Tag: politics
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The Case of the Forgetful First Minister
In a house near a hoose on a bright Glasgow day,A reporter popped up with a question to say: “Did your spouse do the thing with the funds in the can?”And she blinked and replied,“I don’t recall being married to that man.” She checked in the cupboards, she checked in her shoe,She checked in a…
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The Victory Lap of Not Knowing Anything
Sarah Wood is the leader of the Reform Party group on Kirklees Council. As such, she ran to lead the council, of which her party holds a plurality, but no majority. Here is Cllr. Wood, demonstrating her grasp of the council that she feels equipped to lead: The Victory Lap of Not Knowing Anything The…
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Unite the Kingdom (But Only the England Bit, Obviously)
The Unite the Kingdom rally in London was billed as some grand patriotic moment, a unifying force, a national stand, a big tent for the whole UK. And then you look at the crowd and half of them are wearing “Make England Great Again” hats. England.Not Britain.Not the UK.Just England; loudly, proudly, and with the…
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Book Review: What If Reform Wins by Peter Chappell
What is Reform Wins: A Scenario is a speculative fiction book by journalist Peter Chappell in which he develops a fictional scenario in which the Reform party secures a majority in the House of Commons. It was published by Bloomsbury on the 30th of April, 2026. No review copy was provided by the publisher. Blurb: A…
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Dyslexia, Stigma, and the Things We Call Disqualifying
Some days the news feels like someone shaking a snow globe just to watch the flakes fall wrong. A man with a microphone says that dyslexia should disqualify someone from being president, and suddenly the air is full of old dust again, the kind that settles in children’s lungs before they even know the word…
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A Quick Look at Humble Bundle’s “No Kings” Book Bundle
Humble Bundle has a new collection out called the No Kings Library, and it’s basically a crash course in how power works. It’s all about who gets it, who keeps it, and what it does to the rest of us. The books come from Berrett‑Koehler, a publisher that focuses on leadership, equity, and civic responsibility.…
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Not On Our Street
They’re all for housing…in principle.They’ll clap for nurses,in theory.They’ll nod at the telly when someone says“we need more homes.”But not here.Not on our street.Not where the bins go. They’ll say:It’s not the flats, it’s the traffic.It’s not the families, it’s the parking.It’s not the poor, it’s the planning.It’s not the change, it’s the character. They’ll…
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Inheritance Without a Future
Some days it feels like the countryhas been left in the airing cupboard too long.It’s all starch and mothballs and ruleswritten in handwriting no one under forty can read. Every policy arrives pre‑creased,smelling faintly of “back in my day,”designed for people who bought houseswhen houses still cost the price of a decent sofa. We queue…
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Book Review: A Pox on Fools by Thomas Levenson
A Pox on Fools is a book by science writer Thomas Levenson in which he explores the anti-vax movement, both historically and contemporarily. It is due to be published by Head of Zeus on the 7th of May, 2026. I was provided with a review copy by the publishers. Blurb: Scientific truth, and the vast benefits…