Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
Political predictions are a perilous activity – but …
May 14th, 2026 by Roger Darlington
On a turbulent day in Labour Party politics, as a lifelong member I boldly offer what I think would be the best and the worst outcomes. My dream scenario: – Prime Minister Andy Burnham – Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner – Chancellor Ed Miliband My nightmare scenario: Keir Starmer stands for the leadership and, because […]
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Major changes in the size and election of the Welsh Parliament
May 5th, 2026 by Roger Darlington
The Welsh legislature came into operation in May 1999 as an Assembly and in May 2020 was renamed aa a Parliament and it covers the 3 million citizens of Wales. Prior to May 2026, the Welsh Parliament had 60 members elected by a system of proportional representation known as the ‘mixed member system’. As a […]
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A huge protest against the far Right in Britain
March 28th, 2026 by Roger Darlington
Today’s Together Alliance March in London was a huge demonstration and there were similar events all around the country. The official website of the organisers stated the aim as “Together for love, hope and unity against the far right”. So there was a massive protest against racism and support for immigrants. But there was also […]
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The current state of British politics
February 9th, 2025 by Roger Darlington
Today, the “Observer” newspaper carries the results of a political opinion poll just carried out by Opinium. The results are disturbing. The poll shows Labour on 27%, Reform UK on 26% and the Tories on 22%. The Liberal Democrats are on 11% and the Greens on 8%. Reform has risen from about 20% since shortly […]
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When and where was the world’s first railway line?
January 18th, 2025 by Roger Darlington
The world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives ran between Stockton and Darlington in the north-east of England. Since my family name is Darlington (although I’ve only visited the town once – in 1983), this historical event has always had a special resonance for me. The line was officially opened on 27 September 1825. […]
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Do you have a branch of Gail’s in your neighbourhood?
August 23rd, 2024 by Roger Darlington
I’m fascinated by the sudden debate about the desirability or otherwise of having a branch of Gail’s in your neighbourhood. Since the end of the first Covid lockdown, we’ve had a Gail’s at the corner of my street in London’s South Bank, so close that I can see it from my flat window. I use […]
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COBRA met this week – but what is it?
August 6th, 2024 by Roger Darlington
It is reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has convened a meeting of Cobra in order to plan a response to the far Right rioting around the country that has followed the terrible stabbings in Southport. Cobra sounds really exciting. It evokes images of a venomous snake or – if you’re a movie fan […]
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Why we need proportional representation – even if we don’t like voter choices
July 6th, 2024 by Roger Darlington
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How can one obtain a revealing interview?
June 23rd, 2024 by Roger Darlington
In this weekend’s “Observer” newspaper, there’s a long and revealing interview by Charlotte Edwards of the Leader of the Labour Party, soon to be Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. It reminded me of when I was interviewed as a Parliamentary candidate and of when recently I conducted a series of interviews of staff and residents in […]
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Learning lessons from the Post Office scandal
May 22nd, 2024 by Roger Darlington
For 23 years, I was a national official with a trade union which represented the staff in the small number of main post offices actually owned by Post Office Limited (POL). Then, for 17 years, I sat on bodies representing customers of post offices. On one occasion (an awards ceremony), I spent the evening sitting […]
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