Toby Young’s decision to resign as a non-executive director of the embryonic quango Office for Students is to be welcomed. As is his “unreserved apology” for his past comments that made his appointment untenable. Even though his unreserved apology is somewhat reserved. His statement suggests that he doesn’t actually get what the furore is about. […]
Category: Comment and Opinion
Violence against women is a sin
Yesterday, during an interview with Ed Stourton on BBC Radio Four’s Sunday programme, I mentioned a video produced by church leaders in Fiji (listen here, from 12’22”). The ecumenical campaign saw Anglican, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Salvation Army, Methodist, evangelical and other church leaders deliver a very clear and unambiguous message: “violence against women and children […]
It is time to end the secrecy and infallibility of the Parole Board
The Parole Board has come in for a lot of attention in the past few days, after its decision to release serial predatory rapist John Worboys was announced on Thursday afternoon. But despite this attention, its work is shrouded in secrecy. Unlike any other aspect of the criminal justice system, the Parole Board’s work is […]
How many times can a man get away with killing his wife and girlfriends?
In 1981 Theodore Johnson killed his wife, Yvonne by hitting her over the head with a vase before pushing her off the balcony of their flat in Wolverhampton. He claimed manslaughter by provocation, saying that his wife wouldn’t let him go to church because he wasn’t dressed well enough. The CPS accepted his plea and […]
Just how dangerous is “Black Cab Rapist” John Worboys?
The Parole Board have decided that John Worboys can be released from his indeterminate sentence. He was convicted at Croydon Crown Court on 13 March 2009 of one count of rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted assault and 12 drugging charges, committed between July 2007 and February 2008. The judge, Mr Justice Penry-Davey, handed down […]
At last, my annus horribilis is coming to an end
I make no claim to be a prophet, but this time last year I made a prediction that, within days, was to become chillingly true. On Facebook and Twitter, I wrote: “2017: If you thought 2016 was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” This was a sentence that haunted me all year: three days later, […]
Did you hear about the vicar who banned “Onward Christian Soldiers”?
Did you hear about the vicar who banned “Onward Christian Soldiers”? The chances are that you have: the story that the Revd Steve Bailey, team rector-designate of St Peter’s Church in Oadby, Leicestershire, has banned the Victorian hymn from this year’s Remembrance Sunday service has been reported widely, including in the Leicester Mercury, Daily Mail, […]
If Theresa May really wants to tackle abuse in Westminster, Michael Gove will be sacked today
I don’t like calling for people to be sacked. It isn’t nice when people lose their jobs; and in any normal walk of life due process and fair practice should be followed. But cabinet ministers are not in normal jobs. Their “job” is that of a Member of Parliament – and it is for the […]
Rape and sexual violence support: Time to stick my oar in
When Jill Saward died in January, I lost my wife; my sons lost their mother; her siblings lost a sister; her nephews and nieces lost an aunt. That loss is real. And it is palpable. But another group of people lost something too: some members of this group met her; many didn’t. And the group […]
Now we’re fact-checking opinions
The Gurdian journalist Owen Jones shared a message he received from a member of the public in an election news report. And his image has been shared multiple times on social media. This incident is yet another being used to decry ‘fake news’. I don’t know the source of the original clip; I don’t know […]