The Spectator

David Cameron’s not the only one in trouble over morris dancing

Plus: The best places to complain to Google, and the worst places to commit bestiality

issue 18 October 2014

Dirty dancing

David Cameron was accused of causing racial offence by posing with blacked-up Morris dancers, though it was pointed out that the tradition dates from 16th-century jobless labourers covering their faces with soot. Other Morris dancer controversies:
— In 2011 the Slubbing Billys were thrown out of a pub in Durham for breaking a rule against music. They weren’t dancing, just drinking, but had bells on their trousers.
— In 2013 officials from Lancashire County Council accused the Britannia Coconut Dancers of breaching health and safety rules when their dance strayed onto the road.

Forget me, forget me not?

Where have people been most successful at persuading Google to remove links they claim infringe their ‘right to be forgotten’?

MOST SUCCESSFUL
No of requests
Austria 10,611
Germany 25,272
France 29,250
Luxembourg 220
Percentage successful
Austria 54%
Germany 53%
France 52%
Luxembourg 50%


LEAST SUCCESSFUL
No of requests
Italy 11,512
Portugal 1,512
Slovenia 527
Percentage successful
Italy 24%
Portugal 25%
Slovenia 26%

The UK is roughly halfway down the list, with 35% of its 18,597 requests successful.

Unequal struggle

FTSE100 directors earn 120 times that of their average employee, up from 47 times in 2000. How does income inequality compare worldwide, with income of the richest 10% as a multiple of that of the poorest 10%?

US 16.6
Japan 10.7
UK 9.6
Italy 9.2
France 7.4
Germany 6.9
OECD average 9.8

Animal passion

The Danish minister for agriculture announced that the country is to ban bestiality. Some countries have legalised bestiality through the repeal of sodomy laws. The current situation:
Legal Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Thailand and 11 US states including Texas and Ohio.
Subject to fines Germany (max. €30,000)
Subject to imprisonment Most other countries, varying from a year in the Netherlands, two years in France and the UK, to life imprisonment in Ireland.
Subject to death penalty Iran, but only on conviction for fourth offence.

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