Serco: Superheroes or Supervillains – Outsourcing, Alleged Fraud, and Why Gary Lineker Is the Real Problem!
A Day at the Hospital: Heart Check-ups and Starmer’s NHS Sermon So, the other day, I took my dad to Southampton Hospital for a routine heart check-up. Casual stuff for him at 92? On the way there, good ol' Keir Starmer was delivering one of his riveting speeches, this time on the NHS. I mean, nothing screams excitement like a political rant on healthcare during a family outing to the hospital. He threw out this catchy phrase about fixing ...
The Impact of Lack of Investment and Poor Prison Salaries
There has been a lot of outrage in the last couple of days regarding prisoners getting 10% knocked off their sentences. Why is this? Well, the UK prison system is, quite frankly, a clusterfuck. Overcrowding has become a serious crisis, and while prisoner numbers are part of the story, the real problem lies in two things: years of underinvestment and appallingly low pay for prison staff. Together, these have created the perfect storm—too many ...
A Podding Holiday in West Dorset
When I went camping with the dog last year, it was tough. I enjoyed it, but it hurt. Let’s just say, there were more aches than adventures. It saddened me as I realised my hardcore camping days were probably behind me. However, a couple of weeks ago, I began to contemplate a 'Last Dance' with camping. The thought popped up when I was sent a marketing email about the place I stayed last year (those targeted ads know how to get you). The ...
The Many Faces of Depression
One thing we learn as the years pass is that depression comes in many forms. When I suffered from anxiety attacks and a sense of darkness many decades ago, the issue was solved not by antidepressants but by a forceful and caring doctor who suggested I might want to look at my lifestyle. Moderate soft drug abuse—speed, marijuana, ecstasy—heavy alcohol intake, and smoking were all in the mix. If you’re poisoning your body, it makes sense ...
Rachel Reeves and the Mini Crisis: A Self-Made Problem
I can’t help but wonder how Rachel Reeves managed to get herself tangled up in this mini-crisis over heating payments for pensioners. Sure, the system could use an overhaul, but why turn it into a full-blown drama? I mean, £1.4 billion in savings isn’t exactly a game-changer. Fiscal Responsibility or Just for Show? I’m guessing Reeves thought this was her chance to showcase her fiscal responsibility. And in some ways, it is. Take ...