I encourage everyone to watch the Treasury Select Committee tearing into representatives of the private equity groups Permira, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR), 3i and Carlyle Group. I’ll write it up later, but this session was meant to finish at 1615 - a one hour session is now at two hours and fifteen minutes [...]

I will be giving the opening speech at the University of London Cogers this evening at 1900 at The Plough, 27 Museum Street. Map here.
Former speakers include John Wilkes.
More on the Cogers here and here.
xD.

I wrote here that
I’m sure that the FCO and Cabinet Office would have considered the impact that this knighthood would have
and it turns out I’m completely wrong, as the Guardian reports:
It emerged today that the government arts committee that recommended the knighthood did not discuss any possible political ramifications, and reportedly never imagined that the [...]

I haven’t read any of Salman Rushdie’s books. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. He should, though, be able to write what he wants free from intimidation. A lot of people are condemning the reactions to his knighthood - that is well and good. I hope that someone in Pakistan is writing that the reactions [...]

I received this email from my good friend, Molly Mulready-Jones, over email on the sixth of June. It’s rather long, so it follows below. The same piece appeared in today’s Independent. The by-line on both is Carole Angier. I wonder what’s going on there. Did they commission this from Carole Angier? In which case, how [...]

From my line manager…
The Government has an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. Unfortunately, the acronym is AHRSE.
Father Jack would approve…
xD.

I don’t usually like PopBitch - it is scurrilous rumour-mongering. However, they make a valid point, as they sometimes do, in their latest bulletin on a 17-year old black man sentenced to ten years in jail for consensual oral sex with a fifteen year old. Do please read.

Black day for justice
[...]

Russia does come across as an old aristocrat, now living in greatly reduced circumstances, that feels the desperate need to maintain appearances. If we can call Russia a person, it does seem to have moved on from communism by selling not just the family silver, but the estate’s mills, mines and factories. A lot of [...]

Now that my ballot paper has arrived, I have had to make a decision on the deputy leadership. I’m going to give Jon Cruddas both my first preferences.
Before I look at the candidates, I think it makes sense to say what I think the deputy leader should do. I do not think it is about [...]

I’m feeling rather pleased with myself. Being somewhat geeky, I’ve been wanting to build my own computer for a little while now and I finally have. In fairness, I did use a barebones kit, which makes it easier. I’ll spare everyone the gory details, but it’s really not particularly hard - especially with a Haynes [...]