Iain Macwhirter
general election. hung parliament. electoral reform. liberal democrats. coalition
What goes up… Mobility isn’t very social
I’ve always been just a little suspicious of people who advocate social mobility as a cure for society’s ills, as the answer to inequality. It isn’t. When Nick Clegg said last week that social mobility is “the badge of fairness in society” he is missing the point. The very image of “social mobility” is … Continue reading
CGT – more welfare for the wealthy
Is there any group in society more jealous of its privileges, more militant in defence of its perks, more determined to avoid paying tax than the ‘hard working’ British middle classes? The howls of anguish at the proposal to tax capital gains as income, part of the ConDem coalition agreement, illustrates how difficult it is … Continue reading
A Very Civil Partnership.
It was like a crazy dream, a comic fantasy. Nick and Dave hugging on the doorstep of Number Ten. Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the UK. As the day wore on my fingers were numb from pinching myself. There they stood among the foliage of the Downing St rose garden, joking … Continue reading
The election – what the hell do we do now?
It was a night of electoral chaos and high drama followed by a weekend of profound uncertainty and inconclusive horse-trading. Voters claimed they were disenfranchised and there were threats of legal challenges. As the election night wore on it became clear that no one party was the winner and the Liberal Democrats ended up … Continue reading
