Barometer | 17 August 2017

Big bong theory

Big Ben, otherwise known as the Great Bell, is due to fall silent on Monday for renovations to be carried out on the Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, in which it is housed. Why is it called Big Ben?
—According to one version, Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the bell in 1859, also happened to be nicknamed Big Ben. He made a long and rambling speech on what the bell should be called, whereupon another MP interjected: ‘Why not call it Big Ben and be done with it?’ The comment is not, however, recorded in Hansard.

Inside left

Most popular

Ross Clark

Is Britain heading for bankruptcy?

Pressure groups representing the left-handed held an international left-handedness day. How does the percentage of reported left-handedness vary?

Netherlands	13.2
UK	12.2
New York State	12.0
France	11.1
Italy	10.5
Germany	9.8
Russia	6.0
India	5.2
Japan	4.7

Source: The History and Geography of Human Handedness by I.C. McManus

Trump stake

Paddy Power appointed a ‘Head of Trump betting’ due to unprecedented interest in wagers on the US President. Some of the odds currently offered:

A sex tape to be leaked online	14/1
To deny the existence of God	20/1
To convert to Scientology	25/1
To meet with KKK leader	33/1
To convert to Islam	50/1
To deport Madonna	80/1
To commission his own face to be added to Mount Rushmore	100/1
To come out as gay	100/1
To paint the White House gold	500/1

Extreme close-up

A far-right march in Virginia erupted into violence. What is the make-up of extremist groups in the United States?

	groups nationwide
Ku Klux Klan	130
Neo-Nazi	99
White nationalist	100
Racist skinhead	78
Christian identity	21
Neo-confederate	43
Black separatist	193
Anti-LGBT	52
Anti-Muslim	101