It is really difficult to be right-wing in America. And by that I do not mean it is tricky for right-wing people to get on in the US; what I mean is, there is such a high bar to being considered truly right-wing in the States that is difficult to be right-wing enough to clear […]
A guide to why most voters think Boris is doing a good job thus far for all the Boris-haters out there
Most Remainers on my social media timelines are stunned that people are reacting so positively to Boris Johnson and the Conservative party since the general election came and went. “He went on a posh holiday for a fortnight!” you all bellow. “Surely people can see what a charlatan he is!”. Evidently not. There hasn’t been […]
Why an elected House of Lords is a bad idea
It is often the case in Labour leadership contests that constitutional reform plays a role, only to disappear from the scene once the new leader is chosen. This is likely to be the case this time with Rebecca Long-Bailey’s idea of having an elected upper chamber to replace the House of Lords, whether she wins […]
Here is the one lesson from Blairism that I think Labour should relearn
Asked by Laura Kuenssberg if he had any friends who were Tories, Keir Starmer answered: “Yes, of course I do.” He went onto explain that when his father died in 2018, at the height of some of the Brexit battles in parliament, several Tory MPs spoke to him about the loss of his father, trying […]
Another underrated musical artist that may change your life: here is MF DOOM and his story
Over the six years I have written this blog, I have on occasion told you to tune in to some obscure musical act for what I have taken to be your own spiritual good. My article on Jandek converted one bloke who wrote to me subsequently to say that he “obsessively listens to Jandek most […]
As if there wasn’t enough in the way already, here’s an added impediment to any party beating the Tories in any general election held within the next fifteen years
The Tories have a lot going their way. They are going to do a boundary review that will make the new constituencies more Tory and less Labour friendly (and way less Lib Dem friendly, if such a thing can be imagined). The government looks like it is going to make ID mandatory at polling stations. […]
Here are the three things the left gets wrong
I’ve written a fair bit about why the left lost and what the right gets correct so as to make it harder for the Left to win. Today, in light of the Labour leadership contest, I’d like to talk about three changes to the way the left operates that I think are vital if they […]
As ever, this is the big, overriding problem for the Liberal Democrats
I haven’t written anything about the Lib Dems since the week following the general election. This is because I haven’t been able to think of anything positive to say and no one wants to read about how the Liberal Democrats are completely screwed. However, having turned this over in my mind during the past few […]
Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t the worst ever Labour leader – this guy was
A lot of journalists who were never particularly predisposed to Jeremy Corbyn and his strange cult of personality are dancing on his leadership’s grave, even while he is still technically in situ. Many of them are pronouncing Corbyn Labour’s worst ever leader, almost as if this were so obvious it needn’t be explained. Now, many […]
How a key element of Blairism has made a roaring comeback within the Labour Party, even being used by the left
I feel like I should write about something happening in politics other than the race to be the next Labour leader. Yet I can’t help myself; the whole thing is such a fascinating clusterfuck, I cannot turn away. Barry Gardiner’s 24-hour challenge. The spectacular falling apart of Rebecca Long-Bailey’s campaign – that has still not […]