Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
Some (brief) personal views on THAT interview
March 9th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
In my 72 years, I’ve never met a member of the British Royal Family and have never had any wish to do so. I don’t read the tabloid press so I’ve missed most of the gossip around the various royal personages. I’ve not seen one episode of “The Crown”. But I did watch the interview […]
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How large is the British House of Lords?
February 26th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
The House of Lords is the upper chamber in the British political system but the one with less authority. Its main roles are to revise legislation and keep a check on government by scrutinising its activities. Since 1911, its power to block “money bills” is limited to one month and its power to block other […]
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Covid: UK virus deaths exceed 100,000 since pandemic began
January 26th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
There are three main ways of calculating the death toll from coronavirus: those who died within 28 days of being tested positive for covid (the official government measure announced on the media each day); those who had the virus mentioned on their death certificate (a wider measure from the Office of National Statistics); and excess […]
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Just how deadly was 2020?
January 14th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
“Official statistics released on Tuesday showed 2020 was the deadliest year in England and Wales for more than a century. More than 608,000 people died last year, 81,653 of whom as a result of coronavirus. Deaths exceeded 600,000 for only the second time on record, and the toll was just behind that of 611,861 in 1918, […]
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How do the political systems of the United States and the United Kingdom compare with one another?
January 13th, 2021 by Roger Darlington
As the US House of Representatives considers a (second) impeachment of President Donald Trump, many are observing the procedures of the US Congressional system. The majority of visitors to this blog are British or American. So how do the political systems of the two nations compare? You can check out my comparison here. Elsewhere on […]
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The case for a wealth tax has never been stronger
December 11th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
One of the most defining characteristics of my political philosophy is that we need to create a society with a fairer distribution of income, wealth and power because current levels of inequality are so damaging to life chances and social outcomes. There is a great deal of evidence to support this position in the book […]
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In both the USA and Britain, fair elections are under threat
September 2nd, 2020 by Roger Darlington
In the United States, the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) was formed in 1974 after the Watergate scandal to enforce the country’s new election spending laws and the campaign finance abuses of the presidential race two years earlier. The bipartisan, independent agency was designed to investigate potential cases of illegal campaign spending, issue advisory opinions where […]
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Let’s hear it for friendship – and then let’s tackle inequality
August 27th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Relationships matter so much because other people can be our best sources of security, comfort and cooperation or our worst rivals. Just as bad relationships are highly stressful, friendship is relaxing and restorative. We have evolved an extraordinary sensitivity to relationships, because getting them right has always been crucial to our survival.” This is an […]
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My review of “Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race” by Reni Eddo-Lodge (2017)
August 14th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
The award-winning black novelist Bernardine Evaristo has described the title of this non-fiction work – the first by Eddo-Lodge – as “gloriously provocative” and “marketing gold”. The truth is, of course, that the whole book is a conversation with white and non-white readers, by a young black woman born in north London and raised by a Nigerian mother, […]
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Was it right to have a local lockdown in Leicester?
July 20th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
Here, in the UK, we have been easing lockdown restrictions for weeks now and, for most parts of the country, life is easier, although the coronavirus threat is still very real. However, for the people of Leicester, many restrictions have been reimposed rather than lifted. This local lockdown – the first of its kind in […]
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