The JSPrice Perception

Countess of Chester Hospital at the heart of the latest NHS scandal (Image: Deeside.com) As a collective, the UK has an unhealthy obsession towards its National Health Service. Whether campaigners feel it should be protected it with all one's might by giving it unlimited resources to cover every gap, or critics strongly suggest the private sector should take over because the NHS in its current form is damaged beyond repair, our views are wide ranging. And as everyone in Britain can use the health service at the point of delivery, there is a sense of entitlement, in that we need to loudly express our appreciation and disdain over our treatment or the treatment of loved ones. The noise, however, no matter how positive or negative, combined with the government's erratic approach to the NHS, is bringing a proud sector to its knees. How the NHS is run and its future is under scrutiny practically every second of the day, regardless of which UK nation you live in (for those who don...

Time to scrutinise and take conspiracy theories seriously (Image: Kellogg Insight - Northwestern University) When it was announced Martin Tyler was to leave Sky Sports after 33 years as the chief football commentator, like Henry Winter of The Times , I thought it was a pity. He's a master of his craft, a sincere loss for the broadcaster. However, judging by the online reactions - which we should always take with a pinch of salt - Tyler's departure is only a good thing. He'd been accused of all sorts, mostly of being supposedly biased against all our favourite clubs (he's both pro and anti -Liverpool, apparently). Suddenly everyone's a mind reader and a body language expert as he doesn't express every goal, red card or corner kick with his famous enthusiastic tones. I mean, you don't expect a 77-year-old to sound the same as when that same person was 44, do you? But, of course, Tyler dedicated his many years as one of football's greatest narrators hopin...

Flag that represents the trans community (Image: The Age) The 'transgender debate' has been hard to escape in recent years. It's impacting many areas of our lives, including in schools , work and sport . Sadly, the media narrative of these stories has made it impossible to rationally discuss how to best support people who have decided to make this life-changing decision, or how to assure their 'opponents' that they aren't being cast aside, or their rights have been taken from them. I'll try and analyse this as level-headed as possible and conclude what we (UK as a whole) should be doing, as a way of being a world leader on what is seen as a divisive matter, where it ought not to be. The current narrative is arguably led by two very different sides - one, the so-called 'pro-trans' groups, who combatively argue that people who want to transition should have easy access to basically everything; from legally changing their gender, to requiring advanced ...

Nicola Sturgeon (Image: Sky News) When a politician lasts a long time in their role as MP or government minister, it's hard to ignore their legacy. Their belief systems, presence and politics tend to stand the test of time. Whether this is a 'good' thing or not, I'll leave that for you to decide. Whether they're 'good' politicians or not, again, people will have their own opinions. For example, when Nigel Lawson  passed away earlier this month, while many looked back at his time as UK Chancellor between 1983 and 1989 with some disdain, it's hard to deny his longevity at arguably one of the country's toughest jobs - and his form of Conservatism is still very much alive to this day. Of course, he never pleased everyone, and many corners of British society still haven't quite recovered from his, or then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's, policies. The Iron Lady could have still gone through a handful of chancellors instead of sticking with La...

Benyamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron are under huge pressure (Image: The Times of Israel) Political leaders are often told to be bold and show authority. The moment they do - regardless of whether they're right or wrong, which I'll analyse three recent decisions here - they're doomed. As a result of these, we're talking about possible power shifts with dramatic consequences for the wider world. But whatever the possible outcomes, both the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer, should make their views known. If they want to appear as the big cheeses from beyond the Isles, both need to act bravely. I'll start with France, because tensions between workers and Emmanuel Macron's government are escalating like there's no tomorrow. Reportedly millions have taken to the streets , calling out against pension reforms enforced by the country's leading party, which has minority control . The main issue people have is the decision ...

'Computer says no' comedy sketch, seen on comedy series, Little Britain (Image: The Telegraph) Remember the noughties British TV comedy show Little Britain? While some of its sketches were rather tasteless and inappropriate, which creators David Walliams and Matt Lucas had later felt the need to  apologise for , much of what they produced were hilarious and eerily relatable even 15-20 years later. One that springs to mind is the 'computer says no' sketch, which poked fun at unhelpful customer services. That attitude is, sadly, sinking the bank industry to a brand new low. I'm talking with experience here, and please excuse my long sob story. Having been a customer of one bank (who will remain nameless here) for almost 20 years, without any issues prior to this point, I believed it would be there to support me through rainy days. Lately, while my level of incoming remains strong, rising outgoings has led to the both figures being almost equal, or on occasions, the la...

Gordon Brown in 2008 (Image: PA Images) Looking at the tricky global economic situation right now, I feel a sense of déjà vu. We, and perhaps Prime Minister Rishi Sunak more specifically, find ourselves in a similar position as in 2009. In 2008, the financial markets crashed, people left, right and centre were losing their jobs and it seemed like there was no way out of the mess. Watching news clips of Lehman Brothers' bankers in New York, leaving their offices with boxes of their goods in, will never leave my memory.  Of course, in 2023, we aren't seeing mass employment and crashing markets. In fact, the UK in particular has seen its FTSE 100 reach record highs in recent days, and the percentage of unemployed adults remains low . While this all sounds great, as in 14 years ago, many Britons are feeling the pinch. When domestic and foreign political affairs go pear shaped at once, as we're seeing now, it's impacting on everyday things that we take for granted. As a re...