Joe Wade

    Columnist

  • Why local authorities are right to take children from their parents

    Is it better to take children into state care or leave them with potentially abusive parents?

  • Crime figures and the effectiveness of the police

    Freedom of information data released this week revealed that the Met have spent £35,000 on calls to the speaking clock and £200,000 on calls to directory inquiries. This is a revelation as I had no idea the speaking clock was still going.

  • Why religion matters in US politics

    Mitt Romney, the man likely to challenge Barack Obama to become the president of the country with the most nuclear weapons, believes that in 1827 an angel called Moroni gave a man called Joseph Smith some golden plates that had … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2012/01/13/why-religion-matters-in-us-politics/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • How to fix Ed Miliband

    Ed Miliband photographs really oddly, from some angles show that he can look almost like Ross from 'Friends' but mostly he resembles the bastard child of Vulcan MP John Redwood and TV's 'Mr Bean'.  An odd appearance is part of … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2012/01/06/how-to-fix-ed-miliband/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Why politicians can’t do pop culture

    Politics is show business for ugly people. Career politicians would never have had the time to claw a space for themselves in the Westminster rat's nest if they'd ever been able to pull. The restless energy required to stay conscious … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/12/23/why-politicians-cant-do-pop-culture/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Why do the French hate us?

    This week France was threatened with losing its AAA rating and responded by stating that Britain should lose its first. Earlier in the week President Sarkozy had branded David Cameron and 'obstinate kid' and not because he refuses to use … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/12/16/why-do-the-french-hate-us/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Week of striking and outbursts

    This week saw the biggest public sector strikes since 1979 due to pension cuts and salary freezes. Up to two million public sector workers went on strike, resulting in the closure of 62% of state schools in England and the … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/12/02/week-of-striking-and-outbursts/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Do the rich and famous need more legal protection?

    Last week the phone hacking inquiry was attended by lots of really rich and privileged people all boo-hooing about the fact that tabloid scum have been rifling through their bins. It's hard to feel too sorry for Hugh Grant. He's … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/11/25/do-the-rich-and-famous-need-more-legal-protection/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Youngsters are forced into retail slave labour

    The number of unemployed young people topped a million this week, meaning one in five is now signing on. Access to university has been restricted meaning only the loaded are able to afford the fees. The BBC quoted the General … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/11/18/youngsters-are-forced-into-retail-slave-labour/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Workers of the UK should unite over pensions

    This week public sector Unison voted to strike on 30 November. Their 1.1 million strong membership includes dinner ladies, bin men and nurses who will be joining the members of other unions like Public and Commercial Services union, Association of … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/11/04/workers-of-the-uk-should-unite-over-pensions/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Ministry of Defence hires consultants to sack soldiers

    Alix Partners is the firm of management consultants who are advising the Ministry of Defence on how to cut costs. They charge the MOD a daily rate of £4,000 per consultant that, as the 'Daily Mail' points out, amounts to … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/10/28/ministry-of-defence-hires-consultants-to-sack-soldiers/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Is hitting children ever justified?

    This week a 19-year-old mother from Blackpool called Kayleigh Searle was jailed for eight years for leaving her baby blind and severely disabled after slamming his head into a door and throwing him into a washing basket. The judge who … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/10/21/is-hitting-children-ever-justified/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Occupy the Stock Exchange is about knowledge, not obstruction

    This week the chief executive of Citigroup, one of the world's biggest banks, called the actions of the Occupy Wall Street protestors "Completely understandable…" a statement the vast majority of Americans would agree with if the slogan "We are the … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/10/14/occupy-the-stock-exchange-is-about-knowledge-not-obstruction/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • How rock and politics don’t mix

    Even mainstream American politicians seem like unhinged lunatics to us Brits. Take Republican candidate Rick Perry, it was revealed this week that until recently his family ranch was called Niggerhead, or his rival Michelle Bachman who thinks Hurricane Irene was … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/10/07/how-rock-and-politics-dont-mix/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Why are footballers still treated as role models?

    A survey in 2009 found that the top three careers for five to 11 year olds was sports star, pop star then actor. This is unfortunate for society at the best of times (25 years back kids aspired to be … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/09/30/why-are-footballers-still-treated-as-role-models/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Dale Farm, developers and the green belt

    There is a massive housing shortage in Britain. This is the main reason the government says planning laws must be relaxed, to allow builders to deposit Barratt-style, mock-Tudor monstrosities in the middle of areas of outstanding natural beauty. So if … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/09/23/dale-farm-developers-and-the-green-belt/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Supermarkets, labeling and waste

    Freegans eat out of bins. They're different from tramps in that they don't actually have to, as they're often posh trustafarians like most squatters (or people who study art history at university.) That said these toff wombles (or 'urban foragers') … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/09/16/supermarkets-labeling-and-waste/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Does the death penalty now make sense?

    Is the death penalty still a bad idea? The Republican Party don't think so as they all cheered rapturously when candidate Gov. Rick Perry's record tally of sending 234 prisoners to their deaths was mentioned at a GOP debate last … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/09/12/does-the-death-penalty-now-make-sense/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • How I’d improve the housing market for first time buyers

    This week the National Housing Federation forecast that home ownership in England will slump to 63.8% over the next ten years, that's the lowest level since the mid eighties. Lenders' requirements for huge deposits and the banks' reluctance to lend are some … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/09/04/how-id-improve-the-housing-market-for-first-time-buyers/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>

  • Girls’ exam results don’t equal career success

    GCSE results published this week show the gap between girls and boys is widening, with girls outstripping boys, particularly when it comes to the top grades. Not only does this give the papers a legitimate reason for only printing pictures … <a href="http://blog.tools.news.yahoo.com/dontpanic/2011/08/26/girls-exam-results-dont-equal-career-success/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>