If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Those who have known somebody with a terminal illness will know the distress and concern that can be present towards the end of life, and the real vulnerability that exists amongst families in these circumstances.
If Twitter is to be believed (yes I know, I know) then there was a bit of a kerfuffle at the Fabians New Year Conference on the weekend when - it is claimed - accountancy giant KPMG was spontaneously booed by the crowd.
Nadine Dorries' proposals have been lambasted as being out of touch, based on religiosity and an attempt to impose Christian moral values on others as well as being sexist by targeting girls exclusively. Perhaps some of this is true and certainly some of her reasoning behind the bill is questionable if we are being polite, ludicrous if we are being blunt. But I can't help but think that whilst not hitting the nail on the head, she has touched a nerve that we as a society need to acknowledge and the government and educational authorities need to address.
After today there are six further days in committee and then four days of report stage, where we are likely to see key votes take place. Is it too much to hope the government comes to its senses?
Although many of them have yet to realise it, busy as they are with the ongoing discussions on public sector pensions, the big issue for trade unions in 2012 will be the implementation of regional pay and the break-up of the national pay bargaining schemes.
We cannot opt-out of History: the past a compulsory part of our shared knowledge and culture, forming our national identity. To continue down the road of its slow eradication in schools is to risk losing this common identity for future generations.
I am proud of this country and of the liberties we enjoy. I am proud that we give a safe haven to those fleeing persecution. I am also proud that Britain is seen as a beacon of freedom and opportunity and that so many people would wish to pursue their lives here.
One week later, as we enter the hangover phase of the euro veto crisis, clouds of paradox hang thick in the air. The last week has thrown up contortions, contradictions and ambiguities which have left heads spinning on all sides. Here are nine paradoxes to emerge from the chain of events.
Warning bells should be sounding in Westminster in the run up to Christmas. While the government gears up for the recess and festive celebrations, hard-pressed families across the UK are wondering how they are going to put a turkey on the table this year. What a seriously bleak midwinter for the 2.64million now unemployed and the millions of low paid workers, suffering from pay freezes in the face of high inflation.
A £3m grant that loses us £5.4m is not a good deal, how could it be? Accepting it would be agreeing to more Tory cuts, and acquiescing to the cynical politics of the coalition government. As a Green, I resist.
The Cabinet Office have published their draft bill, supposedly to allow the public to recall their MPs when they've done something wrong.
I'm absolutely delighted to welcome the Huffington Post's new culture section, which will be a fantastic space to talk about the UK's amazing arts scene. And amazing it is. Even in difficult economic times the arts in this country continue to inspire and startle.
We urgently need a post-mortem inquiry into what on earth went wrong in Brussels this past weekend. At the very least a departmental select committee needs to ask some very searching questions.
We've heard a lot about the Government's headline-grabbing benefits cap, which threatens to plunge 50,000 larger families into poverty. But a separate and lesser known plan to punish social tenants for 'under-occupying' their homes is just as unfair and will hit more than 10 times that number of low-income people. This bedroom tax will have disastrous implications for a huge number of people already struggling to make ends meet in this tough economic climate, including grandparents, disabled people and smaller families.
We've heard a lot about the Government's headline-grabbing benefits cap, which threatens to plunge 50,000 larger families into poverty. But a separate and lesser known plan to punish social tenants for 'under-occupying' their homes is just as unfair and will hit more than 10 times that number of low-income people. This bedroom tax will have disastrous implications for a huge number of people already struggling to make ends meet in this tough economic climate, including grandparents, disabled people and smaller families.
