Simon Jenkins

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Simon Jenkins

The Runcorn and Helsby byelection belongs in the rubbish bin of politics. British byelections are charades, mock polls, playtime for pundits. They reduce normally sensible analysts to hysterics. That most pragmatic of prime ministers, Harold Wilson, refused point blank to comment on them. Yes, Reform’s Nigel Farage had a field day. He is the latest jester to be cast as “Britain’s next prime minister”.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Simon Jenkins

Are the middle ages about to end? We all know Magna Cartaset the principle that justice delayed is justice denied. These days, outmoded British judicial systems amount to precisely such a denial of justice, playthings of a legal profession supremely confident of its perfection. No aspect of these systems is more superfluous than juries. There is no conclusive evidence they are more “just” than systems based on judges in the rest of Europe – or in non-jury courts in Britain.

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Simon Jenkins

At next week’s local elections, few will be voting on how their council is run. They will be passing judgment on Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and other national figures. Local democracy no longer thrives in Britain. An opinion poll would be cheaper. Cut to the humble youth club. I supported a private charity in my old borough of Camden, north London, that was struggling to turn young people, mostly in their teens, away from a life of crime. The local council-run youth club had been forced to close.

2 months ago | msn.com | Simon Jenkins

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2 months ago | theguardian.com | Simon Jenkins

I remember being 16 in the 1960s. The prime ministerseemed geriatric and I was sure he should be in care, while a group of us went to meet our young MP, a certain Margaret Thatcher. She was young, but she didn’t seem as if she was with the times. We could not dream of voting for someone like her. Matter closed. Sixteen-year-olds are great fun but they are not grown up. They cannot marry in England and Wales, drive, smoke, get a tattoo or buy alcohol on their own.