Yasmin Alibhai Brown in odious attack on the poor and unemployed

A few weeks back the BBC’s Evan Davis presented The Day The Immigrants Left, a reality TV show in which unemployed Brits were trialled in jobs more typically done by immigrants. It is something of a commonplace amongst middle class liberals praise the work ethic of immigrants in relation to the more dissolute Brits (this [...]

Nick Hogan Free!

Last week I helped publicise efforts to free Nick Hogan – sentenced to jail for his failure to pay fines for breaching the smoking ban. I am pleased to report that he is now free after the blogosphere raised nearly 10k in 4 days! Anna Raccoon has more.
It hardly needs saying that on most issues [...]

Why online piracy is not (always) theft

There isn’t a lot of love for illegal downloaders on this blog, and to some extent I think that’s fair. But even if we accept that the activities of Pirate Bay and their ilk are ultimately unjustifiable, the jaw-dropping stupidity of some of the comments from the anti-piracy camp shouldn’t be allowed to go through [...]

The Third Estate Should Have All It Can Eat

The all you can eat restaurant is a true joy. Although I wouldn’t go so far as to hold it up as the exemplary culinary experience post-revolution, there is certainly a gorging charm to the total binge-worthy derailment of it all. Last night the Third Estate bloggers met (as in, in person, no less) at the [...]

A couple of political betting tips – good odds on the Lib Dems to get mauled

Well this morning I was on betfair politics zone. For those unfarmiliar with betfair, its an ingenious system in which you lay bets against fellow punters. If you reckon, say, that Man U will win the league, your money will be matched up with someone who reckons they won’t. The odds you get go up [...]

Tamsin Omond to stand against Green Party’s Bea Campbell Labour’s Glenda Jackson in latest act of epic narcissism

“Not all companies get the urgency of climate change yet but their customers have more power than they think. Last week, I left the outer packaging of my shopping on the till at Tesco.” – Tamsin Omond demonstrating her commitment to environmentalism by leaving an underpaid cashier to clear up her mess.
I winced yesterday as [...]

Reuben Rants Number 3: Child protection or a dangerous liars charter

Have you ever wanted to ruin someone’s life with a false  accusation? If so your life has now got easier, thanks to the governments arbitrary, dangerous and illiberal vetting and barring scheme. I hope you enjoy my third rant.

Coercion and the defunct

My phone contract ran out of contract a few months ago, so I am told that I am apparently entitled to an upgrade. Great, I think. I go out and investigate getting a new iPhone, because I’m told that this is a really useful bit of kit, but little do I suspect that this is [...]

Long term unemployment: the grim facts and the real threat to future prosperity

It was reported today that the number of long term unemployed has risen by 37,000 to 663k. Such a stat reveals a huge level of  serious personal hardship. Yet, as I have written here before, it also represents, if you like, the real hangover that will haunt our future economy. The simple fact is that [...]

Curb on shared housing: government allows councils to push out the young and less well off

Housing minister John Healy has announced that councils will soon be able to limit the number of shared houses in their localities. Landlords who wish to rent out homes to 3 or more unrelated people face having to seek planning permission. Allegedly such measures are being put in place to curb anti-social behaviour.  I would [...]