Janet Street-Porter



Profile:


Full name: Janet Street-Porter

Area of interest: Range of interest covers: society, media, culture and politics - with emphasis on social justice and also environment concerns

Journals: The Independent on Sunday | The Independent

Email: [mailto:janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk]

Website/Blog: JanetSteetPorter.com

Representation: Ed Victor Ltd, see writerservices.com

Networks:



Biography:
About:

Education: Lady Margaret School, London; studied at the Architectural Association for two years

Career: Worked briefly for girls' magazine Petticoat; joined The Daily Mail (1969), becoming deputy fashion editor; moved to the Evening Standard (1971): fashion editor; in this period was also a specialist writer on design and architecture for Architectural Design, Design magazine, Harpers and Queen and Vogue; began a broadcasting career in 1973 as a commercial radio host…; returned to journalism as editor of The Independent on Sunday, 1999/2001, then editor-at-large 2002- Current position/role: Editor-at-large, commentator
 * see also Newspaper work (Wikipedia)


 * also writes/written for:

Other roles: Television presenter, producer, author

Other: activities (Wikipedia)

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight:
 * Press cuttings (JanetStreet-Porter.com)
 * Sorry, I'm a shame free zone - The Daily Mail, 15th September 2006
 * 'I am not an amateur' - They mocked her accent, they said she was a terrible role model, they complained she was overexposed. But Janet Street-Porter shrugged it all off. So why is she so jumpy about talking to Stuart Jeffries? - Interview by Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian, 6th April 2007
 * Interview - AsRecommended.co.uk, 2008

TV/Radio:

Video: work (Wikipedia)
 * Television work (JanetStreet-Porter.com)
 * IMDb

Controversy/Criticism:

Awards/Honours: BAFTA award for originality for the Channel 4 TV series Network 7 (1988); Prix Italia, Emmy nomination and a Classical Music Award for a reworking of the German romantic opera The Vampyr (1992)

Scoops:

Other: Personal life (Wikipedia)



Books & Debate:

 * The British teapot (1981) OCLC 8095636
 * Scandal (1981) OCLC 8095636
 * Coast to coast with Janet Street-Porter (1998) OCLC 40758186
 * As the crow flies: a walk from Edinburgh to London in a straight line (1999) OCLC 40882154
 * Baggage: my childhood (2004) OCLC 55805962
 * Incest: a tragic tale, by Marquis de Sade (2003) OCLC 51107433 (foreword)
 * Fall out (2006) OCLC 68771071
 * The walk of life (2005) OCLC 58455387

Latest work: Life's too f***ing short (2008) OCLC 180477513 ~ watch meet the author (VIDEO)

See also books (JanetSteet-Porter.com)

Speaking/Appearances:

Current debate: 

The Independent on Sunday:
Column name:

Remit/Info: Society, media, culture and politics

Section:

Role: Editor-at-large

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk]

Personal website:

Website: Independent.co / Janet Street-Porter

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Sunday

Regularity: Weekly

Column format: Multiple: main item plus usually two more items (can be three of four)

Average length:



Articles: 2011

 * The one where best mates desert each other'' - Gosh, I'm pleased I've never made Rebekah Brooks' Christmas card list. I'm proud I wasn't one of the ladies invited to Sarah Brown's slumber parties at Chequers - 17th July
 * 'NOTW' habit was as addictive as crack'' - According to Mr Cameron, 'we have all been in this together – the press, the politicians and leaders of all parties' - 10th July
 * rather shop with my mouse than with Mary Portas'' - I've never had much time for the self-important utterances of our Speaker's wife, but when Sally Bercow failed to find much sympathy for struggling retailers on Twitter, she hit on an uncomfortable truth - 3rd July
 * go overboard when it comes to choosing a school'' - Don't you love the way alleged socialists justify their biggest act of hypocrisy? - 26th June
 * scapegoating our parents, you spineless politicos'' - I can't think of any job tougher than being a parent in modern Britain - 19th June
 * of life care is a disgrace...'' - ... I, for one, am staying home - 12th June
 * risk all...'' - ... while the chiefs do nothing - 5th June
 * giving sector is a mess – and that's being charitable'' - David Cameron wants us to give more to charity – an admirable goal most of us would endorse - 29th May
 * be honest – there are far worse things than adultery'' - My goodness, is there something in the water? Open a newspaper, turn on the radio or the television and it's impossible to avoid middle-aged, successful men caught with their pants down - 22nd May
 * is home to the dull and dysfunctional – I'll never join'' - 15th May
 * markets don't need royalty'' - The first post-wedding picture of our future Queen was taken in the car park of Waitrose in Anglesey - 8th May
 * monarchy at play...'' - ... it's the greatest show on earth - 1st May
 * spring-cleaning my brain, so those celebrities must go'' - A glorious Easter weekend is a perfect opportunity to do some spring-cleaning - 24th April
 * the men at the top please stop their snivelling, and work?'' - What happened to the stiff upper lip? - 10th April
 * Ed believe in marriage...'' - ... or is he merely canvassing? - 3rd April
 * BBC should ignore us, and just make programmes'' - We will pay the same licence fee until 2016, but what can we expect in return? - 27th March
 * is a nasty fantasy...'' - ... The truth is far more interesting - 20th March
 * last, the perfect job for Andrew ... He can be a dummy'' - The Queen, not known for talking intimately with her children, will be desperately hoping that someone can come up with a suitably face-saving solution to the Andrew problem - 13th March
 * Bollocks...'' - ... the lingo that wastes cash and costs lives - 6th March
 * only quotas will do women justice'' - The time has come for the blokes who run business in this country to change the way they operate - 27th February
 * is to health what Clarkson is to road safety'' - Perhaps PM can rein in his cocky Health Secretary - 20th February
 * to the rescue as Gove betrays our schools'' - The Secretary of State for Education has a serious problem on his hands - 12th February
 * link with alcohol is driving me to drink...'' - Friday wasn't a good day for feeling positive... - 6th February
 * mind the old and ill...'' - ... protect the sacred wheelie bin - 30th January
 * should teach the three Rs: reading, writing and reality'' - Politicians made young people so many promises... - 23rd January
 * cheers for Miriam...'' - ... but the BBC won't change - 16th January
 * Downstairs is being lived out in 21st-century Britain'' - Will William and Kate do their own ironing and dusting? - 2nd January



Articles: 2010

 * then men think they're irresistible'' - Mr Cable is a very vain man – why else would he be on Strictly? - 26th December
 * women at the top?'' - Prospects for women will only improve if they are represented in the boardroom - 19th December
 * now can thank my generation'' - Women in their twenties can now claim there's no glass ceiling - 12th December
 * we can travel in space, why are our trains at a standstill?'' - I'd never heard of the mysterious 'third rail' until last Thursday - 5th December
 * the Maria Callas of our times! Gillian's got it taped'' - This year's 'I'm a Celebrity...' is the best modern drama around - 28th November
 * with my GP's practice, Mr Lansley? Over my dead body!'' - Andrew Lansley is fast shaping up as my least favourite government minister - 21st November
 * a leading expert on mothers-in-law'' - My heart sank read ing the excruciating 'open letter' my pal Gordon Ramsay decided to 'send' his mother-in-law - 14th November
 * to invade our privacy make Street View look discreet'' - I thought the point of an Information Commissioner was to protect rights - 31st October
 * mustn't make a profit out of a peat bog'' - Be vigilant – some of our most precious assets are at risk as a result of Mr Osborne wielding the axe - 24th October
 * workers to give up their jobs is bad housekeeping'' - If I get a nasty tax bill and have to cut back on my spending, there are obvious, if unpleasant, measures - 17th October
 * don't have time for Big Society'' - The problem with Dave's concept is the basic assumption that we've got the time to get involved - 10th October
 * costly games are all about ego...'' - ... they do nothing for sport - 3rd October
 * machinists led the way, but it's still a man's world'' - The cheery British film Made in Dagenham (opening 1 October) tells the true story of 187 female machinists who went on strike at the giant Ford motor factory in Dagenham in 1968 - 19th September
 * Rooney's Juicy Jeni so different from Belle de Jour?'' - Why be so judgemental about a pretty girl's lifestyle option - 12th September
 * Blair's boastful journey'' - Once, we took journeys to work, school, get the shopping or claim benefit - 5th September
 * boomers can't retire...'' - ... they need the money - 15th August
 * been crass, but what did we expect?'' - In her case, does an undisputed commitment to charitable causes balance glaring personality defects? - 8th August
 * 'fat', and stop the nation eating itself to death'' - If I call you fat, is it kind or cruel? - 1st August
 * disaffection that created Moat is what matters'' - Walk around some city streets and you sense low-level aggression - 18th July
 * C of E will die if it shuts out gays and women'' - Our church seems to be turning into a club I'm not sure I want to be part of - 11th July
 * choice not fit for school lunch menus'' - If you're poor you'll live 10 years less than someone from the middle classes - 4th July
 * not sex and booze, makes winners'' - I used to be addicted to Wimbledon; now I can't stand the mental torture - 27th June
 * blueprint for a better, cheaper, health service'' - What kind of National Health Service do you want? We're the rarely-consulted consumers, the front-line fodder for the NHS – but this cash-eating monolith (which gobbles up a sixth of all public spending) appears to operate to please its bureaucrats rather than the patient - 20th June
 * need parents, not a state nanny'' - Kids who are socially adept have parents who take an interest in them - 13th June
 * media turn tragedy into a spectacle'' - Cumbria killings resulted in a tidal wave of voyeurism fuelled by modern media - 6th June
 * find Fergie a job to do...'' - ... and save her from herself - 30th May
 * – every bit of brand promotion helps'' - Why has our biggest retailer suddenly been stricken with a social conscience? - 23rd May
 * cynics scoff...'' - ... a can-do Cabinet may pull it off - 16th May
 * as usual...'' - ... very few women, far too many men - 9th May
 * years on: Who's the heir to Blair's lair?'' - Janet Street-Porter: Islington South used to be a safe Labour seat. Our writer, a local resident, went to watch the three leading candidates in action and found that even here, the world has moved on - 25th April
 * insists we're all equal. The cheek of it!'' - I'm always up for a party – isn't that what we Brits are really good at? Celebrating, doing things to excess, having fun - 18th April
 * blow for justice...'' - ... if you're after the goldfish vote - 4th April
 * showing off is bringing our country to a halt'' - Life is full of unexpected small pleasures. Last Friday, listeners to Radio Four's Today programme were granted a 24-carat nugget to treasure. Geoff Hoon – one of the most pompous prats I've encountered – squirmed, grovelled and, finally, apologised! It was a historic moment - 28th March
 * is great in the UK...'' - ... as long as you are a bat - 21st March
 * cheers for Generation Y'' - Lucy Neville-Rolfe of Tesco is one of a handful of bosses who seem to delight in denigrating young people - 14th March
 * poverty, not polygamy, that kills'' - I've never met Sally Bercow, but my nickname for this self-important female is an abbreviation of her - 7th March
 * doctor says looks don't count...'' - ... it didn't hurt her... - 28th February
 * are obsessed by class...'' - ... We just want nice trains - 21st February
 * should know the food on their plate'' - One in four kids under the age of 16 thinks that bacon comes from sheep - 14th February
 * cashing in on fine art...?'' - ... The banks, of course - 7th February
 * 999 call is a call for help...'' - ... Pity the police don't know - 31st January
 * a price rise will stop booze culture'' - Why are politicians so feeble about tackling alcohol abuse? - 24th January



Articles: 2009

 * best birthday present...'' - ... grown-up women on TV - 27th December
 * to rescue British politics?'' - ... Give me a break - 20th December
 * your perks that define your status'' - The Tories pledge they will cut ministers' pay by 5 per cent, but that's not enough - 13th December
 * kids can't read, how do they get a job?'' - Who's right? Last week, Ofsted delivered a report which claimed that around a third of our schools are substandard - 29th November
 * internet is no place to fight a general election'' - Has the level of political debate really come to this? - 22nd November
 * are not heroines...'' - ... They are professionals - 15th November
 * - they still don't get it, do they?'' - What a bunch of whingers... and the women are worst of all - 8th November
 * it, Martin – Katie sells books...'' - ... and you don't - 1st November
 * sex roles betray women'' - On the face of it, Nicole Kidman would seem to be a rum choice to be talking about violence against women - 25th October
 * calls its big sites 'towns'...'' - ... I call them monopolies - 18th October
 * woman's place is on the platform'' - Bright women should be in power, not simpering at their men - 11th October
 * is now dolled up as the supermissus'' - Forget WAGs: there is a new female royalty - 4th October
 * to death – why did no one listen?'' - Her story is so distressing that it makes me wonder what kind of neighbours lived in her street - 27th September
 * slimmer Auntie is more attractive'' - The BBC is now the bloated institution every politician wants to castrate - 20th September
 * Turing, shameful abuse of gays goes on'' - It's become fashionable for politicians to say sorry – generally for events they have no control over - 13th September
 * cure for stress is not pills but saying 'No''' - Belatedly, the Government has announced that, along with alcohol and cigarettes, another highly popular and legal way of dealing with modern life's little difficulties is to be sold with a prominent health warning - 6th September
 * is no place for kids who need skills'' - When 97 per cent of boys and 98 per cent of girls gain A-level passes (and more than a quarter receive an A grade), the argument about standards is over. The A-level is thoroughly debased - 23rd August
 * ye not, for it will not change the world'' - Never mind the twitterati – and here, unusually, I agree with David Cameron – anyone suffering from the desire to communicate what they are doing or thinking every minute of the day in fewer than 140 characters is best described as a twat - 16th August
 * could fix things...'' - ... but the men won't budge - 9th August
 * mums are 'selfish', but older dads are studs ...'' - The death from cancer at 69 last week of the world's oldest mum produced some provocative headlines – and I suspect they were written by men - 19th July
 * kinds of sorry...'' - ... and I know which one I trust - 12th July
 * - More debts than knowledge'' - There's no point in getting a degree if you can't communicate your ideas - 5th July
 * BBC bosses take biscuit over pay'' - I can't waste energy getting worked up about BBC executives expenses - 28th June
 * rift at the heart of the debacle'' - I laughed when an MP moaned about the hypocrisy of journalists over expenses - 21st June
 * mums need to work...'' - ... but kids pay dearly - 14th June
 * markets lop a penny off...'' - ... then ring up millions - 7th June
 * is pointless for Baby P's mother'' - She snivelled, "by not being fully open with the social workers, I stopped them from being able to do a full job." - 24th May
 * course we're angry, but opting out is no answer'' - The BBC's Question Time was unforgettable television this week - 17th May
 * shopping is a drug, MPs need to go cold turkey'' - A year ago Gordon Brown lectured us on the evils of waste, and begged us to do our bit for the planet by throwing away less food. Sadly, he undermined his green message the next day when he boarded a privately chartered jet to the G8 summit in Japan (which had flown to London from Texas to pick him up, empty) and sat down to a six-course lunch followed by a dinner featuring 14 dishes - 10th May
 * Man is dead...'' - ... Women will swing the election - 3rd May
 * is a form of class warfare'' - As a nation we pride ourselves on our individuality – so why do we bully anyone who dares to be different? - 26th April
 * like a drink. Does that make me an alcoholic?'' - 19th April
 * was no saint, but he deserved better'' - Ian Tomlinson deserved some respect and understanding, and he clearly didn't get any that night - 12th April
 * women going to waste, while men talk'' - The tabloid headline said it all: "Sarah has a girls' night in while the boys talk business." In other words, it was situation normal in the world of politics: men make the real decisions while their womenfolk talk about doing good and bringing up the kids - 5th April
 * is fiddling while education goes up in smoke'' - Has there ever been a more useless chap in charge of education? - 29th March
 * don't we take to the streets over job losses?'' - Last week, the number of people out of work passed two million for the first time in 12 years, with workers in commercial businesses losing their jobs at the shocking rate of more than 20,000 a week. And how did the British people take these shocking figures last Wednesday? We settled down on our sofas to watch Orangutan Diary on BBC2, Nature's Great Events on BBC1 or Grand Designs on Channel 4. There's nothing like opting for a spot of mindless escapism when the shit hits the fan, is there? - 22nd March
 * love and 12 victims would have lived'' - Lack of self-respect and low self-esteem lie at the heart of this tragedy - 15th March
 * need older workers...'' - ... they know everything - 8th March
 * lose a child is agony – and the pain never goes'' - ‘My partner and I could not bear to be in the room when his disabled son died’ - 1st March
 * is good for you...'' - ... Just don’t expect to enjoy it - 22nd February
 * bells to wedding hell in one generation'' - Marriage couldn't be more unattractive – the number of us getting hitched has slumped to the lowest level since records began, 150 years ago. By next year, it's predicted that singletons will be in the majority - 15th February
 * was right to get the stupid celeb out of there'' -Carol Thatcher, martyr in the cause of free speech or dumb blonde? - 8th February
 * who's worst off in recession - women'' - Here's my advice on how to cope with the credit crisis: pour a drink and eat a bar of chocolate - 1st February
 * is for life...'' - ... it's not just about the DNA - 25th January
 * butterfly broken on a wheel'' - It's hard to think of Boy George as a butterfly, but try - 18th January
 * year we went green just shows what we can do'' - The only way to deal with rubbish is closer to home - 4th January



Articles: 2008

 * in the souk is our new way to shop'' - Even Blair rearranged his schedule to be first through the door at the Armani sale - 28th December 2008
 * a bit rich – the church going on about wealth'' - How should we spend Christmas – make do and mend, or spend and be damned? The church and the state slugged it out last week, with the Archbishop of Canterbury claiming the moral high ground - 21st December 2008
 * Blighty – no dosh, and even less style'' - 14th December 2008
 * mother slips through the net'' - Everyone has an opinion about Karen Matthews - 7th December 2008
 * me put the wonder back into Woolies'' - My first job was in Woolworths, Shepherd's Bush, west London - 30th November 2008
 * are a nation of puritans now, not shopkeepers'' - 23rd November 2008
 * to shake our civil servants from their feather beds'' - 16th November 2008
 * can we find Britain's Barack Obama?'' - 9th November 2008
 * BBC is the biggest joke of all. Bring back Brand'' - 2nd November 2008
 * on the beat – indecency gets a slap on the wrist'' - 19th October 2008
 * fat cats, resign'' - Friday was grisly – markets in free fall, TV screens covered with red figures - 12th October 2008
 * Jamie deserves a seat at the high table'' - I realise that Jamie Oliver's not everyone's cup of tea - 5th October 2008
 * Sarah, you've just taken a step back for women'' - Suddenly you can't open a newspaper without seeing a picture of Sarah Brown - 28th September 2008
 * the banks are going under. At least we will always have Damien...'' - 21st September 2008
 * woman is an island, Mrs Palin'' - John McCain's running mate shares the dangerous tunnel vision of George Bush junior in her avoidance of foreign travel - 14th September 2008
 * have brains as well as babies, and they're going to waste'' - There is little more job equality than 30 years ago, and the number of female executives is declining. What went wrong? - 7th September 2008
 * Don't blame Kate. It's the fashionistas who love skinny models'' - Despite all the hand-wringing, nothing has been done to stop women starving themselves for the catwalk. It's all about money - 31st August 2008
 * up Gordon and Nick, you've no idea about the cost of living'' - 24th August 2008
 * Sugar and spice... why have our little girls turned sour? - Young women are becoming more violent in a bid for 'respect', but it's a lack of female role models, not alcohol, that's to blame - 3rd August 2008
 * Fat cats of the food industry only want us to eat more and more - The Government is wrong to turn to the giant manufacturers of junk meals for sponsorship of its campaign against obesity - 27th July 2008
 * Here's one way to reduce knife crime – look the other way - Thoughtful work done quietly at grassroots level will do more to help put wayward youths on track than screeching headlines - 20th July 2008
 * Equal in the eyes of God? Not in the Church of England - The howls of protest from conservatives that greeted the vote to allow women bishops contradict Christian teaching - 13th July 2008
 * Privacy is down the YouTube and real friends are history - Teenagers weaned on the instant gratification of the internet do not understand the dangers that lurk in its virtual world - 6th July 2008
 * A vision that will make slums of what's left of our rural heritage - Ministers can refuse to listen to architects, planners and builders on so-called 'eco towns', but the British public will not be ignored - 29th June 2008
 * Give lacklustre parents Asbos – not their children - Let's tackle anti-social behaviour with compulsory evening classes in running a home and raising a family - 22nd June 2008
 * David Davis is the new voice of the people - The maverick Tory is more in tune with popular feeling than 'insiders' think - 15th June 2008
 * When I was stalked, I got help. Where were the police for Arsema? - The police often think that women who attract a stalker start by encouraging the man. They are wrong, and dangerously so - 8th June 2008
 * The have-it-all days are over. We're back to austerity and thrift - Hard times are upon us, so we should rediscover the forgotten skills of patching, mending and growing our own vegetables - 25th May 2008
 * Eco-towns are just vandalism dressed up in a trendy green coat - Who wants new communities when thousands of existing houses stand empty? Even builders agree – government plans are potty - 18th May 2008
 * We've put the wrong Gordon in charge - While the PM's credibility plummets, the TV chef is the very model of self-belief - 11th May 2008
 * An army of choosy shoppers could see off greedy retailers - Voters care about life on their own doorsteps – the election results show that – and nothing beats the glow of buying locally - 4th May 2008
 * The bonkathon for Mayor is an insult to struggling parents - The press rakes over the affairs of Ken, Boris and Brian, but with little of the censure dished out to Shannon's mother Karen - 6th April 2008
 * Janet Street-Porter vs Boris Johnson - Editor-at-large Janet Street-Porter, born and bred a Londoner, tests the credentials of the Tory candidate for Mayor, Boris Johnson - 30th March 2008 (interview)
 * Let's give our so-called 'feral youth' a break - Demonising anyone under 21 does great harm – after all, the young are our future - 30th March 2008
 * A Good Friday bet is the oddest way yet to erase child poverty - The Government is big on ideas such as freedom and choice, but these have only pushed the working classes further into debt - 23rd March 2008
 * Women are rarely welcome in the police chaps' club - Machismo is still the norm in the force, as Michael Todd's case shows. Even in trouble, he was still 'one of the boys' - 16th March 2008
 * Hillary vs Barack is a thriller. Ken against Boris is just tawdry - In the US, the candidates galvanise and inspire. The contrast with London's mayoral rivals could hardly be more marked - 9th March 2008
 * Women, you can have it all – just not at the same time - Having a baby at 40 is increasingly the only sensible option for a growing band of educated wealthy southerners - 2nd March 2008
 * Don't blame the young: we're a nation of boozers - We should look to our own behaviour – not that of teenagers or pop stars – if we are to tackle the alcohol problem - 24th February 2008
 * Divorce British-style is a messy business - As the circus that is the McCartney-Mills break-up continues, it's almost worth wishing for the simpler, sharia version - 17th February 2008
 * Young, gifted... and ignored by Radio 4 - The BBC's main spoken word station fails to reflect the diversity of Britain – or even the variety in the white middle class - 10th February 2008
 * All aboard the MPs' gravy train for a tour of self-serving sleaze - We cannot keep paying our politicians to employ relatives on lavish salaries. Their marital harmony is not our problem - 3rd February 2008
 * Let adult fatties eat themselves to death. The kids we can save - If the Government really wants to tackle obesity, it should channel all its resources into getting the young fit and healthy - 27th January 2008
 * A few frocks on a red rug don't make a film industry - The Baftas are coming, but a bit of glitz and glamour can't disguise the fact that British cinema has little to celebrate - 20th January 2008
 * M&S has its USP – but it's not a value pack of underpants - Marks & Spencer carved out a niche for quality and that's where it's at home, not scrabbling to pile it high and sell it cheap - 13th January 2008
 * Just blog off. And take your self-promotion and cat flap with you - Whether the ramblings of the socially inept or the musings of the rich and powerful, most cyber-diaries are a feeble waste of time - 6th January 2008



The Independent:
Column name:

Remit/Info: Society, media, culture and politics

Section:

Role: Commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk janet.street-porter@independent.co.uk]

Personal website:

Website: Independent.co / Janet Street-Porter

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Wednesday

Regularity: Weekly

Column format: Main item plus two more

Average length:



Articles: 2009

 * politics and business turns off voters'' - Perhaps the PM should take a look at the furore surrounding Silvio Berlusconi - 10th June
 * 'Jeopardy' – television's crack cocaine'' - I only watched the last 10 minutes of Britain's Got Talent, and even that tiny bit of blood sport made me feel guilty - 3rd June
 * be a lousy MP – and so would Esther'' - Esther means well, but she's hopelessly under-qualified to enter parliament - 20th May
 * to give the rich a dose of reality'' - Elizabeth Hurley refers to "civilians". We might prefer "them and us". Events of the past few days reinforce the notion that two parallel versions of life co-exist in modern Britain - 13th May
 * least politics is brightened up by the Berlusconis'' - It's seconds out in the battle between Silvio Berlusconi and his long-suffering wife Veronica - 6th May
 * don't want MPs lecturing us'' - The Tories have appropriated the word "thrift" to describe the way forward - 29th April
 * don't deserve their summer hols'' - Do you know of any other job that pays as well (£64,700) for so few hours and offers twice as much time off as most workers in the UK get? - 22nd April
 * we all need to stop worrying and start talking'' - We've turned into a nation of worriers - 15th April
 * smooth and very sweet but very far from innocent'' - Smoothie makers just like Coca-Cola - 8th April
 * art has become a vile pollutant'' - We are busy constructing the follies of our age - 1st April
 * lost sight of what bravery really means'' - Is "brave" the most over-used word in the English language? - 25th March
 * back ration books – for booze'' - We could pay a minimum price, and there would be a thriving black market for those determined to drink to excess - 18th March
 * be relieved when charade ends'' - Nothing illustrates the patronising attitude of the BBC more graphically than its hijacking of charitable causes - 11th March
 * good tantrum can be better than diplomacy'' - anger is now being re-evaluated. A 44-year study by psychiatrists in the US looked at the careers of 800 people, and concluded that anger helped people rise to the top, provided it was expressed in a positive way - 4th March
 * decided not to eat the sad, rubbery food I was given'' - A piece bemoaning poor food and service in some British restaurants brought an impassioned response from our readers - 3rd March
 * can't I get a decent meal out?'' - A new kind of cuisine is flourishing – cheap fast food - 25th February
 * older fathers who need morality lessons'' - I cannot see that one 13-year-old father is proof that we’re morally bankrupt - 18th February
 * delusion...'' - ... It's an open and shut case - 11th February (See: Suicide police chief's work 'not affected by 38 liaisons')
 * wanted real news, not pretty pictures'' - Give the BBC a snowstorm and they seem more concerned with pictures than real information - 4th February
 * wrong with the idea of GPs?'' - It's right that the NHS should look at ways of improving its impact on the environment - 28th January
 * have more real people like Ken'' - Ken Clarke, like Vince Cable, is a chap totally at ease with himself - 21st January
 * is potty to lose our true arts heritage'' - 7th January



Articles: 2008

 * advice you can safely ignore'' - Can I suggest lying in bed watching repeats of Midsomer Murders? - 30th December 2008
 * Amis is right about the elderly'' - Amis reckons the class system has disappeared and been replaced by a rigid hierarchy in which the young will resent being made to pay for the over-60s. Amis predicts a civil war between the generations. Is he joking? - 24th December 2008
 * do we stop men feeling inadequate?'' - We obsess about our appearance and feel inadequate at work, but research proves men feel the same - 10th December 2008
 * does not always know best'' - One of the most sensitive subjects for writers is the mother-daughter relationship - 3rd December 2008
 * is nothing compared to the 1940s'' - Christmas has come early for some citizens, according to the Chancellor - 26th November 2008
 * always knows best?'' - What damage do you have to inflict on a child – and for how long – to be deemed an unfit mother? - 19th November 2008
 * fear 'Healthy Towns' are just another fad'' - 12th November 2008
 * Clarkson and John Prescott'' - Two dinosaurs, two outdated world-views - 5th November 2008
 * like Russell Brand thrive in the macho culture of the airwaves'' - Fines, sackings and investigations can't alter a culture - 29th October 2008
 * prize snobs have lost the plot'' - The British publishing industry is the last bastion of true snobbishness - 15th October 2008
 * growth industry that is now obesity'' - 8th October 2008
 * local TV if you want to know what's happening'' - 1st October 2008
 * slide into despair shames us all'' - 24th September 2008
 * the doom and gloom – this is a golden age for art in Britain'' - 18th September 2008
 * man who is tired of Damien Hirst...'' - So Robert Hughes thinks Damien Hirst's work is absurd and nothing more than clever marketing - 11th September 2008
 * in life are important too'' - 4th September 2008
 * Get these fake police officers off our streets'' - 28th August 2008
 * Sex tourism blitz is just opportunist'' - The media circus surrounding Gary Glitter is not only confined to the antics of an ex-rock star pursued by reporters. Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, was obscenely quick off the mark to cash in on what probably seemed like a great PR opportunity - 21st August 2008
 * I'm innocent. So the police have no right to keep my DNA on file - 31st July 2008
 * 'Healers' on the run – with your money - 24th July 2008
 * A dignified death at home is a human right - 17th July 2008
 * Sorry, Sir Stuart, but it's not 'our' M&S - 10th July 2008
 * Knife crime's real perpetrators: parents - 3rd July 2008
 * A prima facie case of floundering by Brown - 26th June 2008
 * A hair-raising price for being too honest - 19th June 2008
 * If this is 'care', then I hope I'll never need it - 5th June 2008
 * I could run a railway better than this... - 22nd May 2008
 * We're ready to rise up against eco-towns - 15th May 2008
 * Deep in rural England, fresh fields for the BNP - 8th May 2008
 * So what chance did Karen ever have? - 17th April 2008
 * Shame on those who ganged up on Harriet - 3rd April 2008
 * Why should MPs get special treatment? - 27th March 2008
 * Welcome to Botswana – the sanitised version - 20th March 2008
 * You've got the wrong target, Margaret - 6th March 2008
 * But would you want to live in an eco-town? - 28th February 2008
 * No wonder there are so many sick notes - 21st Febraury 2008
 * The rich must resolve the paradox of London - 14th February 2008
 * Hooray for Henry? Not bloody likely... - 7th February 2008
 * Dignity is the right of every NHS patient - 31st January 2008
 * Cooking needs time. So does teaching it... - 24th January 2008
 * Why I hate the beauty business (Or why life's too short to spend £100 on face cream) - Saturday 19th January 2008
 * There's no big secret about Burrell's flaws - 17th January 2008
 * No film will reveal the truth about Maddy - 10th January 2008
 * How can we teach the merits of thrift? - 3rd Jauary 2008



Links:

 * Wikipedia biog
 * BFI Screenonline biog