Partygate
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
Over the last 2 years, Johnson has overseen a litany of political failures. Sadly, the only people with the power to remove him from office are his own MPs. The Conservative party has a long and established history of regicide. They will circle the wagons and defend their leader without question in a crisis, until it becomes clear that the aforementioned leader is an electoral liability and they could lose their own seats. Then the knives are unsheathed, as Margaret Thatcher, John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard all found out. However, Johnson is proving to be the most slippery of eels. The fact that there is no clear successor is an invaluable get out of jail card for the PM. The UK is also in the midst of a major cost of living crisis, there’s a war in Europe and the government is about to embark upon a trade dispute with the EU. All of which are sound reasons why no one possibly wants the job at present. However, there’s one scandal that just doesn’t want to go away, like a wayward stool in an avocado coloured, seventies toilet. Partygate.
For those who live outside of the UK who may not be fully up to speed with this issue, I’ll try my best to summarise. If you wish for more detail, then do watch this video from last month by BBC journalist Ros Atkins. From March to December 2020, the UK was subject to some very stringent COVID-19 restrictions. In the run up to Christmas, there were concerns about a resurgence of the virus, so the rules governing social distancing, gatherings and general interaction were tightened. Simply put, people could not meet friends and families, socialising was out of the question and the idea of traditional Christmas celebrations were out of the question. People could not visit sick and dying relatives in hospitals. Funerals were heavily restricted. UK citizens made major personal sacrifices for the greater public good. Unlike the Prime Minister, his staff and various other Cabinet Ministers who broke their own rules as they partied and fraternised. Johnson is far from a complicated individual. He likes to be perceived as a “good guy” and “fun”. Hence, he brought a “play hard” culture with him when he took office. He sadly neglected the “work hard” part.
Now if you are a hardened cynic or feel disposed towards being politically obtuse, you may ask “is this really such a big deal. It’s just a party”. To which I would reply, it wasn’t one there were over a dozen and at least 8 have been subject to a Police investigation resulting in 126 fines, including the Prime Minister himself. But the parties are in many respects a misdirection. To quote Bruce Lee “it is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory”. The biggest issue stemming from so-called Partygate is the Prime Minister denying any malfeasance. On multiple occasions, Johnson stated categorically in the House of Commons that there were no parties and all COVID-19 related regulations were followed. Yet he was fined for attending his own birthday party. Something he has justified by claiming he didn’t know it was a party. Let us take a moment to reflect upon this state of affairs. Johnson has denied any wrongdoing time and time again. Yet he is now the only ever serving UK Prime Minister to receive a fine for breaking the law. Laws that he oversaw through Parliament.
Today, after last week’s announcement by the Metropolitan Police that no further criminal action would be taken against the Prime Minister, several photographs have reached ITV News showing Johnson attending what any sane person would classify as a party. The photo shows at least 7 guests, the PM and were taken by an official photographer. 9 people in a room drinking and clearly socialising, with 6 open bottles of alcohol in view. 7 if they also drank the hand sanitiser. Naturally like all modern digital photos, it contains data pertaining to where and when it was taken. Allegedly that was on November 13th 2020. On 8th December 2020, Labour MP Catherine West asked the Prime Minister in the Commons if a party had taken place in Downing Street on 13th November. Johnson replied “No - but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times”. Was this a lie and a clear example of the PM misleading Parliament? Something that has always been considered a resigning offence.
The scandal that is Partygate has been rumbling on since December 2021. The continual drip, drip of information, photos and tip offs grew to the point where it was dominating the political agenda by the end of January this year. Hence Johnson appointed senior civil servant Sue Gray, Second Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office, to investigate the matter. Her report has already been delayed once, when in February the Metropolitan Police retrospectively decided to investigate the alleged lockdown infractions. However, her report is due to be published this week and will certainly ensure that the story once again dominates the headlines. Already, several important questions have emerged, prior to its publication. Why did Ms Gray meet with the PM to discuss the report last week? Although Johnson is Ms Gray’s boss, is it appropriate for these parties to meet without the minutes of that meeting being fully disclosed? And why have the Metropolitan Police fined people who attended the party in the picture published today but have not sanctioned the PM for a second time?
A politician's relationship with the truth is often a strained one. However, the role of Prime Minister requires that basic standards are adhered to. For want of another phrase you have to be “sound”, in the Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister sense of the word. The UK is still a major player on the international stage although that soft power is fast evaporating. A Prime Minister has to be considered trustworthy by their international allies as well as their own electorate. They have to uphold the rule of law and their word must be considered bond. A proven liar cannot do such things and is a calamity for both domestic and international politics. A democracy in which the truth is openly scorned and deemed an impediment is a broken democracy. Sadly, this is where the UK currently stands. If Johnson remains in office then the only remaining route is down. However, the Gray Report may be a scandal too far. There are two By-elections coming up and if the Conservatives lose these seats there may be repercussions for the PM from his own party. I suspect that the PM is in an extremely uncomfortable position at present, both politically and personally. Has good fortune finally deserted him? I do hope so.
Yesterday afternoon, Nigel Farage the Member of Parliament for Clacton and leader of the Reform Party, held a press conference in which he declared that he would be resigning his seat and thus triggering a by-election. He cited the following list of grievances that have led to him making this decision. That the Parliamentary standards investigations were being politicised, the media and other parties were conducting a coordinated campaign against him and that he had endured years of threats and physical attacks. He further asserted that his family’s privacy and safety had been breached as well. He finished by alleging that the political system was repeatedly changing rules to obstruct Reform and that he was the most attacked politician in the UK. Rather than be judged by the legacy media and the “establishment”, he would rather put the issue of his political integrity to the electorate of Clacton. He even offered to pay for the cost of the by-election.
UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned and intends to leave office before the parliamentary summer recess. By then Andy Burnham will more than likely be voted leader of the Labour Party and by default will become the new Prime Minister. Due to the current size of the incumbent Government’s majority, there is no pressing reason for a General Election that the UK’s right wing tabloid press is currently calling for. Whether this provides the Government with the reset they’re hoping for when Parliament reconvenes in autumn remains to be seen. With seven Prime Ministers coming and going in a decade, there are some serious questions to be asked about the current state of UK politics. However, the mechanics of contemporary politics, the decline of clearly defined ideologies and the people that seek elected office to be our leaders are only half of the problem. The other major impediment to the UK’s democracy functioning properly is the electorate.
Andy Burnham successfully won the Makerfield by-election yesterday, returning him to the House of Commons as a member of Parliament after holding the position of Mayor of Manchester for the past nine years. Prior to this, Burnham was Labour MP for Leigh from 2001 and 2017. He served in both the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown administrations and has held such senior governmental posts as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Secretary of State for Health. His return to Parliamentary politics is likely to result in a leadership challenge to incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer. When speaking after winning yesterday’s by-election Burnham spoke of “a final chance for change” the current trajectory of the present Labour Government. However, I don’t wish to focus on any of this at present. I am far more interested in the above picture, taken as the results were announced and what it says about UK politics.
The UK Government has formerly announced its intention to ban under-16s from using social media. This is due to increasing public pressure that “something must be done” about the perceived iniquities of many online platforms. However, as with most complex social problems of this nature, no one has any clear or practical ideas as to what that “something” is. It remains a nebulous, non-specific panacea and clearly someone else’s job to identify and implement. As ever, why choose a nuanced and multifaceted solution to a complex problem, when it is far easier and politically expedient to just “ban” something. The former requires effort and a degree of thinking. If such an approach fails it also means that those who came up with it now carry the can. The latter dumps the problem in the lap of various third parties, who can then be conveniently blamed when the ill conceived policy fails.
Every Thursday, Mrs P volunteers at a food bank that is run from a local church; Avery Hill Christian Fellowship. Today there was a shortage of staff so I agreed to help out. It proved to be an equitable arrangement as she collated the various orders and I packed the bags and took them to the respective clients. The food bank itself is organised and administered by the Trussell Trust, a UK based NGO and charity providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. It is open for 2 to 3 hours a week depending upon demand. During today’s session we served just six people. Some weeks its can be triple that amount. Upon closure, a member of staff from the Trussel Trust did a stock take and collated a list of what was needed. This is provided by various local church communities via parishioners donations, as well as local supermarkets who have an arrangement with the trust to provide surplus stock or good approaching the end of their sales window.
Under the First Past the Post electoral system, the candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes in each constituency are elected. This system is used in the UK during general elections and in some local elections, such as those recently conducted in England. An alternative approach is the system of proportional representation, which aims to allocate seats in a manner that reflects the popularity of various parties. Both the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales employ systems of Proportional Representation. Historically, first-past-the-post has been seen as advantageous for the Conservative and Labour parties. It poses challenges for smaller parties whose votes are distributed evenly across different regions, making it difficult for them to secure seats. This dynamic effectively prevents potential competitors to the Conservatives and Labour from succeeding electorally. Consequently, due to this situation, voters may hesitate to support these smaller parties from the outset.
There are local elections being held across the UK today. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their respective national parliaments, while in England the voting is for local councils and regional mayors. These are the first major elections to be held in the UK since the 2024 General Election which saw the Conservative government of fourteen years, fall to the Labour Party. Midterm elections are often a litmus test for how the electorate think the national government are performing although local issues are also a major factor. The consensus among political journalists and commentators is that the incumbent government is polling extremely poorly and will subsequently face a backlash. In recent years the UK has seen a decline in traditional two party voting with Reform UK and the Greens gaining significant traction among the electorate. Hence today’s elections may well see both these parties make significant gains.
Our household is currently trying to reduce our monthly overheads in response to the ever increasing cost of living. April is not that far away and a great many service providers will increase their rates and tariff as the new financial year begins. Then there is the ongoing effects, both direct and indirect, of inflation to consider. Although the UK inflation rate is dropping, currently sitting at 3.4% in December 2025, food inflation remains higher at 4.5%. Being based in the UK, salaries and billed services tend to be administered monthly. You get paid usually at the end of the months and bills can turn up at any point, depending upon when you started a service. Any payments coming from central government, such as state pension or other benefits, are paid every 4 weeks. This means that there are 13 payments in a year. I thought it pertinent to clarify this point as other countries, such as the USA, favour a fortnightly financial cycle. Hence as a household we work around a monthly budget.
I don’t know if you have noticed that there are quite a lot of companies that have names taken from Tolkien’s Legendarium. At first glance, this seems innocuous enough. Tolkien’s writings grew in popularity over the seventies and eighties but since the release of the film trilogy at the start of the twenty-first century, his work has become more well known and been assimilated into our wider pop culture. Hence, it seems quite logical that a startup tech company, for example, would choose a name from his writings. No doubt the founders grew up reading The Lord of the Rings and are fans. That all seems plausible. However if you take a further look, it gets somewhat more complex. Here are four companies that have Tolkien based names.
“Managed decline” is a phrase that refers to the processes associated with the end of a specific lifecycle, with the goal of minimizing costs or other forms of loss. The concept originated in business where it referred to the management of companies and industries. More recently it is used in wider contexts. The concept gained prominence with regard to urban policy, particularly in the UK during the eighties when several major cities suffered economic and political collapse. Of late, the term has been applied to the UK, encompassing a systematic weakening of the economy, social structures, and cultural values, as well as its global political and diplomatic force. In each case, managed decline involves making strategic choices about resource allocation and accepting the consequences of those decisions. It is a complex issue with ethical and practical considerations, often sparking debate about the best way to address decline and reverse the process.
I still maintain a legacy presence on Twitter/X and I follow my local MP (member of Parliament) Louie French. It’s not something I especially relish as I am not a supporter of the Conservative party (or any other) and I did not vote for him in the last election. I just like to know what he is up to as he is the political representative for our constituency. As the Conservatives are out of power at present, to all intent and purposes, Mr French is a backbench MP although he has a minor position as Shadow Parliamentary Undersecretary (Culture, Media and Sport). However, with that being said he is hardly a key member of the shadow cabinet. Hence he focuses on constituency work and that which is generated by his shadow posting. He will also lend his voice, when required, to any major policy decision or statement made by his party.
Sunday 6th April is the start of a new financial year, here in the UK. According to data from numerous financial and economic institutions, an estimated million plus households will be facing annual increases of £400 to £500 as the proverbial “cost of living” goes up. Everything from Council Tax to Mobile and Broadband costs are being increased. Future cost hikes are expected in our energy and water utilities. As bills start going up across the country today, average wages remain stagnant. Middle-income and poorer households have been worst hit by this wage related issue. Hence the tabloid press have labelled the start of the new financial year as “Awful April”. Hyperbole aside, this is a very real issue which due to its complex, global causes, doesn’t have a quick fix solution.
I consider myself to be a grounded, rational individual. I am not excessively emotional. I like facts, data and reason as opposed to hyperbole, rhetoric and bluster. That being said, I am aware that the world is an imperfect place. Opinions are often not based upon empirical fact but personal perspective. Hence many people experience reality differently to me. They are driven by their feelings and other factors. However, despite these differences in philosophy, for most of my life the world has remained functional and over time slowly improved in subtle ways. Deference to expertise, a sense of community and basic pragmatism meant that people broadly pulled in the same direction. Of course there has always been dissent but it has been within a stable system. However, of late I feel that this era is now finally over. Things are no longer stable. We live in an uncertain world.
Newspapers were an integral part of UK culture in the seventies. During the week, they were delivered prior to going to work, so you would peruse them over breakfast. Alternatively you would buy one en route to your place of employment and read it on the bus or train. In a world before 24 hour, rolling news, they were the primary means of keeping the public abreast of events and as such, enjoyed a substantial audience. On occasions a newspaper story could make or break a political career or launch a crusading campaign to address a social ill. Newspapers were a force to be reckoned with and therefore a significant part of the socio-political landscape. However, due to a strong union presence within the workforce, the UKs newspapers often lagged behind other industries with regard to the technology.
The First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system used in the United Kingdom, as well as in several other countries such as the US and India, has both advantages and disadvantages. However, despite being a simple and straightforward system it has been abandoned by many democracies in favour of more proportional and equitable methods. The primary criticism against FPTP is that it allows a minority of the electorate to return a majority government. Since 1935, there have been majority governments 90% of the time, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. At present, the current UK government has a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share.
Politicians have a distinct way of talking when being interviewed or giving a press conference. It is often characterised by a strategic use of language, centred around rhetorical devices, persuasion techniques and a careful framing of messages. Direct answers to questions are usually avoided, with tangential responses being preferred. Opinions and specific perspectives are frequently presented as facts. There is also a propensity to focus on “problems” and apportioning blame, rather than “solutions”. It’s important to note that the use of language in politics is a complex and dynamic process influenced by various factors, including cultural context, media dynamics, and the evolving political landscape. Different politicians may employ different communication strategies based on their individual styles and objectives. Here are some key aspects of how politicians use language:
The United Kingdom is one of the few democratic countries in the world that does not have a single, written constitution. Others include Canada, New Zealand and Israel. To date, its constitution is a combination of written and unwritten sources, including statutes, common law, conventions and somewhat esoterically, royal prerogatives. The reason for this is predominantly historical. Since 1688, Britain has not experienced a revolution or regime change, which often leads to a constitutional initiative, such as the American or the French Revolution. Britain’s constitution has evolved slowly over time under relative stability and as such, it has never been deemed necessary to list the fundamental laws and principles of the country's political system.
On Friday 15th September the former actor and comedian turned internet social commentator, Russell Brand, released a video on his YouTube channel addressing allegations about his personal life, ahead of a forthcoming UK current affairs documentary. Brand vehemently denied what he described as “very serious criminal allegations”. The following day Channel Four broadcast “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight”. During the course of the program Brand was accused by one woman of rape and by three others of sexual assaults, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. During the course of the week, further claims have been made against him and that his “predatory” behaviour was an open secret within the TV industry. Furthermore, women would warn each other in advance if they had any dealing with him. All of which has played out against a mixture of broadsheet analysis, tabloid hyperbole, performative politics and internet bluster.
For those who live outside of the UK, let me categorically state that Brexit has broken British politics. Prior to 2016, national politics still broadly functioned along traditional party political lines, with income and class substantially determining voter allegiance. The big three cities (London, Birmingham and Liverpool) maintained their liberal dispositions and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales were dominated by their regional politics. Brexit changed all this creating fault lines that fell outside of the existing political status quo. Opinions differed based upon where you lived, how politically literate you were and even education. Your party political allegiance no longer indicated what stance you took on this matter. Furthermore, the discourse around this complex subject was quickly debased into a bipartisan culture war that was toxic and dangerous.
Okay, keep up as there’s a lot of ground to cover. The UK government is currently suffering in the opinion polls and after 13 years in office, is facing potential oblivion at the next general election. In an attempt to shore up support among the party faithful, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is currently pursuing a hardline with regard to immigration. According to Ipsos, as a political issue about 29% of the electorate consider immigration to be a major problem. The remainder either think current levels are manageable or have no substantive view on the matter. However, as a “culture war” issue that can be weaponized by the tabloid press, which often has direct links to the Conservative Party in the UK, immigration is a hill to die upon. Hence you will find a lot of rhetoric that is anti-immigration and any contrary view is tarred with trite pejorative terms such as “lefty”, “liberal” and “woke”.
Last April, the Election Act 2022 became law within the UK. The Act introduced a requirement for all those voting in-person to produce photo identification when attending a polling station. This is the first time that such an ID has been required. Prior to this, voters could either bring their polling card to verify their identity at the polling station, or confirm their registered address from the electoral roll with staff. Now a UK driving licence or passport are considered the primary means of identity. A list of additional photo identification that has been deemed acceptable, is available on the UK government website. For those members of the electorate who do not have any of the qualifying ID, there is a Voter Authority Certificate available, which can be applied for online. This photo ID is linked to the applicants National Insurance Number. For further impartial information on photo ID and registering to vote, visit the The Electoral Commission website.
I am writing this post from the perspective of a UK citizen, but the sentiments expressed are applicable to anyone who lives in a country where you have democratically elected local political representation. IE someone who is supposed to advocate on behalf of your community or for you personally as the duly elected political representative. Here in the UK, the country is divided into 650 constituencies, each returning one Member of Parliament. Irrespective of whether you voted for your MP or whether you support the political party that they belong to, they are obliged to represent you and advocate on your behalf, if you request it. Such is the relationship in principle between constituents and MPs in the UK. It is important to be aware that your local MP is not a delegate whose sole purpose is to represent majority constituency views. Under the UK political system, an MP makes decisions on behalf of constituents and can take a position counter to local opinion, if they feel that is in the best interest of the constituency.
It is difficult to write about the state of UK politics with any degree of intellectual rigour when the entire situation has become so utterly farcical. My initial reaction to the recent departure of Liz Truss after just 45 days in office, was to laugh with abject scorn and derision. She was destined to fail due to utter lack of ability. However, there is still the outstanding matter of the country lacking a credible and functional government to address inflation, the cost of living crisis and resolve all the issues stemming from Brexit. There are problematic national and international events taking place that need addressing. A united, pragmatic and empathetic government is required to solve both these short term and long term needs. Sadly, the governing party is riven with opposing factions and there is no commonly held policy or underlying ideology. The PM may well have changed but the underlying flaws remain.
Conservative Party has been in government in the UK since 2010. During that time there have been three Prime Ministers. Today we moved onto the fourth. After Boris Johnson resigned on 7th July, the nation has had to endure a tedious two month process in which the Conservative Party elects a new leader. That person then becomes the PM by default. Many readers unfamiliar with the UK political system may be surprised that a change of leader has not led to a General Election. That is because the Conservative Party still holds a parliamentary majority of 71 elected Members of Parliament. Hence it is still constitutionally quite able to govern, despite Boris Johnson being forced from office. Therefore party members vote for a new party leader who gets the top job by default. Remember that in the UK, the Prime Minister is not the head of state and does not have the executive powers of a President.
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
The title for this post is a quote from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve used it as a verbal cue to try and give readers an overview of the point I’m striving to convey. Because I want to talk about modern life in western civilization, specifically its complexity and increasing uncertainty. If you’re extremely wealthy you can mitigate these two points but I’m working on the premise that most of the people who read Contains Moderate Peril are not. The blogging community, of which I am a participant, is a diverse group but from what I’ve observed it’s not populated by millionaires. In fact most of the people I know, both online and in person, are just holding down a job, trying to keep a roof over their head and pay the bills. Often they’re doing the job they do in default of anything else and they’re at the very least ambivalent towards it. The pandemic has also brought home how fragile so-called “normality” is. Modern politics are also volatile and life in general just doesn’t seem as certain as it was twenty years ago.
The Conservative Party successfully held onto their “safe seat” of Old Bexley and Sidcup in yesterday’s closely watched by-election. However their overall majority was reduced by more than half amid a very low voter turnout. Conservative councillor Louie French becomes the country’s newest MP after winning 11,189 votes, more than 50 per cent of those cast, in the seat previously held by the former cabinet minister James Brokenshire. Mr Brokenshire died in October from lung cancer aged 53. The closest challenger was Labour’s Daniel Francis, who secured 6,711 as the Tory majority fell from nearly 19,000 to 4,478, the equivalent of a vote share swing of 10 per cent to Labour. Turnout in the constituency was just 34%, down from the almost 70% who voted in the 2019 general election.
Taxation and Wealth Distribution in the UK
There was a rather angry man on BBC Question Time on Thursday night who was somewhat upset over the tax proposals set out in the Labour Party manifesto. Labour intend to increase the higher rate of tax from 40% to 45% if they are elected. The person in question by their own admission earns £80,000 plus a year and he didn’t believe he was in the top 8% of UK earners. He therefore objected to the fact that under a Labour Government he would face a tax increase. Unfortunately this individual was mistaken. According to figures from HMRC, he is clearly one of 4.3 million people in the higher tax category. Perhaps what he found incongruous was the fact that he falls into a demographic that includes people on his salary all the way to multimillionaires. However, at a salary of over £80,000 a year, he is earning way above the UK average. I think this is what flummoxes people so much. There is an assumption that wealth is evenly distributed throughout the working age UK population and that any graph showing salaries is a gentle curve. Sadly, this is not the case as a little research will show.
There was a rather angry man on BBC Question Time on Thursday night who was somewhat upset over the tax proposals set out in the Labour Party manifesto. Labour intend to increase the higher rate of tax from 40% to 45% if they are elected. The person in question by their own admission earns £80,000 plus a year and he didn’t believe he was in the top 8% of UK earners. He therefore objected to the fact that under a Labour Government he would face a tax increase. Unfortunately this individual was mistaken. According to figures from HMRC, he is clearly one of 4.3 million people in the higher tax category. Perhaps what he found incongruous was the fact that he falls into a demographic that includes people on his salary all the way to multimillionaires. However, at a salary of over £80,000 a year, he is earning way above the UK average. I think this is what flummoxes people so much. There is an assumption that wealth is evenly distributed throughout the working age UK population and that any graph showing salaries is a gentle curve. Sadly, this is not the case as a little research will show.
First of all, here are the current UK Tax Rates for financial year 2019-20.
Personal allowance Up to £12,500 0%
Basic rate £12,501 to £50,000 20%
Higher rate £50,001 to £150,000 40%
Additional rate Over £150,001 45%
In 2018-19, an estimated 26.4 million individuals (82.4%) are Basic Rate taxpayers, 4.3 million individuals (13.8%) are Higher Rate taxpayers and 393,000 (1.3%) are Additional Rate taxpayers. That is a total of 31 million people paying taxes in the UK. However the working age population of the United Kingdom is 52 million. That means around 21 million people (43%) earn less than £12,500 a year and are below the Basic Rate tax threshold and therefore do not pay income tax. With these numbers in mind it then become very clear why the median annual income in the UK is £28,677 for full-time employees. There are many jobs that the public perceive as being well paid that in fact are not. Nurses, Policemen and Teachers are classic examples of public servants that fall into this category. The starting salary for all of these professions is between £22,000 and £24,000 per annum.
Once you start looking into subjects such as earnings, taxation and the distribution of wealth in the UK, it becomes very clear that there is a high level of economic inequality. One’s political perspective upon such matters is both personal and subjective but the facts are undeniable. Wealth in the UK remains primarily in the hands of the top 20% who have an income more than 12 times the amount earned by the poorest 20%. Those who are the least financially compensated for their work often find themselves having to supplement their income with such government benefits as Tax Credits. Sadly due to the increasing cost of living, especially with regard to rented accommodation, many families find themselves in poverty. Yet paradoxically the UK is sixth-largest national economy in the world measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), ninth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP), and twenty second largest by GDP per capita, comprising 3.3% of world GDP. It’s all very sobering and food for thought. Perhaps the irate man on BBC Question Time should reflect upon all this.
If you visit the websites for such UK tabloid newspapers as the Daily Express or the Daily Mail you will no doubt encounter prominent stories about Megan Markle, Nigel Farage and “immigrants”. If these two august institutions are short of column inches, they’ll run a piece about how some former celebrity has had the unmitigated gall and temerity to get old. I mean WTF? How dare they do what human beings are genetically disposed to do. It’s outrageous. Similarly, head over to the Unherd website and you’ll find foam flecked tirades regarding spurious points of contention over dubious subjects. Often the topic being harangued is incredibly niche and I’ve never heard of it before or even considered it being a thing. These sort of talking points are not about informing, debating and most certainly aren’t about thinking. They exist to provoke reactions.
Yesterday afternoon, Nigel Farage the Member of Parliament for Clacton and leader of the Reform Party, held a press conference in which he declared that he would be resigning his seat and thus triggering a by-election. He cited the following list of grievances that have led to him making this decision. That the Parliamentary standards investigations were being politicised, the media and other parties were conducting a coordinated campaign against him and that he had endured years of threats and physical attacks. He further asserted that his family’s privacy and safety had been breached as well. He finished by alleging that the political system was repeatedly changing rules to obstruct Reform and that he was the most attacked politician in the UK. Rather than be judged by the legacy media and the “establishment”, he would rather put the issue of his political integrity to the electorate of Clacton. He even offered to pay for the cost of the by-election.
UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned and intends to leave office before the parliamentary summer recess. By then Andy Burnham will more than likely be voted leader of the Labour Party and by default will become the new Prime Minister. Due to the current size of the incumbent Government’s majority, there is no pressing reason for a General Election that the UK’s right wing tabloid press is currently calling for. Whether this provides the Government with the reset they’re hoping for when Parliament reconvenes in autumn remains to be seen. With seven Prime Ministers coming and going in a decade, there are some serious questions to be asked about the current state of UK politics. However, the mechanics of contemporary politics, the decline of clearly defined ideologies and the people that seek elected office to be our leaders are only half of the problem. The other major impediment to the UK’s democracy functioning properly is the electorate.
Andy Burnham successfully won the Makerfield by-election yesterday, returning him to the House of Commons as a member of Parliament after holding the position of Mayor of Manchester for the past nine years. Prior to this, Burnham was Labour MP for Leigh from 2001 and 2017. He served in both the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown administrations and has held such senior governmental posts as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Secretary of State for Health. His return to Parliamentary politics is likely to result in a leadership challenge to incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer. When speaking after winning yesterday’s by-election Burnham spoke of “a final chance for change” the current trajectory of the present Labour Government. However, I don’t wish to focus on any of this at present. I am far more interested in the above picture, taken as the results were announced and what it says about UK politics.
The UK Government has formerly announced its intention to ban under-16s from using social media. This is due to increasing public pressure that “something must be done” about the perceived iniquities of many online platforms. However, as with most complex social problems of this nature, no one has any clear or practical ideas as to what that “something” is. It remains a nebulous, non-specific panacea and clearly someone else’s job to identify and implement. As ever, why choose a nuanced and multifaceted solution to a complex problem, when it is far easier and politically expedient to just “ban” something. The former requires effort and a degree of thinking. If such an approach fails it also means that those who came up with it now carry the can. The latter dumps the problem in the lap of various third parties, who can then be conveniently blamed when the ill conceived policy fails.
Every Thursday, Mrs P volunteers at a food bank that is run from a local church; Avery Hill Christian Fellowship. Today there was a shortage of staff so I agreed to help out. It proved to be an equitable arrangement as she collated the various orders and I packed the bags and took them to the respective clients. The food bank itself is organised and administered by the Trussell Trust, a UK based NGO and charity providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. It is open for 2 to 3 hours a week depending upon demand. During today’s session we served just six people. Some weeks its can be triple that amount. Upon closure, a member of staff from the Trussel Trust did a stock take and collated a list of what was needed. This is provided by various local church communities via parishioners donations, as well as local supermarkets who have an arrangement with the trust to provide surplus stock or good approaching the end of their sales window.
Under the First Past the Post electoral system, the candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes in each constituency are elected. This system is used in the UK during general elections and in some local elections, such as those recently conducted in England. An alternative approach is the system of proportional representation, which aims to allocate seats in a manner that reflects the popularity of various parties. Both the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales employ systems of Proportional Representation. Historically, first-past-the-post has been seen as advantageous for the Conservative and Labour parties. It poses challenges for smaller parties whose votes are distributed evenly across different regions, making it difficult for them to secure seats. This dynamic effectively prevents potential competitors to the Conservatives and Labour from succeeding electorally. Consequently, due to this situation, voters may hesitate to support these smaller parties from the outset.
There are local elections being held across the UK today. Voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their respective national parliaments, while in England the voting is for local councils and regional mayors. These are the first major elections to be held in the UK since the 2024 General Election which saw the Conservative government of fourteen years, fall to the Labour Party. Midterm elections are often a litmus test for how the electorate think the national government are performing although local issues are also a major factor. The consensus among political journalists and commentators is that the incumbent government is polling extremely poorly and will subsequently face a backlash. In recent years the UK has seen a decline in traditional two party voting with Reform UK and the Greens gaining significant traction among the electorate. Hence today’s elections may well see both these parties make significant gains.
Our household is currently trying to reduce our monthly overheads in response to the ever increasing cost of living. April is not that far away and a great many service providers will increase their rates and tariff as the new financial year begins. Then there is the ongoing effects, both direct and indirect, of inflation to consider. Although the UK inflation rate is dropping, currently sitting at 3.4% in December 2025, food inflation remains higher at 4.5%. Being based in the UK, salaries and billed services tend to be administered monthly. You get paid usually at the end of the months and bills can turn up at any point, depending upon when you started a service. Any payments coming from central government, such as state pension or other benefits, are paid every 4 weeks. This means that there are 13 payments in a year. I thought it pertinent to clarify this point as other countries, such as the USA, favour a fortnightly financial cycle. Hence as a household we work around a monthly budget.
I don’t know if you have noticed that there are quite a lot of companies that have names taken from Tolkien’s Legendarium. At first glance, this seems innocuous enough. Tolkien’s writings grew in popularity over the seventies and eighties but since the release of the film trilogy at the start of the twenty-first century, his work has become more well known and been assimilated into our wider pop culture. Hence, it seems quite logical that a startup tech company, for example, would choose a name from his writings. No doubt the founders grew up reading The Lord of the Rings and are fans. That all seems plausible. However if you take a further look, it gets somewhat more complex. Here are four companies that have Tolkien based names.
“Managed decline” is a phrase that refers to the processes associated with the end of a specific lifecycle, with the goal of minimizing costs or other forms of loss. The concept originated in business where it referred to the management of companies and industries. More recently it is used in wider contexts. The concept gained prominence with regard to urban policy, particularly in the UK during the eighties when several major cities suffered economic and political collapse. Of late, the term has been applied to the UK, encompassing a systematic weakening of the economy, social structures, and cultural values, as well as its global political and diplomatic force. In each case, managed decline involves making strategic choices about resource allocation and accepting the consequences of those decisions. It is a complex issue with ethical and practical considerations, often sparking debate about the best way to address decline and reverse the process.
I still maintain a legacy presence on Twitter/X and I follow my local MP (member of Parliament) Louie French. It’s not something I especially relish as I am not a supporter of the Conservative party (or any other) and I did not vote for him in the last election. I just like to know what he is up to as he is the political representative for our constituency. As the Conservatives are out of power at present, to all intent and purposes, Mr French is a backbench MP although he has a minor position as Shadow Parliamentary Undersecretary (Culture, Media and Sport). However, with that being said he is hardly a key member of the shadow cabinet. Hence he focuses on constituency work and that which is generated by his shadow posting. He will also lend his voice, when required, to any major policy decision or statement made by his party.
Sunday 6th April is the start of a new financial year, here in the UK. According to data from numerous financial and economic institutions, an estimated million plus households will be facing annual increases of £400 to £500 as the proverbial “cost of living” goes up. Everything from Council Tax to Mobile and Broadband costs are being increased. Future cost hikes are expected in our energy and water utilities. As bills start going up across the country today, average wages remain stagnant. Middle-income and poorer households have been worst hit by this wage related issue. Hence the tabloid press have labelled the start of the new financial year as “Awful April”. Hyperbole aside, this is a very real issue which due to its complex, global causes, doesn’t have a quick fix solution.
I consider myself to be a grounded, rational individual. I am not excessively emotional. I like facts, data and reason as opposed to hyperbole, rhetoric and bluster. That being said, I am aware that the world is an imperfect place. Opinions are often not based upon empirical fact but personal perspective. Hence many people experience reality differently to me. They are driven by their feelings and other factors. However, despite these differences in philosophy, for most of my life the world has remained functional and over time slowly improved in subtle ways. Deference to expertise, a sense of community and basic pragmatism meant that people broadly pulled in the same direction. Of course there has always been dissent but it has been within a stable system. However, of late I feel that this era is now finally over. Things are no longer stable. We live in an uncertain world.
Newspapers were an integral part of UK culture in the seventies. During the week, they were delivered prior to going to work, so you would peruse them over breakfast. Alternatively you would buy one en route to your place of employment and read it on the bus or train. In a world before 24 hour, rolling news, they were the primary means of keeping the public abreast of events and as such, enjoyed a substantial audience. On occasions a newspaper story could make or break a political career or launch a crusading campaign to address a social ill. Newspapers were a force to be reckoned with and therefore a significant part of the socio-political landscape. However, due to a strong union presence within the workforce, the UKs newspapers often lagged behind other industries with regard to the technology.
The First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system used in the United Kingdom, as well as in several other countries such as the US and India, has both advantages and disadvantages. However, despite being a simple and straightforward system it has been abandoned by many democracies in favour of more proportional and equitable methods. The primary criticism against FPTP is that it allows a minority of the electorate to return a majority government. Since 1935, there have been majority governments 90% of the time, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. At present, the current UK government has a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share.
Politicians have a distinct way of talking when being interviewed or giving a press conference. It is often characterised by a strategic use of language, centred around rhetorical devices, persuasion techniques and a careful framing of messages. Direct answers to questions are usually avoided, with tangential responses being preferred. Opinions and specific perspectives are frequently presented as facts. There is also a propensity to focus on “problems” and apportioning blame, rather than “solutions”. It’s important to note that the use of language in politics is a complex and dynamic process influenced by various factors, including cultural context, media dynamics, and the evolving political landscape. Different politicians may employ different communication strategies based on their individual styles and objectives. Here are some key aspects of how politicians use language:
The United Kingdom is one of the few democratic countries in the world that does not have a single, written constitution. Others include Canada, New Zealand and Israel. To date, its constitution is a combination of written and unwritten sources, including statutes, common law, conventions and somewhat esoterically, royal prerogatives. The reason for this is predominantly historical. Since 1688, Britain has not experienced a revolution or regime change, which often leads to a constitutional initiative, such as the American or the French Revolution. Britain’s constitution has evolved slowly over time under relative stability and as such, it has never been deemed necessary to list the fundamental laws and principles of the country's political system.
On Friday 15th September the former actor and comedian turned internet social commentator, Russell Brand, released a video on his YouTube channel addressing allegations about his personal life, ahead of a forthcoming UK current affairs documentary. Brand vehemently denied what he described as “very serious criminal allegations”. The following day Channel Four broadcast “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight”. During the course of the program Brand was accused by one woman of rape and by three others of sexual assaults, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. During the course of the week, further claims have been made against him and that his “predatory” behaviour was an open secret within the TV industry. Furthermore, women would warn each other in advance if they had any dealing with him. All of which has played out against a mixture of broadsheet analysis, tabloid hyperbole, performative politics and internet bluster.
For those who live outside of the UK, let me categorically state that Brexit has broken British politics. Prior to 2016, national politics still broadly functioned along traditional party political lines, with income and class substantially determining voter allegiance. The big three cities (London, Birmingham and Liverpool) maintained their liberal dispositions and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales were dominated by their regional politics. Brexit changed all this creating fault lines that fell outside of the existing political status quo. Opinions differed based upon where you lived, how politically literate you were and even education. Your party political allegiance no longer indicated what stance you took on this matter. Furthermore, the discourse around this complex subject was quickly debased into a bipartisan culture war that was toxic and dangerous.
Okay, keep up as there’s a lot of ground to cover. The UK government is currently suffering in the opinion polls and after 13 years in office, is facing potential oblivion at the next general election. In an attempt to shore up support among the party faithful, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is currently pursuing a hardline with regard to immigration. According to Ipsos, as a political issue about 29% of the electorate consider immigration to be a major problem. The remainder either think current levels are manageable or have no substantive view on the matter. However, as a “culture war” issue that can be weaponized by the tabloid press, which often has direct links to the Conservative Party in the UK, immigration is a hill to die upon. Hence you will find a lot of rhetoric that is anti-immigration and any contrary view is tarred with trite pejorative terms such as “lefty”, “liberal” and “woke”.
Last April, the Election Act 2022 became law within the UK. The Act introduced a requirement for all those voting in-person to produce photo identification when attending a polling station. This is the first time that such an ID has been required. Prior to this, voters could either bring their polling card to verify their identity at the polling station, or confirm their registered address from the electoral roll with staff. Now a UK driving licence or passport are considered the primary means of identity. A list of additional photo identification that has been deemed acceptable, is available on the UK government website. For those members of the electorate who do not have any of the qualifying ID, there is a Voter Authority Certificate available, which can be applied for online. This photo ID is linked to the applicants National Insurance Number. For further impartial information on photo ID and registering to vote, visit the The Electoral Commission website.
I am writing this post from the perspective of a UK citizen, but the sentiments expressed are applicable to anyone who lives in a country where you have democratically elected local political representation. IE someone who is supposed to advocate on behalf of your community or for you personally as the duly elected political representative. Here in the UK, the country is divided into 650 constituencies, each returning one Member of Parliament. Irrespective of whether you voted for your MP or whether you support the political party that they belong to, they are obliged to represent you and advocate on your behalf, if you request it. Such is the relationship in principle between constituents and MPs in the UK. It is important to be aware that your local MP is not a delegate whose sole purpose is to represent majority constituency views. Under the UK political system, an MP makes decisions on behalf of constituents and can take a position counter to local opinion, if they feel that is in the best interest of the constituency.
It is difficult to write about the state of UK politics with any degree of intellectual rigour when the entire situation has become so utterly farcical. My initial reaction to the recent departure of Liz Truss after just 45 days in office, was to laugh with abject scorn and derision. She was destined to fail due to utter lack of ability. However, there is still the outstanding matter of the country lacking a credible and functional government to address inflation, the cost of living crisis and resolve all the issues stemming from Brexit. There are problematic national and international events taking place that need addressing. A united, pragmatic and empathetic government is required to solve both these short term and long term needs. Sadly, the governing party is riven with opposing factions and there is no commonly held policy or underlying ideology. The PM may well have changed but the underlying flaws remain.
Conservative Party has been in government in the UK since 2010. During that time there have been three Prime Ministers. Today we moved onto the fourth. After Boris Johnson resigned on 7th July, the nation has had to endure a tedious two month process in which the Conservative Party elects a new leader. That person then becomes the PM by default. Many readers unfamiliar with the UK political system may be surprised that a change of leader has not led to a General Election. That is because the Conservative Party still holds a parliamentary majority of 71 elected Members of Parliament. Hence it is still constitutionally quite able to govern, despite Boris Johnson being forced from office. Therefore party members vote for a new party leader who gets the top job by default. Remember that in the UK, the Prime Minister is not the head of state and does not have the executive powers of a President.
I try to keep my thoughts on political matters to a minimum here at Contains Moderate Peril, mainly because UK politics and the current state of discourse associated with it has become an absolute shit show in recent years. Brexit broke traditional politics and has made matters far more tribal and partisan. The two main parties have declined from having clear ideologies, identities and manifestos, to becoming either a lobby group for the specific demographic group that supports them, or a conflicted, divided and schizoid shadow of its former self. I’ll let you work out which is which. Politics is no longer about governing a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. Now you simply pick a side and join the ongoing culture war against everyone and everything else. This rotten system produces rotten leaders. Hence, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson became Prime Minister in December 2019, it was clear that the nation was taking a major risk on such a man. His failings as a politician and a person are a matter of public record for anyone who has the eyes to see them.
The title for this post is a quote from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve used it as a verbal cue to try and give readers an overview of the point I’m striving to convey. Because I want to talk about modern life in western civilization, specifically its complexity and increasing uncertainty. If you’re extremely wealthy you can mitigate these two points but I’m working on the premise that most of the people who read Contains Moderate Peril are not. The blogging community, of which I am a participant, is a diverse group but from what I’ve observed it’s not populated by millionaires. In fact most of the people I know, both online and in person, are just holding down a job, trying to keep a roof over their head and pay the bills. Often they’re doing the job they do in default of anything else and they’re at the very least ambivalent towards it. The pandemic has also brought home how fragile so-called “normality” is. Modern politics are also volatile and life in general just doesn’t seem as certain as it was twenty years ago.
The Conservative Party successfully held onto their “safe seat” of Old Bexley and Sidcup in yesterday’s closely watched by-election. However their overall majority was reduced by more than half amid a very low voter turnout. Conservative councillor Louie French becomes the country’s newest MP after winning 11,189 votes, more than 50 per cent of those cast, in the seat previously held by the former cabinet minister James Brokenshire. Mr Brokenshire died in October from lung cancer aged 53. The closest challenger was Labour’s Daniel Francis, who secured 6,711 as the Tory majority fell from nearly 19,000 to 4,478, the equivalent of a vote share swing of 10 per cent to Labour. Turnout in the constituency was just 34%, down from the almost 70% who voted in the 2019 general election.
UK Tourism
The United Kingdom is the world's 8th biggest tourist destination. According to the national tourism agency, 2017 was a record year for the UK, with 39.9 million visits by tourists. This number is set to pass over 40 million this year according to VisitBritain, which is predicting tourists will spend a record £27 billion over the coming 12 months. U.S. remains the most-valuable inbound market, although the number of travellers originating from Europe is larger than those travelling from North America. Furthermore, in recent years there has also been a substantial increase in Chinese tourists visiting the UK. Popular destinations include London, Bath, Edinburgh and Cambridge. The country's principal tourist destination is still the capital, with the Tower of London being one of the most visited attraction in the country. The post Brexit fall in the pound against the euro and the dollar is helping drive visits.
The United Kingdom is the world's 8th biggest tourist destination. According to the national tourism agency, 2017 was a record year for the UK, with 39.9 million visits by tourists. This number is set to pass over 40 million this year according to VisitBritain, which is predicting tourists will spend a record £27 billion over the coming 12 months. U.S. remains the most-valuable inbound market, although the number of travellers originating from Europe is larger than those travelling from North America. Furthermore, in recent years there has also been a substantial increase in Chinese tourists visiting the UK. Popular destinations include London, Bath, Edinburgh and Cambridge. The country's principal tourist destination is still the capital, with the Tower of London being one of the most visited attraction in the country. The post Brexit fall in the pound against the euro and the dollar is helping drive visits.
It’s ironic that despite only living forty-minutes away from central London and having worked there for over a decade, I have seen very little of the capitals major tourist attractions. In the past I’ve had little time for sightseeing but now I find myself in a situation where such day trips are more convenient and desirable. So today, I and my significant other decided to visit the biggest tourist hotspot in the UK; the Tower of London. As we’re both ex-civil servants we still have Health and Social Security Recreational Association (HASSRA) membership. Like many organisations of this kind, they offer a wealth of discounts, concessions and vouchers. Hence, we obtained two free tickets. Irrespective of the weather, time of year and the hefty £21.50 entrance fee, the Tower of London remains a big attraction and I was surprised by the number of tourist present. However, it does offer a lot of value as there are numerous exhibits, along with themed activities.
About two thirds of the Tower’s grounds are available to the public. The remainder of the Castle is still occupied and used for various civic functions. Various military regiments alternate between guarding the tower grounds and there are several on duty throughout the day. Yesterday there were soldiers from the Irish Guards on site and although they are great tourist attraction, they’re not present just for show. They are armed and should be treated with suitable deference. The White Tower is also home to the Royal Armouries, which is a fine collection of weapons and body harness. Then there’s the Fusilier Museum and The Bloody Tower with is its exhibition of prisoners and torture. But the main attraction is the Crown Jewels. This extensive collection drawn from various Monarchs is compelling and certainly attracts the biggest crowds. The Tower also regularly hosts themed events and activities such as Falconry, historical re-enactments and military displays.
Due to the sheer number of international tourists that visit the Tower daily, all displays, and signage are multilingual. I initially thought that the curators were being a little over generous with their use of space and could possibly have fitted in more exhibits. I now see that the generous walkways and roomy galleries are designed that way to accommodate the flow of visitors. There are also a lot of audio visual displays that rely upon animation and infomercials to convey various historical facts. Again, this is done to address the needs of tourists that are not be fluent in English. Overall, the Tower of London successfully manages to curate and display artefacts of historical importance in a broad and accessible fashion. It is a very family friendly day out, although some of the exhibits are somewhat ghoulish. However, that goes with the historical pedigree of the castle.
We very much enjoyed are day out today and have decided to plan a lot more day trips in 2018. The fact that we can get discounted or free entry to so many places is a major benefit. Our excursion was also very illuminating by showing first hand, the significance of tourism to the UK economy. The sheer number of people visiting the capital today gained context in light of our personal experience. The current political and economic uncertainties certainly do not seem to be discouraging visitors at present. In the meantime, we are already considering going to Hampton Court, Chartwell and the Joust Tournament at Eltham Palace later on in the year. If there is to be a tourist boom this year then I see no reason why we shouldn’t contribute towards it.
Today I visited the Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends exhibition at the Young V&A Museum at Bethnal Green. The exhibition which celebrates 50 years of Aardman Animations, provides visitors with a unique, behind the scenes view of the art of stop-motion animation. It also explores how Aardman’s iconic characters and worlds are designed, crafted and brought to life. From the initial concept artwork to the final visual effects, this event demonstrates the methods and techniques employed by Aardman. The exhibition features early scripts, sketch artists initial concept art, models, sets and numerous famous puppets. Furthermore this event is firmly pitched at children and families, with a wealth of interactive activities demonstrating the various techniques on display. The curators of the exhibition have also made it clear that they wish to encourage future generation to consider a career in the creative arts.
The Imperial War Museum serves as a national museum for Britain. Its main location is in London, complemented by five additional branches across England. Established in 1917 as the Imperial War Museum, its original purpose was to document the civil and military efforts and sacrifices made by the United Kingdom and its Empire during the First World War. Over time, the museum’s scope has broadened to encompass all conflicts involving British or Commonwealth forces since 1914. As of 2012, the museum’s mission is to provide and encourage the study and understanding of the history of modern warfare as well as the “wartime experience”. The IWM as it is now known has its headquarters and primary site is located at Southwark in Central London. The museum is funded by government grants, charitable donations and revenue generated through commercial activity such as retailing, licensing and publishing. General admission is free to IWM London.
Castle Farm is a family business located near the village of Shoreham in West Kent. The Alexander Family have been farming in the Darenth Valley since 1892 when James Alexander transported 17 milking cows from Ayrshire in Scotland and took up residence in this south-eastern part of England. Castle Farm is a busy, working farm comprising of 1,100 acres. It produces such crops as wheat, barley, rapeseed, hops, apples, pumpkins and lavender. It is also home to a grass-fed herd of beef cattle. However, in recent years it has become well know internationally for its lavender crop. Castle Farm began its lavender enterprise in 1998, producing the essential oils associated with the flower. It is now the largest lavender farm in the UK, growing over 110 acres of the flower. Furthermore, it has become quite a tourist attraction with the farm staff running tours during Summer and the height of lavender season.
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens are set in the grounds of Riverhill House, a Grade II listed Queen Anne manor house located on the southern edge of Sevenoaks in Kent, England. Riverhill is well known for its stunning and historic gardens as well as its sweeping vistas over the Weald of Kent. The estate has been the residence of the Rogers family since 1840 who currently operate the gardens as a tourist attraction, along with the house and associated facilities as a wedding venue. Visitors can enjoy a walled garden, rose walk and maze as well as other attractions. There is also an excellent trail around the grounds culminating in a view from the top of the hill over the estate. Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, as a supporter of the Surrey Sculpture Society, regularly showcases a selection of sculptures and art pieces throughout its grounds. All are available for purchase if you have deep pockets.
The Hunterian Museum is a museum of anatomical specimens in London, located in the prestigious building of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The museum is made up primarily of a collection from the 18th century Scottish surgeon John Hunter. Over the years it has since been subsequently supplemented by Odontological material curated by A. E. W. Miles and various natural history exhibits from Richard Owen. In May 2023, the Hunterian Museum reopened following a five-year redevelopment of the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s headquarters at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The £4.6 million museum project features the exhibition of more than 2,000 anatomical specimens from Hunter’s original collection. In addition to these there are instruments, equipment, models, paintings, and archival materials that document the evolution of surgery from ancient eras to contemporary robot-assisted procedures. The Museum boasts the largest public display of human anatomy in England.
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs are a collection of sculptures depicting dinosaurs and other extinct species located in Crystal Palace Park, in the London borough of Bromley. These sculptures were originally commissioned in 1852 for display at the Crystal Palace following its relocation from the Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park. They were revealed to the public in 1854 and are the first speculative dinosaur sculptures ever created. Although the models are now considered inaccurate by contemporary standards, they were designed and crafted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins under the scientific guidance of Sir Richard Owen, reflecting the prevailing scientific understanding of the time. The sculptures were designated as Grade II listed buildings in 1973 and underwent extensive restoration in 2002. In 2007 they were elevated to Grade I listed status. As of spring 2026 the dinosaurs are again being renovated as part of a £5 million regeneration of the park.
The benefits of international travel are numerous. These include stress relief, mental health benefits and a chance to escape the drudgery of work. Then there are the cultural aspects that you can immerse yourself in. Going abroad also allows you to learn new language skills as you awkwardly ask for directions. International travel is a chance to make lasting memories and it often gives the traveller a greater appreciation of their own home. At the very least the beer is always better abroad and that is the very definition of “broadening your horizons”. Yet despite all these positive points, there is one unavoidable hassle when comes with travelling abroad. The fact that the country or countries that you’re visiting will invariably use a different electrical plug and socket standard. In an age where a lot of the stuff you bring along with you on holiday needs charging, this can be a very stressful problem to solve.
I thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Croatia last year and it did much to restore my confidence in travelling. Previously my views on visiting other countries had been greatly influenced by the films Raid on Entebbe and Midnight Express. As January was such a bleak month here in the UK, Mrs P and I decided we couldn’t wait until summer for another holiday and so decided to book something for the end of March. So we visited our local Travel Agents and decided upon a river cruise. We’ve been interested in these since we saw a travel show with Susan Calman. River cruises are a horse of a different colour, compared to sea cruises. They’re a great way to visit cities of note, often bringing you right into the heart of them. River cruise ships are a lot smaller with less passengers than ocean faring vessels. They also attract quite different travellers. Let it suffice to say that a sea cruise doesn’t offer the cultural experience that I am looking for.
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
There is no shortage of interesting and good quality museums in London. In many respects tourists and visitors are spoilt for choice. More often than not, it is the most well known institutions such as the British Museum or Victoria and Albert Museum that gain the most attention. However, there are many hidden gems to discover if you take the time to look further. A prime example being The British Optical Association Museum which I had the pleasure of visiting today. The museum’s function is to promote the optometry profession and raise public awareness of its past and ongoing role within society. The museum has a well conserved collection of exhibits and provides a venue for presentations, learning and research services. There is also an excellent tour hosted by museum curator Neil Handley (PhD, AMA, FRSA) in which he gives a concise, interesting and at times a witty overview of the history of optometry in the UK and its current role.
The artillery battery at Capel-le-Ferne was built between 1941 and 1942, following the fall of France, on the orders of Winston Churchill. Located between Dover and Folkestone, the battery consisted of three 8-inch high-performance guns, provided by the Royal Navy. The battery was intended to provide anti-shipping defence in the English Channel. The site was manned by men of the 520 Coast Regiment Royal Artillery. Over the course of World War II, the battery expanded in size, eventually encompassing multiple Nissen huts, several roads and 19 military buildings. Anti aircraft defence was provided by two 40mm Bofors guns. Over the course of the war, the Capel Battery engaged enemy shipping on four separate occasions and also took part in fifteen practice shoots. In 1944, due to the decreased threat, the battery was placed in “care and maintenance”. The guns were removed in 1952 and the building demolished in the early 1980s
There are an estimated 2,500 museums in the UK. This number has grown significantly over time, more than tripling between 1960 and 2017. While it is laudable that so many of these institutions exist, they do not all receive equal interest or publicity. Some museums dominate in their respective fields and drown out others that have a similar theme. With this in mind, I was unaware of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum until a friend recently brought it to my attention. After yesterday’s visit my initial thoughts are what a treasure trove it is. According to the museum’s website it is the world’s largest Battle of Britain collection of memorabilia. This includes planes, uniforms, weapons and related artefacts from over 700 crashed aircraft. Furthermore, the museum tells the story of this battle without bias, choosing to highlight both the historical and the human aspects of the conflict. It is often very poignant.
Stonehenge is so much more than just a neolithic, historical structure of note. It is of great spiritual importance to many, representing ceremonial practices and ancient worship. It is also seen as a conduit to a wider connection to the cosmos. It is after all a celestial calendar, according to one of the theories regarding its purpose. It also has a strong significance in pop culture. Hence, due to its history, symbolism, religious connotations and overall sense of mystery it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a globally recognised symbol of ancient Britain. As such, it has always been somewhere that I have wished to visit. Today, as we were relatively nearby in Ringwood and the weather was pleasant, Mrs P and I decided to go to Salisbury and see this iconic structure for ourselves.
I enjoy visiting the coast. I always have. I find the sight and sounds of the sea very calming and thought provoking. There is something about seeing the ocean stretch out to the horizon and its implied enormity, that gives you a sense of perspective. The UK is a seafaring nation and therefore it is an integral part of our history and national identity. Hence a strong nautical theme and a sense of its importance has bled through into our popular culture. It is therefore quite common for people to have a positive attitude towards the sea and its associated leisure activities. I like to visit the coast at various times of the year and walk along the beach, just listening to the waves, lost in my own thoughts. This is not a hard thing to do in the UK, as no one lives further than 70 miles (113 kilometers) from the coast.
Knole is a country house in England and a former archbishop’s palace that is currently owned by the National Trust. It is located within Knole Park, a 1,000-acre (400-hectare) estate that lies to the south-east of Sevenoaks in west Kent. The existing structure of the house dates back to the mid-15th century, although there were significant expansions in the 16th and particularly in the early 17th centuries. Its Grade I listing signifies its combination of late-medieval to Stuart architectural styles. This is especially evident in its central façade and state rooms. In 2019, a comprehensive conservation initiative titled “Inspired by Knole” was completed to restore and enhance the buildings’ structures. This was beneficial to the preservation of its significant collections. The adjacent deer park has also endured since 1600.
Mrs P and I travelled to Croatia on Friday 13th June for our summer holiday. We spent one week in Makarska, which is located on the Dalmatian coast. My last international holiday was to Malta in 2004. Since then we have done a lot of travelling in the UK and Mrs P has vacationed abroad with other family members. However, she stated last September that she wanted to go “somewhere warm” for our next holiday. So this trip was booked and has been “something to look forward to”, or a source of stress slowly inching closer, depending upon your perspective. In many respects this holiday has been a big deal for me. I don’t enjoy travelling at all with all its accompanying logistical, bureaucratic and “people” issues. However, I have no problem with being elsewhere. I eagerly await teleportation technology to become commonplace. Once I arrived at our hotel, I quickly switched to holiday mode and I am happy to confirm that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Emmetts Garden is an Edwardian estate situated on Ide Hill, close to Sevenoaks in Kent, UK. After a long and interesting history it is currently under the stewardship of the National Trust. Originally open farmland, the existing house was constructed in1860. The term “emmett” is a local dialect for ant, referencing the large anthills that populated the area until the 1950s. In 1890, the estate was acquired by Frederic Lubbock, a banker with a keen interest in horticulture. His elder brother, John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, was a renowned authority on ants, which may have influenced Frederic's decision to purchase the estate. Today Emmetts Garden is open to the public and features several “hortus conclusus” (walled gardens) and a hillside trail that is famous for its Bluebells in the spring.
Damerham is a quaint rural village and civil parish located in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is close to the market town of Fordingbridge. Damerham is distinguished by significant Neolithic and Bronze Age burial mounds. Historically, it was home to an Anglo-Saxon religious community and was referenced in the will of Alfred the Great, as it was at that time part of the royal estate. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Damerham was recognized as a prominent settlement under the ownership of Glastonbury Abbey. It was mainly farms and agrarian small holdings. Today, the village still features a riverside mill and the church of Saint George date’s back to the Norman period. There is a church hall that hosts numerous local, seasonal events.
Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle located near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of King Edward III. The castle’s primary purpose was to defend the local area against possible French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. Bodiam Castle has a quadrangular design and does not have a keep. All the various chambers and rooms were built adjacent to the outer defensive walls. The four corners and main entrance have towers, all of which feature crenellations. A substantial moat surrounds the castle, which served as a home for the Dalyngrigge family, as well as a seat of power to the manor of Bodiam. The castle remained within the Dalyngrigge family until the line became extinct. It remained a place of strategic importance during the War of the Roses and the English Civil War. It is currently owned and maintained by The National Trust.
Today I went on an impromptu visit to Brompton Cemetery in West London. Established in 1837, the West of London and Westminster Cemetery (as it was originally known) is a private cemetery initially created as a business venture to capitalise upon the shortage of cemeteries within London. It also sought to cater to the prevailing culture of opulent Victorian funeral rites. However, after proving non profitable, the cemetery was bought by the UK government. It was subsequently incorporated into Crown Property and managed by The Royal Parks. It is one of Britain’s oldest and most distinguished garden cemeteries. There are currently 35,000 monuments, ranging from simple headstones to impressive mausolea. It is home to more than 205,000 resting places. The cemetery is also a haven for flora and fauna, providing a substantial semi rural environment amid urban central London.
Christmas Tree Farm is a petting zoo, outside the village of Downe in the county of Kent. Despite its rural setting, it is actually only 15 miles from London, making it an ideal visit, as part of a day. The farm is home to a wide selection of domestic farm animals (and a few more exotic ones), all of which can be fed, stroked and lavished with attention by visitors. During the winter months, Christmas Tree Farm hosts Santa’s Grotto and as the name suggests is the place to find the perfect Christmas tree for your home. Entry prices are very reasonable, costing £6 per adult and £4 for children aged between 2 and 16 years old. Buckets of animal feed of varying size are also available for a small fee. There is a leisurely trail around the farm where the various animals are housed in pens and out buildings. There is also a Tea Garden where refreshments are available.
In 1939 legislation was passed in the UK so that all employees had one week’s annual paid holiday per year. By the 1950s this had become two weeks and by the 1980s most people had at least 4 weeks of annual holiday. On top of this paid leave allocation, the UK currently has 8 bank holidays which provides further time off for employees. This culture of increasing amounts of annual leave also broadly coincided with air travel becoming more accessible. The first UK passenger jet service began in 1952. However, its cost excluded most people. However, as larger airliners with increased range became available, cheaper foreign holidays became more and more economically viable. European holidays became a reality in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s long-distance holidays to other continents became ubiquitous and the package holiday became king. It is also worth noting that the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, making car travel from Britain to Europe easier and more popular.
Today I had the pleasure of visiting the Whitstable Museum (or to give its full name Whitstable Community Museum and Gallery). This is a fine example of a local heritage centre that curates and displays artefacts and records that reflect the history and culture of the surrounding area. The museum located in Whitstable, Kent, is home to one of the world's oldest steam engines, as well as historical diving equipment that was developed locally. The history of the local oyster trade which has been an integral part of the community for centuries is also a key feature. Established in 1985, the museum was reopened in 2015 following a major refurbishment. There is also an art gallery featuring the paintings by local artists and artworks on loan from an international network of galleries.
Eltham Palace, located in South East London, was the childhood home of King Henry VIII in 1499. It was later used as a royal nursery for the infant Princess Elizabeth, born on 7th September 1533. It sports sumptuous grounds and ornamental gardens and was famous for its game hunting during the Tudor and Elizabethan periods. In the 1930s’ the property was owned by the Courtauld family, who built a sumptuous Art Deco style mansion and redeveloped the grounds. Today the entire property is owned and managed by English Heritage who have extensively restored much of the estate. It is therefore very fitting that this illustrious venue annually plays host to the Legendary Medieval Joust, during the summer months. Two days of historical pageantry, re-enactments and events for the entire family to enjoy. I last attended in 2015, so it was a welcome pleasure to return again yesterday.
Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London is a step-free art trail and tourist attraction featuring the iconic animated character Morph. It is hosted by charitable organisation Whizz-Kidz, global event producers Wild in Art and Aardman. The trail features 56 super-sized sculptures of the much-loved children’s TV character, which are set among various iconic London landmarks including St Pauls, Tate Modern, Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe and Borough Market. It is a free public art trail and tourist attraction, designed by a variety of artists to excite and inspire people of all ages, whilst increasing public awareness about the need for young wheelchair users to be mobile, enabled and included in society. Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London runs from June 19th until August 20th 2023.
Regardless of whether you deem the IFS Cloud Cable Car a white elephant, a political folly or just a mistake in terms of tourism, it cannot be denied that the view it provides over South East London is impressive. At a height of 90 metres (300 feet), on a bright and sunny day you can see from City Airport to Canary Wharf. Located at Greenwich Peninsula, the IFS Cloud Cable Car (as it is now called) opened in June 2012. It was initially promoted as a viable form of public transport across the Thames, linking North Greenwich and Royal Victoria stations. In October 2012, nearly 100,000 journeys were made. However, after the London Olympics, passenger rates fell and since then IFS Cloud Cable Car has become more of a tourist attraction, rather than an integral means of commuting.
To my surprise I found myself out and about today undertaking another day trip. This time we headed back to the sea and visited Whitstable, a town on the north coast of Kent adjoining the Greater Thames Estuary. It’s 5 miles (8 kilometres) north of Canterbury and 2 miles (3 kilometres) west of Herne Bay. The town was originally recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, under the name Witenestaple, meaning "the meeting place of the white post", a reference to a local landmark. By the late middle ages Whitstable had become a centre of Thames Estuary fishing, specifically for oysters. Today, the main activities at the harbour are fishing and processing, cargo handling and boat maintenance. The town has shingle/sandy beaches adjacent to the harbour, where swimming and water sports are popular. Whitstable Castle is situated on the border of Whitstable and off the coast is Kentish Flats offshore wind farm, consisting of 30 wind turbines.
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in the county of Kent, 30 miles (50 kilometres) southeast of central London. It is situated on the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald. The local sandstone geology is synonymous with a rugged landscape due to erosion and weathering. The town itself was a spa during the Restoration and became a very fashionable resort in the middle of the 18th century. Socialites such as Beau Nash helped make the resort popular when the Pantiles and its chalybeate spring, began attracting visitors who came to “take the waters”. Despite the decline in spa towns after sea bathing grew in popularity, Royal Tunbridge Wells has remained a tourist resort. Today, much of the area's income is generated by tourism. The town has an equitable temperate maritime climate.
If you visit the websites for such UK tabloid newspapers as the Daily Express or the Daily Mail you will no doubt encounter prominent stories about Megan Markle, Nigel Farage and “immigrants”. If these two august institutions are short of column inches, they’ll run a piece about how some former celebrity has had the unmitigated gall and temerity to get old. I mean WTF? How dare they do what human beings are genetically disposed to do. It’s outrageous. Similarly, head over to the Unherd website and you’ll find foam flecked tirades regarding spurious points of contention over dubious subjects. Often the topic being harangued is incredibly niche and I’ve never heard of it before or even considered it being a thing. These sort of talking points are not about informing, debating and most certainly aren’t about thinking. They exist to provoke reactions.