The TUC still exist apparently. And they still live in the 19th Century. General secretary Brendan Barber said extreme wealth was "socially divisive and morally objectionable". The TUC says higher tax rates should be imposed on earnings between £1… more »

A couple of days ago supermarkets were being criticised for focusing promotions too much on unhealthy foods. Just noticed this at Asda.com - who point out that the government charge no VAT on "essential foods" which includes frozen pizza and chips, but c… more »

Stop everything! Sean Reynolds has decreed that Dunhill's marketing material is "sectarian". Boots in Royal Avenue, Belfast, withdrew from an aftershave marketing campaign because the t-shirts their staff were wearing featured a Dunhill Union Jack aft… more »

This was initially published a couple of months ago now, so apologies to those who have read it elsewhere, but I think it's definitely worth highlighting Jim Cusack writing in the Irish Independent about how prosperous Northern Ireland, and specifically Northern Irish Poor Oppressed Filthy Rich Catholics, have become in recent years.I've picked out the highlights below, but I'd really encourage anyone with 5-10 minutes free to read the whole article. more »

As A-level results are released again, Northern Ireland has a considerably higher ratio of A-grades ratio than the UK average: 35.4% compared to a national figure of 25.9%. Hands up who thinks it'll make Ruane think twice about killing off grammar schools? more »

Northern Irish bank notes may soon be given legal standing I noticed an interesting sentence at the very bottom of a Telegraph article about a W.H. Smith store in London overturning a ban on Northern Irish bank notes. A spokesman for HM Treasury sa… more »

Northern Ireland is full of tourists. Spending money. Good. more »

It's easy to think, when you're travelling abroad in Europe (or even hopping over the border), that it wouldn't be a good thing if we were to join the Eurozone and do away with all the nasty changing money business. The Irish Times carries a cautionar… more »

The European Parliament is set to vote on proposals that would ban airlines from quoting prices that don't include taxes and charges. Super, smashing, great! Not before time. Prices, in this country anyway (unlike North America), have always included… more »

It's something politicians, particularly in Northern Ireland, seem to be especially adept at. OK its their job, but some outlays seem to be more worthwhile than others. A few figures appeared yesterday: Policing George Bush's one-day visit: &po… more »