Back in 2007, when Nick Clegg made mental health the focus of his first major speech as Lib Dem Leader, it was pretty groundbreaking. And we walked the walk as well as talked the talk. Arguably the most successful part of our time in coalition was Norman Lamb’s work as mental health minister. Not only […]
Op-eds
Exam Results and Gradings
Students and teachers are often disappointed with some or all of their grades, and this will always be so. Don’t let us be consoled by this and dismiss the anxiety over grades as a temporary, COVID driven problem requiring only an immediate, pragmatic solution. I was for several years in the early 2000s, a senior […]
The geopolitics of COVID-19: Can liberalism win the day?
Embed from Getty Images The pandemic is an unprecedented global challenge affecting all humanity, which is suffering the consequences at very considerable social and economic cost. The world was already in disorder before COVID-19 made its appearance but the crisis has undoubtedly deepened the great power rivalry between China and the U.S., aggravated by a […]
Will the next LibDem Leader have national ballot appeal?
Who are the Liberal Democrats? How far does their leader embody their party? In what way would their leader be a desirable UK Prime Minister? As Liberal Democrats go to the polls to elect a leader these should be the questions members of the party have at the front and centre of their minds. These […]
100% face masks in English shops on Friday? They’re having a laugh…..
Embed from Getty Images We’re sailing breezily towards Friday when, suddenly, everybody is meant to be wearing face masks in shops. It’s not going to happen. I see hardly any face masks being worn out at the moment. To expect a sudden pivot on Friday is just ridiculous. The police aren’t going to enforce the […]
Neo-liberalism is deceitfully plundering society
We face interactive networks of problems. Some were and are easily perceived, some not. All need analysis and addressing. The U.K. is amongst the worst performing nations in the protection of its citizens against the current plague. A chronic cause is under-investment in national health infrastructures. An immediate cause is serial governmental ineptitude. A foundation […]
How the Social Contract idea can serve both our party and the country
It is easy to be high-minded about the Social Contract idea, which may be why it is not yet universally known or accepted. Yes, it is a vision of addressing the main social ills of this country, campaigning to have them put right. And yes, it gains legitimacy by assuming the mantle of William Beveridge, […]
Two options
I never thought that I would end up having a fear about my job! I currently have two part-time jobs. One, there is no problem at all, but the second has become quite a worry. That is because it is working behind the bar in a social club, and I have type1 diabetes, which I […]
Every so often, it’s worth having a look at this table…
OK, I know that countries have very different ways of reporting deaths from Covid-19. But this table, from Worldometer (excluding a couple of micro-states), gives us some idea how the UK is doing in terms of Covid-19 deaths per million of population. Badly. We are second in the world for the rate of deaths, after […]
Who gains from Rishi Sunak’s Summer Economic Statement?
It is easy to criticise Rishi Sunak’s Summer Economic Statement for not doing enough. The Chancellor had a difficult task to assess what size of economic stimulus would be effective. His main aim was apparently to create jobs for those who had lost them or will be losing them soon. But the Statement.is very disappointing […]