Today, politics came back with a bang. David Cameron unveiled his first significant reshuffle since taking power after a weekend of damp squib policy announcements. In the most central area for the government, the economy, it was very much a case of plus ca change.
George Osborne, unsurprisingly, remained in place, as did Vince Cable despite being wildly unpopular with the general public and the Conservative right respectively. I suspect this was a deliberate ploy to send the clear signal that there is no intended change of course in this policy area. David Laws and Kenneth Clarke will no doubt have input but neither intend nor advocate significant changes.
Mark Ferguson has
Today was a day when many, justifiably, were celebrating outstanding academic achievement. However, for different reasons, both the government and opposition failed to make the grade. Exam result days have become somewhat ritualistic, there are winners and losers but no matter what the outcome it has become typical for the political classes, usually accompanied by the media, to frown sternly and wag their finger. Little thought is given by either side to the far-reaching effect that the different outcomes have on so many lives. 
The case of Julian Assange has become something of a pantomime; frankly, the notion of the SAS storming Ecuador’s Embassy is almost as comical as it is tragic. If Ecuador is prepared to taint itself by keeping Assange fattened and atop his pulpit at its own taxpayers expense then more fool it. Certainly, I wouldn’t want see British taxpayers money spent on this feeding the already giant ego of Julian Assange.
I remember the days when George Osborne used to faithfully swear by Greece as a brilliant example of why austerity was absolutely needed (that was after he abandoned Ireland due to austerity tipping it over the economic edge). I am sure the reader does too. I think opponents of the austerity agenda should take Mr Osborne at his word and use Greece as a good example of exactly where implementing austerity leads.