Like any group of people, the Cabinet has some members with more ability than others and some with more integrity than others. Unlike other groups, it appears that members of the Cabinet who lack competence and integrity are immune from consequences. All of those pictured above would – had they been employed by any normal […]
There is a wide range of attitudes to climate change exemplified on one side by President Trump, who apparently believes that it is no more than a Chinese hoax, and on the other by seriously-concerned scientists who believe that it may be all too late. What position should a rational, non-expert, citizen take? The rational […]
The Next Six Months is a daily series of short (around 10 minutes) video discussions between Mark E Thomas and literary agent Peter Cox. Each one tackles a topical issue from an unusual angle. You can follow them on a daily basis by subscribing to the 99% YouTube channel. But if you have missed […]
Since the end of the First World War, Remembrance Day has been an occasion to commemorate the members of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives. Initially, it was those who died in World War I who were remembered, but now Remembrance Day encompasses World War II and subsequent conflicts. When we wear a […]
The current focus of the news, in virtually every country in the world, is on the American election. To the relief of many and the dismay of not a few, it now looks likely that Joe Biden has won. An analysis framework originally developed to explain why, and where, the Arab Spring happened suggests that […]
During the summer, Marcus Rashford led a successful campaign which persuaded the government to make a U-turn and provide free school meals to the poorest children during the holiday period. His second campaign – to provide free school meals over the Christmas holiday – has so far been unsuccessful. When the issue came to a […]
Here is an approximate transcript of the presentation Mark E Thomas made to the London Quakers’ Build Back Better Event on 24 October, 2020. We hope to have a video here soon. Introduction to Whole Group Good morning, everybody. It wasn’t my plan to be doing this. Eight years ago, when I was running […]
The notion of unaffordability has been an extremely potent weapon for market fundamentalists. If we can’t afford to do something, it doesn’t matter how desirable it would be to do it, we can’t. It’s not a choice, it’s just reality. A decade of needless austerity was justified with precisely this argument, based on the false […]
We recently wrote about the existence of threats to democracy and the rule of law in the UK, drawing particular attention to the Internal Market Bill. Many members wrote to their MPs, but the Bill nevertheless passed through the Commons and is now with the House of Lords. Does this mean that its passage is […]
The government’s rhetoric in relation to its handling of COVID has been superlative – in the literal sense: they have used superlatives to describe their performance. Johnson described the UK test and trace system, for example, as “world-beating.” The statistics tell a more dismal story: the UK has both one of the worst COVID records […]
We will not contact you without your permission. If you want to receive weekly or monthly updates, be sure to tick the box.
We will not sell or give your details to any other organisation without your express permission.