The liberalism of Tony Blair
By any standard, the Blair legacy is going to be a mixed blessing. In domestic policy, ten years of Prime Minister Blair have delivered little of real value. The one novelty for this longest ever Labour government is an economy which has at least managed to stay on the rails, whatever pitfalls lie [...]
Why we must defend Enlightenment values
We have on several occasions referred to the retreat of true liberal values in Britain and other western countries, and urged the necessity of resuscitating an authentic liberal consciousness. Nevertheless, as the word “liberal” has been progressively divorced from its true meaning, to the extent that many people consider it to be shorthand for [...]
The illusory prestige of the United Nations
More evidence of the uselessness of the United Nations as any kind of worthwhile authority in the world has been provided this week by the election of Zimbabwe to head the key United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Zimbabwe’s appointment was secured largely due to the votes of other African nations.
While Zimbabwe may consider this [...]
Moral leadership needed on welfare reform
James Bartholomew, author of the excellent book The Welfare State We’re In and the blog of the same name, reports a recent talk by the American intellectual Charles Murray on the corrosive moral and spiritual effect of the welfare state on people’s lives.
“[Murray] said he was not primarily concerned that the welfare state costs too [...]