The settlement by the owners of 'The Sun' to avoid their grubby practices being picked through in court calls into question the truthfulness of evidence given under oath by their senior executives, many of whom are still in positions of power today. The need for a Leveson 2 Inquiry has never been clearer. The print … Continue reading The case for ‘Leveson 2’ is stronger than ever
Tag: democracy
Taking on the far right
Farage talks about “something going wrong in our once beautiful country”. Yes, something is going wrong with this country, it is grifters like him, aided and abetted by the hard right media, who for years have sown the seeds of hate and division for personal and political gain. However, it is vital that ALL politicians … Continue reading Taking on the far right
From Hillsborough to the Post Office Scandal
Hillsborough, Grenfell, Horizon, Windrush, Orgreave, Daniel Morgan Murder, Shrewsbury 24, Undercover Policing, Contaminated Blood Scandal, Phone Hacking, Blacklisting. The list of miscarriages of justice and the abuse of power in the UK is a lengthy one. The victims may not be connected, but this blog will set out the common threads linking these scandals. I … Continue reading From Hillsborough to the Post Office Scandal
S106 Funding – an open letter to Central Beds Council
Following my research into how funding received from housing developers is spent in our communities, I posted The secret world of S106 funding blog on my social media. Of course, while social media can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for actually getting in touch with the decision makers directly. As the planning … Continue reading S106 Funding – an open letter to Central Beds Council
Voter ID – keep your right to vote
While we may have moved on from the limited voting rights of the 19th Century, in 1832 the Reform Act granted voting rights to men only if they were freeholders of property and over the age of 21 (women didn't get full voting rights until 1928) we are very shortly about to see a significant … Continue reading Voter ID – keep your right to vote
It’s time to end 2nd Jobs and Freebies for MPs
The recent actions by the government in shamefully attempting to defend corruption have done considerable damage to the credibility of Parliament and people's trust in both politicians and our political system. The actions of the Prime Minister, and others in the Conservative Party, have shown such a blatant disregard for accountability, so vital to our … Continue reading It’s time to end 2nd Jobs and Freebies for MPs
So why does the UK need PR?
For many people, the walk to the polling station is a forlorn and pointless ritual, with no prospect of your vote making a shred of difference to the result. General Elections are decided by a sprinkling of marginal seats across the UK. In the 2019 General Election, a landslide victory for the Conservative Party, only … Continue reading So why does the UK need PR?
Tories crack the Ministerial Code
The Ministerial Code, which has been in place since the Second World War, but only became public in 1992, sets out the rules and principles which outline the standards of conduct for government Ministers. It used to be the case that even a suggestion of impropriety would lead to a resignation, but under Johnson's premiership, … Continue reading Tories crack the Ministerial Code
The push for PR gathers momentum
I am proud to have written the motion on a fairer voting system that was recently adopted by ASLEF at their Annual Assembly of Delegates. However, in a democratic union like ASLEF, success is only achieved with the support of branch delegates from across the railway network. I am particularly grateful to my colleague who … Continue reading The push for PR gathers momentum
Is it all over for our UK democracy?
It may appear a little dramatic to say that our democracy is under threat. However, if we look at how the UK is run, who holds the power and how that power is checked, I believe there are reasonable grounds on which to be very concerned indeed. Like many others I am guilty of exceptionalism … Continue reading Is it all over for our UK democracy?
Julian Vaughan 