary
There was a famous sketch performed long ago in an episode of the Frost Report where three men standing alongside one other represented the three then generally accepted socio-economic classes within society. Each was a caricature based upon traits commonly taken to have been present in individuals of that particular class. It is most likely […]
Published on
23 May 2012
Posted in Christianity, Religion, Social Commentary
There is a consensus among the leaders of the main political parties that, when reformed, the House of Lords should retain a number who sit as Lords Spiritual. This ‘bloc’ of peers is made up of twenty-six Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England. In a recent blog post it was argued that, were […]
Published on
26 April 2012
Posted in Culture, Social Commentary, Virtue, World Affairs
Let us consider today matters that have received much press coverage recently, coverage manifesting a dearth of virtue among senior figures in media and government. While politicians are universally acknowledged to be only human, those with positions of great influence should be expected to act virtuously and to set an example to ordinary individuals. […]
Published on
18 April 2012
Posted in Big Society, British Politics, Public Policy, Social Commentary
One measure announced in the recent budget has provoked much discussion, namely that proposing to remove unlimited tax relief on donations to charity. Tax relief on charitable donations was introduced by the Thatcher government as a means of encouraging philanthropy among high-earners. If an individual donates a suitably large amount to charity, the relief means […]
Published on
4 April 2012
Posted in Culture, Education, Social Commentary
Last week Kent County Council approved plans for a grammar school to establish a satellite school in Sevenoaks. The satellite would share the name of the founding school and come under the same executive oversight. It will be, as it were, a new branch of the existing school with the same educational ethos. Note that […]
Published on
22 March 2012
From a guest blogger: On 20 February the website of the Coalition 4 Marriage was set up. Since then its petition has obtained, online and on paper, well over quarter of a million signatures (275,928 on 22 March). About four days after that petition was set up another website was set up in opposition: the […]
Published on
21 March 2012
Posted in British Politics, Political Economy, Public Policy, Social Commentary
All who read British newspapers will have noted fevered speculation over potential measures that may appear in today’s Budget. The suggestion that Britain’s road network of Britain be opened to private investment has attracted much interest. The idea that the Government might lease key routes, such as the M1, to private corporations. These would be […]
Published on
16 March 2012
Posted in British Politics, Europe, Political Economy, Social Commentary, World Affairs
From a guest blogger: Draghi is fuelling inflation like the Bank of England. Greece cannot ever repay even the reduced debt after last week’s managed default and target of 120% of GDP by 2020. Greece must leave the Euro. The election this year may precipitate this. Then Portugal (public debt at 93%, and private debt […]