Category Archives: Good Society

As well as talking tough on police killers, Theresa May should look at police brutality

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 15, 2013

The home secretary Theresa May announced today that under the Conservatives those convicted of killing a police officer will have their sentences raised to the ‘whole life’ category, usually reserved for the very worst types of murderer.

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Boris Johnson’s agenda for Europe could be a social and environmental disaster for London

By Guest | Published: May 15, 2013

Boris’s free trade agenda for Europe could be a social and environmental disaster for London and the rest of the UK.

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The progressive case for ‘dignity in dying’

By Guest | Published: May 14, 2013

Assisted dying is not just about patient rights at the end of life but about how society as a whole approaches death and dying, and Lord Falconer’s Bill does not champion rampant individualism but rather it challenges paternalism and the imposition of unshared principles. It is a progressive cause of our time, and an issue that will affect us all. It is time for change.

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Stephanie Bottrill: The treasury ‘does not comment on individual cases’ (except when it can use them to demonise the welfare state)

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 14, 2013

Having gained notoriety for his bizarre lifestyle, Michael Philpott caused outrage after he was found to have caused the deaths of six of his children in a fire which he started deliberately.

Memorably, the case was jumped on by the right-wing press as “a vile product of welfare UK”. George Osborne even chipped in, saying it raised important welfare “questions”.

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Bangladesh: Union organisation is key to preventing future tragedies

By Tony Burke | Published: May 14, 2013

Western brands must contribute to freedom of association in the garment industry and stop government and employer resistance to union organisation.

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Ukip’s 18 per cent debunked

By Guest | Published: May 14, 2013

Today YouGov released poll data that UKIP are on 14 per cent – something that wasn’t news to me as this is exactly the same as the calculations I made last week. However the figure looks decidedly dodgy.

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Is democracy on the slide?

By Guest | Published: May 13, 2013

If the public have little or no understanding of the decisions and institutions that govern our lives and we continue to ignore the warning signs, how long before we can no longer say with honesty that we live in a democracy?

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Did lobbying scupper plain cigarette packaging?

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 13, 2013

The government has made two recent U-turns on public health issues. The first is minimum alcohol pricing, plans for which were scrapped in March amid rumours of a rebellion by senior Tories including home secretary Teresa May.

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Queen’s Speech amendment ‘venal act of self indulgence’, says former Tory MP

By James Bloodworth | Published: May 13, 2013

A possible Conservative amendment to the Queen’s Speech condemning it for failing to include a bill advocating a referendum on EU membership would be a “venal act of self indulgence” that could be the beginning of the end of the Conservatives in office, a former Conservative MP has claimed.

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