'According to the WWF as many as 90% of all large fish have been fished out.' Photograph: allOver photography/Alamy We are living through a delicious disaster. Never has so much food been offered to us from so many parts of the world, and in such elaborate combinations. The average supermarket carries over 45,000 different product lines, and yet the provenance of most of these products are utterly opaque. The government has handed control of the food chain over to the supermarkets – and with it, any meaningful sense of the common good.Take fish. There is a crisis in our oceans – according to the WWF as many as 90% of all large fish have been fished out – yet there are no gaping holes on ... Continue reading →
Government plans which could reduce state benefits paid to thousands of blind people have sparked a revolt by Liberal Democrat MPs in the latest sign of tension inside the Coalition over cuts. The Liberal Democrat rebels are demanding a U-turn after it emerged that many blind or partially-sighted people who currently receive disability living allowance (DLA) of up to £120 a week could lose out when it is replaced by a new personal independence payment (PIP) from next April.Although Nick Clegg is defending the Government's plans, he is under intense pressure from his MPs to lobby for changes before the new system is implemented. Jo Swinson, his parliamentary aide, has written to Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, urging a rethink after taking ... Continue reading →