A federal UK: some more answers
A first batch of suggested answers to some of the objections and problems raised in comments on my earlier proposals for a fully fledged federation of the United kingdom’s four nations [More >>>]
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A new selection of howlers
Some more vicious assaults on the English language, committed in the print media and by Mr Blair … [More >>>]
Blair’s reply on unitary versus federal UK
Tony Blair replies to Stephen Fry’s question whether after devolution and in view of the W Lothian question, a unitary UK is sustainable [More >>>]
West Lothian, a Scot for PM and other problems: the obvious answer
There’s an obvious and ultimately inevitable answer to all the current constitutional anomalies and disputes arising from devolution. My letter in today’s Independent shows how a fully-fledged federal system would solve so many problems and cure the British disease of over-centralisation [More >>>]
Kosovo, curtain-raiser for Iraq, still in search of a solution
The search for a solution to the future status of Kosovo is coming to a head. The problem was exacerbated by the 1999 NATO attack on Serbia, which (like that on Iraq, for which it was the curtain-raiser) was illegal, unnecessary and unsuccessful [More >>>]
More on Jade Goody: who’s the bully now?
Jade’s initial resilience in the face of disaster seems to have been crushed out of her by the weight of the righteous condemnation dumped on her from all quarters, including the tabloids that once profited from flaunting her celebrity. Impossible not to feel compassion [More >>>]
Big Brother: Jade and Baz and all that jazz
Jade, ejected on an 82% public vote for her bullying and racism, is nevertheless more victim than villain. More interesting is Pater Bazalgette, chairman of the company responsible for Big Brother, and a sophisticated exponent of the programme’s interesting if unattractive role in society [More >>>]
Damning a dancer for her politics
The campaign to pressurise the English National Ballet into sacking one of its principal dancers because she belongs to the BNP is an assault on the principle of freedom of speech and opinion and reflects a noxious streak of self-righteous authoritarianism in the anti-racism industry [More >>>]
Saddam’s end, part 2: the weasel comments
Few politicians commenting on Saddam’s hanging have dared to condemn the ‘execution’ itself, instead sheltering behind an easy denunciation of the manner in which it was performed or, even more cowardly, its unauthorised filming and publication, which in fact performed a valuable service. Only Gordon Brown among UK ministers has so far implicitly denounced the hanging itself [More >>>]
Saddam’s end: yes, it was an atrocity
Ten justifications for describing the killing of Saddam Hussein as “an atrocity” [More >>>]