One of the things that has stymied Labour moderates thus far (and looks set to continue) is that they are still trying to fight conventional warfare while Corbyn goes guerrilla style. Take the mass resignations from the front benches – the idea was that he couldn’t possibly hang on if they did so. Yet here […]
Why Sadiq Khan is the most effective politician in Britain at the moment
Across the western world, iconoclastic supposed “outsiders” are taking over politics. Trump and his total disregard to the generally accepted rules about what politicians can and cannot say; Corbyn’s total disinterest in the conventions of Westminster politics, to the point of thinking his entire parliamentary party is an irrelevance; the Vote Leave campaign’s lack of […]
Let’s examine Jeremy Corbyn’s policies then, in as much detail as we can all handle
When Owen Smith came out with his policy pledges, I can’t say I was blown away. Of the twenty on offer, I think four were really good, four were really terrible and the rest very mediocre. Saying that, at least there were some ideas there. What has Corbyn offered? And instead of asking that question rhetorically, […]
I think I’m suffering from post traumatic Brexit vote meltdown disorder
For a period of about three to four weeks following EU referendum polling day, the political news agenda in the UK was epically mental. Every fifteen minutes there was a new, huge story: someone had resigned from something, every political party seemed in meltdown mode, careers were up and then down and then finished within […]
Why liberals are a bit like George Lucas
All but a few nerds and serial contrarians agree that the “Star Wars” prequels, a trilogy of motion pictures released between 1999 and 2005, were amongst the worst contributions to cinema of all time. There are many reasons why they are so terrible – but I will focus today on only one crucial element as […]
Thank God UKIP keep screwing up like this
Stephen Woolfe, the maybe, maybe-not candidate to be the next UKIP leader, was on Radio 4 this morning. You see, Stephen’s been dogged by two problems concerning his candidacy. One, an apparent lapse in his membership at some point a couple of years ago (UKIP have this absurd rule you have to have been a […]
Could we be entering an era of short prime ministerial reigns?
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, […]
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. […]