The Spectator

Where did ‘heckler’ come from?

A heckler at this year’s Labour party conference [Getty Images] 
issue 28 September 2024

What the heckler

No party conference would be complete without a heckler or two, but where did the term come from? A heckle was originally a tool for combing flax or hemp, and a heckler someone who worked with such a device. The term was first applied to politics in the 1820s when the notoriously militant hecklers of Dundee would disrupt political meetings. Their efforts did not, however, ultimately save their jobs when the process of heckling was mechanised.

Home truths

How many people work from home (WFH)?

– Last year, 16% of the workforce reported WFH exclusively, while 28% said they were on hybrid working.

– In spite of WFH’s association with Gen Z,  16- to 24-year-olds were least likely to be working from home. Only 6% were doing so exclusively, while a further 15% were on hybrid working.

– The group most likely to work from home were the over-65s (24%), followed by 45- to 54-year-olds (18%).

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