Archive for the ‘British current affairs’ Category
Can the positions of the political parties on Brexit get any weirder?
September 18th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
For three years, Brexit has been a moving picture with surprise after surprise. It’s a political soap opera that never ceases to amaze. So now we have three established political parties facing in very different directions but each with major doubts over their capacity to deliver their current position. The official Conservative view is that […]
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When a general election is actually held, could Labour win it?
September 9th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Most recent polls do not look good for Labour with Conservative leads of between 10% (Opinium) – 14% (YouGov). But there are many variables to consider and a major one is timing. ComRes has done a survey looking at voting intention before and after 31 October on the assumption that, before that date, there is […]
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Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside …
September 5th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
… and today I’m off for a day trip to Brighton before summer is completely over. Of course, here in Britain, you’re never too far from the sea. But how far from the idea is the furthest location and where is that? The answers are 70 miles and the delightfully named Coton in the Elms […]
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If a week is a long time in politics, this week could be one of the most extraordinary you’ll ever know
September 2nd, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Former Prime Minister Harold Wilson once noted that a week is a long time in politics. But even he never experienced the kind of week that lies ahead of us in the British parliamentary scene. It is going to be constitutionally fascinating and politically turbulent and historically seismic. As the “Guardian” summary puts it: Monday: […]
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How Netanyahu could lose; how Boris could be beaten; and why voting matters
August 19th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
There’s an election going on in Israel right now and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is widely expected to retain power, but my friend Eric Lee has written an interesting column for the “Times of Israel” explaining how Netanyahu could lose. The argument rests on the supposition that Israeli Arabs – who comprise a fifth […]
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What would really be involved in a no-deal Brexit and why we should be really worried
July 30th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
In the last few days, a whole bunch of new Cabinet ministers will have been briefed by civil servants on the consequences of a no-deal Brexit and the planning that will be required to mitigate these consequences. These Ministers will now know what a cabal of ex Cabinet Ministers have known for a long time […]
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There are still some Americans who think that President Trump is not racist …
July 29th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
They should watch this short clip from Victor Blackwell of CNN – until the end …
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So how does the British political system actually work?
July 25th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Britain has a new Prime Minister and a new Government. The media today are full of information about the new personalties and speculation about what this all means for Brexit. But how does the British political system work? It’s very different from other systems around the world and even the British are often confused about […]
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The dude who is now Britain’s Prime Minister
July 24th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
“We know the mantra of the campaign – in case you have forgotten it – it is deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn and that is what we are going to do. Some wag has already pointed out that deliver, unite, defeat was not the perfect acronym for an election campaign since […]
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Here in Britain, it’s going to be quite a week …
July 22nd, 2019 by Roger Darlington
We’re going to have a new Prime Minister – almost certainly Boris Johnson. The contrast in temperament and style with Theresa May could hardly be more stark. Although it remains to be seen whether policy changes – especially on Brexit – are really that different. We’re going to have a new Government with major changes […]
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