Prizes for all: Why Mehdi Hasan is wrong about banning private schools
By Ian Silvera
Should Olympic champion Usain Bolt share his gold medal with his 100 metre competitors? Should a CEO be paid the same as a trainee? Should all competitions be banned?
It is unlikely that most people would say yes to the above questions, but there are a group of people who do just that. They are called ‘cultural Marxists’.
Cultural Marxists are driven by egalitarianism, an ideology that decries we must all be equal. On the face of it egalitarianism seems like a good idea. Isn’t it unfair that some people are born richer than others? And isn’t it annoying that our boss takes home more money even though we work just as hard? The problem is that egalitarianism is at odds with meritocracy, the ideology that argues individuals should be awarded on their merits.
The world is a meritocratic place. If you are a talented sportsman, you are decorated for your victories. If you are a gifted academic, you are recognised for your intelligence. You do not, in other words, get recognition for being mediocre.
Read more here.
Manchester Central Labour hopeful hits back at Michael Gove’s O-level plans
By Ian Silvera
A Labour candidate standing in the forcoming Manchester Central by-election is criticising Michael Gove’s proposal to scrap GCSEs in favour of O-level exams.
Lucy Powell, who has been shadowing outgoing Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd, joined Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in condeming the Secretary of Sate for Education’s plan to reform secondary school education.
Ms Powell told MM that she thought there are better ways to ‘push people to the top’.
The ex-campaign manager for Labour Leader Ed Miliband added: “I disagree with going back to an era where some are told that they can only reach so far.”
Ms Powell is not alone in her criticism of Mr Gove’s plans.
Read more here.
Labour MPs, MEPs and organisations that offer unpaid internships
Following the article released yesterday in The Guardian regarding MPs and unpaid interns I provided research for, I can now reveal the Labour MPs, MEPs and organisations that offer unpaid internships on W4MP.
UPDATE: The Conservative list and the Liberal Democrat list
DISCLAIMER: If you are listed here and feel the information is incorrect, please feel free to contact me at iansilvera@gmail.com
What can we learn from the Oldham victory?
“I hereby declare that the said Debbie Abrahams is voted in as Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth”
In the early hours of Friday 14th January Debbie Abrahams – a former public health consultant- was declared the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth. The Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election had been brought about by corruption and mistrust. Since Phil Woolas was found guilty of breaching article one hundred and six of the Representation of the People Act 1983, Party leaders and senior party officials of all political parties have flocked to Oldham East and Saddleworth in order to persuade overwhelmed residents to vote for their party. Despite hysteria and media hype concerning the Oldham by-election, what can we, the Labour party, learn from the by-election victory?
Ms. Abrahams’ convincing victory- commanding a 3,558 majority- Continue reading →
Sorry, you have the wrong genitals: young Labour’s new election policy.
Recently, I received a letter from young Labour, Labour’s youth wing. Nothing new, I thought, probably trying to promote another public affairs event with the persuasive allure of free tea and biscuits. However, my inclinations were wrong. I had been asked, with thousands of other members, to consider taking part in the party’s youth elections. The particular election that stood out to me was the regional representative election. I was elated that I had been given an opportunity to represent my home region, the West Midlands, on young Labour’s national committee.
Alas, in the rest of the letter I was presented with some bad news. Although I had a gender – “there are rules relating to gender” – my gender was the wrong one. I have a penis. Apparently, the letter explained, Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) has agreed that half the regions will be required to elect women and the other half will be open to men and women. Skilfully, the NEC has alienated roughly half of their young members (the ones with penises) in the following regions: East Midlands, Eastern, London, South East, West Midlands and Yorkshire.
Young Labour’s discrimination against men is wrong. Continue reading →
