OK, so Johnson can recite a passage from The Iliad, Homer’s epic poem but why does this matter? Does it show him to be clever and deserving of his position in society, or is there something more to it? Before I go any further, I can confirm that I have read the Iliad, in English … Continue reading It’s all Greek to me
Conservative win or Labour loss?
A conversation with someone on LinkedIn about the 2019 General Election got me thinking about the result. It had been hailed as a great success for the Conservative party and in terms of seats it certainly was. The party saw a rise in the number of seats in the commons of over 10%, from 317 … Continue reading Conservative win or Labour loss?
Chasing Rabbits
I’ve been a bit down lately, which isn’t like me. I’m very lucky and am normally in good spirits but not so much in the last few months. My shine has gone off and even Christmas hasn’t the lure that it has had in the past. I can’t put my finger on it but suspect … Continue reading Chasing Rabbits
We call this democracy?
Once again we are to be governed by a minority party. In the mother of all parliaments we have a voting system that allows the minority to be in power. In living memory, no party has been elected that has had more than half of the popular vote. The Conservatives nearly made it in 1955 … Continue reading We call this democracy?
First past which post?
Our voting system is often referred to as first past the post (FPTP). It is supposed to ensure that a single candidate emerges from each constituency and lead to stable governments. We can imagine an election like a horse race, where each candidate starts off with no votes to a finishing post somewhere in the … Continue reading First past which post?
Before you vote
By this time next week there will only be a few hours left to put your cross on the ballot paper in what might turn out to be the most decisive general election in a generation. All of the hustings will be over and the national coverage will be focused on guessing which party will … Continue reading Before you vote
The 32 Hour week
‘Of all Labour’s stupidities, the four day week stands out’ at least according to David Smith in his economic outlook in The Times. OK, but how would he know? According to Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-born economist, public official and diplomat, ‘The only purpose of economic forecasts is to give astrology a better image.’ Nobody can be … Continue reading The 32 Hour week
