The Spectator

Barometer: Who snorts more cocaine — the rich or the poor? 

Plus: What brings immigrants here; the classes who attend Oxbridge; which is blacker — Black Monday or Black Friday

issue 07 December 2013

The darkest day

Several people were injured on ‘Black Friday’, a day of retail discounting imported from the US, where the fourth Thursday of November is the Thanksgiving holiday and many shops hold one-day sales the following day. There are at least 23 historic events named ‘Black Friday’, from the imprisonment of seven bishops by James II on 8 June 1688 to the hanging of four anarchists in Chicago on 11 November 1887 and the seizure of online poker sites by US authorities on 15 April 2011. What is the blackest day of the week, according to entries on Wikipedia?
Black Monday 15
Black Tuesday 5
Black Wednesday 3
Black Thursday 16
Black Friday 23
Black Saturday 15*
Black Sunday 10
*17 if you include Jewish Black Sabbaths

High life, low life

Nigella Lawson was alleged to have a cocaine habit. How does admitted drug use vary by income?

Admitted use in past year

Household income % used any cocaine
Less than £10,000 2.1%
£10,000–£20,000 1.5%
£20,000–£30,000 1.7%
£30,000–£40,000 1.5%
£40,000–£50,000 1.9%
Over £50,000 2.3%
Household income % used Class A drug
Less than £10,000 3.6%
£10,000–£20,000 2.1%
£20,000–£30,000 2.1%
£30,000–£40,000 1.8%
£40,000–£50,000 2.8%
Over £50,000 2.8%
Source: Home Office

Why here?

Net migration to the UK in the year to June was 182,000. Of the 503,000 immigrants, why did they come?
Formal study 176,000
Definite job 125,000
Looking for work 77,000
To be with family 60,000
Other/no reason given 64,000
Source: ONS

Class barriers

The Mayor of London asserted that we will always have economic inequality because some people are more able than others. According to research on average IQ by Bruce Charlton of the University of Newcastle, what percentage of people from the highest and lowest social classes are capable of getting into university?
Professional (ave IQ 115)
Oxbridge (IQ required 130) 16%
Redbrick (IQ req. 115) 50%
Ex-poly 84%
Unskilled (ave IQ 90)
Oxbridge (IQ required 130) 0.5%
Redbrick (IQ req. 115) 5%
Ex-poly 25%
GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in