Rowan's World, et Cetera
Although I’ve thought about it for a long time, I find myself increasingly unsure about electoral reform, and questioning much of what is being said after Thursday’s election. I’m certainly no fan of the current system, with its awkward patchwork of safe seats and local tactical battles; and I’m distinctly unhappy to see the Tories […]
Reasons to support same-sex marriage – the short version!
by Rowan on 10 July, 2012
I’m quite pleased with my blog post about why legalising same-sex marriage is the only logical option. It took me ages to finish, and I think it’s quite thorough. But at over three thousand words long, it’s not exactly bite-sized! So here I present its boiled down essence, in the form of an imaginary dialog1. […]
Why legalising same-sex marriage is the only logical option
by Rowan on 8 July, 2012
Ever since a friend posted a quote on Facebook from this article about same-sex marriage by Archbishop John Sentamu, I’ve had a lengthy analysis and response drifting through my mind. The government consultation ended on the 14th of June, and they’ve indicated they intend to press ahead with legalisation, but the debate is still very […]
“A Permanent Cleggocracy” – Or Not: Dissecting an Anti-AV Cartoon
by Rowan on 9 April, 2011
This week, the first campaign leaflets started coming through for the Borough Council Elections, and, more interestingly, the voting system referendum. One of the Conservative “newsletters” featured this eye-catching cartoon, headlined “A.V. = A Permanent Cleggocracy”. I was immediately sceptical, but the more I looked at it, the more I realised how utterly wrong this […]
Having it Both Ways: the Two-House Solution to Electoral Reform
by Rowan on 19 May, 2010
Much has been made of the fact that Gordon Brown was never elected; but the fact is, under our current system, no Prime Minister is elected. In fact, our system makes no explicit provisions for individual voters wishing to express their preference of government, only an indirect message via their collective selections for parliament. Discussions […]
Daylight Savings Time: a White Lie, or a Waste of Time?
by Rowan on 5 April, 2010
Every six months, I get a little more passionate about the pointlessness of Summer Time – or, as it is ridiculously known in some parts of the world, “Daylight Savings Time” – the practice of telling everyone to change the time on their clocks twice a year, as a trick to make them get up […]