Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
What’s the name of that tower?
September 29th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’ve recently been a couple of times to visit the British Recorded Music Industry to discuss some work (more of that in the future). The central London offices of the organisation are located in the former County Hall overlooking the Houses of Parliament and our meeting room had a great view of the clock tower […]
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Do we need a wealth tax?
September 24th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
The talk at the Liberal Democrat Conference this week in Brighton is of the need for the richest in our society to make a larger contribution to thr resolution of the country’s financial problems. Even without the economic crisis, I would favour this because the UK has too great a spread of income and wealth […]
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Inequality likely to grow even sharper
September 23rd, 2012 by Roger Darlington
A recurrent theme of the political postings on this blog is that inequality of income and wealth in the UK (and even more so the USA) is too sharp, that on current policies is likely to become even sharper, and that such deep inequality produces poor social outcomes for those at all levels of income. […]
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Inequality in Britain: extreme and increasing
September 14th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
“In 2010/11, the incomes of the chief executives of the largest 100 companies in the UK increased by nearly 50% while the average pay rise in the private sector was just 2.7%. Because prices increased by 5.2%, most private sector workers actually became poorer and pay freezes meant that many public sector workers did even […]
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The London 2012 Games: the last hurrah
September 10th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
This afternoon, I attended a meeting at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport to discuss a communications programme for when the Government announces a timetable for switchover to digital radio. I was there in my capacity as the Chair of the Consumer Expert Group. The DCMS is located just off Trafalgar Square so, once […]
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The end of London 2012: a summer like no other
September 10th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Last night, I watched live on television the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games here in London. It featured my favourite band Coldplay and was an exuberant end to six brilliant weeks in which my home city has hosted the Olympics and the Paralympics. Even those who were cynical before – which did not include […]
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What are the most popular names for British babies?
September 5th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Names change in popularity. According to the data compiled annually by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the most popular names for children born in England & Wales during 2011 were as follows: Position Boys Girls 1 Harry Amelia 2 Oliver Olivia 3 Jack Lily 4 Alfie Jessica 5 Charlie Emily 6 Thomas Sophie 7 […]
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What are the differences between the American and British political systems?
August 24th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just up-dated one of the most-visited parts of my web site and now suggest 40 differences between the political systems of the USA and the UK. Check out the list here.
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The day after the London 2012 Olympic Games
August 13th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
There has been a sense of anticlimax in my home city of London today after all the excitement of the last 16 days of the city hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. Even the weather has been duller than it was during the Games when it stayed fine after months of exceptional rain. For all the […]
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A 12-part guide to the UK
July 29th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
As the eyes of the world turn to this country where we are hosting our third Olympic Games, the BBC web site provides a helpful – and amusing – guide to understanding the United Kingdom. I particularly like the sections on accents, class and nationality. Check it out here. Part of the fun of understanding […]
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