There is a pernicious kind of argument which continues to crop up online, and it is the suggestion that there no such thing as real poverty in the UK. Often there’s a comparison with Africa – because poor and starving people in the UK don’t look like the images we see on NSPCC adverts, so therefore [...]

Last week I complained to the BBC about – in particular – BBC Breakfast’s appallingly pro-UKIP coverage (this actually got a bit worse after I sent my complaint, as anyone was watching will testify). I got a response this morning:

I wouldn’t normally bother with a full results analysis, but as the BBC – especially on TV – seems solely dedicated to trumpeting the ‘massive game-changing victory’ of UKIP, and with BBC One very quickly becoming ‘All Farage, All The Time’ I think a more bare-bones summary is needed from someone. Vote Share We have a [...]

I was pissed off enough at what was either sheer incompetence or flagrant bias on BBC Breakfast this morning that I actually bothered to complain to the BBC about it. I don’t really expect it to achieve anything, but here’s my complaint in full: Throughout this morning’s BBC Breakfast attention has been paid to the [...]

It’s International Workers’ Day today (aka Labour Day, aka May Day, aka my birthday), which is a good time to remember the right of the common man to stand together with his comrades and oppose that which is wrong. On 16th August 1819, about 80,000 protesters gathered in Manchester to demand Parliamentary reform – the [...]

As you may be aware, a Labour Party activist (she dressed as a horse in Eastleigh) by the name of Amy Rutland asked a question on Question Time last night. Here’s what she said (Brits can watch it here [36 mins]): UKIP are a really poor excuse for a political party, all they do is focus [...]

Last Saturday (2nd March), the EDL came to Manchester. My city. They’re an abhorrent, racist, fascist organisation. Although they claim the title “English Defence League”, I’m sure we’re all aware by now that they stand solely as an anti-Muslim group. There are some who suggest that we should ignore them and then maybe they’ll go [...]

This may initially look like a straw man argument – after all, it’s fairly obvious that no-one chooses poverty. But people do make choices that lead to poverty, or make their situation worse – and this is often seized upon (particularly by right wing politicians – Edwina Currie is especially notorious for it). So – cutting [...]

Just over four years ago, my mum died following a long illness. That’s the traditional euphemism for cancer, but she was ill with it for seven years so I’m using it even if it’s a bit old fashioned nowadays. This, as you might expect, was pretty fucking difficult for me. It was made even more [...]

So the London Olympics have come to end, not with a bang but with an “Oh god why are the Spice Girls performing?” It’s hard to put into words exactly what was so wrong with the ceremony – well, if you’re trying to do so without using the words ‘shit’, ‘dreary’ and ‘godawful’, at least. [...]