Barometer
Barometer
Parliamentary motions The government floated the idea of moving the House of Lords permanently to York. Until it was found…
How can Harry and Meghan cash in?
Royal flush The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have registered the trademark ‘Sussex Royal’ as part of their plan to…
Is a double-barrelled surname still posh?
Lock, stock and double barrels In Rebecca Long Bailey, who sometimes hyphenates her name and sometimes doesn’t, the Labour party…
What did psychics predict was going to happen in 2019?
Bah humbug Some of the things reported to have been banned this Christmas: — Mulled wine banned from being sold…
How common are volcanic eruptions?
Volcanic eruptions At least six people were killed when White Island, a volcano off New Zealand’s North Island, erupted. How…
What weather records were broken in 2019?
Keeping it in the family A study by the Middle East Technical University claimed to prove that the pronounced chin…
How much are political parties allowed to spend in the general election?
Election counts Michael Bloomberg — the ninth richest person in America — entered the US presidential race by buying $34…
What happened to the other Dukes of York?
Old Dukes of York Prince Andrew is the 14th royal to have held the title Duke of York (three were…
How many countries have been ruled by a Boris?
Leaders called Boris How many countries have been ruled by a Boris? — Russia has had two Borises in charge.…
Do ‘Workington Man’ and ‘Worcester Woman’ decide elections?
National characters How useful is it to characterise an election with a single anthropological specimen such as ‘Workington Man’? ‘Worcester…
How unusual is a December general election?
A December election How unusual is a December general election? Of the 56 elections held since 1800, 5 essentially took…
How violent are our jails?
Big Ben protests An Extinction Rebellion protestor climbed to the top of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, with…
How violent are our jails?
Parliamentary days Could one of parliament’s longest sessions be followed by one of its shortest? — The shortest was between…
A slice of history: how did Britain’s pizza industry begin?
A slice of history Pizza Express is to undergo financial restructuring, leading to fears that it could go under. How…
Are childhood vaccination rates dropping?
Who speaks what The Chancellor, Sajid Javid, included a little Punjabi in his speech to the Tory conference. How many…
How many people have swum the Channel?
Journey’s end Holidaymakers are being flown home after travel company Thomas Cook failed. The idea might have horrified the company’s…
How many Britons now vape?
Talking Turkey David Cameron again accused the Leave campaign of ‘lying’ about the prospect of Turkey joining the EU. A…
Does the outcome of the Ashes dictate who wins a general election?
Party speak Should the next Speaker of the House of Commons be a Labour MP on the basis that John…
How often has a general election been held on a Monday?
A Monday poll? The government was considering a general election on 14 October — a Monday. This raised eyebrows because…
Is Trump’s suggestion to bomb hurricanes really that stupid?
Blowing against the wind President Trump was ridiculed for suggesting that hurricanes could be impeded on their passage across the…
How did Richard Braine become Dick Braine?
Name calling Richard Braine was appointed leader of Ukip, leading to jokes about the party being led by a ‘Dick…
Which country locks up the most people?
Girls only Polish village Miejsce Odrzanskie was reported not to have had a single boy born in the past decade,…
Dams, lives and statistics: the worst dam collapses in Britain
Dams, lives and statistics The town of Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, was evacuated after heavy rainfall caused the partial collapse of…
Hot topic: How many of us own fans?
Growing fanbase A photograph of the Queen meeting Boris Johnson revealed that she uses a Dyson electric fan. How many…
What kills more people in the UK: hot or cold weather?
Losing confidence The government may soon face a vote of no confidence, the second this year. How often do these…
