An open letter to Melanie Phillips

The Daily Mail columnist feels that conservative thinkers are being stifled by a deadening left-wing consensus. I beg to differ…

By C J Schuler | Battle of Ideas, Eagle Eye | Saturday, 4 May 2013 at 1:11 pm

Privacy challenges ahead 2013

Joe Bloggs wishes to use a pseudonym on Facebook as he does not want his employer and his tutors to know that he has an account. Or, Jane does not wish to have her Google services merged into one account

By Dr Rebecca Wong | Battle of Ideas, Notebook | Monday, 4 March 2013 at 6:51 pm

Anders Breivik: Narcissist. Murderer. Insane?

The case of Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Oslo and the island of UtØya in July 2011 is unusual, to say the least. Not only were the killings horrific in their calm and calculated brutality, but at the trial the prosecution argued that Breivik was insane and should be detained for psychiatric treatment, whereas the defence argued that he was criminally responsible and should be sent to prison.

By Piers Benn | Battle of Ideas, Notebook, Opinion | Friday, 24 August 2012 at 9:30 am

Free speech is the real loser in Terry v Ferdinand

The least troubling aspect of the John Terry case for me is the revelation that footballers shout offensive and unpleasant obscenities at rivals in the heat of a football game. Even those of us who cannot lip read surely did not think they were saying ‘please pass me the ball’

By Kevin Rooney | Battle of Ideas, Football, Sport | Wednesday, 18 July 2012 at 4:00 am

‘Abortion industry’: A slur on the women who support their choice

“This is not a decision I have taken lightly and I don’t need to be harassed,” wrote one woman recently. “I felt calm coming here and now I can’t breathe and feel panicky and judged. Last thing I needed,” wrote another.

By Clare Murphy | Battle of Ideas, Notebook, Opinion | Friday, 30 March 2012 at 4:00 am

Opera for the masses, by the masses?

In a disused tin-plate factory in a backstreet of Digbeth in Birmingham, an extraordinary thing is happening – a brand new, full-scale opera is being born. This can only mean one thing – world-renowned opera director Graham Vick is back in town, and his one-production-a-year Birmingham Opera Company (BOC) has once again sprung into life.

By Niall Crowley | Arts, Battle of Ideas, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 15 March 2012 at 12:00 am

Twitter trolls and the Health Bill

The NHS twitter trolls were out in force late last night and got up early this morning.

“@oliver_wright, govt stooge & serial falsifier of fact and smear artist extraordinaire upto his usual tricks on tomorrow’s Indy frontpage,” wrote @Barsacq.

By Oliver Wright | Battle of Ideas, Eagle Eye | Tuesday, 13 March 2012 at 11:48 am

The bitter taste of sugar prohibition

On Thursday, high-profile science journal Nature published a commentary by three academics, which argued that sugar is a toxin and that it should be subject to similar kinds of public-health interventions as alcohol. In other words, sugar should be taxed and restricted just like booze.

By Rob Lyons | Battle of Ideas, Health | Friday, 3 February 2012 at 12:03 am

Welcome to the age of bespoke cultural identities

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recently released its latest report, once again sparking public concern about the impact immigration has had on the UK. Throughout the report, MAC explores the complications of the Home Office practice of condensing the impact of migration policy changes into a single number (the Net Present Value). Complications there very well may be, but this certainly isn’t the end of the story. There remains an aspect to the dialogue over economic and cultural openness that remains silent.

By Gabrielle Shiner | Battle of Ideas, Notebook, Opinion | Friday, 27 January 2012 at 10:42 am

The unanswered questions of the Stephen Lawrence case

The Stephen Lawrence case was described by the Crown Prosecution Service as the ‘most significant in a generation’ and at its conclusion many were left with the feeling of ‘a job well done’. It marked the end to a decade of campaigning, both in the media and by Lawrence’s parents. Few doubt that British society is better off without Dobson and Norris on its streets. But at what cost? Has justice been well served?

By Luke Samuel | Battle of Ideas, Notebook, Opinion | Thursday, 26 January 2012 at 6:18 pm