RSS feed

Travel back to 1979 with Question Time

Permit yourself a trip back to 1979. I commend you to the first episode of Question Time currently available on the BBC iPlayer. It’s a wonderful show and maybe, maybe, something to make you hanker after a better, more gentle and more personable age. And blimey, in some cases: how little has changed. Thirty years on we're still hearing some of the same arguments. Robin Day is a deliciously acerbic and yet lovable host. The audience questions are less pointed but still uncompromising. The answers are less spun. In fact both Teddy Taylor and Michael Foot offer some quite complex, nuanced ... Read more »

Denis Healey and Me

Denis Healey and Me

In the days before blogging, we bloggers had to fulfil our blogging urges somehow. That’s why in spring 1994, with GCSEs looming that summer, I was a keen writer for my school newspaper. Desperate to report more than school fairs where a splendid time was inevitably had by all, I decided to ... Read more »
What no Polling Card?

What no Polling Card?

I didn’t receive my polling card for last week’s European Elections (we don’t have a county council in Brighton). This is obviously not the end of the world. Anyone who’s on the electoral register can just turn up to the correct polling station and cast their ballot. But, frankly, this ... Read more »
Why I'm not voting Green

Why I’m not voting Green

Several people have said to me: “I’m voting Green. I can’t trust any of the main three parties’’ If you’re thinking of voting Green because it’s a fluffy, happy party, I suggest you look a little closer at their policies. It’s not just recycling and renewable energy. It’s an ... Read more »
Caroline Lucas MEP: Green Party Fat Cat

Caroline Lucas MEP: Green Party Fat Cat

The Green Party are campaigning hard as the transparent, sleaze-free, squeaky-clean, anti-expenses party. Their anti-fat cat leaflet caught my eye (see below), so I went off to check out the expenses of my Green MEP (and the Green’s leader), Caroline Lucas. To quote a Green Party leaflet I ... Read more »
MP's Expenses, the Speaker and The Sound of Music

MP’s Expenses, the Speaker and The Sound of Music

News from the House of Commons. The cross-party performance of “Songs from The Sound of Music” has not been cancelled despite the national outcry regarding MP's expenses. As Hazel Blears chirped, as she waved a cheque and donned her wimpole at rehearsals: “the show must go on!” This ... Read more »
The Great Escape Festival 2009, Brighton. Day 1.

The Great Escape Festival 2009, Brighton. Day 1.

The Great Escape is an annual music festival held in Brighton. It’s not really like a festival (in the sense of Glastonbury) because it’s not communal: we all go elsewhere to shit, shower and shag*. The City doesn’t really notice The Great Escape is happening. I think of it as an un-festival. ... Read more »
Wilsondan.co.uk Links 14/05/09

Wilsondan.co.uk Links 14/05/09

This is a fairly disorganised selection of stuff I've been reading over the past few weeks. Imagine this: people make social judgements about the emails they receive. It's an obvious observation with real importance for marketers and worth reading. This article examines the mistakes that ... Read more »
Twitter Politics: Broadcast or Conversation?

Twitter Politics: Broadcast or Conversation?

Jason Kitcat is a Green councillor on Brighton and Hove city council. It’s probably worth noting that I didn’t vote for him: I’m a member of the Labour party. That said, he has responded to my communications regarding recycling when I’ve sent them. For the record, I found his replies to my ... Read more »
MPs Expenses: Some ideas and thoughts.

MPs Expenses: Some ideas and thoughts.

The whole issue of MPs expenses really angers me because ‘I’m following the rules’ is a contemptuous answer that insults our intelligence. The situation is just a bit frothy at the moment with lots of heat and not much light. No media outlets are being particularly clever with their coverage. ... Read more »
'Smash EDO''s Brighton Smash: Rights without responsibilities

‘Smash EDO’’s Brighton Smash: Rights without responsibilities

Peaceful protest is a British right we cherish. That’s why protesters were allowed the freedom of the city I live in yesterday. Marching, demonstration, even disruption to traffic is justifiable. We saw bottles and cans thrown at police, paint splashed on public and private property, protesters ... Read more »
The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10 years on.

The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10 years on.

Cluetrainplus10 is a celebration of the Cluetrain Manifesto 10 years on. Bloggers have been invited to write about one of the 95 Cluetrain theses. I’ve chosen Thesis 84: We know some people from your company. They're pretty cool online. Do you have any more like that you're hiding? Can they ... Read more »
Introducing Twistory: 1914

Introducing Twistory: 1914

Twitter is people saying what they're doing right now. So what would history be like if it had played out on Twitter? I'm calling it Twistory. Sellar and Yeatman meets Web 2.0. All the history you can remember in 140 characters. Here's a chunk of something I've been working on these past few ... Read more »
In Praise of British Citizenship Ceremonies

In Praise of British Citizenship Ceremonies

Patriotism, let alone nationalism, is not that British. We seem coy about celebrating our nationality and it's rather a shame. Until recently the Union Flag was seldom flown on public buildings and, unlike in other parts of the Commonwealth where the Queen's portrait is often seen or the States ... Read more »
50% Income Tax: Who cares?

50% Income Tax: Who cares?

The one aspect of the 2009 Budget that made the headlines was the 50% Income Tax that will be levelled on incomes over £150k. And let's recall what that means: if you earn more than £150k, you'll pay 50% on that portion of your wage over £150k. I'm personally in favour. The Tories haven't said ... Read more »