Escape committees
An LSE/Institute for Government report estimated the cost of Scottish independence at £2.7 billion, a sum arrived at by multiplying the 180 bodies which would need to be set up by £15 million. The SNP challenged the claim, saying it planned to set up a ‘slimmed-down’ administration. A reminder of some of the quangos already run by the Scottish government:
— Scottish Agricultural Wages Board
— Bus Users Complaints Tribunal
— Rent Assessment Panel for Scotland
— Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
— Hill Farming Advisory Committee for Scotland
— Scottish Records Advisory Committee
— Fisheries (Electricity) Committee
Independent variables
While support for Ukip has been growing, what has happened to opinion polls of British membership of the EU?
| Out | |
| Nov 2012 | 56% |
| July 2013 | 46% |
| March 2014 | 39% |
| May 2014 | 37% |
| In | |
| Nov 2012 | 30% |
| July 2013 | 36% |
| March 2014 | 41% |
| May 2014 | 54% |
Sources: Opinium/Observer; YouGov/Channel 5; YouGov; Ipsos/Mori
Mouse trap
Michael Gove wants to drop American classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men from the English syllabus and replace them with works by British authors. A spokesman said Mr Gove ‘really dislikes’ Of Mice and Men. Where do these books feature in polls of readers’ top 100 books?
| To Kill a Mockingbird | |
| BBC listeners’ poll (2003) | 6th |
| Goodreads.com | 7th |
| Modernlibrary.com | 5th |
| Thegreatestbooks.org | 39th |
| Of Mice and Men | |
| BBC listeners’ poll (2003) | 52nd |
| Goodreads.com | 39th |
| Modernlibrary.com | — |
| Thegreatestbooks.org | — |
Election returns
The last time a party other than Labour or the Conservatives failed to win the popular vote in a national election was in the 1906 general election. How did the country vote then?
| Liberal | 2,565,644 |
| Conservative | 2,278,076 |
| Labour | 254,202 |
| Irish Parliamentary | 33,231 |
| Independent Conservative | 26,183 |
| Independent Labour | 18,886 |
| Social Democratic Federation | 18,446 |
| Scottish Workers Party | 14,877 |
| Free Trader | 8,974 |
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