Paul’s Week in Politics Articles

There is little evidence that having the Christian socialist, Chartist and author of the Water Babies Charles Kingsley as his tutor at Cambridge rubbed off on the future Edward VII. While waiting for his mother Queen Victoria to die, Edward Prince of Wales concerned himself, not with the plight of child labourers, but with gambling, smoking and shagging.

Yesterday was the anniversary, in 1917, of the death of Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof. As Dr Esperanto, he was the inventor of a new language – Esperanto, which translates as ‘one who hopes’.

After much deliberation, and reading all the literature from the Yes and No campaigns, I have decided to vote ‘No’ in the forthcoming alternative vote (AV) referendum. The electoral system seems just tickety-boo, and I can’t imagine any way to improve it. It’s probably best to let the people we elect get on with it. They seem to know what they’re doing.

Tomorrow tens of thousands will join the TUC March for the Alternative in London. There’s a ritual to these things. There’s the dispute over how many people attended. The TUC will say up to a million. The Metropolitan Police will say 20,000.