This, from Terry Reintke, the German Green MEP, I found incredibly moving. Here is someone who is aware of who and what Britain is, speaks marvellous English and understands that Brexiters are actually now a minority. I feel the need to thank her very profoundly…. Read more
Back to school for Osborne and others
I don’t know whether George Osborne is consumed with guilt or whether he is as reckless now as he was in power, but there are a couple of remarkably incisive articles in two recent London ‘Evening Standard’s. Both concern schooling. One points out that the rise in school exclusions is linked to the rise and… Read more
The right wing mind again – Is the reduction in libraries the killer blow to aspiration?
My previous piece has, I partly regret, led me to revist a blog I wrote some time ago suggesting that voting Conservative was aspirational, regardless of your own circumstances. Because I’m now beginning to wonder if not only the pupils but the parents in our difficult schools have low self-esteem. And some significant numbers of… Read more
Needing a more circular economy…
Last time I went to the dump I was dumbfounded by the amount of electronic and electrical waste – all thrown in and dumped in skips that were open to the elements – except seemingly for fridges which have a special undercover container – I imagine in order to more effectively recover fluorocarbons. Anyone who… Read more
‘Our government structures are derelict’
I think the sentiments in this Caroline Lucas speech during the European Withdrawal Bill debate are worth spreading widely. All the discretionary ministerial powers are in this bill. We have thrown away democratic control on the basis of just 44% of the total votes cast. The ‘mother of Parliaments’ is woefully unfit for purpose and… Read more
Brexit is the end of EU leavers
There is an informative and depressing article in the Irish Times suggesting that as Britain has shown what a disaster leaving the EU is, so the right wing anti-Europe headbangers, like Marine Le Pen, have ditched the idea of leaving Europe ( including, remarkably not leaving the Euro, so I’m not sure they have got… Read more
Bunches of bus problems
So the Department for Transport is to launch an Open Data service so we might actually know when the next bus is coming. We, in what used to be called the provinces, have been denied this possibility for years because, as we all know, bus competition works, and stiff competition leads to booming passenger numbers…. Read more
Progressive Patriotism
A few days ago Rebecca Long-Bailey, prospective Labour leader, built on an idea first mooted, I think, by Billy Bragg, and suggested that ‘Progessive Patriotism’ was a good idea… I’m surprised to find myself agreeing. Progressives have to embrace patriotism, even though to many of us, it is a fairly unwelcome concept, being perilously close… Read more
Ensuring children understand their futures
Following on from my article mentioning that resonating quote that “We are too much inclined to treat voters as consumers who are are always right, rather than voters who have a civic duty to inform themselves.” I’m increasingly inclined to suggest that people should have to pass an exam before voting. I’m certainly aware that… Read more
The trouble with the BBC
I encountered this rather good twitter feed on the gradual changes to the News offering from the BBC and their consequences from a certain Niall Fleming, who writes as though he has some inside knowledge. Whether he does or not, his conclusions, I feel are worthy of note. I offer the piece completely unedited as… Read more
Support Progressive Pulse
Share ideas for a progressive world
