Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
So how is Jeremy Corbyn really doing?
October 11th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Clearly the guy is very popular with party members: he has just been re-elected leader by an increased margin, record numbers of new members are flocking to join the Labour Party, his meetings are packed out, and they are even organising a series of concerts in his support. What do members see in Corbyn? Somebody […]
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Was the pound’s flash crash caused by an algo?
October 8th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
The financial markets are a world unto themselves that ordinary people simply cannot understand – but we are all affected by movements in currencies and shares whether buying foreign currency for a holiday abroad or trying to maintain the value of our savings or pensions. So this week’s experience of the value of the pound […]
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I’ve voted in the Labour Party leadership election
August 22nd, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Voting in the Labour Party leadership election opened today. I voted online today. In the last leadership election, Jeremy Corbyn was bottom of my list and his time as leader has confirmed my worst anxieties. He simply cannot lead: his chairing of the Shadow Cabinet is appalling; he has lost the confidence of 80% of […]
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Why is it Team GB and not Team UK?
August 14th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
It’s been ‘super Sunday’ today for the British in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with the nation storming into second place in the medal table. But why are our competitors called Team GB and not Team UK? Surely Northern Ireland should not be missed out? If only it was that simple. Technically our […]
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As if the Brexit decision wasn’t bad enough, now tea sales have fallen
August 11th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
We can’t blame younger people for the referendum decision – apparently most of them voted for the UK to remain in the European Union. But it seems that we can blame them for the fall in sales of teabags – they drink less tea than older people. In a short feature in today’s “Guardian” newspaper, […]
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Half of low income households at risk of missing out on vital welfare benefits
July 19th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
You hear a lot of political propaganda in this country and others about how so many people choose to live on welfare benefits as a lifestyle choice when allegedly they could simply go out and obtain satisfying paid work. The reality is, of course, utterly different. It is estimated by the Government itself that the […]
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Some odd choices in Theresa May’s new Cabinet
July 15th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
In the last three weeks, British politics has been a whirlwind of surprises. The latest shocks come with the appointment of a new Cabinet by the new Prime Minister Theresa May. Most shocking of all is Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary. He is infamous for his many gaffes and insults denigrating various foreign figures and […]
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The curse of Brexit
July 12th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
As soon as we knew the result of the referendum on British membership of the European Union, I did a posting arguing that it changed EVERYTHING. It will take months, years, decades before we understand all the implications and consequences but, in the intervening three weeks, the impact on our political leaders has been huge. Let’s […]
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Has anyone actually read the Chilcot Report?
July 8th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
The Chilcot Report on the invasion of Iraq consists of 12 volumes adding up to some 2.6 million words. Even the Executive Summary runs to 145 pages. According to an item in the “Guardian” newspaper, on average people read about 250 words a minute so, on that estimate, it would take 10,400 minutes or about […]
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What Alastair Campbell has to say about the Chilcot Inquiry on the Iraq War
July 7th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
If ever the word tragedy was appropriate, it applies in spades to the whole experience of the Iraq War. It is too simple to view the actions of British politicians and officials – especially Tony Blair – as the acts of evil men. Enormous mistakes were made but essentially they were made by people who […]
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