It’s time for an equal, gender-neutral, marriage law

As a Liberal Democrat, fighting for a more equal society is one of the driving forces behind my politics. To me, Liberalism, above all, means emancipation – emancipation from one’s fears, from prejudice, from discrimination, from poverty – as US Vice-President Hubert Humphrey once put it.
This must include the continued fight for LGBT rights and [...]

By Stephen Gilbert | Eagle Eye | Tuesday, 21 September 2010 at 11:29 am

Can a fever cure cancer?

Erm, fevers and cancers, chaps.
On page 40-41 of this morning’s Daily Mail, John Naish asks if fevers can cure cancer.
That’s another one for my esteemed colleague John Rentoul’s outstanding series.

By Amol Rajan | Eagle Eye | Tuesday, 21 September 2010 at 11:12 am

Can online games be as addictive as heroin?

Apples and oranges, chaps.
On page 35 of this morning’s Daily Mail, Tom Rawstorne asks if online games can be as addictive as heroin.
That’s one for my esteemed colleague John Rentoul’s outstanding series.

By Amol Rajan | Eagle Eye | Tuesday, 21 September 2010 at 11:08 am

Oliver Stone humbles the Murdoch empire

The stars of CNBC business television were out in force for the premiere of Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – as well they might, since the channel was right up there with Heineken and Voltz energy drinks in terms of product placement.
From “Money Honey” Maria Bartiromo interviewing Gordon Gekko, through footage of interviews [...]

By Stephen Foley | Arts, The Foreign Desk | Tuesday, 21 September 2010 at 5:38 am

The Voters Are Wrong

Just to go back to that YouGov poll; the one that, as Paul Staines pointed out, showed that Labour Party members think David Miliband would be most likely to win the next election, which is why they are supporting his brother.
I thought this must be a trick of comparing percentages of different bases. (If lots [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 10:35 pm

Extreme Advertising – How Far is Too Far?

One advert, one mesages – ‘15% of women who suffer from anorexia will die this year’. But it is the image, designed exclusively for an independent organisation in Israel to spread awareness of Eating Disorders, that have attracted (mostly negative) attention from critics all over the world.
Take a look:

It does not surprise me that it [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 8:48 pm

Nick Clegg: Another Apology

I enjoyed Clegg’s denunciation of much of Labour’s record on civil liberties, treatment of asylum seekers etc but one thing the previous government is not guilty of is bringing the country “to the brink of bankruptcy”.

By Ben Chu | Eagle Eye | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 8:02 pm

Berbatov could be Footballer of the Year

Dimitar Berbatov is a highly talented footballer. That was never in doubt but his attitude and performances were severely questioned after his £30m move from Spurs to Manchester United two years ago. I recall Sir Alex Ferguson telling me that Berbatov can look deceptive and that it does take time to [...]

By Gary Newbon | Sport | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 5:25 pm

London Fashion Week: Mark Fast & Nicole Farhi

Mark Fast’s barely there cobweb knits (below, right) have caused quite a commotion in recent seasons – from the fact that thy leave very little to the imagination, to his use of plus size models in his show.
His s/s11 collection was recognisably Fastian, with yet more cutaway dresses and incredibly tight tube skirts, but they [...]

By Harriet Walker | Fashion, Notebook | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 4:41 pm

Banking Future: People will force changes

As a thirty-year veteran of the banking industry, I’ve seen both dizzying change and a surprising underlying constancy in consumer demands. Change in that the way banking has delivered its services has been completely revolutionised by one technological revelation after another, but constancy in that what really affects consumer attitudes and reactions has stayed pretty [...]

By Jan Smith | Notebook | Monday, 20 September 2010 at 4:22 pm