Read the 'inside' story of today's reshuffle.

Priti was a natural. It wasn’t often you could find a home secretary who was both vicious and stupid. The ideal combo.

Quote from OP link.

After yesterday's announcement. A classic case of life imitating art!

The Guardian article was criticising the tabloids and their part in Caroline Flacks death. Or did I misread it? Do you have to jump in and criticise me even before properly reading what I have said these days?? Can you please explain to me why I'm suggesting The Guardian is a tabloid and, if not apologise. Thank you. Of course, I should have put it in italics or something....

For those in doubt

A tabloid
a newspaper having pages half the size of those of the average broadsheet, typically popular in style and dominated by sensational stories
"the tabloid press
NORTH AMERICAN
lurid and sensational

Are you suggesting The Guardian is a tabloid Labaik ?
More than a bit off the mark.
The format may have changed from the old days, but in ethic, it is still very much a broadsheet.

Also returning to the tabloids - I dislike them because of their extremely wealthy proprietors who wanted us to leave the EU because of the changes to taxation that were introduced by the EU in January. Since the Guardian and Observer are owned by a trust changes to taxation are one criticism that cannot be aimed at them.

Returning to the subject of tabloids and why I hate them; this is from T he Guardian.....'The death of Caroline Flack has once again focused attention on the behaviour of the British tabloids, who had followed every twist and turn of her private life – coverage, critics argue, that fed vicious online abuse of a clearly vulnerable woman.
Within hours of the announcement, hundreds of celebrities and members of the public had backed calls for a “Caroline’s law” against excessive media intrusion while Laura Whitmore, who succeeded Flack as host of Love Island for the current series, suggested media coverage contributed to her friend’s death.
“To the press, the newspapers, who create clickbait, who demonise and tear down success, we’ve had enough,” said Whitmore in an impassioned speech on her weekly BBC Radio 5 live show.
“I’ve seen journalists and Twitter warriors talk of this tragedy and they themselves twisted what the truth is … Your words affect people. To paparazzi and tabloids looking for a cheap sell, to trolls hiding behind a keyboard, enough.”

Varian yes, always appreciate your posts.

Many young and middle-aged people have already made the decision to relocate to another EU country.

This exodus has not registered because we are not talking about huge numbers of Remainers, but the people who have already moved or are about to move, like half of my family, are the people we can least afford to lose.

These are the best British graduates, the doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers, architects, technologists, traders, IT professionals, linguists and talented creative entrepreneurs who can do well anywhere, but not in post-Brexit little Britain.

GagaJo me too, it's tempting to think of moving, say to France or Ireland, but there's lots of troubling change going on everywhere. I love talking to young people and hearing their refreshing views on the world but many of them are being failed on the education front. I know quite a few teachers and they all say the same as you.

I don't know if you ever listen to Any Questions but it was on the radio while we were decorating today (!) and there were many, many questions about DC and even Conservative voters expressing doubts about where our politics were going. It was a little comforting.

Annie, couldn't agree more with your 21.35 post. Those papers are dangerous and whip up racism, to name just one form of social hatred. And as for the state of uk education, I have wept (as a teacher) over it. Our children are being failed as part of an elitist policy to keep the working classes powerless.

At the time of the election I spoke of the uk being a totalitarian state with an unelected man at the helm. And now they're not even trying to pretend otherwise.

I find the world a terrifying place these days.

no apology needed varian, I was a bit tongue in cheek there, people "like me" are used to being smiled at by some and sneered at by others for being Guardian readers. I should have said, I realise you aren't in the sneering category at all.

I have a young relative who writes for the FT so I occasionally read it. Just the name put me off for years, finances not being my strong point.

I apologise if my reference to the popularity of the Guardian amongst certain professions seemed dismissive. It was not intended to be.,

I also feel marginalised when I read the Financial Times as I'm not a stockbroker, banker or chartered accountant.

Even so, the FT, like the Guardian is well worth reading.

The Mail did some good investigative journalism in the past. The Stephen Lawrence case stands out and they deserve recognition for that work.

I buy the Guardian (yes I fit the category set out rather dismissively by varian) , I read the I and occasionally buy the Times or Telegraph. Yes, the Observer at the weekend though it we're away, the Times or Telegraph do nicely for a long read.
I read the Daily Mail on line but I don't read its showbiz gossip and I've stopped reading the bile it prints daily on Meghan and Harry. I often wonder if the Mail was taken out of circulation for a month, whether the country would be a happier, more well informed place.

For what it's worth, since people are laying out their credentials, I have a Masters in Research Methodology and another in Medical Anthropology. I had a long career in publishing, was an active trade unionist and later a project manager in charities and have worked in adult education and volunteered with the homeless and in schools.

I read and financially support The Guardian, I also read The Times, The Independent, The New European, The Irish Times and occasionally I look at The New York Times and France 24. I like listening to Australian podcasts, the ABC have some excellent ones.
I used to read the Daily Mail but in the last few years I think standards have dropped and the tabloids have enjoyed propagating division and xenophobia so now they turn my stomach and I avoid them.

I object to the absolute lies published on the front pages of the tabloids, especially the Daily Express, I've written to my MP before now asking why they aren't prosecuted. I also object to campaigns like vilifying judges and publishing the addresses of people they don't like so setting them up for violence from thugs. All the tabloids do this.

I don't get your point Urm, yes of course plenty of grammar school educated people have ended up supporting Conservative policies. I think I was replying to someone accusing me of being an elitist intellectual and a socialist snob. So much for not attacking the individual on GN!!! My point was, and remains, that the tabloids publish lies and misinformation aimed at the poorly educated who are failed by our education system. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves and our young people are sadly lacking in a broad and challenging education that brings out the best in them. Not all of course but teaching to SATS and league tables has been detrimental.

growstuff Fri 14-Feb-20 16:58:11

'It wasn't that interesting that it was worth reading twice. hmm'

Thank you. Your usual charm.

I come from a working class background but benefitted from a grammar school

Me too annezzz
But I’m on the opposite side of the political fence to you.
?

I will carefully read the tabloid close to my heart and look for the retractions.

'Most of those that look down on the tabloids do so because they have political views different from those of the tabloid papers and are so absolutely sure that their views are the ownly absolutely correct views that can never be assailed that anyone, or worse, any newspaper who actually thinks differently must be venal, lying, out to mislead etc etc. They are so sure of themselves they make papal infallibility look iffy.'
No; I hate the tabloids because they make a habit of using their front pages to print absolute lies which are then retracted a while later in a paragraph buried in the middle of the paper.

‘Builders’ Really??

growstuff All the papers I mention, BBC, Sky, Al jazeera, R4 and innumerable others here there an everywhere that I google. That is how I found this John Crace column.

I will read almost anything and everything I can find. I do not implicitly believe everything I read. I might also add that I have a masters degree in information science, that is among other things the science of finding sources of information, evaluating them, summarising their contents and assessing and verifying their reliability. I earned my living for nearly 30 years using those skills in industry.

I do not know everything on the subject and like everyone I can, at times, make mistakes. This is why I post so many links on threads where people are looking for information. It is my ingrained instinct when someone asks a question to immediately ferret out the answer.

Rishi Sunak impressed me as a defender of the indefensible because of his smooth, confident, plausible style.

Perhaps Boris might live to regret promoting him as he might not be content to be a perpetual poodle.

He is almost certainly more intelligent and able than BJ.

I agree with you POGS; I believe Rishi Sunak is a force to be reckoned with, has a formidable intelligence, and was able to predict and identify trends in the recent election.
I don't believe he will be anybody's poodle.

It wasn't that interesting that it was worth reading twice.

It really doesn't matter at all what ability, or lack of same, Sunak has, POGS. He'll do just what Cummings tells him to do. That's why he's got the job.