Published in The Guardian (October 16th, 2010) The details are sickening. For three days a gang of 18-year-olds tortured a younger autistic boy. They kicked him, stamped on his […]
Policy
The kindest cuts of all
Published in The Guardian (October 1st, 2010) Here is a question for all who believe our public services are sacred. Why is there no suitable education or housing […]
Crime / Disability / Policy
The epidemic of hate crimes against the very vulnerable reveals a callousness at the heart of society
Published in the Daily Mail (September 22nd, 2010) David Askew was a kind and trusting man who just wanted to enjoy his life. He smiled a lot, put […]
Education / Policy / United States / World
Lessons from the flood
Published in The Sunday Telegraph (September 12, 2010) Five years ago, America was struggling to come to terms with the destruction of New Orleans. The nation was stunned […]
Health / Policy
It is patients who will end up losing out
Published in The Independent (November 13th, 2009) Nurses are the lifeblood of the health service. Without good people on the medical front line, all the technological breakthroughs, genetic […]
Health / Policy
The health service needs whistleblowers
Published in The Independent (September 9th, 2009) Soon after Alan Milburn became Health minister in 1997, he wrote to employers across the National Health Service telling them that […]
Disability / Health / Policy
The NHS is flawed. Here’s the evidence…
Published in The Independent (August 28th, 2009) It was the most painful of the emails that I’ve received over the past week. It began, like dozens of others, […]
Disability / Health / Policy
Why I don’t believe that the NHS is sacrosanct
Published in The Independent (August 21st, 2009) It was a simple thing. Another blood test, some more investigations into whatever flawed gene or missing protein might be the […]
Immigration / Policy / Politics
How our politicians failed to stop the rise of the far right
Published in The Independent (June 9th, 2009) A few weeks ago I attended a think-tank lunch held to discuss whether the rise of the left was inevitable in […]
Arts / Immigration / Music / Policy
This outburst will strike a chord around the world
Published in The Independent (May 7th, 2009) Abbas Kiarostami’s outburst against British officialdom will strike a chord with artists all around the world. However famous, however inspirational, they […]
Immigration / Policy
Why turn away these people that we need so badly?
Published in The Independent (September 10th, 2008) Sonia trained as a nurse in Nairobi before coming to Britain a decade ago. Since then, she has worked long and […]
Health / Policy
Set us free to pay
Published in The Spectator (May 11th, 2002) During the phoney war before the last general election I attended a lunch with William Hague. He was in fine form, […]