Joanna Blythman

A USUALLY apolitical friend phones me in a state of deep distress about Ukraine. It’s the first thing she thinks about when she wakes in the morning, the last thing she thinks about when she goes to sleep. She’s been waking up during the night asking herself what is wrong with humanity.

I HAVEN’T downloaded the NHS app, or the NHS Covid app, and I have absolutely no intention of doing so.

SEEING Justin Trudeau in action feels like watching a petulant brat having a tantrum. You try not to stare while thanking your lucky stars that he’s not your child, so you can’t be blamed for his actions.

CAROL Adams, an obscure vegan author, was recently given a platform at an Oxford Union debate where she tried to smear anyone who eats meat, dairy, fish, or eggs.

I have travelled by train between Edinburgh and London more or less monthly for the past two years.

IN March 2020, states all around the world tore up established global pandemic planning strategies and followed the lead of the Chinese government by confining citizens to their homes, seriously restricting their legitimate reasons for venturing outdoors.

WITH his man boobs straining inside his shirt, Boris Johnson is evidence of a big problem on two legs, a high-vis reminder that Britain looks to have lost the battle of the bulge.

THE change.org petition to rescind Tony Blair’s knighthood, awarded to him by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours list, has already gathered over one million signatures. That mega-number keeps climbing. It looks as if it could hit the 1.5 million mark, making it one of the most supported internet petitions ever.

THIS being January, we must consume our annual helping of Veganuary. When this vegan project began in 2014, vegans accounted for 1% of the UK population.

A FEW days before Christmas, I ate with family at one of my favourite restaurants, L’Escargot Bleu in Edinburgh, run by Fred and Betty Berkmiller.