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By Nicholas Figgis Attempts by government ministers and their friends in the press to use the Remembrance ceremony as a political tool reached farcical heights this weekend. The Telegraph called in the big guns, citing the opinion of etiquette expert, William Hanson, whose heavyweight contribution to world affairs includes advice on whether or not to stick your finger out when drinking tea. Hanson let it be known that while it was Corbyn's right to dishonour soldiers with the wrong kind...

This week warnings from climate change scientists this informed us that the world is halfway towards the threshold that could result in dangerous climate change, revealing that average global temperatures have recorded a rise of one degree Celsius for the first time. The met office informed us that record warm temperatures measured in the first nine months of this year mean that the world has already reached the halfway point towards the arbitrary “threshold” of a 2C increase on pre-industrial...

By Darragh Roche A BRITISH exit from the EU would decimate the Irish economy, according to a recent study from Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The UK is by far Ireland’s largest source of imports and second largest export market. A Brexit would see Anglo-Irish trade fall by nearly one fifth, with drastic falls in wages, employment and living standards in the republic. Border controls and police checkpoints could return to the republic’s border with Northern Ireland. Ireland’s government...

The New Year can be an expensive time, especially if you’ve overspent during the festive period. It’s also the time of year when many of us put in place resolutions to change our lives. If you want to start lowering your energy usage in the New Year, either to save money or reduce your impact on the environment, the expert team at Pump Sales Direct have a few simple tips to help you.   1. Switch Off One of the...

By Callum Towler ‘Chess is as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you can find outside an advertising agency’. In an industry practically choked with aphorisms, said by people who sell advert ideas and arrive at the conclusion that they’re some sort of omniscient sage, it took an outsider, the writer Raymond Carver, to best sum up the industry in one deft turn of phrase. It’s true: many clever, brilliant people make up ad agencies, all pouring their best...

By Jack Peat, Editor of The London Economic  On Tuesday British Prime Minister David Cameron will deliver a warning to European leaders that he will consider banging the drum for the ‘out’ campaign in the run up to the referendum if his demands for reform are "met with a deaf ear". The letter to Donald Tusk will essentially formalise his arguments for reform to date, giving him the political weight to convince Britons they are not on a conveyor belt...

By Callum Towler  Tax Credits is that trojan horse moment of revelation, a party who infiltrated the heart of government claiming the best intentions, suddenly revealing its dark ideological core for all to see. If a political party’s brand is it’s core meaning, then rhetoric channelled through the media is the vehicle used to convey that meaning to the world. The brand manufactured under Cameron has been one of compassionate conservatism, a claim MPs back up by reminding us of...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor “It’s getting longer and longer,” the PM was heard to say over his mic at the end of PMQs today. Sorry Dave, the increase from 35 to 38 minutes must really put a dint into your day. Last week’s overrunning PMQs meant he was late to meet the Chinese. I wondered which despot was left listening to Sam bang on about playing pool with Tricky at University, today. You almost feel sorry for them. The...

Home-owners in Britain face a startling post-code lottery when it comes to the cost of repairing household gadgets and appliances. Do you repair your old appliances, or just go out and buy new ones? It's widely known that costs of living in the capital have continued to soar compared to regional counterparts.  However, new research shows that those living in London also face the highest hourly labour charges in the UK for repairing and mending old appliances, with those living...