On air: Is it ever OK to shoplift?

This is a British story that has suddenly gone global in the past 48 hours. Rev Tim Jones is a parish priest in the north of England and he believes that society’s attitude to those in need “leaves some people little option but crime”. But if you are going to shoplift go for the big shops and not the little ones. That’s his advice not mine. Are there circumstances where the poorest in your society can justify stealing food and clothes?

Can Israel’s Gaza blockade be justified?

Aid agencies have released a report criticising the world for not doing more to stop the Israeli blockade of Gaza. It’s been picked up around the world by bloggers and mainstream media. All of this rests of course on the belief that the blockade is a ‘collective punishment’ that is unwarranted. Would you agree with that? And would you want more pressure applied to Israel to end it?