Where’s that Handcart?

We all know what’s wrong with the world today, don’t we?

Minority Matters

Posted by Muntle on June 8, 2020
Posted in: Latest Blog, Where's that Handcart?.

I am British born and bred.  I am male. I have a belief.  I respect democracy.  I am law-abiding.  I am heterosexual. I am a pensioner.  I have underlying health issues.  I value all lives.  I am white.  I no longer matter

I was brought up by working class parents who taught me to respect all people regardless of their gender, creed, ethnicity, orientation or political opinions.  They both served in WW2 to give me, and you, our freedom.  I have always practiced what I was taught, and continue to do so.  I passed that teaching to my children, which they have followed and will pass to theirs.  But I no longer matter.  Neither do they. Continue Reading

Lies, Damned Lies & BBC Statistics

Posted by Muntle on May 28, 2019
Posted in: Latest Blog, Where's that Handcart?.

BBC Statistics

It is difficult to understand how a media organisation that, over the last few years, has consistently failed to correctly predict major election results can believe it retains any credibility.  Yet that’s what we have from a BBC statistics department that now has to go into full spin mode to cover its embarrassment even during a live results programme.

Such was the case on Sunday when it became immediately obvious that the Brexit Party were absolutely creaming the opposition, as if that hadn’t been widely predicted from the point, just six weeks ago, when Nigel Farage launched it.   But this article is not about the politics of these elections, it’s about whether our national broadcaster is fit for purpose in the field of political analysis.

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Stitched Up?

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on November 18, 2018
Posted in: Breaking News ..... not, Where's that Handcart?.

Brexit

In June 2016, over 33 million of us went to the polls in a historic Referendum, the highest public turnout recorded for any poll in this country.  We all held passionate views as to why we should Stay or Leave the EU, for whatever reason, and we all placed our vote in the sure and certain knowledge that the result, whatever it may be, would be honoured by Parliament.   It now emerges that, whichever way we voted, we have been stitched-up – not by politicians, nor by the media, but by faceless bureaucrats who were more concerned in preventing their gravy train being derailed.

Let’s not get into how or why the nation has become divided – how the previous Prime Minister ran away from the wreckage he had created, or how Her Majesty’s opposition has taken its title way too literally.  Let’s also recognise the truly democratic way in which the vast majority of those who voted to ‘remain’ have accepted the result, and have been prepared to move forward despite having not wanted to go this way.   Continue Reading

A Brexit Parable

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on May 22, 2018
Posted in: Where's that Handcart?.

The negotiations on a better EU deal for Britain conducted during the period of the coalition government had, unsurprisingly, reached a complete impasse, when it was decided that the best course of action would be to hold a sporting event to settle the issue.  If the British won then they would put membership to their people, if the Europeans won then Britain would remain a member on the prevailing terms.

politico.eu

Various sports were considered and rejected.  A soccer match between England and Germany was the obvious choice but the British, fearing it may end in a penalty shoot-out, declined.  The next suggestion was a Rugby match between Scotland and Italy, but this time the Europeans felt that would be too one-sided. Continue Reading