Mary Margaret McCabe

It was somehow comforting in an absurd way and Sheila Hancock was brilliantly honest.

Making topical comedy at bleak news times can be so tough but, in my book, it’s thank heavens for the return of Have I Got News For You, where Ian and Paul work magic to conjure laughs when there are none. Tonight with wonderful Miles Jupp and Sheila Hancock - and me trying to host. 9pm on BBC One.

‘If you think this is about Kimmel being cancelled - you’re missing the point’ | The News Agents Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has been taken off-air “indefinitely” after making comments about Donald Trump’s response to the murder of Charlie Kirk. Is this about free speech? Cancel culture? Or is i...

"Trump is using the full power of his office to punish people and organisations who criticise him.

There's a word for that - authoritarian."

If you think this is just about Jimmy Kimmel, you are missing the point.

@maitlis.bsky.social | @lewisgoodall.com
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/if-y...

Equalising effect of philosophy in prisons | Letters Letter: Mary Margaret McCabe says philosophy can be done just by conversation, to include those with high levels of education and those who have little

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Guardian today, very pleased at the work of philosophyinprison.com getting some coverage.

Who's following the philosophy in prison debate? Readings and essays - or a levelling conversation?

Equalising effect of philosophy in prisons | Letters Letter: Mary Margaret McCabe says philosophy can be done just by conversation, to include those with high levels of education and those who have little

Our Chair @mmmccabe.bsky.social writes on @theguardian.com about the equalising power of philosophy in prisons when done in conversation www.theguardian.com/education/20...

A Labour government that does not fight back against the far right, racism and extremism fundamentally misunderstands the nature of its electoral support.

Our democracy is too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons.

Elon Musk doesn’t care about the British people or our rights. He only cares about himself and his ego.

But why is the Home Secretary posting on X, as the Guardian reports????

Esp given assassination of Kirk in US i find Musk's intervention here, calling for dissolution of parliament and a new govt, really scary .

Also UK govt bodies should get the fuck off X.

Have you asked about the six year rule, precluding long term prisoners from starting a degree until 6 years before release? Sheer waste of some who have ability that could change their lives if it were developed through education. @philosophyinprison.bsky.social has long argued for reform.

FFS! In the midst of the dog-whistling howls, Thought For The Day today was a welcome relief. Calling out Jenrick for his brazen xenophobia and urging people to hold on to their empathy and not to let fear become cruelty.
It’s intolerable that the BBC apologised for that rare moment of decency.

Surely the Today programme is better than this? The conflation of ‘xenophobia’ ( fear of strangers) with racism was made by @robertjenrickmp.bsky.social — giving his own game away. @krishk.com simply described what Jenrick (shockingly) said in the first place. BBC should apologise for apologising.

📌

Wall Street Journal: Birthday letter to Epstein bore Trump’s signature, drawing of naked woman | CNN Politics A collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing Donald Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a Wall Street Journal report p...

“President Trump will be suing The Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly,”

Jarndyce and Jarndyce,with luck. Bring it on!

edition.cnn.com/2025/07/17/p...

‘Humanitarian city’ would be concentration camp for Palestinians, says former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says forcing people into camp would be ethnic cleansing, and anger at Israel is not all down to antisemitism

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Thank you very much for the support! Hugely appreciated. And it is indeed happening, in many UK prisons. @philosophyinprison.bsky.social

Our Chair @mmmccabe.bsky.social speaking about Philosophy in Prison and #whyphilosophymatters at Warwick's Department of Philosophy's 60th Anniversary.

Department of Philosophy at Warwick celebrates its 60th anniversary in Senate House @uolpress.bsky.social with speeches on why #philosophymatters by Qassim Cassam, Heather Widdows, @guylongworth.bsky.social and @mmmccabe.bsky.social

Glorious peony Sarah Bernhardt just in full and complicated bloom. Brief moment of joy in a world gone mad.

Radio 3 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds Listen live to BBC Radio 3 on BBC Sounds

Listening to Private Passions where Professor @hilarycottam.bsky.social is talking about many social issues, including design of prisons, adult loneliness, finding meaning and purpose in life, and caring for elderly. Fascinating, and available online:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Telegraph is now having to publish so many corrections to articles where it attempts to find *any angle whatsoever* to attack net-zero polices that it makes sense to start tracking them here.

These are the ones published since Labour won the election.

"We are happy to correct the record."

Yes. Agreed. Not always easy to feel hopeful!

Ps I agree completely about previous gov failures!!!!!

I understand it to be the continuation of the previous gov policy of building super prisons. But unlike the Victorian prisons they are often far from transport links and hard for family to visit. Not good for rehabilitation (or for the work of prison charities providing interesting things to do).

Various classical musicians

We're just days away from the local leg of the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival, with two fab concerts at St James the Less, Pangbourne - Mozart and Beethoven from the BCMF ensemble on 4 June, and Champagne and Candlelight with award-winning harpist Oliver Wass on 6 June!
buff.ly/ZQ0BmSS

Of course. But some changes could be made right away and are not — and the building programme points in the wrong direction, towards ‘lock-em-up’ rather than thinking about prisons could be improved, not least by more support for some of the inspirational people working there.

I hoped so. But not much is changing. E.g. an easy win would be to scrap the ‘six-year-rule’ denying support for degree work until prisoners are within six years of release. This wastes talent AND the good effect of HE work among larger group on the wing. Labour talk is still about super prisons.

I hoped so. But not much is changing. E.g. an easy win would be to scrap the ‘six-year-rule’ denying support for degree work until prisoners are within six years of release. This wastes talent AND the good effect of HE work among larger group on the wing. Labour talk is still about super prisons.