Tribune – Comment, news and reviews from Britain's democratic left

CRITICISM of the Learning and Skills Council over disasters in funding sixth forms and college building programmes misses the point. The PCS union is right to defend its members, pointing out that, over college buildings, the civil servants at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills were fully informed. It is too easy for politicians to avoid blame for the disasters. Secretary of State John Denham accepted the resignation of Mark Haysom as chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council over the fiasco when the college buildings project ground to a halt, thus avoiding criticism being directed at him. But what of the role of Denham’s department? When DIUS permanent secretary Ian Watmore became the Football Association’s chief executive in February, was there more to it than a desire to see the Cup Final?

IT’S that time of year again. I’ve got to sort out my accounts and file a tax return. I spent hours last weekend sifting through invoices, receipts, bank statements and wage slips, working out what to declare to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs about my freelance income and related expenditure for tax year 2008-09.

THERE has been much talk about lifelong learning in recent years, but with little clarity on what it actually means. One question not asked is why university should be where many 18-21-year-olds go for full-time courses. Having the right to attend later and possibly part-time would enable more to benefit.

FORGET Europe, the June 4 poll in the north of Ireland will have little to do with the European Parliament and be more a referendum on the success of the Democratic Unionist Party/Sinn Fein power-sharing government at Stormont.

IN THESE credit-crunched times, it is hard enough to do the weekly shop without getting a sermon at every counter. Every time I pick up a product, it tells me how good it will be for me, how nothing nasty got anywhere near it, how nothing bad happened to anyone (including animals) in its preparation, or got released into earth, water, fire or air, and that happy workers sang all day long when they made it.