28 May 2020
Diary of a Corbynista
Child Care Special
by Don Urquhart
21 May
A friend commended to me Kipling’s poem about Tommy Atkins:
I will think on this while out clapping tonight. The last verse goes:
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country,” when the guns begin to shoot;
Yes it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
But Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool–you bet that Tommy sees!
22 May
On last night’s Question Time one of the guests launched a coruscating attack on the Government’s performance in the Covid-19 crisis, comparing it to Eric Morecambe’s explanation of his approach to the piano – playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.
They plan to quarantine people arriving by air. Why now and not months ago?
The PM announced the loosening of the lockdown before doing the paperwork.
Why are we only now doing test, track and trace?
The 2016 Cygnus project told the government to plan for a pandemic but they ignored it.
And this from Camilla Tominey, Telegraph Political Editor who normally specialises in defending the Tory indefensible.
23 May
Are the rest of the media following the lead of La Tominey? Is the political lobby worm turning?
At the Press Briefing Grant Shapps gave us jam tomorrow stuff about roads and when it came to questions the 5 usually reliable organs, BBC, ITV, Sky, Telegraph, Sun all ignored that and went for the throat on the Dominic Cummings escapade in Durham.
24 May
Time for answers to last week’s quiz:
Name the celebrities and identify the odd man out.
TV Presenter who raised many millions for charity and was a key contributor to the car seat belt campaign (1926-2011); Jimmy Savile
British MP and publisher accorded a lavish funeral in Israel (1923-1991); Robert Maxwell
Multi-talented Australian entertainer who painted an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (1930 – ); Rolf Harris
TV Presenter, football commentator and game show host, awarded the OBE (1929- ); Stuart Hall
Glam rock star responsible for one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time (1944- ); Gary Glitter
An American actor, winner of several Oscars, Artistic Director of the Old Vic and Honorary KBE (1959- ); Kevin Spacey
Labour MP for nearly 20 years ending up as Post Master General (1925-1988); John Stonehouse
Fabulously successful novelist, Oxford Athletics Blue, MP and Life Peer (1940- ); Jeffrey Archer
War hero, OBE, MP and Secretary of State for War (1915-2006); John Profumo
Mayor of London and UK Prime Minister (1964- ); Boris Johnson.
The odd man out because he died before his disgrace became public is of course Jimmy Savile.
25 May
I’m surprised that nobody asked Dominic Cummings why a millionaire with suspected Coronavirus in his household could not stay home and get whatever help he needed brought to him.
26 May
For more than 2 months Prime Minister Johnson and his acolytes have been invoking the spirit of wartime solidarity. “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives” was the mantra fashioned it is said by his adviser Dominic Cummings.
And we followed the instructions and were treated to the approbation of Johnson and co. “You, the British people etc.” There are many stories of people staying at home rather than visiting dear ones, sometimes on the verge of death, or even after death. Our neighbour could only view her partner’s funeral on Zoom.
It was a time of self-sacrifice in the interests of a nation under attack by an implacable enemy.
So when Mr Cummings encountered the enemy in his own household you might have expected him to stay home and tough it out like the rest of us. As we now know he drove his Range Rover through his own regulations and with Mr Johnson fashioned a montage of fake news, lies and evasion to depict his actions as honourable.
Today is the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk, an event at which many truly honourable people stepped up against an implacable enemy and died in the service of their country.
27 May
Matthew dropped into the Carlton Club where Dr Brain and Prof Teaser were swapping puzzles over a lockdown whisky.
Ah! Matthew! says Brain we have been playing Downing Street Press Briefing Bingo and wanted to try out a poser on you.
Be my guest replied Matthew confidently how did I do at the podium?
Teaser gasped and told the young man that is precisely the poser we wished to set you with this clue:
Play Icy Blinder.
Matthew scratched his head for a minute or two then recalled what game they had been playing before his arrival.
So he proudly gave his answer and joined them in a whisky.
What was Matthew’s answer?
