Barometer | 20 April 2017

Back to the Foot year

This year’s election has been likened to that of 1983 when, under Michael Foot’s leadership, Labour scored its worst result since 1918. What happened?
— Labour’s vote share fell 36.9% to 27.6% and their seats from 261 to 209.
— The Conservatives also lost vote share, down 1.5% to 42.4%. But their seats increased from 359 to 397, giving them a majority of 140, against just 43 in 1979.
— This was the first of two elections fought by the Liberal/SDP Alliance. They gained an impressive 25.4% of the vote, up 11.6% on the Liberal performance in 1979. But this translated into just 11 seats.

Counsel leader

Prince Harry was counselled to help him cope with the death of his mother. How many Britons have used counselling?
— 32% of women and 23% of men say they have seen a counsellor or psychotherapist, an average of 28%

By age group:
16-24: 18%
25-34: 26%
35-44: 38%
45-54: 32%
55-74: 24%

— In 2014, 39% of the population agreed with the statement ‘people spend too much time dwelling on emotional difficulties’. Ten years earlier, 60% had agreed.
Source: British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

It’s grim up North

How do North and South Korea compare?

Source: UNData

Slow trains to China

A new rail freight service between London and Yiwu, China, takes 17 days. How could you make the trip as a rail passenger?

Friday 21 April
14.22 St Pancras-Paris 17.53
Cost: £109.00

18.58 Paris-Moscow 10.07 (sun 23)
Cost: £376.89

Tuesday 25 April
23.45 Moscow-Beijing 11.40 (mon 1 may)
Cost (2nd class): £551.86

Monday 1 May
15.15 Beijing-Yiwu 22.08
Cost: £69.40

Total time: 10 days, 0 hours, 46 mins
Total cost: £1,107.15