Inside the banter-industrial complex
What the world’s darts championship says about Britain
For two weeks from mid-December, a walk up the hill to Alexandra Palace, a venue in north London, is a trip through a lager-soaked fever dream. At one point a squad of human traffic cones waddles past. Next comes a gaggle of men dressed as condiments. At a bus stop, four judges wait for the next W3 service.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The banter-industrial complex ”
From the December 23rd 2023 edition
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Are British voters as clueless as Labour’s intelligentsia thinks?
How the idea of false consciousness conquered the governing party
The best British companies to work for to get ahead
A new ranking of firms by pay, promotions and hiring practices
How the best British employers find and promote their staff
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A tiny island fights the scourge of plastic on the beach
A Northern Irish experiment in recycling
A sticking-plaster policy for Britain’s strained courts
Magistrates get more power. Will they get punch-drunk on it?