Monthly Archives: July 2010

Let me annoy some bloggers by raising this issue again. Some said I was not good at this subject. Others implied I had little right to comment. I am a child of the Anglican tradition. I have every right to comment on the Church’s future, as it remains the established Church whose deeds have to [...]

Yesterday during debates on the Finance Bill in the Commons Labour wheeled out their old friends tax evasion and avoidance. They do not like either avoidance or evasion, but they were always with them during their years in charge. They are almost allies, because they allow Labour to work off their prejudices against enterprise and [...]

This morning the outgoing Head of Ofsted was explaining her approach to bad teachers. She claims today that every school is likely to have a bad teacher, and that some good can come of that. She says she is not recommending they have one. The BBC gave her a very gentle interview, inviting her to [...]

We learn today that the £30 m a year Partnerships for schools quango was responsible for providing Mr Gove with a list of the projects that were going ahead and the projects which could be cancelled under Building Schools for the Future. This body is led by Mr Byles, on a salary of £216,000 a [...]

I thought Andrew Lansley’s decision to stop the £75 million a year advertising campaign lecturing us on what to eat and not to eat would be one of the least contentious cuts. On Friday night the Any Questions audience, egged on by Margaret Hodge and John Harris from the Guardian, contained many who felt this [...]

Last night I was not surprised by the arguments used by Margaret Hodge and her Guardian helper. Labour have gone straight into the public sector Union trenches. They plan to fight every cut, and make any discussion of improved public sector economy or efficiency into the actions of unacceptable axemen from the “Condems”, as they [...]

The endless rows over “cuts” at a time when public spending continues to rise in cash terms highlights yet again the totally different approach to public service by the private and public sectors. In 2008-9 many private sector companies faced declines in their revenue of 25% or more. This was all far more horrific than [...]

I find it difficult to believe that the Anglican Church has made such heavy weather of women Bishops. They made the crucial decision to have women vicars years ago. How can they deny their female employees the chance of promotion? Today’s Synod should just get on with it, and allow any woman who is capable [...]

Gradually the Coalition government is restoring our lost liberties. They moved quickly to get rid of compulsory ID cards. Yesterday Mrs May announced the end to using counter terrorism powers to stop and search anyone without grounds to believe they could be a terrorist. One of the worst features of the last government was the [...]