Student loans - the third perspective
In an Urban Wisdom luncheon we discussed why four out of six of us had not gone to university. An hour had elapsed, and obviously given the ridiculous hike in tuition fees last year, our main arguments circled this £9,000 deterrent. Yes… we know a student loan is a convenient way to cover the cost […]
Diary of a squatter
The following is based on true events, though written before the changes to squatting law in September 2012. ‘And with some conviction he orders my eviction.’ Part 1: Living in an old hostel that’s been empty for two years, planning permission approved but no funding found. This empty old hostel is now housing at least […]
Peer courts - a good idea?
“Think back to the London riots, just think how many young people would not have gone to prison in 2011 if these systems were in place then?” A Conservative London Assembly Member, James Cleverly, is calling for a dramatic change in the approach to ‘teenage criminals’. He is asking the Met Police Commissioner to introduce […]
An open letter to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling
Dear Mr. Grayling, This week you have said that you want to make it harder for prisoners to earn privileges and that they should wear uniforms for the first two weeks of their sentence. This is our response. The focus of prisons should be preventing reoffending. Are you personally confident in the rehabilitation systems that […]
Food poverty in London
Our response to the London Assembly’s recent report on food poverty; “A Zero Hunger City”. Kids Company’s Plate Pledge campaign has been raising awareness of the reality of hungry children in the UK, and this helped push The London Assembly to investigate the issue of food poverty in London. You can read the report here. […]