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Is the UK’s First Past the Post Electoral System Ripe for a Change ?

  There has been much reporting in the media recently about the 'rise and rise' of Nigel Farage’s Reform party, culminating in a row between Kemi Badenoch and Farage about his claims on 'snowballing' party membership. This, and Labour’s abysmal performance since the July election, has inevitably led to speculation about whether our UK  2-party ‘first past the post’ system is still appropriate to our electoral needs. Before we look at the likelihood of anything replacing it , or indeed what might take its place, let’s look at the current state of the parties' fortunes. Labour, as we’ve already discussed, has not lived up to its electors’ expectations, and have made a series of strategic blunders, starting with the removal of the pensioner universal winter fuel payment without consultation just a few days into their term. Their many broken promises since then have made the leadership team highly unpopular, especially their PM and his chancellor, who are seen as p...
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UK Cost of Living Increases: Who Should Reeves Support…and How ?

  Once again, Rachel Reeves has a thorny problem on her hands…and it's a significant one, and not one she can ignore.... We’re all starting to feel the pinch as a result of the latest economic shock – Trump’s ill-advised Iran War.  We all knew the economic pain the hostilities would cause; even before they started, a large slice of our population, on low wages but not entitled to benefits were really not able to make ends meet without taking out additional high-interest loans or cutting their outgoings to the bone. For some of them, yet another economic shock will bring them to the brink of bankruptcy. The excessive electricity and gas price rises imposed by the supplier ‘cartel’ to maintain their profit margins, and sanctioned by a compliant OFGEM, have been particularly injurious. This trend was apparent well before the start of the Iran war, so cannot be blamed on higher world prices as the suppliers claim. Many consumers have been left with large personal debts i...
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The Future of Modern Warfare: World War 3 and Beyond

 Editor's note:  Last summer's outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran sadly bore out the prediction made in the previous revision of this blog for the eternal Middle East 'powder keg'.  Some might say it was inevitable that this particular conflict would come to a head soon, given Iran's determination to get a nuclear bomb, and the old Ayatollah's openly declared intention to use it to destroy the state of Israel. The speed at which it happened does seem to have taken many by surprise, though. Arguably the Iranian regime has, by its actions over the last 40 years, brought its own inevitable destruction on itself. Unfortunately it's the Iranian people who will probably bear the brunt of the suffering that arises from its death throes, which now promise to be quite protracted......  For a more detailed look at Trump's options, and the likely outcomes, check out the most recent blog. Read on for some more background to the conflict.... -------- As ...
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