Author Archives: Guest

Peace makers promote peace, not boycotts

By Guest | Published: May 10, 2013

The international community should disabuse those Palestinians promoting boycotts of the idea that they can avoid these compromises. By failing to take that stand against the boycott campaign, professor Hawking has done nothing for the cause of peace. If anything, by encouraging behaviour that entrenches the conflict, he has set it back.

Posted in Multilateral Foreign Policy | Tagged bds, Boycott, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, stephen hawking, West Bank | 33 Responses

It’s no good drawing a correlation between green policies and rising bills. The figures don’t back it up

By Guest | Published: May 9, 2013

If Labour is to provide the genuine green alternative to the Tory luddites, they must highlight the missed economic opportunity of a low-carbon economy, using the top economic voices in the party. Lower and more stable bills help our companies compete, while low-carbon infrastructure itself is a key growth area in jobs and investment.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged Daily Mail, energy bills, Friends of the Earth, global warming, green energy, the environment | Leave a comment

Blaming the EU is an easy way out. Leaving it would be bad for Britain

By Guest | Published: May 9, 2013

When Europe comes to the fore of politics in Britain, the polls shift in favour of staying, as they did after David Cameron’s speech. When it comes to the crunch, however, the voting public are too clever to turn away from our most valuable relationship.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged David Cameron, EU Referendum, Europe, Nigel Farage, Nigel Lawson, The Times, UKIP | 13 Responses

The measures in the Queen’s Speech won’t solve the government’s immigration problem

By Guest | Published: May 8, 2013

Front and centre in today’s Queen’s Speech was the announcement that the government will be limiting the ability for certain migrants to use the Human Rights Act – and its provision for the right to a private and family life – to avoid deportation.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged EU, Immigration, migration, Queens Speech, the coalition, wages | 3 Responses

UKIP: dumbed down Powellism

By Guest | Published: May 8, 2013

It’s something of a love that dare not speak its name, but Powellism has remained a major subtext on the British right for something like half a century, and the rise of UKIP marks only the latest incarnation of this ongoing infatuation.

Posted in A Britain We All Call Home, Left Foot Forward | Tagged Enoch Powell, Immigration, Racism, UKIP | 3 Responses

Loneliness and isolation are public health issues on a par with smoking

By Guest | Published: May 7, 2013

With all too regular reports of services failing to ensure even the most basic levels of care and safety, some might argue that loneliness is not the most important problem we face. But loneliness and isolation are public health issues with an impact and cost on a par with smoking.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged isolation, loneliness, public health | 1 Response

The Catholic Church should embrace the world we live in, but so far a different tone looks a world away

By Guest | Published: May 7, 2013

The Catholic church was back in the news this weekend with the story of Cardinal O’Brien’s ‘exile’. It’s a story that’s unlikely to go away any time soon. And given that O’Brien remains Britain’s most senior Catholic, it’s one that has wider relevance. It’s been argued that he should be left alone. But we should all be concerned that the complaints made against him are properly investigated and that appropriate action is taken.

Posted in Good Society | Tagged cardinal o’brien, Catholic Church, Catholics, Homosexuality, liberation theology, pope francis, theology | 2 Responses

Is it even possible to get back to growth?

By Guest | Published: May 3, 2013

perhaps there is a form of growth which it is possible to sustain – ‘green growth’ – and if there is, we all need to know what it would look like. And if it’s impossible, we need to know that too.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged economic growth, green growth, sustainable development | 1 Response

CO2 levels are about to hit their highest level in human history

By Guest | Published: May 2, 2013

In the next few days, and for the first time in human history, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will hit 400 parts per million (ppm), a level long seen as critical in measuring the damage done to the earth by man-made pollution.

Posted in Sustainable Economy | Tagged 400 parts per million, co2 levels, George Osborne, Pollution, the coalition, the environment | 6 Responses