shipwreckd:

my career thus far? yup.

If Cameron ever says this to Miliband during PMQs, I will buy him a pint

(via thegirlnextdoor)

All internet porn will be blocked to protect children, under UK government plan →

naufragous:

Very bad news for fandom. And the arts. And freedom of speech & expression. And, well, everything really.

What she said.

I’ll probably write (trans: rant) about this at some point. You have been warned

"Mr Hunt, it has already been mentioned that some believe the decision to cut public arts and Humanities funding and effectively privatise higher education as specifically recommended by the Browne report will lead us into a cultural wasteland. As Britain’s cultural capital has relied for sixty years on publically funded higher education, as Culture Secretary can you tell us how the decision to destroy publically funded higher education will prevent us becoming a cultural desert irrigated only by right wing corporate propaganda and shit reality television?"

[Laurie Penny to Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary]

1. Jesus Christ woman, I hope you don’t want to be an MP, John Bercow would bitchslap you so bad.

2. No one in my family has ever been to university. I wouldn’t say we’re particularly “uncultured”. I wouldn’t say I live in an uncultured family. I’m struggling to quite figure out what this definition of culture you’re using is though. Because, according to Wiktionary it’s either a) “The arts, customs, and habits that characterize a particular society or nation.” or b) “The beliefs, values, behaviour and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life.” I fail to see how going to university enriches this. My grandma left school at fourteen and went to work at the Post Office. She’s obsessed with musicals (passed it onto me). According to your definition, this isn’t culture. My mum dropped out of school to join the Navy. She can quote Shakespeare - I’m an English Literature student and I can’t quote Shakespeare. Not culture? Plus, I’d say, according to the dictionary definitions above, part of my culture is my rugby. And a love of rugby, the love to follow a team (talking generally here, I haven’t been to a rugby match in years!) isn’t taught at university. Mind you, another part of my culture is chasing cheese down a hill. I can see how that would be taught at uni.

3. With the greatest will in the world, you’ve got to admit New Labour wasn’t a particularly left wing government.

4. “Shit reality television” HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING IN A FUCKING VACUUM? Seriously, I know “The Tool Academy” is (I believe anyway!) a new concept, but reality tv isn’t - and it hasn’t suddenly got worse since May! Big Brother’s been around for longer than I remember, hell, I remember watching it in Year Seven - that’s six years ago. There was a Labour government six years ago. Jeremy Hunt wasn’t in charge of culture then!

5. So, basically, you’re condemning anyone who doesn’t want to go to uni. Anyone who is not academically suited is now condemned to become nothing, is that what you’re saying? Not everyone has to go to university! You can be a fine, healthy, happy person without going - you can be clever, and still go. Why do you always need a degree to do something? My mum doesn’t have anything above Higher’s - tomorrow she’s teaching a class! But, according to you, she’s uncultured, she’s nothing. University is not needed for a well rounded individual. Sure, you can go; if you want to continue education, if you want to further your knowledge in academia. But it’s not the only option. Jesus Christ woman, I would have thought you would have been one of the ones campaigning for more apprenticeships. Not saying that anyone who doesn’t go to uni is condemned to be a “cultural wasteland”.

6. Also, just to point something out? The music/sport/writing/drawing that defines “culture”? It’s generally not taught. Probably most of the great stars have something in their genetic. I wouldn’t call myself a great star, but I’ve won national writing competitions - and I haven’t gone to uni yet. Nor is creative writing taught in schools to the extent I need.

(via fotheringhay)

THIS.

(via leahcross)

I. FUCKING. LOVE. THIS.

(via batteriesinmywatch)

"The state must fund services on behalf of its citizens, but it need not provide them itself."

David Laws, The Orange Book (via garethalteran)

(via creatory)

"If you believe a probably fictional 2000-yr-dead bronze-aged preacher was magic & morally perfect you shouldn’t be running a country."

Tim Minchin

illustriusclient:

woollymindedlib:

alexwhiteuk:

anotherlgbtchat:

teenagers

Ed Miliband LOL

nick clegg was buff then too. andy burnham looks like a chav :P (but would get it)

This is pretty scary. 

Oh dear Invisible Sky Wizard! Me and Osborne went through the same hair phase at university!