More on e-voting

More on e-voting

The announcement of the result for the Mayor of London occurred at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning; this was about six hours later than expected, 26½ hours after the polls closed and legally a day late. It was also 6 hours after the first GLA member’s result was declared. I hope we find out what the delay was caused by and we should remember the legal fire-drill in 2012 when Boris and the Tories wobbled and thought they might actually lose which raised questions of accuracy. Uniquely in the UK, the London elections are counted by machine[1], I wonder if that was part of the problem since the use of electronic counting & voting systems is controversial around the world. …

Research

Just been looking for images to decorate a presentation. Truly annoying that the legal default is “All rights reserved” and that you therefore have to document/assert images as public domain or CC0. It rather obviates the gift of public domain; they’ll be requiring we document the research that establishes our right to use next. …

Immigration

In a commentary on the OECD report on Brexit, Chris Giles of the FT publishes a graph/chart from the report showing the proportion of high, medium and low skilled foreign workers and compares these proportions with other EU member states.  The UK does not welcome a high proportion of low skilled workers. The OECD and NIESR both argue that restricting immigration will reduce wealth, growth and tax revenue; bottom line is in order to grow we need to fill the growing skills shortages, in fact restricting immigration is a cause of economic decline. …

Sadiq for London

Sadiq for London

The London Mayoral election is reaching its denouement and getting dirty. The Tory’s fires of pandering to islamaphopia, lit presumably by the serial racist Lynton Crosby and fanned by Cameron, would have thought to have ended with the disclosure that the dangerous islamist that Kahn allegedly associates with is in fact a Tory. It’s a degrading campaign, damaging the reputation of two good men. Furthermore, there can be little doubt that the timing of the story about Naz Shah’s anti-semitism is designed to damage Labour’s campaigns across the country and has aided by the stupidity and dishonesty of comments made by Labour’s own right and left.  Kahn recognised from day one that racism was going to be an attack vector on his credibility and good will in an attempt to win the Mayoralty and become the Mayor that London needs …

Expulsion

If Britain votes to leave the EU, when will it lose its MEPs and right to attend the Council of Ministers and thus its veto? When will they expel the British Judges on the Court and the Commissioner from the Commission? It would seem from my reading, that it will be at the end of the negotiations, either the date the new treaty becomes law, or two years from the date that the UK gives its notice to quit, whichever’s first. …

Solidarity

Went down to the New Cross Learning last night to watch their film club’s showing of “Pride”… it’s surprisingly uplifting and the evening was added to by the presence of one of the founders of LGSM, and their recent retrospective film completing the story of what happened next, which is where the film ended. It’s an important and inspiring story of solidarity. …