- “Mark Carney accused of plagiarism in Oxford thesis” – Mark Carney has been accused of plagiarising his University of Oxford thesis, reports the Telegraph.
- “A quarter of Britons now disabled” – Two million more people than before the pandemic say they struggle to function because of poor mental health as a quarter of Britons now identify as disabled in an official survey, reports the Times.
- “Labour capital gains tax raid blows £23 billion hole in public purse” – The Chancellor’s decision to raise capital gains tax will leave a £23 billion hole in the public purse, the budget watchdog has warned, after the measure dramatically backfired by pushing investors to sell up, reports the Telegraph.
- “Rayner’s workers’ rights Bill set to be watered down” – Angela Rayner’s flagship workers’ rights package is set to be watered down over concerns that it will hinder economic growth after a backlash from businesses, the Telegraph reports.
- “One of Britain’s richest men prepares to quit UK after Reeves’s non-dom raid” – Lakshmi Mittal may leave the country in a blow to the Government’s attempt to attract investment, reports the Telegraph.
- “Why Prevent’s boss had to go” – The head of the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, Michael Stewart, is to carry the can for failures exposed by the Southport attack, says Jawad Iqbal in the Spectator.
- “Labour launches Net Zero crackdown on boats” – Maritime bosses have warned that “nonsensical” green measures could sink the British fishing industry overnight, according to the Telegraph.
- “Harry Redknapp should not be cancelled for anti-German joke” – Jim White defends ex-Spurs manager Harry Redknapp after he called England Head Coach Thomas Tuchel “A German spy… sent over to f— us up” in leaked video, reports the Telegraph.
- “How the age of emotion gave us the mental-health crisis” – Our therapeutic, feelings-obsessed culture has made us more miserable, anxious and helpless than ever, says Patrick West in Spiked.
- “Why Gazans are rising up against Hamas” – The Islamist terror group is the enemy of the Palestinians, says Kunwar Khuldune Shahid in Spiked.
- “This isn’t a ‘young men’ problem. This is a class problem” – The ‘crisis’ among men and boys is another symptom of the elite’s neglect of the working class, says Tom Slater in Spiked.
- “Abu Dhabi fund digs in on Telegraph price a year after pledge to sell” –The Abu Dhabi fund marketing the Telegraph has signalled it is “not willing to entertain” offers lower than its asking price, despite having promised to sell almost a year ago, according to the Telegraph.
- “Kathleen Stock case shows the rising bill for denying sex is real” – Janice Turner praises Kathleen Stock in the Times.
- “Another kick in the teeth for the North East of England” – Whilst desperately needed infrastructure projects are cancelled in the North East, the South gets a new £9 billion Thames crossing, complains C.J. Strachan on Substack.
- “School counsellor sacked after telling girls ‘make your husband your king’” – A tribunal has rejected an appeal against dismissal by Gozen Soydag, who said it was “God’s design” that “wives are to submit to their husbands”, the Telegraph reports.
- “Safeguarding courses for flower arrangers? The Church of England is heading for oblivion” – Are you a charitable parishioner offering to help your church and community? Thou shalt first log on to the online learning portal and undertake safeguarding training, says William Sitwell in the Telegraph.
- “Police arrest parents who complained in school WhatsApp group” – A young girl’s parents were detained in front of their daughter and kept in a cell for eight hours over their WhatsApp messages and complaint emails sent to the school, reports the Times.
- “The Vanishing Mother – thoughts before Mother’s Day” – It feels like some would like us to reimagine a world in which motherhood is optional, commercialised and, in some cases, an inconvenience to be circumvented, says Laura Dodsworth on the Free Mind.
- “Youth (non-Covid) deaths exploded post lock-downs” – Many of us thought this would happen and the CDC’s own data seem to confirm it did, says Bill Rice Jr on Substack.
- “Inside the Right-wing anti-Semitism summit causing turmoil in the Jewish world” – Jordan Bardella’s appearance at a conservative conference in Jerusalem has triggered outrage and boycotts from the Left, reports the Telegraph.
- “Xi’s Message in Rare Meeting With Global CEOs: Defend Trade” – Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged foreign business executives to defend trade and said globalisation was unstoppable, drawing an implicit contrast between Beijing’s policies and President Trump’s tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- “A proud day for the Free Speech Union! (and the Daily Sceptic!)” – Free Speech Union founder and General Secretary, and our very own Lord Young of Acton, delivers his maiden speech in the House of Lords – in case you missed it as yesterday’s edition had a broken link.
- “Smashing the gangs” – Sir Keir Starmer shows his true feelings about the small boats, courtesy of AI and X.
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“Mark Carney has been accused of plagiarising his University of Oxford thesis”
Surely a socialist would not cheat?
What does reality matter, if you dont spend any time there..?
True to form for an arch state-sponsored plagiariser of money by quantitative easing.
Globalisation must be reined back.
,
Friday Morning Reading Rd, Great Binfields Road,
Chineham, Basingstoke RG24 8ZF
I seriously doubt that a quarter of Brits see themselves as “disabled”. I expect the survey as usual asked leading questions. We’re all disabled compared to God. It’s not a binary thing – we’re all on a spectrum from mildly hampered or sub-optimal in one small area to hugely hampered in multiple areas. Tricky to come up with a definition that doesn’t have a bunch of grey areas in the middle. But I think it’s reasonable to assume more people than ever think of themselves as disabled. That doesn’t seem like a good thing to focus on, for a person. I am hugely frustrated by my shortcomings. It’s dangerous to let that dominate your thinking.
tof, disabled in today’s terms could amount to a diagnosis of depression which in turn could lead to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which used to be known as DLA or Disability Living Allowance, or anxiety or a little bit of ADHD. Once the benefits are in payment Disablement is confirmed. Win, Win.
People don’t know the half of it.
Seems like it has gone much too far
‘The BBC and the independent outlet Mediazona have identified the names of 100,001 Russian soldiers who have been killed during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since the media outlets’ last update in mid-March, the names of 2,007 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties. The most recent update marks a grim milestone for the project, which first began with the start of the full-scale war in February 2022.
The journalists note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities. The media outlets publicly released the full list of named casualties for the first time last month.’
‘There is a certain tendency of exhaustion of the Russians……..the Russians have really begun to experience a certain physical, moral, and materiel exhaustion. It exists, it’s noticeable.’
‘Ukrainians are definitely exceeding their plan to produce 1 million drones per year’
https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1905702472544641271/photo/2
March 19: 10,000th Russian tank destroyed in combat.
Independent observers like the Oryx Group, mostly using photographic evidence, say they can confirm about 3,800 of the Ukrainian claims, and that the actual figure could be much more.
Eyewitness accounts tell of a Russian shift in tactics that, instead of tanks, now prefers light armoured vehicles or even civilian automobiles or motorcycles to heavy armour for an assault.
The availability of Russia’s mainstay T-72 tank model appeared to be plummeting. “Russian tank losses, as a percentage of total losses, are showing an unusual pattern, with T-80s now accounting for two-thirds of this month’s losses. However, total tank losses have been down for a few months, so perhaps the bigger question is where the T-72s are?”
‘Rybar, a Russian military blog with 1.3 million subscribers, said there had been heavy clashes in a settlement called Popovka…..Ukrainian forces have advanced three to four kilometres into Russia’s Belgorod region, engaging in battles with Russian troops, according to Russian military bloggers……..Ukrainian troops had penetrated Russia’s first line of defence.’
And the Russian MoD site states that 10,780 Ukrainian troops lost their lives this past week alone (22nd to 28th March 2025), and 22,554 Ukrainian tanks have been destroyed since the beginning of the SMO.
And what for? So that a corrupt, neo-Nazi state can join NATO? And you promote this pure insanity on a daily basis?
Not all the Ukrainian tanks have been destroyed. Recently many have been recovered intact having been abandoned because it is safer to retreat on foot under the cover of trees or at night, especially in the former Kursk incursion area. Undamaged examples of US Abrams are amongst the “trophies”.
It is unlikely that Ukraine will ever meet the NATO membership requirements, particularly: ‘To pursue the peaceful settlement of territorial and ethnic disputes, have good relations with their neighbours…..’
‘Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Putin has touted the line that Russia is threatened by NATO.
He has routinely justified invading Ukraine to rid Russia of this threat, which he claims is a danger to Russia’s territorial integrity.
Putin is trying super, super hard, even desperately, to convince the Russians that there is an external existential threat from NATO.’
In reality, it is Putin’s aggression has encouraged countries that border Russia to join NATO. He is the author of his own misfortune. No tanks left, running out of willing soldiers, economy imploding….and it is only going to get worse from here.
The carpets in the Kremlin can’t take much more punishment…..
Sadly Mediazona is no longer the trusted source that you claim since their methodology in estimating losses has changed sometime in the last couple of years. However even using their figures, given the 10:1 difference between the two sides that puts Ukrainian losses at 1M.
The masses of photos on-line showing new Ukrainian cemetaries with graves stretching to the horizon would tend to support this awful figure. But I am sure Zelensky’s pride is worth this sacrifice.
It is also worth noting that these “heavy clashes” are not the massed attacks of previous wars but are mainly skirmishes by at the most dozens of men, but often just a few, the whole thing mediated by drone activity from both sides. The advances you note are often a dash up a road with a single vehicle which fires a few shots and then rushes back if it isn’t disabled in the process.
It’s not their enemy that Russian soldiers have to worry about:
’18-yr-old Russian soldier’s last video to his mom. He gathered cash for commanders so they wouldn’t send his friends on assault. Ended up there himself—his own squad offed him on orders.’
https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1905929582022189377?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
I have zero confidence in the veracity of your ‘Estonian blogger’, who specializes in producing increasingly outrageous reports, somewhat akin to yourself, on a daily basis.
‘Russians are filming the reality of the “Russian world” in Bakhmut, “liberated” by Russian terrorists.’
https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1905989336669065624?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
And whose fault is the complete destruction of so many towns and villages? The Russians initially attempted to avoid any destruction of residential districts but the Ukrainian forces – against all the hitherto normal rules of law – intentionally occupied high-rise residential buildings to be able to fire down on the Russians, protected by the latter’s reluctance to fire back. The continual use of civilian residences by the Ukrainian forces, mostly with the original residents locked in the basements, forced the Russians over time to change their strategy.
Once again, this war is to nobody’s benefit but the MIC and a small number of egoists leading USA and some European countries. As always, it is the general public who suffers.
“A quarter of Britons now disabled”
That is the natural consequence of a society that takes the achievements and rewards of the capable and hard working and gives them to the less capable and hard working.
Over time, obviously more and more people are going to think “why the hell bother?”
If you shaved off marks from the best school children and gave them to the worst, what do you think will happen? Same. Less good students and more students that don’t achieve (basically, can’t be bothered).
That’s what socialism fosters. Over the short run, people can have solidarity towards others. In the long run, it becomes a piss take.
Indeed. I also think there is a more general problem caused by some combination of ever increasing prosperity, specialisation, automation, firms becoming larger. There is a disconnect between work and the results of work. When humans started, they had to move to survive. As time goes on, it’s easier and easier to do less, to do nothing. The effort required to meet basic needs is reduced through automation, efficiency, ingenuity, the legacy of infrastructure, buildings and machines we have. Even working for a private firm, you can slack and maybe nothing much happens. People can shoplift but the shops are big enough to absorb it. It’s no coincidence IMO that the people I speak to that have the keenest understanding of basic economics are not “educated” people but self employed people who don’t get paid if they don’t work.
Certainly we have reached a stage of development that makes it possible for a highly productive few to sustain an unproductive many in relative comfort.
The problem I see is that getting rewarded for being unproductive is psychologically detrimental. And it turns the unproductive into an obnoxious, entitled, demanding mob anxious and restless that the game might be up at any time.
The productive few are now so intimidated by the mob that they’ve even convinced themselves that it’s fair for the mob to leech of them. They’ve bought into the guilt trip and have settled into an abusive relationship which like every abusive relationship consists of constantly appeasing the abuser.
I think it’s tremendously detrimental
Another kick in the teeth for the North East of England
Starmer and Reeves are molluscs, whelks.
Who is actually running the whelk stall?
‘Philip Rycroft used to be permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, while Jonathan Slater used to be chief at the Department of Education. They each painted a picture of a system they claimed to be dysfunctional despite the best efforts of very capable staff.
A system arrogant about its pedigree, pompous in its outlook, homogenous in its make up. Too many people within it, Jonathan Slater argues, have “never done anything else
So this happens:
‘as Miliband’s Net Zero Policies bite. Commercial energy prices are now double those of France and Germany and four times those of the USA – don’t even bother comparing China, Russia and India…..I am all for people working rather than taking benefits, but there is work and there is work. The only way to fix this problem is to encourage investment by creating the infrastructure and conditions for business to thrive. This means decent public transport, it means cheap energy, it means low taxes and less red tape.’
Dump nut zero.
Systemic reform is required. This probably isn’t it:
‘Ministers have developed a blueprint to rewire the civil service…..Starmer’s letter to civil servants was co-signed by cabinet secretary and head of the civil service Sir Chris Wormald, who Starmer tasked with overseeing “nothing less than a complete rewiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform.”
Has anyone thought this through?……One immediate problem…….Turkeys…….Christmas……or not really……….
“Labour capital gains tax raid blows £23 billion hole in public purse”
A-ha..! The black hole.! I knew we’d find it if we waited long enough…
“Labour launches Net Zero crackdown on boats”
And the RNLI will be too busy on other engagements to rescue those in peril on the sea in boats powered by flat batteries.
Takes me back decades to that toy boat we had to abandon in the middle of that rather large pond we should never have set sail on in the first place.
“Another kick in the teeth for the North East of England” – Whilst desperately needed infrastructure projects are cancelled in the North East, the South gets a new £9 billion Thames crossing…
…As commenter points out:
“Just remember the Norwegians recently built a complete tunnel for less money than the UK government paid for the ecological reports for the new Thames tunnel.”
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged foreign business executives to defend trade and said globalisation was unstoppable, drawing an implicit contrast between Beijing’s policies and President Trump’s tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.”
Wow. I suppose the Wall Street Journal supports China’s complaints about Trump’s 25% tariff on import of Chinese-made cars. After all, China “only” imposes a tariff of – er – 25% on imports of cars.
I wonder if the Wall Street Journal article mentioned this inconvenient truth.
“Why Prevent’s boss had to go”
To protect Starmer of course!
“It’s going to take some persuasion for companies to build port infrastructure for what is a relatively small number of vessels … I think we need to transition, but it’s not going to be easy”.
Stop capitulating Mr Percy, stick up for your fishermen! Tell them they’ll have to come and rip out the diesel engines themselves if they want to enforce this crap, and no, you don’t need to transition! There are enough lives lost at sea at present without switching to pathetic boxes of chemicals as well
“A quarter of Britons now disabled”
Headline should read:
“A quarter of Britons are claiming disability to be QUIDS IN, getting £hundreds of pounds extra monthly benefit money for things like “feeling anxious”, or spoiling your child rotten, and never having the JobCentre pressuring you to look for a job.”
It’s all the Globalist plan to tempt and weaken the West into sloth, apathy, & infantilism.
The only ones who deserve disability payments are those with actual physical disability, not mental health fakery.
“School counsellor sacked after telling girls ‘make your husband your king’”
Says the Muslim Turkish Cypriot woman, inflicting her cultural attitudes upon the West, while claiming to be a Christian convert. It’s good for wives to respect their husbands and treat them well, but if you overdo it, the lads soon take advantage and start bullying.
Women are the same, turning into screaming tyrants if their men spoil them too much, and acquiesce to their every demand. It’s hard to strike the right balance, but it would help if people remembered that the whole reason for being married or partners is to make each other happy. Isn’t it? And if you don’t make each other happy, you shouldn’t be together.