Pants on fire

In politics these days, the truth is a very fluid concept. Time and time again, leading politicians have been shown to say things that are wrong. This is understandable as we live in a highly dynamic world where no one can be expected to get everything right. What is unacceptable however, is when these ‘facts’ … Continue reading Pants on fire

History in straight lines

Whatever happens with Brexit, at some time in years to come there will be someone to write the biography of the latest Prime Minister. Depending upon whether the outcome is good for him or bad, the author will describe his actions and how they contributed to his unmitigated success or utter disaster. If the outcome … Continue reading History in straight lines

Time to fight back

It’s time to fight back. Our data is being used to profit from us, influence us and even trick us. The question is what can we do about it? Well, we already have a lot of power under the law. We can demand from companies to treat our data in accordance with General Data Protection … Continue reading Time to fight back

Pants on fire

In a now famous broadcasting moment, Rory Stewart, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live about Brexit, when he made the claim that ‘80 percent of the British public support this [withdrawal agreement] deal.’ Thankfully the presenter, Emma Barnett was quick to question him where this … Continue reading Pants on fire

Buy a newspaper

I’ve done something I haven’t done for a long time. I’ve bought a newspaper. It must be fifteen years or so since I last bought one and this was around the time when online news was starting to take off seriously. This isn’t the reason I stopped however. I had been reading a copy of … Continue reading Buy a newspaper

Thinking Digital is good for the soul

This is my second blog from this year’s Thinking Digital conference. It is the must attend event in the region for me, not wishing to denigrate any others . I think I have been coming for about ten years and have got to know @herbkim, the driving force behind the event, quite well. It is … Continue reading Thinking Digital is good for the soul

The Nolan principles

This is a new one for me. One of the local candidates for ChangeUk brought the work of the Committee on Standards in Public Life to my attention, especially the seven Nolan principles. These are there to guide people who are in public service and commit them to the highest standards. You can find them … Continue reading The Nolan principles