The audacity of socialism

I suppose you could call it asymmetric warfare.

I see that the UK’s economy shrank “unexpectedly” in the lead up to the Budget, according to the latest official figures.

A few days ago, residents of a place in Northern Ireland called Newtownabbey woke up to a brand new mural on a gable wall.

So today is the UK Budget, that annual act of political pageantry when the Chancellor of the Exchequer stands up and tries to bribe you with your own money! And some people are foolish enough to go with it and cheer for the scraps thrown their way. Let’s be clear from the get-go, Governments do not have any money of their own, they simple misappropriate our money in the form of taxes and then use the proceeds to try and manipulate our votes!

My choices of reading material this past year are as eclectic as my music tastes and I thought I would share some of the books which gave me great pleasure in 2025.

I wonder what you make of Scottish First Minister John Swinney’s food price‑cap plan?