Leading article: Level playing fields
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Has the class war been won without a shot being fired? It's almost tempting to believe so on hearing the news that Eton College will allow pupils from the local state school to use its cricket pitches and rowing lake.
Old communists will be rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Those sacred fields which nurtured the victors of Waterloo, those waters associated with the Eton Boat Song – are they finally in public hands? Well, not quite. But it's certainly a remarkable partnership.
Yet the pupils of Langley Academy shouldn't assume that Etonisation is always benign. It's not all cricket and messing about in boats. There's the cruelty of copying out Latin hexameters and the viciousness of the Eton Wall Game. So good luck to these two schools as they "swing swing together". But a word of warning to the pupils of Langley Academy: if your tail-coated counterparts casually suggest a resurrection of something called "fagging", call the partnership off.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments