Pepper spray update: the law is just for plebs
Slightly as I expected, in asking where the Met's Defence Council authorisation to carry pepper spray or CS was, I was missing something. I assumed it would be an obscure…
Are the police carrying pepper spray illegally?
Today, at a peaceful UK Uncut demonstration at a central London branch of Boots, a number of demonstrators were attacked by police officers deploying a lachrymatory agent which was either…
How the Irish Greens got into a Coalition mess…
The Irish Greens have finally pulled the plug on the Fianna Fail led Government of the dead that has been staggering from crisis to crisis since the economy collapsed in…
Ratcliffe trial: a defendant tells the tale
Soaring ambitions Being arrested and charged with a crime you didn’t commit is far less glamorous in real life than in the movies. It happened to me just before midnight,…
Where Next for the Greens in Northern Ireland?
With forthcoming elections in both parts of the island of Ireland in early 2011 (Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland in May and a general election in the republic…
Why I superglued myself to the Royal Bank of Scotland
Scotland is a country deeply associated with standing up for the underdog and challenging injustice. This is reflected in steps to become a Fairtrade nation, to build closer links with…
Event Horizon: Beyond the 2010 Election
You probably think you know the implications of the General Election. I think I know the implications, or at least some of them. But I’m not sure. And therein lies…
The Paisley Project Chuckles into Oblivion
So that's it. The end of the Paisley era. Finally the politician who dominated the political landscape of my childhood has decided to stand down. After over 40 years as…
Are working class people just nicer?
Much bemused wryness in lefty workplaces across the land as an article in The Guardian goes slightly viral by reporting that people who buy ethical products are more likely to…
My interest in Budget boredom
It has been said that the Scottish Budget debates generate much heat but little light. Today we can expect little of either. I have been struck by the lack of…