Brussels attacks: Europe must show iron-strong resolve in the face of terrorism March 23, 2016 Crowds run for safety, though they can’t be sure where to find it. Survivors emerge, shocked and injured. An aftermath unfolds: emergency vehicles, the wounded treated on the streets, a confused public marshalled by frantic officials. It seems we witness these scenes – these hallmarks of horror – with increasing regularity. Yesterday morning, Brussels became [...]
Cadbury has Creme Egg over its face after recipe change March 23, 2016 When a favourite treat has a “new, improved recipe” there is always a tendency to believe that the manufacturer has simply found a way of making it more cheaply. As a result, consumers often get turned off. With Easter approaching, it’s time to see how this syndrome has affected one of the nation’s most-loved treats [...]
George Osborne delivered a Budget that backs Britain’s Millennials March 23, 2016 They're nearly 14m strong and the largest cohort in our workforce. From the factory floor to the trading floor, the Millennial generation or “Generation Y” – those born between 1980 and 2000 – are at the heart of Britain’s economic success story. Among their ranks are Britain’s growing number of apprentices, young professionals, first-time buyers, [...]
Brussels attacks: This pathetic death cult will only win if we lose our nerve in the face of terror March 23, 2016 “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee/ Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those that thou thinks’t thou dost overthrow/ Die not, poor Death, nor yet cans't thou kill me” – John Donne, Holy Sonnets The sickening regularity of radical Islam’s attack on Western culture struck with its almost metronomic rhythm [...]
The economic case against Brexit is stacking up fast: A vote to leave is a vote for a less prosperous Britain March 23, 2016 This week, the CBI warned that leaving the EU would cause a serious shock to the UK economy. That’s after an independent PwC study found that, by 2020, the cost of Brexit to UK GDP could be as much as £100bn with nearly 1m jobs lost. That would prove a real blow to living standards – [...]
Technology is increasing inequality – and it’s nothing to do with artificial intelligence or robots March 23, 2016 Inequality is one of the major political topics of our times. Rather like a Shakespearean tragedy, the current splits in the high command of the Conservative Party have many themes. But an important one, and the ostensible reason for Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation, is the treatment of the working poor, a concept which until fairly recently [...]
As Ed Miliband weighs in, will his criticism of Leavers as wanting a “free market” Britain do more harm than good for Remain? March 23, 2016 Diego Zuluaga, who works for the Institute of Economic Affairs and European think tank EpiCenter, says Yes. The EU has done the most good when it has promoted open markets and free trade between countries. Europeans are much better off today thanks to the ability to move capital freely, the opportunity for talented individuals to [...]
Brussels cats are back: But why do we turn to internet cat memes like Grumpy Cat, Lolcats and #BrusselsLockdown in a time of crisis? March 22, 2016 Laughing at cats on the internet is nothing new. But using them as a tool to laugh in times of crisis could well be. Belgian authorities asked locals to avoid posting about police raids via social media for fear that information could aid terrorists, last year. People complied to this potentially aggravating censorship in an unconventional way. From hovercraft felines [...]
While Jeremy Corbyn may have failed to land any punches yesterday, George Osborne can’t bank on get out of jail free cards March 22, 2016 You know the feeling – the visceral unease as you drag yourself into work, gazing at a sea of fellow commuters, dreading some impending confrontation in the office. A showdown with your boss, colleagues, maybe a client. You gulp, take a deep breath, and front up. And then when the fireworks are set to explode… [...]
Osborne isn’t pillaging the poor to help the rich – but IDS is right to attack protection of pensioner benefits March 22, 2016 It's all about fairness, that slippery, subjective term which dominates so much of our political discourse. Following his resignation from the Cabinet on Friday, Iain Duncan Smith spent much of the weekend claiming it was unfair that the government had intended to cut disability benefits in a Budget in which taxes on higher-earning households were being [...]