Barometer
How is the country split over Brexit?
German customs The original customs union, or Zollverein, was established by Prussia along with 17 other states which make up…
The maddest road signs from around the world
Silly signs The Department for Transport ordered councils to remove ‘obsolete and unnecessary’ road signs. Some examples of the art…
The biggest explosions in history
The march of time If we leave the EU on 29 March, with which historic events will that date be…
Will no-deal Brexit fears lead to cheaper flights?
Cox’s codpiece Attorney general Geoffrey Cox returned from Brussels without even a ‘codpiece’, the name used by some Tories for…
Is knife crime rising everywhere?
Trolley dollies Virgin Atlantic dropped its requirement for air hostesses to wear make-up at work. What was required of the…
How much do you think it costs to travel from London to Manchester?
Success of the SDP The breakaway Labour MPs would have an uphill task emulating the SDP’s early success. It fought…
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Brexiteers have ‘a special place in hell’ – but who else has a spot there?
Places in Hell President Donald Tusk said there must be a ‘special place in Hell reserved for those who promoted…
Where does the expression ‘deep state’ come from?
Turkey and the deep state Boris Johnson said that if Brexit was blocked, the public would blame it on the…
How Spanish was the Spanish flu?
Paths of infection 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the height of the Spanish flu pandemic which is believed to…
The many political crises that have interrupted Christmas
Crisis at Christmas MPs were warned that they might have to give up part of their holidays to deal with…
Could the vote on the Brexit deal set a record for a government defeat in the Commons?
Big defeats Could the vote on the Brexit deal set a record for a government defeat in the Commons? Aside…
What kills penguins?
Black Friday When and where did the term ‘Black Friday’ originate? — It was used to describe a collapse in…
Have wildfires really got worse over the years?
Hard bitten A British tourist died after contracting rabies from a cat bite in Morocco. Whatever happened to the prominent…
How many restaurants have actually gone bust?
It is cricket The use of a baseball expression, backstop, for possible arrangements over the Irish border could upset some…
Does using social media affect children’s mental health?
On the wagon A ‘caravan’ of several thousand Central American migrants was reported to be travelling through Mexico towards the…
Mazes; royal babies; carbon data; FTSE falls
Twists and turns Jeremy Hunt, taking a group of EU foreign ministers around the maze at Chevening House in Kent,…
Who hires the most stretch limos?
Global warnings How much time do we have to save the world from catastrophic climate change? 5 years (according to…
Why the Tories are three times more welcome in Birmingham than Liverpool
Beastly crimes Police in Croydon stopped investigating a series of cat killings after concluding that foxes were likely to blame.…
How much does it cost to cryogenically freeze a person (or a pet)?
Trans mission Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt ordered research into a huge rise in referrals of under-18 girls to transgender services.…
Who was the first suicide bomber?
The first suicide bomber Boris Johnson was criticised for likening Theresa May’s Chequers deal to a ‘suicide vest’ around the…
How did ‘wonga’ come to be used as slang for money?
Origins of Wonga The payday lender Wonga has gone into administration. How did ‘wonga’ come to be used as slang…
How bad is the drugs problem in British jails?
Cultured tastes Dawn Butler accused Jamie Oliver of ‘cultural appropriation’ for coming up with his own recipe for jerk rice.…
Where does our food actually come from?
Black list Jeremy Corbyn was attacked for attending a ceremony for members of Black September, the terrorist group which carried…
Are Britain’s railways really the envy of the world?
Ranking railways A director of the Rail Delivery Group claimed that Britain’s railways were the ‘envy of Europe’. Could it…
Who throws acid at whom?
Relax Asked about her spare time, Theresa May said she liked walking, cooking (she has 150 cookbooks) and watching the…
