The art of forecasting is falling out of favour. Its usefulness as a prediction of the future has come under severe pressure. This is especially true in the world of political forecasting and for one reason, forecasts in this sense are invariably wrong. They have now become synonymous with the other meaning of the word, … Continue reading Forget forecasts
Failing state
Grayling has managed to live up to his reputation again. He has failed to secure the lead of the Intelligence and Security Committee. At least this time he managed to fail before being given the job instead of during it. Instead, another Conservative MP, Julian Lewis has won the position. This is not the real … Continue reading Failing state
Why voting should not be mandatory
Voter turnout in this country is not great. At the 2019 general election 67% of the people that are eligible actually put their mark on a ballot paper. So what happened to the other third? Why did they not vote and what can be done about it? One way of solving the problem would be … Continue reading Why voting should not be mandatory
Votes that count
A couple of months ago, in less troubled times, I wrote a blog proposing an alternative voting system for the UK. It is a form of proportional representation yet holds a strong element of the first past the post system (FPTP) which at least gives a degree of local political representation. I wrote the article … Continue reading Votes that count
Political forensics
While we were lolling about, waiting for the baby to wake up no doubt, my eldest daughter said to me: ‘Dad, if you could have any job in the world, what would it be?’ It didn't have to be a job that exists and there are no conditions that are preventing me from getting it. … Continue reading Political forensics
What is so good about sovereignty?
During the whole in/out of the European Union debate the question of sovereignty has repeatedly raised its head, but what does it mean and why is it so important? It is a word that seems to be self-fulfilling in that sovereignty is the ‘Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign … Continue reading What is so good about sovereignty?
Lost postal votes
The more I think about the way that we conduct our version of democracy, the more I become concerned about its lack of democracy. I have described in many previous blogs, among other things, how first past the post leads to a minority government but my mind has now become occupied by seeming anomalies in … Continue reading Lost postal votes
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 