July 14th, 2022. The latest round of voting for the Conservative leadership took place today. Their contenders were whittled down to 5 after the lowest polling candidate was excluded from the next round. Results:- The runners and riders: – Rishi Sunak E 101 Penny Mordaunt F 83 Liz Truss F
July 13th, 2022. In the 2014 referendum, there were 3.6 million registered voters in Scotland including 100,000 16- and 17-year-olds. 71% of these voted for independence. All residents of Scotland who were registered voters (which included foreign nationals) were allowed to vote. Excluded were 795,000 Scots born
July 12th, 2022. The fight is on, not just for the election of the leader of the Conservative party, but for the heart and soul of the party. Will they promote a small government country, with low taxes and low public expenditure albeit it with a social conscience? Or will
July 9th, 2022. I see that Monkeypox has arrived in New Zealand. As 85% of cases internationally are found in the gay communities will Jacinda close the borders to gays? Or will they have to have a certificate signed by their mums or a medical professional certifying that they are
July 7th, 2022. I started work this morning, went to get a coffee and when I came back at 9 am Boris Johnson had gone! Or had he? It was reported that he was to resign today but (and there’s always a but where Johnson is concerned) “to ensure
July 6th, 2022. I was going to write this letter yesterday as more facts came out about Boris Johnson and his lack of integrity. Then came the resignations of the Chancellor, Richi Sunak and the Health minister Sajid Javid. Members of his party and even retired senior civil servants appeared
June 28th, 2022. The decision of the Supreme Court of the USA on Roe vs Wade has reached the UK, and the usual people on both sides of the argument have surfaced. I see that in the USA the pro-choice (or anti-life, choose your own position), have been demonstrating. The
18 June 2022. The UK is becoming odder by the day. It is almost like living in a world whose constitution and life principles are guided by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and 1984 (1949). In Scotland, a 66-year-old male pensioner went to give blood. A veteran of 125
June 2nd, 2022. In glorious sunshine, the Jubilee celebrations started today, the only gloom being the performance of the New Zealand batsmen at Lords. The trooping of the colour on Horseguards Parade went off in spectacular fashion showing that the British are unsurpassed when it comes to organising state celebrations.
May 31st, 2022. Interesting facts were released in the UK today as we prepare for the stupendous Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. There are 16,000 street parties planned for Sunday 5 June. Hundreds of thousands of informal street lunches and picnics are scheduled (no, I don’t know the difference
Information Opinion May 25th, 2022. The Sue Gray report into the shenanigans in Downing Street during the early days of Covid was presented to Boris Johnson today and was released to the public this morning, and the Prime Minister made a statement to the House at 12:30, after Prime
Information Opinion May 19th, 2022. I will start with my usual disclaimer about immigration advice. I am not an immigration/emigration advisor so nothing I say should be interpreted as giving advice. What I can do is provide facts and my interpretation of them as to how they affect me
I have had a few comments about previous letters from people asking about which country is better – the UK or New Zealand – as they were thinking of moving. First of all, I am not an immigration/emigration advisor, so nothing I say should be interpreted as giving advice. What I
Well, the family have returned to New Zealand and will shortly be updating me with their considered views on the two countries. Their visit caused me to reminisce about the past and current events led me to recall my time working in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv. I have spent time
May 3rd, 2022. It’s a few days until the family returns to NZ, disappointed with the signs of poverty in the UK. A contributor to poverty has been the growth of the second home market. This has caused problems in holiday regions (13,500+ in Cornwall). Whilst recognising the
April 27th, 2022. Well, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. Family arrived at Heathrow and managed to clear immigration etc in an hour, which given the horror stories in the media lately was a pleasant surprise. There have been 400 metre queues and waiting times of up to
