schools – Ian Birrell

Published by The i paper (25th May, 2023) Darja Rekani clearly remembers the day in primary school when a teacher showed a series of news reports before asking […]

Politics

The Tories are out of step with modern life

Published by The Guardian (3rd January, 2018) Toby Young has never been shy of self-promotion. He admits to possessing a ‘gargantuan’ ego, writes frequently about himself and was famously […]

Education / Policy

The Spice Academy

Published by The Mail on Sunday (25th October, 2015) She is the singer who scored an incredible nine No 1 singles, flirted with Prince Charles and exhorted young […]

Immigration / Policy / Politics

Politicians blame immigrants for their own mistakes

Published by The Independent (15th December, 2014) Myths and mantras are swirling around the increasingly-toxic immigration debate as mainstream parties flounder in the face of Ukip’s insurgency. These […]

Policy / Politics / Welfare

Can David Cameron unleash his inner Maoism?

Published in The Guardian (June 29th, 2012) The headlines are clear: the nasty party is back in business. After David Cameron revealed his desire for a tougher, more […]

Disability / Policy

For our disabled daughter, a way out of the labyrinth

Published in The Guardian (March 11th, 2011) Nothing prepares you for the birth of a child with profound and multiple disabilities. There is the shock, the depression, the […]

Policy / Politics

Public v private isn’t the issue – what’s best is key

Published in the London Evening Standard (February 22nd, 2011) The facts speak for themselves. Elderly patients starved to death in hospital. Families spending a lifetime on benefits. Desperate […]

Disability

Idayah is a bright child. One of a spurned minority

Published in the London Evening Standard (December 2nd, 2010) Idayah Miller shares the ambitions of any other 11-year-old girl. A bright and lively child, she hopes to be a […]

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 […]