Mandate
One measure the Conservatives want to push through parliament is where, in a ballot for strike action, a union needs to persuade 50% of its membership before a strike can take place. I don’t want to argue one way or… Continue Reading
Wasted Votes
In my second of three posts on electoral reform, I want to focus on wasted votes. A wasted vote is defined as a vote which does not help elect a candidate. By definition, our first past the post electoral system… Continue Reading
Events Dear Boy
This week saw the anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre. On 16th August 1819 at St Peter’s Field Manchester, cavalry charged a crown of 60-80000 people. They had gathered to protest about a lack of parliamentary reform at the time. Of… Continue Reading
Richard Oastler
Yesterday I visited Brighouse to spend some time with family. We had a drink and a meal in the Wetherspoons pub there which was called “the Richard Oastler”. I’m always intrigued by names from the past which I’ve not heard… Continue Reading
Noel Chavasse – a REAL hero
At 1pm 100 years ago in a field hospital in Belgium Captain Noel Chavasse died of his wounds. He was one of many who died that day – the early days of the horrific battle of Passchendaele. To me looking… Continue Reading
Another Yorkshire Day but still no nearer real devolution
It is August the 1st and another Yorkshire day. Twitter, Facebook and the Yorkshire Post are full of things to make you proud to be from Yorkshire or to have chosen God’s own county as your home. Last year I… Continue Reading
Redeemable – a memoir of darkness and hope – my review
About three weeks ago I was walking to the train from work and, as I often do, I was listening to the radio. It happened to be Radio 4 and the programme was “In the Criminologist’s Chair”. Not my usual… Continue Reading
Why I’ve washed my hands of the Blades
On Tuesday, the rumours that had grown more certain were made official at Beautiful downtown Bramall Lane. Sheffield United officially announced that they had re-signed Ched Evans.I’m not going to go into the details again of why Ched Evans was… Continue Reading
Look for these in the manifestos
There is a massive disconnect between those that rule and those that are ruled in this country. Politics and politicians have never been so poorly thought of. The UK (or England in particular) has never been more centralised. Personally I… Continue Reading
Don’t let education be an afterthought
This post originally appeared in my education site mrchadburn.co.uk So it appears we will have a General Election on June 8th. The perceived wisdom is that the election is going to be dominated by Brexit and the type of… Continue Reading