Thursday, May 25, 2017

Tories smug and complacent over school funding

At the Skeptics' debate in St Paul's community centre on 24th May, Sir Peter Bottomley won the prize for most complacent politician.

Dr Becky Cooper for Labour opposed the cuts to school funding and proposed better funding for all schools. It was unacceptable that heads could not afford to fund schools. There was plenty of money for the grammar school project. She advertised the Save our Schools campaign

Hazel Thorpe for the Lib Dems also opposed the cuts although the audience would remember that the Liberal Democrats were the lickspittles of the Tory Party in the coalition.

Leslie Graves for the Greens (actually the Worthing East candidate) emphasised the impact of the cuts on children with special needs. She opposed Academies whether Labour or Tory academies.

Even Mark Withers for UKIP opposed the present cuts but he did not have any facts at his disposal and he made no friends with his support for grammar schools.

Bottomley thought the funding formula should be looked at but saw the issue as one of fair funding for Sussex at the expense of other areas such as London.

If the Tories get their throats cut at this election (metaphorically of course) it will be this smug complacency which is to blame.


Thursday, May 18, 2017

Author page activated

Amazon tell me that "amazon.com/author/derekmcmillan should be live shortly (30 min or less)"

It has a bibliography and a biography and of course that photo!



The old less-friendly URL works https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009FUXHWY

Cheap hanging?


Writing in 'the i' newspaper this morning, a  Mr Readman makes a case for hanging because it is nice and cheap. There is also the advantage that the criminal justice system can bury its mistakes. 

Advances in detection are welcome but they are no guarantee against false confessions or planted evidence. 

If the case of Ian Brady (cited by Mr Readman) caused this country to go back to the dark ages, Brady might regard that as a suitable epitaph.