Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
How I have voted in the Labour Party elections
August 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Today I received my ballot paper as a fully paid up member of the Labour Party for 46 years. Since I know some of you will be interested, this is how I voted (online) in the three most important elections (I’m assuming you’re not so interested in the elections for the Conference Arrangements Committee and […]
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Academics condemn Government’s trade union bill
August 11th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Over 100 leading UK academics in the field of employment and industrial relations have today published a letter expressing concern over what they call “the draconian provisions of the Trade Union Bill which will amount to the most sustained attack on trade union and workers’ rights since the Combination Laws of the early 19th century”. […]
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Is it time for some facts about those migrants?
August 7th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
One of the hottest topics in the British media at the moment is the issue of migrants into Europe and especially the numbers at Calais seeking entry to the UK. The debate is an emotional one and it’s useful to have some relevant facts
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What do these three political campaigns have in common?
August 1st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
1) In the American race to select a Republican candidate for the presidential election next year, 69 year old Donald Trump is currently leading the field of 17 runners. 2) In the American race to select a Democratic candidate for the presidential election next year, 73 year old Bernie Sanders is drawing exceptional support even though […]
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Trade unions are central to improving productivity
July 3rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
As someone who was a national trade union official for 24 years, I was pleased to see this short piece by John Earls, Head of Research at Unite, arguing the case for involving unions in the drive to increase productivity in the UK economy.
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Today is Employee Ownership Day – so what’s it like working for a mutual?
July 3rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Created by the Employee Ownership Association in 2013 and supported by business, an array of trade and industry groups and across the political spectrum, Employee Ownership Day is a unique opportunity to highlight and celebrate the significant benefits employee ownership delivers to the UK economy. Now, as it happens, I am on the Board of […]
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Contrasts between the American and British political systems – you will be amazed how different they are
June 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
On my web site, I have short guides to 13 political systems in different countries around the world. The two most detailed guides are those on the American and British political systems. Now these two systems are so different that I wrote a separate essay comparing and contrasting them. This has proved to be one […]
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The halving of trade union membership in Britain – and how the unions are fighting back
June 14th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
I was a national trade union official – with what is now the Communication Workers Union – for 24 years (1978-2002) but, in my working life, I have witnessed a sharp decline in trade union membership from a record of around 13 million in the mid 1970s to 6.4 million in 2014. It is not […]
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Does Britain need a written constitution and, if it does, will it get one?
June 11th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
We have managed without one for 800 years and we are in a tiny select group of nations – including Israel and New Zealand – that does not have one. A recent article in the “Washington Post” appears to suggest that the time has come for us to codify and up-date our unwritten constitution into […]
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So who actually voted for whom in the General Election?
May 23rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
In an analytical piece, Alberto Nardelli states: “The general election result can be summarised in a nutshell: the Conservatives did well with voters that turn out. Labour did well with voters who don’t vote. More than eight in 10 of those who had supported Cameron’s party five years ago did so again in this election, […]
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