I wasn’t going to write an article on this subject. But somehow, it was staring me in the face; the following is the product of necessity. Yesterday afternoon, Tim Farron was elected the fifth leader of the Liberal Democrats (if you discount interim leaders). As a self-avowed member of the Orange Book wing, some might […]
A judgement on the SNP’s fox hunting gimmick: smart politics or Union threatening tomfoolery?
Let’s examine the basic facts first. The Tories have had to withdraw a bill meant to bring fox hunting legally back to England. This is because they didn’t have all the numbers needed on their own benches (something that’s looking likely to happen a fair old bit this parliament), and if the SNP voted on […]
Leftists of all people should understand that money trumps everything
In light of the latest in what has become an interminable series of talks between the Greek government and their increasingly annoyed creditors, you will hear much from centre-left commentators in the days to come about how the ECB is trying to subvert democracy. Actually, putting aside the radio static of snap referenda for one […]
Labour has to realise there is a path between capitulation and redemption
Harriet Harman has given an interview to the BBC during which she intimated that Labour would basically vote through several of the most contentious bits of Osborne’s budget. “We’ve had a serious defeat and we must listen to why.” Harriet is both completely right and totally wrong at the same time. Yes, Labour has suffered […]
Holiday in Great Yarmouth aka why Owen Jones is wrong, part 1,217
Taking one’s holiday in England is not the done thing – at least, it’s not the done thing if you’re middle class. Even holidaying in a cheap and ready Greek resort is more acceptable within English bourgeois mores; the whole concept of the “holiday” means by definition almost, an escape from England. This is nothing […]
Would a George Osborne premiership be a lot like Gordon Brown’s?
George is on the up, no question. Facing no one of equal political calibre in his own party (many note how much of a diminished figure Boris cut in the Commons as his rival to replace Dave had his crowning moment), and having tied Labour up in knots over his latest budget, many in Westminster […]
Osborne’s emergency budget causes problems for the Left that remind me of ten years ago
2005. Despite Blair’s falling approval ratings and the Lib Dems nibbling away at their support over Iraq, Labour won the general election. In fact, it was never seriously in doubt. The Tories seemed unable to break through at all; Labour and the greater Left seemed to have cornered the national debate. People began asking if […]
Burnham’s bid to get Jeremy Corbyn on the ballot may well backfire on him in the end
Over the weekend, it became official: Unite are endorsing Jeremy Corbyn to be the next leader of the Labour Party. When you look at the stated aims of Len McCluskey and then compare them to Corbyn’s political goals, that doesn’t seem so strange on the surface. But when you consider that Burnham must have felt he […]
Now that Greece has voted No, they should be set adrift
Yesterday, Greece voted overwhelmingly to reject the terms put to it via the latest in a string of proposed bailout deals (it was actually more complicated than even that, but for the purposes of this article, go with it). Tsipras told the Greek public that a “No” vote would strengthen his hand in discussions with […]
If feminism continues to cling to leftism, it cannot progress
Yesterday, the Women’s Equality Party declared itself open for membership. It collected over 1,000 members in 24 hours, a great achievement for any political conglomeration starting from zero. As a non-partisan political party, welcoming members from other parties non-exclusively, it is also a fascinating study in 21st century politics, watching where it goes from here. […]