u3a

South East London

U3A Current affairs discussion group 14 October 2024

  1. Conservative leadership election. Has the lesson been learnt about why they lost the election?

Last week we voted on which of the candidates we thought were best and which was most likely to be elected leader.

                            Week one.                        Week two

Candidate         Best       Will Win         Best       Will Win

Jenrick                   1                 5                   0                4

Badenock              0                 3                   2                 0

Cleverly                 2                 1                    3                 3

Tugendhat           10                2                   5                 1

The Tory leadership contest continues to deliver – for Labour

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/09/the-tory-leadership-contest-continues-to-deliver-for-labour

Labour and Lib Dems gleeful as Badenoch to face Jenrick in Tory leadership race

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/09/kemi-badenoch-or-robert-jenrick-will-be-tory-leader-after-cleverly-eliminated

  • 2. Will climate change deniers start to change their minds after hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton: nearly 3.3 million without power in Florida as category 3 storm makes landfall

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/09/hurricane-milton-makes-landfall-florida

'My anxiety's through the roof,' says woman who stayed at home for Milton

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj04vmq6932o

Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned over Helene weather conspiracy theory

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene

‘It’s mindblowing’: US meteorologists face death threats as hurricane conspiracies surge

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/11/meteorologists-death-threats-hurricane-conspiracies-misinformation

Harvest in England the second worst on record because of wet weather

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/10/harvest-in-england-the-second-worst-on-record-because-of-wet-weather

Hellish heat and primal fear: Croatian firefighters on frontline of climate crisis

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/10/hellish-heat-primal-fear-croatian-firefighters-climate-crisis

3. American Elections – now just 3 weeks away.

Both Trump and Harris are swinging to the ‘centre’. What does that even mean?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/08/both-trump-and-harris-are-swinging-to-the-center-what-does-that-even-mean

4. Increased workers’ rights. More rights fewer jobs?

More workers to get sick pay and parental leave rights

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3w8n48234o

Labour's new deal for workers: A fight postponed? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c153dzy1kj4o

Why have France's labour reforms proved so contentious?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/26/why-france-labour-reforms-proved-so-contentious

New enforcement agency will protect workers’ rights as part of ‘watershed’ bill

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/10/new-enforcement-agency-will-protect-workers-rights-as-part-of-watershed-bill

5. Should our long-term goal be to expand the human race beyond earth?

Human race needs to expand beyond Earth,' says Prof Brian Cox

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg9qd22k7po

6. Is Google too big?

US says it may break up Google after landmark case

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62504lv00do

7. Water firms have to refund money to customers.

Water firms told to cut customer bills over poor performance

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0r84lnng4eo

8. What should we do with empty schools?

The community is in the fabric of the building’: as UK pupil numbers fall, what will happen to empty schools?

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/oct/06/schools-risk-closure-dwindling-pupil-numbers-affordable-housing

9. Wimbledon breaks with tradition.

Wimbledon brings in electronic line calling for 2025

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/ce3zg3y23v7o