It is a phrase which has come to mean dogma for politicians across the world. First coined by James Carville, a strategist on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ has long spoken to the belief that it is ultimately the nation’s finances which govern election fortunes. But...
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Thomas Bartley discusses the environmental policies of Bhutan, one of the only carbon-negative countries in the world, and whether the rest of the world can follow its model in reaching net-zero status
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To be Larry David is not just a biological chance, but a way of life. The man himself confirmed as much upon announcing that the upcoming season of his hit comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, would be the last. “As Curb comes to an end,” the 76-year-old said, “I will now have...
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Departing football managers can usually predetermine little aside from the method of their execution. But after nine superb years which have produced a Premier League title and Champions League victory, Jürgen Klopp has earned far more than that. The news of his surprising departure on Friday 26 January sent shockwaves...
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Most of us would attest to feeling considerably aged by our degrees. But one person has proved that age is no barrier to academic success. 85-year-old Roger Sturge from Bristol is researching the role of Quakers in Nazi Germany as part of a master’s degree at the Quaker Studies Research...
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With mental health services under significant strain, patients are increasingly looking for new options. Online treatments have already experienced a notable surge, with platforms such as BetterHelp seeing a huge rise in revenues. But could technology’s relationship with therapy go even further, courtesy of AI? The use of artificial intelligence...
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Annie Nightingale obituary: Thomas Bartley reflects on her extraordinary career.
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The best films have a tendency to creep up on you – the ones which leave you reeling even days after first viewing and those which only improve on reappraisal. Fallen Leaves is certainly one of those. Marking the return of Aki Kaurismäki six years after his last feature and...
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Few diseases have been as misrepresented or misaccused as Parkinson’s, a progressive illness of the nervous system. It is a strongly stigmatised condition, one which until recent years many were reluctant to disclose even to family or friends. There is emotion to this podcast of course, but it also retains...
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The worst thing about the tragic case of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who killed herself as a direct consequence of her school’s negative Ofsted inspection, is that it is not shocking. For several years, Ofsted has been governing British schools by fear, not authority. Its inspection culture has been overzealous...
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Unite the Union has labelled plans to fire and rehire bin workers as “abhorrent” and warned Coventry City Council to prepare for imminent strikes. The union is expected to rally workers in opposition to the Council’s plans, which are aimed at avoiding equal pay claims. Current ‘task and finish’ terms...
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There are few radio programmes which have stood the test of time like Desert Island Discs. Lasting over 70 years and 3,000 episodes, the programme has had a lasting impact on British culture. But how has this modern-day national institution evolved through the decades? It has a simple but magical...
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Sometimes one just has to sit back and applaud the telly gods for pulling it off. Banged Up is one of those. An eclectic and frankly bizarre mix of celebs enter a closed down prison re-filled with ex-cons for the purposes of social experiment. Perfect. It would be hard to...
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