Column F

An open letter from to Simon Cowell.

A Simon Cowell Charity Single Is Not What the Victims of Grenfell Tower Need Rozan Ahmed is a writer, editor and cultural commentator who lost friends and family in Grenfell Tower fire. As Simon Cowell releases a charity single cover version of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters -- featuring Brian May, Geri…

"There is a basic want of empathy in the society we have chosen to create, and most disturbingly we seem to be comfortable with this."

How We Decided The Kind of Country We Wanted to Live In SANJOY BANERJEE When Theresa May gave her Lancaster House address in January, outlining the objectives the UK would pursue during our Brexit negotiations, she suggested that we should "[take] the opportunity of this great moment of national change to step…

Election Myths #4: “Jeremy Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser.”

Election Myths #4: “Jeremy Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser.” SANJOY BANERJEE This is Tony Benn talking about the second Iraq War in 2003. I thought it was worth sharing because in the week since the MEN terrorist attack, coalition air strikes have killed 106 civilians in Al Mayadeen including…

Election Myths #3: “I’ve never voted Conservative before, but I believe in hard work and now I have my family to think of…”

Election Myths #3: “I’ve never voted Conservative before, but I believe in hard work and now I have my family to think of…” SANJOY BANERJEE You can pore over policies and manifestos as much as you like, yet the decision which candidate to place your cross next to is usually a matter of gut instinct, folklore and superstition! Party strategists understand this well,…

Election Myths #1: “No-One Should Have to Pay 50% of Their Income in Tax.”

Election Myth #2 “Spending Cuts Are an Unfortunate Necessity to Balance the Books and Reduce the Deficit.” SANJOY BANERJEE It is good to see Jamie Oliver has waded into the debate about Conservative election plan to end spending on free school meals for infants in the first three years of primary school. I really admire his passion…

Election Myths #1: “No-One Should Have to Pay 50% of Their Income in Tax.”

Election Myths #1: “No-One Should Have to Pay 50% of Their Income in Tax.” SANJOY BANERJEE UK income tax is assessed by dividing your income into chunks and you are taxed at a different rate on each chunk. So currently, the top rate of tax is 45% for those earning above £150,000 per year.…

Stumbled upon Granby4Streets yesterday during and met some real-life local heroes. Such an amazing project to transform this long-neglected area of the city.

The Liverpool locals who took control of their long-neglected streets Granby Four Streets in Toxteth is a rare success after New Labour initiatives drained the area of life

The genesis of a longer piece if I can tear myself away from the US Masters long enough to write it! :-/

Cameron’s Tough Week Has a Long History Two brief observations on the offshore tax stuff: (1) Essentially, we have witnessed one of those occasional paradigm shifts where something that was previously tacitly accepted is now questioned. Like the post-Savile fallout made us look twice at the culture…

Leon Zadok wonders if we have become conditioned to Tory economic medicine.

Autumn Statement: Osborne Fiddles While Rome Burns LEON ZADOK The public see Britain’s prosperity, less through the prism of a growing economy, and more through their collective experiences, their own circumstances. The latter will likely define Osborne’s legacy in politics. The positive outlook conjured this week, if…

"Though the performances are charming, '45 Years' does not deal in nostalgia; there is a darkness at its core which leaves a residue of unease." Daniel Palmer assesses Andrew Haigh's latest full-length.

Film Review: 45 Years (2015) DANIEL PALMER 45 Years (2015) Director: Andrew Haigh Writers: David Constantine (short story), Andrew Haigh (adaptation) Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Dolly Wells, Tom Courtenay 95 mins Andrew Haigh's sophomore feature, Weekend (2011), blended a grounding in social realism with contemplative pacing;…

Rabbil Sikdar asks if it's okay not to love one's country very much if you don't mind, not today!

Patriotism Should Not Mean Love for All the Bad Things in Britain RABBIL SIKDAR “Do you love this country?” It’s a question frequently put to those espousing left-wing ideals. Alan Rusbridger was asked it by Keith Vaz when The Guardian was accused for undermining national security by publishing the Snowden files, and…

Daniel Palmer reviews a documentary on the Angulo family and their curious existence re-enacting scenes from the movies.

Film Review: The Wolfpack (2015) DANIEL PALMER The Wolfpack (2015) Director: Crystal Moselle Starring: Bhagavan Angulo, Govinda Angulo, Jagadisa Angulo 90 mins When nothing tangible carries value, information is capital. On a daily basis we imbibe a heady cocktail of thoughts, feelings and opinions. Superhero…