Paddy Duffy

Writer and broadcaster

"I have lived in important places, times when great events were decided", claimed the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh. Some weeks, I get exactly what he means. This was not such a week.

Michelle Holmes

creative, writer, yogi and music lover

In addition to a need for education around mental health there also needs to be a level of care administrated by the police. Arresting and restraining people comes with responsibility, and death should not be an outcome.

David Burrowes MP

Member of Parliament for Enfield, Southgate

I said in the Commons yesterday that the Home Secretary had saved my constituent's life. Some MPs, such as the former Home Secretary Alan Johnson reacted with incredulity. It was of course Alan Johnson who in 2009 refused to step in and stop Gary's extradition when medical evidence made clear that he would take his own life.

Kirsty Higginson

Freelance journalist

Rape. It is such a harsh word - and one of which I feel is used far to frequently within day to day life, from anyone messing around using it as a joke, to the social networking terminology 'frape'.

Jim Murphy MP and Chuka Umunna

Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

The failure of the merger between BAE and EADS was inevitable once political differences came to the fore. The UK government has done the right thing in sticking to red lines, but ministers now have a challenge to deliver the active defence industrial strategy which is needed more than ever before.

Rima Amin

Freelance journalist

Art throughout history has proven itself to be thought-provoking and beautiful but how far can we go in trusting and ingesting it as a source of truth?

Ramesh Patel

Economist, worked in media and the financial sector

Its quite hilarious how George Osborne passes off proverbs and idioms as economic fact. What is more surprising is his use of childish tricks to mislead the country. Now either George Osborne really thinks idioms and proverbs is the basis of economic theory and fact or he is pulling a fast one to justify policies. Common sense tells us all it's the latter.

Rob Spedding

Editor of Cycling Plus

Forget his alleged repeated use of the F-word or his supposed refering to a police officer as a pleb, what really seems to have annoyed commentators from both sides of the British political spectrum is that the right honourable member for Sutton Coldfield rides a bicycle.

David Skelton

Deputy Director and Head of Research at Policy Exchange

Is Blair ready to 'do a Clinton' and make an 'elder statesman' return to domestic politics? Of course, Clinton didn't fight a hugely unpopular war which, rightly or wrongly, has affected Blair's reputation. Equally, two of Clinton's biggest successes could be regarded as two of Blair's biggest failures. Clinton balanced the budget, whereas New Labour eventually lost their fiscal prudence.

Dr Raj Persaud and Dr Peter Bruggen

Consultant Psychiatrist and Emeritus Visiting Gresham Professor for Public Understanding of Psychiatry

Megan Stammers, the school girl who ran away with her married maths teacher, appears unusual, hence all the headlines, but in fact running away from home could be a lot more common than realised.

Dr Kate Hudson

General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

There can be little doubt that Britain's nuclear weapons will be a hot topic in the next general election campaign. With a decision on whether or not to replace Trident previously expected in this parliament, one of the coalition government's early decisions was to push this controversial choice back to 2016.

Ramesh Patel

Economist, worked in media and the financial sector

As an economist, an advocate of free market economics, a Conservative and a patriot I have been shocked and appalled by the unpatriotic and treacherous strategy pursued by this Conservative Party.

Jane Fae

Feminist and writer on issues of political and sexual liberty

So do I blame the CPS for this list release? Not especially: unless overwhelming evidence to the contrary appears, I'll happily accept it was an error. But still, it was an error made by an organisation whose respect for individuals seems to be waning and whose humanity score, of late has been dipping dangerously low.

Andrew Flanagan

A survey of social workers published in Community Care today, in partnership with the NSPCC, reveals that just one in 10 were confident that children suffering neglect were being properly protected.

Sheila Hageman

Author and mom of three

As a former topless model, I feel I have a certain perspective on the Sun's page 3 topless women issue. When I was 18, I used nude modeling as a way to earn money to support my acting career. Was I thrilled and empowered by my job? Some days and jobs, yes, but the majority of my time was spent consumed by inner conflict about my choice.

Neil Wallis

Media commentator, former tabloid editor - was under arrest as part of Operation Weeting but now cleared

They're the sort of people who would never dream of reading the Sun in the first place, and have no real idea of the people that actually do. Well, the Sun is a largely working-class newspaper that approximately THREE MILLION women choose to read every day.