Frustrating the Catalan referendum

by Simon Belt

Sunday saw some extraordinary scenes in Spain as police, dressed for riot control with tactical support units, descended on polling stations across Catalonia to disrupt an independence referendum. It had been ruled illegal by the Spanish constitutional court, but the show of force by the state, doling out beatings to those voting and administering the vote was dramatic and reprehensible.

A response to Hurricane Harvey

by Mark Iddon

Hurricane Harvey swept across America last week when more than 50 inches of rain fell in a week on America’s fourth largest city, Houston, Texas, which has a population of 2.3million people. London would normally expect around 25 inches per year so this was an extra ordinary event, even for a tropical storm. The Sunday Times reports that around 185,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and around half a million vehicles wrecked.

Why is the gender pay gap so classy?

by Simon Belt

The gender pay gap hit the headlines last week when the BBC revealed most of its top-earning talent were women and its seven best paid stars were all men. This week the Financial Times is in the news with reports of the pay differential of editorial staff being 13%. I think the focus on those at the top of the pay scale may indicate this is more about middle class entitlement than gender pay differentials.

Anti-Fracking: a conservative protest for austerity

by Mark Iddon

Anti fracking protestors are determined to stop drilling equipment from getting to a fracking site in Preston Road near Blackpool that was awarded planning permission in October 2016. According to the ‘Frack Off’ anti fracking campaign group’s website, protestors see fracking as the greatest threat to their way of life and have called on the public to block roads and join their protests.