Secret Teacher – The big money rarely reaches the useful areas

Money is a funny thing in education. Much like the emergency services, the big money rarely reaches the most useful areas. The government has now had the wizard idea of making raising standards even harder by slashing school budgets; since the largest chunk of any school’s budget is staffing, this means it’ll be the staffers who feel the pinch – by which, of course, we don’t mean senior management, as they look after themselves very nicely, thank-you. Some support staff...

Copeland is May’s Basildon Man

In the early days of Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Prime Minister a sociological phenomenon dubbed the "Basildon man" came into existence to describe the archetypal Thatcher supporter that had previously been expected to vote Labour. The Basildon Man was at the heart of her political machine, denoting aspirational voters who eschewed notions of working class solidarity in favour of personal self-promotion. Last week history repeated itself in Copeland - where voters looked less towards togetherness and more towards hope. If the...

Gerald Kaufman In His Own Hard Hitting Quotes

Honouring Sir Gerald Kaufman MP who has died aged 86, many tributes today mention the pugnacity as well as intellectual might, influence, length of career, kindness and concern for those most marginalised by society of the outspoken former frontbencher. The controversial Labour was unafraid to tell truth to power even if that occasionally meant embarrassing powerful officials who came before the committees he served in, figures in his own party, or sometimes fellow members of Britain's Jewish community with whom he...

Demands for MPs to pass bill protecting women against sexual and domestic violence

By Jacqui Hunt, Europe Office Director at Equality Now On average two women a week in England and Wales die at the hand of their current or former male partner, and around 85,000 women are raped every year, according to Home Office and Office of National Statistics data. This Friday, the UK government has the opportunity to lead the way on protecting women and girls’ against violence - both in the UK and on the global stage – by voting to...

Who would win in a second referendum?

Trust UKIP to get us out of the EU, Labour wants to keep you in, a poster reads on the streets of Stoke on Trent in preparation for today's crucial by-election. Despite UKIP been entangled in a Paul Nuttall fiasco and Labour imposing a  three-line whip on their MPs to vote in favour of the Brexit bill it's clear the issue at the heart of the Brexit capital remains Europe and Britain's exit thereof. If buyers regret seems prevalent in...

We British are generous when it comes to giving to charity; something that we should rightly celebrate

By William Makower, Founder Trustee of The National Funding Scheme We British are generous when it comes to giving to charity; something that we should rightly celebrate. In fact a recent report ranks the UK as 1st in Europe and 7th in the world. Supporting this effort are a number of public bodies and organisations that promote effective giving. The Office of Civil Society is the Government department tasked with encouraging giving and volunteering whilst Charities Aid Foundation (founded by the...

Charity helping homeless people to take steps to independent living

By Keith Fernett, Chief Executive of Caritas Anchor House Homelessness and social action charity Caritas Anchor House has finished the construction of its 25 move-on flats for previously homeless people. Caritas Anchor House is a residential and life skills centre for single homeless adults, in the London Borough of Newham, which provides a home and support to up to 250 homeless people each year. By providing education, guidance and personal rehabilitation, they work to ensure each individual grows in confidence and...

Charity fundraising in 2017, whatever next?

By John Baguley, the Chair of the International Fundraising Consultancy With fundraisers following bankers onto the naughty step, uncertainty over the effect of Brexit on accessing funds from Europe, and a new draconian fundraising regulatory regime set up to curb aggressive fundraising techniques, 2016 will definitely go down as annus horribilis for the not-for-profit sector. Public confidence in charities was damaged, fundraisers were concerned about income levels dropping off proverbial cliffs, and charity services to the vulnerable were hacked cut....

How the West is funding terrorism

This morning's Metro led with the news that British taxpayers footed a £1 million bill for the Daesh bomber who is suspected to have blown himself up in Iraq. Manchester-born Ronald Fiddler had been freed from Guantanamo in 2004 following a legal case that reportedly ran into the millions. On Sunday he drove an explosives-packed 4x4 at an army Base near Mosul, killing and injuring a number of troops. That it comes as a shock that confinement in a known...

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