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Posted in Government, Human Rights, Politics on Sep 1st, 2009
According to Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls, social workers ‘change lives’. Despite that attraction, and despite an appeal from many ‘famous’ people (Samantha Morton, Michelle Ryan, Sadie Frost, Goldie) adding their names to a UK campaign to recruit more social workers, I won’t be changing career myself (even if that were practically possible) or encouraging others to think [...]
Posted in Government, Humanity, Law, Politics, Terrorism on Aug 21st, 2009
There are strong reasons in favour of releasing Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the former Libyan intelligence officer convicted of killing 270 people when Pan AM Flight 103 exploded over the skies of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988. However, to my mind, there are more compelling reasons for keeping him in prison.
The two strongest arguments for releasing him have [...]
Posted in Government, Human Rights, Law, Morality, Politics, Religion on Mar 27th, 2009
I think I am living in the UK in the twenty first century. I think I am. Sometimes things just seem so absurd that I question my reality. Some things you just couldn’t make up.
Just bear with me. Suppose there were laws about pigs - laws set up to protect the rights of pigs [...]
Posted in Government, Health, Human Rights, Humanity, Law, Mortality, Politics, Religion, Society on Oct 30th, 2008
If she were a horse and not a human being, someone would show compassion. However, because Debbie Purdy is a human being, she is being made to suffer unnecessarily. A minority of people (largely informed by religious belief) are imposing their views on the majority in preventing a change in UK law. But the case [...]
Posted in Human Rights, Politics, Religion, Society on Oct 27th, 2008
I have just set up a new Facebook Group to register support for the separation of Church and State in the UK. The group’s position is as follows:
People are free to believe whatever they want (however strange).
The state should no longer be involved in formally supporting any particular religion.
Religious people should not have access to [...]
Posted in Government, Human Rights, Morality, Politics, Religion on Sep 25th, 2008
There is a report by Patrick Wintour in today’s Guardian that there are signs that the British Government may, at long last, be ready to tackle the endemic sexism and religious discrimination in the British Constitution. The bar may finally be lifted. Downing Street has drawn up plans to end the 300-year-old exclusion of Roman [...]
Posted in Government, Humanity, Politics, Religion on Sep 6th, 2008
I know I should care more, but it is hard when you live so far away. I know that the blogosphere is bursting with activity about the forthcoming election in America, but I am finding it hard to engage, just wishing it could all soon be over. I live in the UK. America is not [...]
Posted in Censorship, Human Rights, Law, Politics, Religion on Mar 16th, 2008
It took an arcane debate to the hasten the end of an arcane law, but that is what happened in the House of Lords on Wednesday 5 March when an amendment to repeal the UK blasphemy law was finally passed (148 votes to 87). The Christian tenets of the Church of England will no [...]
Posted in Government, Law, Politics, Religion on Feb 28th, 2008
I have written before about how churches sometimes want to use tax laws to their unreasonable advantage, and how in Italy at least, this is costing the state millions.
A recent case has occurred in America, where one rich Televangelist is being asked by the state to account for his expenditure. Instead of opening the [...]
Posted in Government, Internet, Politics, Technology, Uncategorized on Jan 24th, 2008
Several years ago (at my age, I now find that precise historical details are a bit vague) I was fairly active politically. I was a signed up party member, I stood for election to the local council (failed to get elected), and beat the streets delivering leaflets and knocking on doors. During one [...]
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