18 h. ago Cutting school transport for disabled kids is a cruel way to balance the books

Record View says cutting services cannot mean vulnerable youngsters being left ­abandoned by the education system.

Culture

8 d. ago Tiny Bookshop review – a truly cosy escape made with readers in mind

PC; Neoludic GamesReal titles from Shakespeare to John Green line the shelves of your seaside shop in a rhythmic, mellow management simulator worth relaxing intoIt is a rare thing in my experience that a resource management simulator, set in a retail or service environment, can strike the precise tone and pace that manages to evoke both interest and relaxation. As a player who previously worked as a bookseller, and currently is a novelist, I am poised to be extremely stressed out by a game set in a mobile bookshop. However, Tiny Bookshop is crafted with such care and balance that I found myself losing hours to the gentle pace and tiny puzzles and sheer escapism of the world it presents.The setup is simple, and one that is common to many games in the post Stardew Valley era of “cosy” games. You throw in your old life and open a shop selling tiny things you are passionate about to a bustling little community full of interesting characters who you progressively develop relationships wi...

Politics

1 week ago Richard Osman reveals how game shows STOP contestants from winning big money jackpots as broadcasters battle to balance the books

The 54-year-old has been the face of a number of programmes including the likes of BBC 's Pointless, Richard Osman's House of Games and Two Tribes.

Culture

1 week ago Rachel Reeves needs to put up taxes to cover £40bn deficit, thinktank says

NIESR suggests a rise of 5p in the pound on basic and higher rate of income tax would fill the budget gap Rachel Reeves will need to raise taxes to close a government spending gap that is on course to reach more than £40bn after a slowdown in economic growth and higher-than-expected inflation, according to a leading thinktank.In a blow to Labour’s hopes of balancing the books without breaking manifesto commitments ruling out personal tax rises, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said a number of factors would knock off course the chancellor’s plans to stay within Whitehall spending limits. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Chelsea in talks over triple deal as fire sale continues amid Xavi Simons move

Blues are ramping up a summer clear-out to balance the books

Economics

last month The Guardian view on Europe’s failing economic orthodoxy: social contracts cannot be renewed through cuts | Editorial

The French prime minister, François Bayrou, has become the latest leader to target the less well-off in order to balance the booksAs European politicians begin to pack their suitcases and head to the beach, they do so against a domestic backdrop that begins to look distinctly ominous. In Britain and France, nationalist populist parties consistently lead in the polls. In Germany, the particularly extreme Alternative für Deutschland is neck and neck with the conservative CDU. Specific dynamics might vary but the unsettling pattern is the same – large swaths of voters increasingly identify with authoritarian and often xenophobic political forces.Prolonged post-industrial malaise, wage stagnation and austerity have precipitated this wave of disaffection with the mainstream, especially among the less well-off. Yet in London, Paris and Berlin, governments of the centre-left and centre-right seem intent on alienating disillusioned electorates still further. During his visit to London last ...

Economics