Oh, The Rose, The Dead Red Rose by greg hefner

I recently criticised Conservative policy in the run up to the general election but that’s not to say the Labour party is the answer to all our prayers; having been in power for thirteen years, the optimism of the early days has long gone. The red rose of Labour has well and truly wilted… » Continue reading “It ain’t all smelling of roses…”

Victorian era tea by Thiophene_Guy

Well, the manifestos are published and everyone seems to be pushing ‘fairness’ and ‘change’. None more so than the Conservatives and they have unveiled their grand vision of the future: Big Society. This seems to be superficially about empowerment of local people, reducing tax burdens and getting the populous more involved in society and government. Lift the lid, however, and therein lurks the same old Tory party. Change, yes, but not necessarily change for the better… » Continue reading “‘Big Society’ or ‘Back to the Future’…?”

comfort me with apples by monkeyc.net

Amongst all the pre-election political ranting, posturing and point-scoring, an argument from Theresa May stood out today. Yes, social cohesion, the financial problems faced by the country and the so-called war on terror are all big issues but May claimed on Radio 4 that binge drinking and anti-social behaviour can be reduced by targeting what she referred to as high strength ciders. Now, as I’m partial to the occasional glass of appley nectar, typically a fine cider such as Aspall’s, Westons Vintage or one of the Thatchers varieties, all of which clock in at over 7% alcohol, I take issue with this in a big way. » Continue reading “Time for the apple to bite back…”

Put the needle to the record by tricky

Not quite law yet,  but with cross-party support from the three main parties, it looks like the Digital Economy Bill soon will be. Unfortunately, being driven by the small-minded folks in the record and film industries shouting loudly about lost profits (not the Welsh band though), the bill is far from being what creative industries and the public need, rather it looks like being a massive missed opportunity and another example of the law being dragged into disrepute. To quote Mr Bumble, the (proposed) law is an ass. » Continue reading “The law is an ass…”