The Joy of Six 1439

"The sections of Restoring Order and Control that mention children are chilling, suggesting that many asylum seekers bring their children not because they love and care for them but as a 'fact' to 'exploit ... in order to thwart removal'." Christopher Betram reads the government's new paper on its asylum and returns policy.

Morgan Wild believes municipal bond markets can save Britain: "This is one way to give public servants skin in the game. The team delivering the project should also raise the finance. Their decisions matter to them – cost overruns mean higher local taxes – in a way that they don't when they're trying to talk money out of the Treasury."

Why has government found it impossible to repair or replace Hammersmith Bridge? Do we need to replace it all? A fascinating investigation by Nick Maini.

Hetan Shah asks why no one cares that the British Library is in crisis.

"Carved from Forest of Dean sandstone, the structure was designed to appear as if gently rippling in the breeze. Blending Christian and Islamic symbols, the tomb reflects Burton’s lifelong fascination with Middle Eastern culture." Ian Visits reports that Conservation work has started on one of the most unusual mausoleums in the Roman Catholic world – the Bedouin tent shaped tomb of Sir Richard Burton and his wife, Lady Isabel, which stands in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalen in Mortlake.

Susan Major offers a new insight into York's history: "York’s back alleys hide a striking feature of the city's past: scoria bricks, made from the molten waste of Cleveland’s 19th-century blast furnaces. Distinctive for their silvery blue sheen and unusual shapes, these bricks tell a story of recycling, ingenuity and urban change."