Peter Rhodes: Who's casting that vote?

HOW our legal system works. When the High Court rules that Parliament must have a vote on Brexit, it is a glorious triumph for our independent judiciary against the tyranny of the Government. When the High Court rules that fracking can begin in Yorkshire, it is a tyranny of unelected judges trampling intolerably on the rights of local people.

THE photos of tourists, believed to be Korean, posing recklessly on the very edge of 250 ft high cliffs near Brighton may give us the collywobbles but we should take comfort from Darwinism. The theory of natural selection tells us that the sooner the idiotic and risk-taking genes are removed from the global gene pool, the stronger our species will become. Watch the birdie and step back, just a bit . . .

NO-ONE can object to the government's plan to make electors produce identification before casting their vote at the polling station. We have seen quite enough ballot-stuffing, thanks, and the widespread abuse of postal votes is a recurring stain on our democracy. The ID system is already in force in Northern Ireland where for many years the crime of "personation" was widespread and the mantra on election days was: "Vote early, vote often."

A READER who happens to be an academic on policing, tells me he was prosecuted for speeding and attended a driver-awareness course. It turned out that he and everyone else on the course had been nicked at the same place and at about the same time, at a spot where a new speed camera had just been erected. "Hot spots" such as this make millions for the ever-growing driver-course industry. If the authorities were genuinely interested in lowering speed, they would improve the road signs. Instead, they install a camera. Draw your own conclusions.

THE BBC judged us grown-up and tolerant enough as a society to include a kiss between two men in its advert for the Christmas schedules. So why stop there, Auntie? How about a gay couple competing in next year's Strictly Come Dancing? What's sauce for the schedules is sauce for the samba.

THE wonder is that Strictly manages to attract any contestants who are already in a relationship. How do you explain to your wife, for example, that you'll be spending the next few weeks dancing cheek-to-cheek (and, let's face it, groin-to-groin) with a beautifully toned honey-blonde twentysomething dancer who will be wearing next-to-nothing? Or that she will be draped around your neck on a weekly basis, stroking your hair and singing your praises? Or that you will hug and kiss this lady several times during each show and possibly declare to the world that you love her to pieces, she is the most wonderful person you've ever met and getting this far in the contest is the best thing you've ever done? Tricky, to put it mildly.

A READER, unhappy with the cold-shouldering of our beloved prime minister by hateful Euro-politicians and the general awkwardness of Brussels in the run-up to Brexit, says he now refers to the EU as the EO. It stands for the European Onion, on the grounds that the more layers you strip away, the nastier it gets.