on June 16, 2015
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To listen to the self-described recovering comedian Mark Thomas gather ideas for the People’s Magna Carta from some of my neighbours in my hometown of Winchester, Hampshire.
Among the winning ideas at the audience conversation show was a national maximum wage. A simple, elegant and rather persuasive idea in this, the age of austerity.
The maximum wage.
Accompanying Mark was Alex Runswick from Unlock Democracy who answered questions that ran into issues with the UK’s voluntary or unwritten constitution. Many of these concerned the notion of rights and responsibilities and what the role of the citizen is.
Unlock Democracy lives here online.
Mark Thomas is on tour and you can find the details here.
The pen sketches above and below were speedy five minute renders of both subjects in their listening poses.
How to commission Matt
on May 27, 2015
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The Queen’s Speech has been published at the House of Commons in Westminster and the Prime Minister will now get to find out if he over-promised in his eagerness to win re-election.
Above, I hazard he has done so.
Updated: 29th May 2015 – The FT reports on the reception Cameron received in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Poland.
on May 12, 2015
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The pretensions of the Labour party to remaining the last national political party in the United Kingdom have taken a battering after losing almost all of their parliamentary seats in Scotland in the General Election of 2015. They have been succeeded in Scotland by the Scottish National Party following their narrow defeat in the Independence referendum of autumn 2014.
There are now only three seats in Scotland belonging to what used to be called the Unionist parties. It’s hard to imagine there will not be another referendum for Independence for Scotland soon, even with the new majority Conservative government of the United Kingdom.
Columnist Mary Riddell explains the existential challenge this sets for the Labour Party, shorn as they now are of their Scottish ‘comfort blanket’. This was also the subject of the cartoon, displayed above.
on May 1, 2015
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© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons
The United Kingdom’s General Election of 2015 is deadlocked with all sides cancelling each other out. There is a good overview of the situation provided by PoliticoEurope this morning. I drew the analogy from a game of noughts and crosses.
I wonder if it will be the last before another Scottish Independence referendum.
on April 17, 2015
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To the fair county of Shropshire for the annual cartoon festival. The theme this year being the tricky subject of ‘style’. Pity me!
on April 6, 2015
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The one speculatulation about the General Election of 2015 that might hold value is that the result will be a coalition of some sort. In this event, the much maligned leader of the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg remains likely to play a pivotal part. Neither of the two leaders of the two ‘main’ parties looks as stable in his position as Clegg is, assuming he can hang on to his own seat in Sheffield Hallam.
And one thing the recent seven leader television debate showed is that Labour has far more to lose in terms of votes from the rise of nationalism outside England than the Tories do.
On a similar theme, there is also some excellent commentary on the apparent or coming collapse of the United Kingdom as a coherent political entity at Renewal, should you be minded for a bank holiday long read.
on February 17, 2015
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© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons
HSBC helped cheat Her majesty’s Revenue and Customs of due revenues over many years according to this lively report following the disclosure of documents from the bank]s so-called Swiss files.
on February 12, 2015
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© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons
Stephen Green, Baron of Hurstpierpoint and former Group Executive Chairman of theHSBC Banking Group is being widely questioned about his remarkable lack of managerial or executive oversight of its Swiss private banking arm before, during and after the financial crash of 2007/08.
This follows global public disclosure of information about opaque tax policies for high net worth individuals and the bank’s repeated business connections with money launders, terrorists and drug runners. Much of this results from a leak or whistleblower from within HSBC. You can watch an interview with the man concerned conducted by Faisal islam of Sky News here.
Thus far Stephen Green (aka the ‘ethical banker’) has avoided answering any questions at all.
Naturally after retiring from the financial industry in 2010, the present UK Prime Minister appointed him a Trade Minister. He served three years.
It seems likely that is all he will serve, despite his avowed faith because hilariously, Green is also a ordained priest in the Church of England. He is also author of a notable book called ‘Serving God, Serving Mammon’.
The cartoon owes something to the old game of Cluedo.
Updated: 15th February 2015.
