Squander,

Speaking of unintended consequences, I seem to recall that you were all for the departure of Blunkett. And now: Clarke's in the Home Office five minutes and the country's hoachin' wi' terrorists.

Still at least he didn't get the chance to abolish A-levels, eh?

Well, I'm all for the departure of Clarke as well. And I was all for the departure of Straw, and of Howard. Maybe we should just abolish the Home Office.

The government had considered making brothels an exception on moral grounds, but decided that it would be too difficult to distinguish them from bars.

Genius!

This has been flying around feminist blogs this week but apparently it's not actually true -
http://bitchphd.blogspot.com/200...tute- thing.html

http://feministing.com/archives/...ves/ 000879.html

Damn, damn, damn, damn.

I mean, good. For Germans. But bad for my blog.

Damn.

Thanks, Kate.

>>it's not actually true -

I couldn't find that bit. I saw evidence that some of the quotes may have been mistranslated and that it all may be being blown out of proportion - and that the german welfare minister (or whatever they call him) has denied it. Looks like they can't prove it either way.

I agreed with some of the comments on the point that, assuming it to be true, it is the work of an individual rather than policy. Not quite the same extreme, but I was unemployed in the UK for a good while and all my benefit was cut cos I refused to apply for a job as a manager (I didn't want to be a manager but had been in the past, hence the suggestion) of stores for two different companies. The first was a company who does ear-piercing and sells bangles and scrunchies to (mainly) teenage girls and the other was a major underwear retailer. As a mid-twenties male this wasn't appropriate but you have to meet their quotas or you get nothing.

The welfare minister has denied that the law makes this cumpulsory, but he didn't mention the woman from the Telegraph's report.

I'm about to blog further on this....

I took to mean it was not compulsory but your further post does address points that the other blogs seem to have missed. Good investigating!