Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.

Politics - Archive Articles

Plans to stop websites linking to each other pose dire threat to websites
Plans to stop websites linking to each other pose dire threat to websites

Plans to stop websites linking to each other pose dire threat to websites

A proposal before politicians on Wednesday could have a chilling impact on how websites are allowed to link to each other.

Sep
11
2018
A discourse on the EU referendum – Part 2
A discourse on the EU referendum – Part 2

A discourse on the EU referendum – Part 2

So, four months after it was announced, and now just four days to the final vote, will the UK (and Gibraltar) vote to stay in, or leave the EU.

Jun
19
2016
A discourse on the EU referendum
A discourse on the EU referendum

A discourse on the EU referendum

So the referendum on whether we stay or leave the European Union has been set, and giving us four months of unremitting commentary from both sides as to why we should vote their way.

Feb
20
2016
Brian Haw’s protest camp inside the Museum of London
Brian Haw’s protest camp inside the Museum of London

Brian Haw’s protest camp inside the Museum of London

One of the enduring images of the Blair government was a lone man protesting outside Parliament in a tent -- and now some of that protest has come to the Museum of London.

Aug
18
2015

MPs mistaking arms for anus

Our elected masters are often accused of talking out of their bums, and indeed, often talk about bums when debating sexual offenses -- but it seems that the official record of their debates, at Hansard can often mistakes arms for bums.

Dec
31
2014
A history of the London Mayor — in cartoons
A history of the London Mayor — in cartoons

A history of the London Mayor — in cartoons

The office of London Mayor maybe fairly young -- by British standards -- but it has spawned a huge array of satirical cartoons about the two mayors we have so far elected.

Jul
07
2014
Do political website designs match their politics?
Do political website designs match their politics?

Do political website designs match their politics?

How left leaning is the new Tory website? Does Labour's website have right leaning views? Is the BNP actually leftist?

Apr
23
2014

20th Anniversary of the BNP victory in Docklands

Twenty-years ago, people were waking up to news of a momentous event in British politics. The previous day, a small by-election had taken place on the Isle of Dogs, and for the very first time ever, a member of the British Nationalist Party had won an election.

Sep
17
2013
A look at the secular enclave within Westminster Abbey
A look at the secular enclave within Westminster Abbey

A look at the secular enclave within Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, that mighty bastion of religion has an alien invader amongst its midst, a couple of buildings that were nominally religious, but have spent the past 800 years performing more secular duties.

Jul
14
2013
A brief history of Marriage
A brief history of Marriage

A brief history of Marriage

The ancient institution of marriage is proving to be a major issue of contention at the moment, with various accusations that it is under threat, that ancient traditions may be overturned and that the skies will bleed blood (maybe). However,

Jun
13
2012
Vote for the Parliamentary Foam Party
Vote for the Parliamentary Foam Party

Vote for the Parliamentary Foam Party

Much has been written and watched about yesterday’s incident in Portcullis House when a self-described comedian and now ex-member of the Labour Party and UK Uncut decided to divert the entire media attention away from what was being said by

Jul
20
2011
Donating art to the nation – avoiding tax
Donating art to the nation – avoiding tax

Donating art to the nation – avoiding tax

If you are the sort of person who has large tax bills and also owns rather nice lumps of art or other “significant” objects, then the government is proposing let people donate that item to the Nation in exchange for

Jun
29
2011
Art and architecture tours of Portcullis House
Art and architecture tours of Portcullis House

Art and architecture tours of Portcullis House

Not sure how long they have been doing these, as I haven’t seen it before, but it turns out that there now are twice monthly tours of the new Parliament Building, Portcullis House. To be fair, I don’t look at

Jun
02
2011
The Queen makes a declaration
The Queen makes a declaration

The Queen makes a declaration

Some people dislike pomp and pageantry, while I personally quite like it – and although most of the ceremonies we see today are rarely more than a hundred years or so in date, within law, the pompous language is truly

Apr
05
2011

Westminster is NOT the Mother of all Parliaments

I have again today come across the famous saying that “Westminster is the Mother of all Parliaments”, and indeed, the “Westminster System” of politics does operate in many countries. However, the claim that Westminster is the Mother of all Parliaments,

Jan
10
2011

Kevin Spacey talks about government art spending

When Hollywood actor, and London theatre renovator, Kevin Spacey offers to give a talk on government funding for the arts just a few days before the government is planning to make cuts to the said arts, it seems sensible to

Oct
18
2010

Get tickets to watch Have I Got News for You being recorded

My systems tracker has alerted me to a date for your diaries. Tickets to be in the audience to watch Have I Got News for You being recorded live will be made available on Tuesday 21st September at 11:00 am.

Sep
14
2010

End of the road for cowboy car clampers

Much trailed in the press this morning, the formal announcement finally arrived in my RSS reader. “End of the road for cowboy car clampers” screamed the headline. Sounds good – clamping down (hur!) on the cowboys who do much to

Aug
17
2010

A room full of ancient scrolls and parchments

Ask most people to draw an outline picture of the Houses of Parliament, and often you will get long oblong with “Big Ben” at one end. Most will not include the huge tower that is at the other end of

Jul
24
2010
Tours of 10 Downing Street
Tours of 10 Downing Street

Tours of 10 Downing Street

As politicians traipse into 10 Downing Street to learn what second jobs they will get in addition to being an MP, I decided to brag dig out this photo of the time I once also passed through those hallowed doors.

May
12
2010
A Declaration of War
A Declaration of War

A Declaration of War

You may recall that just a few weeks ago I attended the formal reading of the Proclamation for the Dissolution of Parliament as it was read on the steps of the Royal Exchange in the City of London. Such a

May
05
2010
The Proclamation for the Dissolution of the Present Parliament
The Proclamation for the Dissolution of the Present Parliament

The Proclamation for the Dissolution of the Present Parliament

With the traditional cry of Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!, the Cryer read out the formal document, written in that wonderfully old fashioned language that never changes.

Apr
12
2010

Nigel Farage on Have I Got News for You

Had tickets last night to watch Have I Got News for You being recorded with two comedians I can’t honestly say I have ever heard of (Lee Mack and Kevin Bridges), along with the bombastic leader of the UKIP party,

Apr
01
2010

How similar are Europeans to Americans?

Wandered over to an interesting talk last night entitled Europe and America – Worlds Apart? that took took a statistical look at the differences between the two population blocks. A lot of people, myself included will presume that Americans are

Mar
11
2010