Marlborough College, voted the most socially desirable place to study by Tatler, is trying to expel a deadbeat.
Dad claims he's an angel (actually he doesn't) and deserves to stay.
His statement contains the following gems
"I am very concerned that the college is seeking to increase its standing in league tables by removing the less academically talented children.
Correct. Parents are not going to shell out £21,900 a year to have the likes of Rhys slow down their offspring.
"The college say they have almost complete power to remove pupils at their say so"
Yup.
"I had certainly not realised the relationship between the college and myself was so one-sided"
Well now you do.
The case begins tomorrow in the High Court.
We look forward to seeing whether the rights of a lazy rich kid override the rights of the rest of the pupils.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Parent sues school
Posted by pommygranate at 12:22 AM |
Monday, August 22, 2005
With friends like these...
One of the seven members of the Home Office task force with responsibilities for tackling extremism among young Muslims is Inayat Bunglawala, the media secretary for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
The Telegraph today has highlighted some of Inayat's finer moments, such as this
"The chairman of Carlton Communications is Michael Green of the Tribe of Judah. He has joined an elite club whose members include fellow Jews Michael Grade and Alan Yentob ."
and this
In January 1993, Mr Bunglawala wrote a letter to Private Eye in which he called the blind Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman "courageous" - just a month before he bombed the World Trade Center in New York.
Mr. Bunglawala had this to say about his previous comments.
"Those comments were made some 12 or 13 years ago. All of us may hold opinions which are objectionable, but they change over time. I certainly would not defend those comments today."
Fair enough. I once used to think that socialism made sense.
But last week he made the utterly incredulous accusation that the BBC is pursuing "a pro-Israeli agenda".
When asked by Carolyn Quinn to "condemn in the Middle East what you have now condemend in London", he replied
"We condemn the killing of all innocent people, wherever they are. Human lives everywhere are of equal value, whether they are British, American, Iraqi or Palestinian"
and err, what about the major targets of Middle Eastern Terrorism - the Jews?
Carolyn - why didnt you ask him to confirm this???
Posted by pommygranate at 9:33 PM |
Sunday, August 21, 2005
No taxes, no vote
Fascinating piece in the Spectator this week from Theodore Dalrymple on the dangers of a bureaucracy out of control.
Dalrymple argues that bureaucracies are easily constructed and nearly impossible to dismantle. The reason is that they end up existing for reasons completely different to those for which they were originally set up. The vested interests of those employed by the bureaucracy prevent rational debate.
Five million of Britain's workforce (and rising rapidly) are now in the pay of the government and hence funded by the taxpayer. Gordon Brown, realising the financial implications of his massive increase in the bureaucracy (not to mention the crippling liability endowed to our children when their pensions are drawn), promised to slash over 80,00 jobs (a hardly punitive 2%) at the last budget. Progress to date, is err, an increase of 40,000. Lies or incompetence?
Some libertarians smell a conspiracy, whereby the more the people depend on the government for their livelihood, the more they will have to vote for whichever party promises to safeguard these jobs.
Dalrymple's solution is simple and innovative. Those who work for the government (whether Tory or Labour) are understandably biased and must not be allowed to vote.
"No taxation without representation demanded the Amercian colonists...and those who live off taxes should not have representation".
Posted by pommygranate at 1:25 AM |
Friday, August 19, 2005
Football fans are idiots
Says the Guardian, as they lament the "Thatcherite greed", the "win-at-all-cost mentality", the "player contempt for the fans", bla bla.
For once, i agree.
Football has become boring, the players unappealing and the results predictable. Maybe its time the Competition Commission got involved?
Now for real excitement, tune into the Ashes Part IV next Thursday..
Posted by pommygranate at 6:38 PM |
Cambridge Uni; world's 2nd best
In the latest University rankings carried out by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute, Cambridge moves up to second place, whilst Oxford slips to 10th.
The US has 18 of the world's Top 20 universities.
The UK has 5 in the Top 50. Given the current funding crisis, i wonder how many will be left in 10 years.
Posted by pommygranate at 5:19 PM |
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Dumbing down Oxford
With the 'A' level pass rate at an all time record, the government is telling Oxford Admissions Tutors "not to assume too much knowledge on the part of the (state school) candidate."
Did i miss something?
Also included in this practical piece of advice is a warning not to cause religious offence, for instance by shaking hands with a Muslim girl who has not offered her hand first.
The report doesnt, however, offer advice on how dons should greet Muslim girls.
Perhaps a high 5?, a Freddie Flintoff double high 5?, a media-luvvy air kiss?
Posted by pommygranate at 12:07 AM |
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Biggs contracts MRSA
Blair promises to get tough on criminals. If the prisons are full, the new chilling policy appears to be to send them to the local NHS hospital instead.
Posted by pommygranate at 11:41 PM |
Cricket must never return to the BBC
Ashes fever...
Channel 4's innovative coverage of cricket neatly demonstrates why the private sector will always do things better than the public sector.
Amidst this (wonderful) renewed interest in cricket, the idiots urging the BBC to bid for the next contract need to shut up.
Having seen the way Sky has transformed football, i cant wait to see what they will do with their latest £220mm investment.
Posted by pommygranate at 6:59 PM |
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Why do we hate America so?
Clive Davis ponders our ambivalent relationship to the US
Anti-American views are endemic in this country, even fashionable.
The truth is that our society is flourishing under the umbrella of US protection. We are mad to bite the hand that feeds us.
Middle class liberals look down their noses at the US in the same way as old money views the nouveaux riche or a Big Brother winner. There is something a little gauche about their stunning success.
Posted by pommygranate at 9:59 PM |
