This might sound a bit strange, but I’m prepared to bet that Jeremy Hunt really wishes Vince Cable had kept his mouth shut when he met those undercover Telegraph reporters. It’s because of that little indiscretion, of course, that Hunt has the responsibility for deciding whether Murdoch can acquire a controlling stake in BSkyB, and [...]
Today in parliament the labour MP Sharon Hodgson brought forward a private members bill aimed at controlling the spiralling problem of ticket touting. If you have sought to by a ticket for a popular music event during the past few years, then you may well have been left reeling with frustration. While there have always [...]
The Liberal Democrats are set to merge with the Conservatives before the next general election. A lasting alliance between the two coalition partners has been the topic of some speculation since the Oldham by-election campaign kicked off and polls indicated the Lib Dems could barely hold onto second prize in a beauty contest with Jabba [...]
For all the Government’s many faults, one thing a lot of us could comfort ourselves with as the Coalition really got going was that at least they’d be better than Labour had been on civil liberties. They might be dead set on hacking chunks out of the State safety net for the poorest and most [...]
Back in November I took issue with the idea, espoused by Jackie Ashley and others, that “welfare reform” could cut either the welfare bill or the deficit. Policies that simply made life on benefits more intolerable, I said, were worse than useless considering that there were 5 unemployed workers for every vacancy. People cannot be [...]
There have been growing mutterings recently about the prospect of the Coalition becoming an outright merger between the Tories and Lib Dems sometime between now and the next general election. I don’t know how likely it is – the prospect of strong resistance from rightwing Tories who take the same view as Fraser Nelson in [...]
Scene in Twickenham train station: well dressed woman in mid-thirties shouting at gigantic pink railway employee through three inches of Perspex. Woman’s daughter has phoned mother in tears after being fined for travelling on the wrong ticket. Woman: You people have no idea customer service, you just sit there you fat lump Railway employee: I’m [...]
TTE readers will probably be aware of the ‘It Gets Better’ internet campaign against homophobic bullying. This was started by the brilliant American sex advice columnist Dan Savage, reacting to the suicide of Billy Lucas, a fifteen-year old gay teenager who hanged himself after suffering intense homophobic abuse from his peers. His mission statement: “I wish I could [...]
When Margaret Thatcher entered hospital recently, her impending demise began trending on Twitter. I could quote some #whenthatcherdies tweets for you, but you know what I’m on about. The fact that people were thrilled to hear of Mrs Thatcher’s ill-health simply isn’t surprising; the fact that so many celebrating her coming death weren’t even alive when [...]
Anyone who’s been unfortunate enough to ask someone for relationship advice of any sort will probably know that old guff about ‘give and take’: it’s all about compromises. This week, we’re going to see our favourite odd couple play out this cliche game. The liberals and the tories will come to gradual and reasonable compromises [...]
