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From the outburst in the media, you might have been excused for thinking that Nelson Mandela’s death was sudden and unexpected. On the other hand, when he was allowed to return home three months ago to continue his fight against a lung infection, it was against a background of...

So, the Autumn Statement has begun, but I have to admit I’m furious about the statements surrounding the decision to increase the pension age at an even faster rate than before. Some incredibly broad brush justifications were rolled out for this that seem to suggest that a cookie...

By comparison with the 2012 Autumn Statement, Thursday is expected to be a lot less like a mini-Budget. Last year saw huge interventions in people’s personal financial situations, so what are we expecting to see affect people’s wallets this time around? The hope of course is that...

On Thursday George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will be giving his Autumn Statement. As is generally traditional these days, the headline elements of that speech are already being shared around to raise interest and political capital. On Monday we had confirmation of...

I found myself in something of a dilemma while looking at the papers this week. I have this cherished mental image – perhaps foolishly – of being a generally reasonable and moderately self-aware individual. Moreover, I generally tend to have a default position of repugnance...

Months after howls of derision met the Labour Party’s pledge to set a hold on energy bills for twenty months if they win the next election, the Conservative-led coalition has been embarrassed by suggestions that they have asked the main six energy providers to not put up their...

The imminent lifting on restrictions on free movement for Romanian and Bulgarian nationals to live and work in the UK continues to spark controversy as the government pledges to limit EU immigrant access to benefits. Plans are already being pushed forward to introduce a range of...

Two men who decided to try to bring some much needed happiness to the streets of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh has been arrested for engaging in “exotic practices”. Yesterday, CNN Arabic reported the arrest of two Saudi nationals buy the state’s religious police. The...