Barometer

Is climate change making the weather more windy?

7 March 2020 9:00 am

Heathrow’s nine runways When was a third runway for Heathrow first proposed? Heathrow was always planned to have multiple runways.…

Who can use the word ‘royal’?

29 February 2020 9:00 am

What a hole The World Health Organisation added processed meats to its list of ‘known’ carcinogens. A few of the…

Who actually goes on a cruise?

21 February 2020 10:00 pm

Breeding controversy A Downing Street aide, believed to have been recruited as a result of Dominic Cummings’s advert for ‘weirdos…

The brands regretting calling themselves ‘Corona’

15 February 2020 9:00 am

Going viral A few of the businesses which chose ‘Corona’ as a brand name and now have a bit of…

Is the Wuhan coronavirus really that deadly?

7 February 2020 10:00 pm

Mumbo jumbo The Prime Minister called opposition to imports of US-produced food ‘mumbo jumbo’. The expression was introduced to the…

Who leads the global 5G market?

1 February 2020 9:00 am

In the beginning How did Britain mark its entry into the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973? There were no…

How much public income does the royal family receive?

24 January 2020 10:00 pm

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?

18 January 2020 9:00 am

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?

11 January 2020 9:00 am

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?

21 December 2019 9:00 am

Bah humbug Some of the things reported to have been banned this Christmas: — Mulled wine banned from being sold…

How common are volcanic eruptions?

14 December 2019 9:00 am

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?

7 December 2019 9:00 am

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?

30 November 2019 9:00 am

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?

23 November 2019 9:00 am

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?

16 November 2019 9:00 am

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?

9 November 2019 9:00 am

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?

2 November 2019 9:00 am

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?

26 October 2019 9:00 am

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?

19 October 2019 9:00 am

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?

12 October 2019 9:00 am

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?

5 October 2019 9:00 am

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?

28 September 2019 9:00 am

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?

21 September 2019 9:00 am

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?

14 September 2019 9:00 am

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?

7 September 2019 9:00 am

A Monday poll? The government was considering a general election on 14 October — a Monday. This raised eyebrows because…