'Taking the Chiltern Hundreds' - what does it mean?

Former MP for Makerfield Josh Simons has resigned his seat for Andy Burnham, so why has Rachel Reeves offered him the the Chiltern Hundreds?

May 18 • Jack Pownall

Who is Andy Burnham?

The political media machine is in agreement: the King of the North is the UK's prime-minister-in-waiting, but who is the man that many Labour MPs seem…

May 15 • Jack Pownall

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Wes Streeting resigns but stops short of a leadership bid

Wes Streeting has resigned, Andy Burnham is in London, and Rayner has been cleared by HMRC. In spite of it all, Keir Starmer still has his chances.

May 14 • Jack Pownall

The origins of the Labour Party bob

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Labour Party MP belonging to the female sex, must be coiffed with a bob.

May 11 • Jack Pownall

Who will be the UK’s next prime minister?

As Keir Starmer's premiership seems less and less stable with each passing hour, who could take his place?

May 11 • Jack Pownall

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A Tale of Two Kings: Why Trump’s Admiration for Charles Is More Than Royal Flattery

King Charles III's state visit to the U.S.A. was a masterstroke of diplomacy, but it raises questions about Trump's flirting with the concept of…

May 5 • Jack Pownall

February 2026

No, the New “Epstein Files” Don’t Prove Rowling Was a Friend of Epstein

A tour through the impressive leaps of logic behind this week’s Rowling–Epstein conspiracy theories.

Feb 8 • Jack Pownall

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November 2024

Rule No. 1 - A Supernatural Hospital Horror Tale

On a never-ending night shift, a maternity nurse fights exhaustion, despair, and an unspoken rule in a hospital where job security is the least of her…

Nov 13, 2024 • Jack Pownall

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Jack Pownall - French to English Translation

My translation services, professional journey, and how I bring French content to life in English with precision, creativity, and cultural sensitivity.

Nov 12, 2024 • Jack Pownall

May 2024

Doctor Who: Push the Button, Space Babes!

★★★☆☆ | Last Saturday, Doctor Who landed back on screens across the world with an effervescent double-bill bang, and I simply must talk about it. Here's…

May 18, 2024 • Jack Pownall

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Literary Translation: To AI or Not to AI, That Is The Question

Whether 'tis nobler in modernity to suffer the slings and arrows of an already difficult-to-enter translation industry...

May 15, 2024 • Jack Pownall

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April 2024

Plato’s Dream by Voltaire

Listen now (6 mins) | Written in 1756 by Voltaire, this criticism of religious doctrine was one of the first examples of science fiction. This new…

Apr 13, 2024 • Jack Pownall

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