Off the Page - Current Affairs Books, Comment & Debate

Blair, Brown and Britain's Energy Consumption

Paul Middleton, author of A Brief Guide to the End of Oil, has written this piece for us about how Britain's attitude towards energy consumption has changed under Blair's governance; and what the future holds for Britain under Brown.

So Mr. Blair is off, a man determined to watch the sun go down on his decade in power with a cheesy grin and a firmly held belief that Britain, and indeed the rest of the world, is better off than when he started. And while it is true that we have – and here the royal we refers only to Brits – enjoyed a sustained period of economic growth does it follow that Mr. Blair’s legacy will be un-ending economic joy? Of course not. Legacy is not so much about the past but the future; it is something that is handed down to the next generation. But what is it that we’re getting?

Off the Page - News and Events

Here is a digest of a couple of news items this week that relate to Off the Page's featured topics. They include the resurgence of nuclear power on our agenda; global warming and the first few steps towards a greener Britain; and the health of the nation.

Also included are highlights of the Institute of Contemporary Arts season, which features several of the issues we here at Off the Page have also been discussing.