Tony and Cherie celebrate the Year of the Snake Last night’s Iraq War debate at Goldsmith’s — sponsored by Huffington Post and featuring Claire Short, Owen Jones, Mehdi Hassan and David Aaronovitch among others — asked “Was it worth it””, generating many outraged tweets and some interesting debate. Tweeted quotes include: Mehdi Hassan — “I […]
Iraq war 10 years on: betrayal of a generation’s political beliefs Read More »
It was the 52nd anniversary of George Orwell’s death on 21st January and someone decided to make it George Orwell Day. To mark it, I’m reposting my review (more an essay) of John Newsinger’s book from 1999. George Orwell: a literary Trotskyist? (1999) A review of John Newsinger, Orwell’s Politics (Macmillan Press, 1999), £42.50 By
George Orwell: a literary revolutionary? Read More »
It’s official: the United Kingdom is the most unequal country in the West according to a UN report. The report shows that the poorest 40 per cent of Britons share a lower proportion of the national wealth – 14.6 per cent – than in any other Western country. This is only marginally better than in
UK most unequal country in the West Read More »
My festive season column in NEW INTERNATIONALIST magazine December 2012. Bah, humbug! 2012 was the end of reason Roll up, roll up for the End Of The Enlightenment Show! You there, in the best seats right up front, watch in wonder as the world as you know it comes crashing down, the pillars of civilization
End of the Enlightenment: New Internationalist column Read More »
Had a lovely time tonight at the Occupied Friern Barnet Library. Thanks to Phoenix, Barbara Gordon, Poppy, Angel MC, all the acts and everyone who packed out the place, proving how wonderful a community hub can be. I hadn’t realised that the library is the last public space in Friern Barnet, so the philistine decision
Occupied Friern Barnet Library cabaret: Save the library in court on Monday Read More »
Say hi to the man set to run the biggest superpower in the world (expected around 2015): President Xi Jinping The stand-out thing for me in China’s changeover of power as incoming President Xi Jinping takes his place at the helm, is the move towards privatisation. The neo-liberal economist Zhang Weiying keeps citing the west’s dependence
China’s new leaders: a neo-liberal victory? Read More »
