1 August 2024 Trumpism Home counties style. By John Watson It is a time for optimism. A new government has taken office. There is a new Prime Minister, described as decent and public-spirited by his predecessor, a man who has undertaken to govern on behalf of us all including those who voted against him. That… Continue reading Trumpism
Article Category: Comment
Coming Soon
1 August 2024 Coming Soon To a field near you by J.R.Thomas It slightly grates to say so, but Labour has got off to a good start as our new government. Sir Keir has adopted a generally impressive prime ministerial manner, calm and authoritative and, dare one say it, caring and friendly. His Foreign Secretary,… Continue reading Coming Soon
‘Net Zero’ & Listings
1 August 2024 ‘Net Zero’ and Listings Incompatible. By Lynda Goetz This is a subject on which I have written on several occasions, but a subject on which, like so many others, politicians, civil servants and bureaucrats seem unable to find themselves in tune with the public. As most people know, we have in this… Continue reading ‘Net Zero’ & Listings
Labour
1 August 2024 Labour Men of their hands? By Robert Kilconner One of the striking things about the election was that many of Labour’s pledges could have been made by the Tories. Both parties want to build more houses; both parties want to stop the boats; both parties want growth; neither party wants to increase… Continue reading Labour
Sir Larry Siedentop
1 August 2024 Sir Larry Siedentop ‘Democracy in Europe’ By Neil Tidmarsh The historian and political philosopher Larry Siedentop passed away last month, aged 88. Born in the USA, he became a politics don at Oxford in the 1970s but was plucked from the obscurity of academia when his book ‘Democracy in Europe’ was published… Continue reading Sir Larry Siedentop
Gizza Job
1 August 2024 Gizza Job by Paul Branch Welcome to the new political universe, a world of expectation and not a little trepidation. Apart from all the announcements of new initiatives, some bearing a more than passing resemblance to manifesto pledges despite the absence of money in the bank, the really nice thing was that… Continue reading Gizza Job
Democracy
4 July 2024 Democracy How to do it. By John Watson We all know the Churchill quotation: “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried”. Perspicacious and witty, no doubt, but it says nothing about the relative merits of different forms of democracy. And in the… Continue reading Democracy
Electioneering
4 July2024 Electioneering by J. R. Thomas Some of the most important elections of the early C21st are going on as you read this; and here is where live media holds all the aces. You, the reader, will have the advantage of knowing the current state of play, if only via the BBC, CBBC, Facebook… Continue reading Electioneering
Election Fever
4 July 2024 Election Fever Taking the temperature. By Lynda Goetz Ever since Rishi Sunak chose to make his ill-fated announcement in pouring rain of a July 4th election, the Conservative Party, the media, the public, the Labour Party and pretty much everyone else involved, have predicted a Labour victory. The Conservatives (apart from Sunak… Continue reading Election Fever
Things can only get better …
4 July 2024 Things can only get better … Paul Branch Just six weeks ago we were treated to the unedifying spectacle of our Prime Minister outside No 10 Downing Street drenched in rain announcing the date for the General Election, no umbrella and without a helping aide in sight. In the background played a… Continue reading Things can only get better …
Stonehenge Revenge?
4 July 2024 Stonehenge Revenge? A true story. By Neil Tidmarsh It seems that attacking Shakespeare and Prokofiev wasn’t enough for them. (Stalin Junior and the New Puritans, Shaw Sheet issue 359, 07.09.23.) So last month they attacked Jonathan Yeo’s (admittedly awful) portrait of King Charles III – and abused Wallace and Gromit at the… Continue reading Stonehenge Revenge?
Betting Scandal
4 July 2024 Betting Scandal Where is the sex? By Robert Kilconner I must say that this betting business is very disappointing. No, I am not making some moral comment about Conservative MPs and party officials. Every party has its share of ‘likely lads’ and that has always been the case. What upsets me is… Continue reading Betting Scandal
Turn Again, Starmer
6 June 2024 Turn Again, Starmer Improving education. By John Watson Some of the least intelligent criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer focus on his changes of tack – the backing down from Labour’s green package, the reversal of their wealth tax proposal and other things besides. What is wrong with the man? Is he a… Continue reading Turn Again, Starmer
