Category Archives: statistics

Does the London Borough of Havering have a Two-Tier School System?

Introduction An analysis of the 2025 GCSE results suggests Havering’s academies have reinvented a two-tier school system. The tiers are wealth related. Disadvantaged Students1 did badly in their examinations. Under-achievement isn’t caused by poverty but is correlated with poverty. Under-achievement … Continue reading

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Legalise Class-A Drugs and Save Lives

Introduction The great reforming governments of Harold Wilson shredded obsolete laws. Capital punishment ended as did the criminalisation of abortion. They were both hugely contentious actions with moral and religious opposition. Decriminalisation of abortion ended ‘back-street’ abortions and their grim … Continue reading

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Rachel Reeves and Competence

Rachel Reeves is incompetent because she misunderstands her role. She thinks being an economist is an advantage as Chancellor of the Exchequer.Her MSc in economics is irrelevant to being Chancellor.1 She’s been appointed as Chancellor to implement Labour’s economic policy … Continue reading

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Kerry Packer, Australian super-gambler

It is reported that Packer won over $33 million in a week playing at the MGM Grand Casino instantly making him one of the most famous Australian gamblers. Another one of his famous wins came while playing a high-stakes game … Continue reading

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Britain’s most expensive house in understandable money

The most expensive house in Britain has been sold for £139m1 £139m is a figure which is very difficult to understand for ordinary people. So! This translation might help. £139,000,000 divided by a thousand pounds per day is 13,900 days … Continue reading

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The Economics of Transplant Surgery: Britain 2025

The problem: There are 8,096 people on the active transplant waiting list.1 The solution: There were 568,613 deaths, who were potential donors, in Britain in 2024.2 Discussion There is a tragic mis-match between people needing transplants and supply. Transplants are … Continue reading

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State Sponsored Tax Avoidance: Britain in 2025

It’s crazy that a government could sponsor tax avoidance but the British do precisely that. Nearly a trillion pounds is shielded from taxation. This policy has incentivised those with disposable incomes to exploit what has become a bonanza. A unique … Continue reading

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A Windfall Tax on Owner-Occupied Houses

Why are we taxing working people more than billionaires? Tax wealth, not work.  Gary Stephenson author of The Trading Game (2024) Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is paid on houses that are usually called buy-to-let.1 When sold, they are subject to … Continue reading

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Bourgeois Vengeance: The Sycamore Tree Two

Background Karl Marx would call Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham ‘lumpen proletariat’ or,less elegantly, ‘losers.’ They achieved 15 minutes of fame by destroying an iconic tree. It was owned by the National Trust. The Trust has millions of middle-class influencers … Continue reading

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Rational Truancy: A Consumer Choice?

Rational decision-making can be described as a process of selecting the best option or course of action based on a careful and logical evaluation of the costs, benefits, and risks associated with each potential choice.1 Rational truants don’t break the law … Continue reading

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