16.4 C
London
Wednesday, May 1, 2024

TAG

Comment

A criminal record must not be a life sentence

Should you have to pay the price for crime your whole life? Twenty years ago a friend’s daughter- then just 16 years old- was caught up in a group fight outside her school. The police arrested them all and she was convicted of “violent disorder”. Now the daughter promotes sport in schools and that old…

Prison leavers deserve a real chance to get into work

The current labour shortages across the UK have made headlines and left businesses crying out for staff. From joining bonuses to bids to engage untapped ‘talent pools’, the crisis has forced the hand of employers who are now viewing inclusive hiring in a new light.  One such source of labour is people leaving prison. As…

Nationalising GPs is not the solution to an overwhelmed NHS

Speculation has recently arisen over the “nationalisation of general practice” after a letter leaked to the Times stated that health secretary Sajid Javid is planning “an independent review of the future of primary care”, to look at “workforce, business models and how GPs work with the other parts of the NHS such as hospitals”. GPs…

I’m no apologist for Putin, but…

NATO needs to urgently review its red lines and consider again whether to at least pause its expansion eastwards – and give Russia assurances to that effect I’m no apologist for Russian president Vladimir Putin, nor for Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its attempts to destabilise Ukraine – and the western alliance of democratic countries…

Colston Four: The Justice System at its Best

The acquittal of the Colston Four shows the justice system at its best – protecting citizens from the oppressive use of the law. It’s almost impossible to find a genuinely informative take on the acquittal of the Colston Four, so mired is the case in the politics of culture war. I’m not convinced that my…

Change is happening for animals – and 2022 will be a landmark year

Before PETA was founded in a basement flat some four decades ago, the idea that animals exist for their own sake – not for us to do with as we please – was novel, even radical. How times have changed! And while change for animals never comes quickly enough, make no mistake, society is evolving, waking up to the fact…

We need a decade of ‘Ocean Activism’ to revive the UK’s blue spaces

As water makes its course from mountains to the sea, through what should be the cleanblue capillaries, veins and arteries of our nation, it is exposed to a plethora of pollutants, from agriculture, manufacturing, urban environments, water companies, the medical industry and much more. Runoff pours from fields, taking antibiotics, fertilizers and pesticides into precious…

Time to tackle the domestic abuse of animals at Christmas

For most of us, Christmas is a time to take a much-needed break from the stresses and demands of everyday life, as we leave thoughts of work behind and enjoy the warmth of home and family. As I look forward to some precious time relaxing at home and my second Christmas with whippet-saluki cross and…

Why we need an amnesty for undocumented migrants

For International Migrants’ Day, the Green Party’s Migration and Refugee Spokesperson Benali Hamdache sets out the case for an amnesty for undocumented migrants in the UK. Earlier this month, Ireland announced an amnesty for all undocumented migrants in the country. Up to 17,000 people, including 3,000 children, who have made their homes in Ireland yet…

New ‘Drug strategy’ simply re-entrenches the criminalisation approach

This week, the Government revealed its long-awaited ten year drug strategy, which seeks to cut crime and save lives. Whilst I welcome the boost in funding for drug treatment, the strategy largely appears to be a doubling down of a failed ‘war on drugs’ strategy that has only resulted in record-levels of drug deaths and…

Latest news