Our blogs

A short guide to the Southern Rail fiasco

A short guide to the Southern Rail fiasco

New readers start here. Listening to the BBC, you might easily believe that the crisis involving rail services across Sussex and Surrey was just about industrial action. For the poor benighted passengers, that really isn’t the case – the serious chaos has now been...

Why are we so green?

Why are we so green?

Green isn't always positive. If you are so green you would make a cabbage blush; it means you are naive at best, ignorant and thoughtless at worst. That seems pretty much to be us, the voters. If we had taken proper care to safeguard the short lived Green Investment...

Towards the last post?

Towards the last post?

Next week, we may see a five-day Post Office strike in the 300 Crown Offices which are mainly in city and town high streets. It's maximally inconvenient and will be grim if it happens. Cue huge amounts of spluttering from government spokespeople, and Conservatives...

How to shame inflationary salaries

How to shame inflationary salaries

There is a tendency for those of us on the radical fringes of conventional politics to remain happily oblivious to the fact that nobody in the mainstream is listening. But suddenly the speed of the conventional seems to be accelerating and so much more seems possible...

It’s a new world. What do we want from it?

It’s a new world. What do we want from it?

On Tuesday 29th November, we'll be holding the first meeting on how we want the UK to be after Brexit. It's in Oxford, so please do come along. Free food available, and no need to book - just turn up!

The Ogre – a modern folk tale

The Ogre – a modern folk tale

This story is an extract from our new collection of 23 modern folk tales for troubling times There was a knock at the door... which is available now in print and as an e-book: Direct from The Real Press: There was a knock at the door... And from major online book...

What can we do when ministers defend indefensible services?

What can we do when ministers defend indefensible services?

It is a peculiar aspect of the Southern Rail fiasco that so many of their staff and managers, at least the ones I come across, are not just extraordinarily patient – they are also very nice people. I can’t say I have actually met the chief executive, Charles Horton –...

All Hail Wallonia!

All Hail Wallonia!

The decision by the Wallonia regional government to refuse to sign up to CETA has been greeted by a fascinating set of reactions. They range from 'hooray, it's David and Goliath' to 'obscure region blocks necessary trade deal for socialistic reasons'. The...