Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics
July 28th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Last night, Vee and I spent four hours watching live on BBC television the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics Games here in our home city of London. We have waited seven years for this time and I even volunteered to be a London Ambassador for the Games (but I was not chosen). The organiser […]
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London’s three Olympics: 1908, 1948, 2012
July 25th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
London is the only city to have hosted three Olympic Games. The first was in 1908, the second was 1948 (the year I was born), and this third is this week. You’ll find an interesting comparison of the three games here.
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The Olympic torch passes our road …
July 25th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
… but I am not there to see it. At about 10.30 am this morning, on Day 68 of the Olympic Torch Relay around the UK, the flame passed down Harrow Road in Sudbury Hill in north-west London, just two minutes walk from our home. My wife Vee and brother-in-law Derek were there to see […]
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Driving home the latest murder statistics
July 20th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Most people are convinced that crime levels have never been higher and are continually on the rise with murder rates similarly on the increase because it seems that we live in an ever more violent society. In fact, the statistics present a totally different and much more reassuring picture. This week, we had the latest […]
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House of Lords reform – how long do we have to wait?
July 11th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
As I have explained in my “Short Guide To The British Political System”, Britain’s House of Lords is an absurd and indefensible anachronism. It is the only unelected second chamber in the world except Lesotho. It is the only second chamber in the world which gives automatic seats to religious figures except Iran. As explained […]
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A record three months of rain since my water appointment
July 2nd, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I have now been Chair of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water for three months. As explained here, the three months April, May & June are now confirmed as the wettest on record in the UK. Some people say that there is no such thing as coincidence …
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Why the Olympic torch will not see the centre of Darlington
June 17th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Explanation here.
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The case for social mobility
May 17th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
“If we want our children to have equal opportunities in life, reducing income inequality is the most important step we can take towards achieving that goal. Bigger income differences between rich and poor are a powerful constraint on social mobility, diminishing life chances for children from less privileged backgrounds and making a level playing field […]
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Have you had an 11% increase in pay?
May 8th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I doubt it because, according to this BBC story, the average British worker received a mere 1.1% increase in pay in the last year. Since inflation has been higher than this, it means that British workers have suffered a real decrease in pay at the same time as provision of public services has been cut. […]
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The only good news for the Tories …
May 5th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
… is not actually as good as it first looks. So Boris Johnson, who polled better than his Conservative Party, beat Ken Livingstone, who polled worse than his Labour Party, retains his position as Mayor of London. Yet Boris’s scope for manoeuvre is less than much of the media has highlighted. But first the big […]
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