It’s hard to believe last year’s Tory party conference was only last year. Back then Cameron seemed indestructible and Osborne was the assumed next prime minister. It is amazing to think that less than eleven months later, here we are, both of their political careers over. Or are they? We live in such strange political times, […]
Archives for July 2016
Things have got this bad: I look back on George W Bush with a hint of nostalgia
I often rail against nostalgia. I think it claims too much space on the Left and the far-right (this is one of the reasons the centre-right are in power) and stops new ideas from coming forward. But none of us are immune to its charms. Something reminded me of the 43rd American president yesterday – […]
What exactly are Corbyn’s great, radical ideas anyhow?
There are so many articles floating around the internet with this basic theme, it has become a cliché already: the right and soft left of Labour like to go on and on about electability while having no ideas of how to create a different sense of how to be different from the Tories. Meanwhile Corbyn […]
What’s happening at the Democratic convention in the US should be instructive for the British Left
At the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, which began yesterday and runs until Thursday, Bernie Sanders was roundly booed by many of his own supporters as he urged them to get behind Hilary. “I’m proud to stand with her”, he said. There have already been other notable scenes of Sanders supporters shouting their disapproval in the hall. […]
Boris Johnson’s claim that Brexit wasn’t isolationist rings hollow
Boris is in New York at present, co-incidentally the city of his birth, to speak at the UN about all things Brexity (this will be pretty much the sole job of Foriegn Secretaries from now until the middle of the century at least). He warned people not to equate Brexit with a desire for isolationism. […]
You have to wonder now if Corbyn really is agitating for Labour to split
Rosie Winterton, the shadow chief whip, has attempted to calm the nerves of Labour MPs, reassuring them all that a move to deselect them is not on the cards. She wrote a letter telling them that she, not the leader’s office, is in charge of reselections if the boundary review gets actioned (which, unless World […]
The truth about Brexit and the Swiss – we really screwed them over
I’m in Switzerland at present, learning all about how the British Leave vote screwed the Swiss. That’s not the only reason I’m here, just to be clear, but it’s an interesting aspect of being in Bern at the moment. As some of you may know, Switzerland had a referendum on whether to limit freedom of […]
The Trident debate really did expose the Tories lack of opposition
The Commons voted for Trident renewal by a majority of 355. It was always going to be this way given it is the official policy of both of the two largest parties. But the debate held during the lead up to the vote was instructive in demonstrating Britain has no actual opposition at present. The […]
Has Theresa May realised that Brexit is practically undoable?
It was what she said very recently on her trip to Scotland to see Nicola that convinced me: Theresa intends to kick this into the long grass. I mean the 2020 long grass. That my previous assumption that she would just settle the whole matter via some sort of quick, Norway style EEA deal was […]
Amber Rudd is probably the most liberal Home Secretary ever
Some liberals may remember Amber as the DECC Secretary (ah, I feel nostalgic for that department already) who took over from Ed Davey; who had a letter leaked about her department not meeting renewable energy targets, thus incurring the wrath of environmentalist organisations. Those of you out there who think of Amber this way will […]