Lead Story
Thrown under the bus
Renationalising Britain’s rail system is a daily debate. As many commuters feel the full force of ineffective, privatised rail companies, they’re vocal about their plight. But surprisingly, there are far more British bus users than rail commuters. And they have been neglected. A privatised bus system has meant that many are left stranded. So, we ask: Why have so many people in the UK been thrown under the bus?
Life
Thrown under the bus
Renationalising Britain’s rail system is a daily debate. As many commuters feel the full force of ineffective, privatised rail companies, they’re vocal about their plight. But surprisingly, there are far more British bus users than rail commuters. And they have been neglected. A privatised bus system has meant that many are left stranded. So, we ask: Why have so many people in the UK been thrown under the bus?
Politics
Can the welfare state be saved on its 70th birthday?
NHS was established on the basis that there should be free medical care to the entire population. Back in 1948, it was the first such scheme in any Western country, funded by the taxpayer and from no other source. But now the NHS is a euphemism for privatisation, cuts to services and the retrenchment of benefits. So what has happened?
Business
The not-so-free press
George Orwell famously said journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations. In a world festooned with PR exercises and reputation management, was Mr Orwell overly cynical, or was he well ahead of his time? With print media’s business model in free fall, newspaper proprietors are increasingly desperate to find ways to ensure financial viability. The problem with this approach is that corporate interests can and often do trump the interests of readers. Joining us to discuss how free the UK press really is are the lecturer in journalism and media studies at Birkbeck College, Justin Schlosberg, and the editor of Open Media at openDemocracy, James Cusick.
Economics & Finance
The case against income tax
Last week, the Australian House of Representatives accidentally brought a bill abolishing income tax from the 1st of July 2024, and though it is unlikely to pass, it might be the single smartest decision it has ever stumbled upon. After all, income tax was only ever meant to be a temporary measure. But what if we got rid of income tax altogether?
Renegade TV
Thrown under the bus
Renationalising Britain’s rail system is a daily debate. As many commuters feel the full force of ineffective, privatised rail companies, they’re vocal about their plight. But surprisingly, there are far more British bus users than rail commuters. And they have been neglected. A privatised bus system has meant that many are left stranded. So, we ask: Why have so many people in the UK been thrown under the bus?
Arts & Culture
Does anyone interesting live in London anymore?
As London has become a global financial hub and a real estate speculators dream, it has priced out the people who once made the city diverse, interesting and cosmopolitan. What happens to the arts if artists can no longer afford to live in the big smoke, or attend its increasingly elitist art schools? This week we’re on the road at Sunday Papers Live, talking with artist, Darren Coffield about the silent art exodus from London and asking: Does anyone interesting live in London anymore?