Look Left: Europe, the jobs market and tough justice for police killers
James Bloodworth looks back at the week’s politics, including our progressive, regressive and evidence of the week.
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Don’t feed the troll: The five stupidest Brendan O’Neill articles
To call Brendan O’Neill a professional contrarian would be to elevate him to the status of something he isn’t. Brendan O’Neill is a troll. A professional troll, but a troll nonetheless.
As well as talking tough on police killers, Theresa May should look at police brutality
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.
Unemployment up 15,000 to 2.52 million
Unemployment rose by 15,000 between January 2013 and March 2013 to 2.52 million, with the unemployment rate rising to 7.8 per cent, today’s labour market statistics reveal.
Right-wing think tank admits stamp price rise and Post Office closures after Royal Mail privatisation
Right-wing think tank Bow Group has admitted that the privatisation of the Royal Mail would see the price of stamps rise and leave a “poisonous legacy” for the Tory party.
Stephanie Bottrill: The treasury ‘does not comment on individual cases’ (except when it can use them to demonise the welfare state)
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”.
Boris Johnson: wrong on ‘sloth’, right about management
It’s interesting that, in his column for today’s Telegraph, Boris Johnson has cited the German economy as the measuring stick against which Britain should compare itself.
Did lobbying scupper plain cigarette packaging?
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.
Queen’s Speech amendment ‘venal act of self indulgence’, says former Tory MP
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.