Teaching to the test
Targets, teachers and neoliberal education

Value for money
What £134,000 of Prezza’s time buys you

The biggest surprise of the week.  Ahead of the results of the government’s review of energy policy, Tony Blair announced to the CBI last night that the nuclear option, involving the construction of somewhere between 6 and 10 new reactors, is the only way to go if we are to avoid ‘a serious dereliction of our duty to the future of this country’. Read More

Why stroppyblog
A new feminist blog on the block

Mexico’s turbulent election ride
1988 making a comeback?

The July 7th reports were greeted with a chorus of disapproval about their refusal to assign blame – but the demand for easy answers misses the point.

Last week’s reports on the July 7th bombings were cautious, ambiguous, and very careful to hedge their bets. The same can’t be said of the reaction to them.

The Times managed to get the word “whitewash” into paragraph three of its preview. The BBC’s Paul Reynolds wrote an analysis under the disappointed heading, “Missed chances but nobody blamed,” and unflatteringly compared the reports to the rather more gung-ho American investigation into 9-11.

The Guardian went one better, ending a blog post (“Playing the blame game“) with an invitation to readers to tell the world, “Who do you hold responsible for the failure to prevent the attacks?” Read More

Are Scottish voters second class citizens? Holyrood Chronicles takes issue with the BBC poll saying a Scottish MP cannot be “our dear leader”.

The Mutualist: Vulgar Libertarianism Watch
Why real foreign aid doesn’t include more corporate welfare

No, not the latest Blair joke (or, Blair: Joke), but Justin. So, the first instalment of his Magic Lantern Society will be next week.

Backing Blair: Humour
So now you know: there is at least one funny joke about Blair