Dear Editor, ‘Culture wars’: the phrase seems to have originated in 1990s America but is now bandied about in many contexts. Events of this summer – 2023 – have opened a clear new front in today’s culture wars in the UK, by actually engaging Joe Public in the question of whether there is a climate […]
The position of Foreign Secretary is one of the Great Offices of State. It requires tact, command of a brief, outstanding communication skills, and a real interest in the wider world. Here’s a look at recent incumbents, picking a random starting point of June 2016. In January 2017, Boris Johnson accused the then French president […]
Dear Keir Starmer, I heard you may be thinking of further watering down environmental pledges in light of the narrow loss in Boris Johnson’s old seat. I certainly hope this isn’t true in light of the raging fires in Greece and the absolute necessity to tackle climate change and reach net zero even faster than […]
In the UK today, it’s largely accepted that we should cherish and celebrate a culture of inclusion. We like to promote acceptance and diversity in all things – from religion and ethnicity, to age and sexual orientation. We even value diversity in the languages we speak to one another. Why is it then, when it […]
Sometimes the challenges facing those of us who would like the UK to remain a civilised country with a functioning democracy and a strong social contract seem daunting. This article suggests that we may be able to learn a lot from Greek mythology. The way Hercules killed the Hydra – a 10-headed venomous serpent – […]
They really don’t care, do they, these Conservatives? They don’t care how they’re seen by the public. They don’t care if they break the law. They don’t care about the optics of selecting accused/under-investigation rapists retaining the whip. They don’t care about trashing the economy/the environment/the NHS/people’s lives or the UK’s reputation. Instead, they appear […]
West Country Voices will have a permanent presence and drop in, chill out space in the Ship Studio throughout the festival between 10:00 and 20:00. Come and see us! Look out for our banners. NB: the festival is sold out. It is not possible to get in without a ticket. Friday 14: 17:00 Michael Young […]
“The 7 million-plus NHS waiting list, the 2 million-plus fall in the labour force, the world-beating rate of inflation and spiralling mortgage rates are all the result of a succession of bad policy choices made by Conservative Ministers at crucial times in the past 13 years.” Words of truth and wisdom spoken by a Labour […]
Part I: pop on the galoshes of despair, and let’s wade into The Week In Tory ! Warning! Contains strong language… and how could it not? 1. Remember that time, ages ago, when Boris Johnson was found to be a liar, ditched by his party in a 354 to 7 vote, humiliated in front of the […]
I doubt anyone in main media is going to write a decent article on the Lords regret & fatal motions, so I am going to give it a shot. Before we start, some things to understand.This was NOTHING to do with the actual bill. This was all about the government using a statutory instrument to […]
The next government – whether Labour or Tory – won’t be able to negotiate wholesale revisions to the Brexit agreement with the EU even if they want to (and it appears, anyway, that neither Labour nor the Tories want to). Why? Because the EU has indicated that it is not interested in any revision of […]
Dear Sir Conor, The topic of my letter to you today is constitutional overreach by the government. I have long been concerned by recent governments’ excessive use of Henry VIII powers and statutory instruments (S.I.), allowing ministers to make rules that govern us all without proper democratic scrutiny by our elected representatives. Imagine my horror […]
Now that he can officially be referred to as the liar he is, we call on Sunak to rescind Johnson’s shabby list of (dis)honours for cronies and fans, many of whom continue to show contempt for the work of the Privileges Committee and thus disrespect for our parliamentary democracy. Please sign this petition. Thank you. […]
Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has announced that she will be stepping down at the next general election. Caroline will not be giving up politics, however, and intends to continue campaigning on “the challenges that drive me – the nature and climate emergencies”. I am posting an edited extract of what was arguably her most important […]
Green Party Baroness Jenny Jones has tabled a ‘Fatal Motion’ for 13 June to stop the government from using a ‘Ministerial decree’ to overturn a vote in the Lords. This is the first time ever that the government has tried to use secondary legislation to directly overturn the will of Parliament. The Government lost a […]
The government calls it “The Illegal Migration Bill”. But it should be simply shortened to “The ILLEGAL Bill”. Why? Well, first let’s understand what this bill is for and what it does. The bill was announced on 7 March 2023 without any public consultation. It aims to deter small boat crossings of asylum seekers attempting […]
We are delighted to publish this piece from the co-founder and CEO of Make Votes Matter. Klina is from Totnes. Creativity and big ideas inspire us, enliven us. Conversations about process, on the other hand, tend to make some people switch off. So you might doubt the mobilising power of electoral reform as an issue. […]
In the interests of research, I took out an offer subscription to The Telegraph*. I recently received this nasty little email from editor, Chris Evans, entitled ‘The woke blob is taking over Britain’ and, quite frankly, it boiled my blood: ‘Dear Reader, The Civil Service has grown increasingly powerful in recent decades, using weaponised wokery […]
This article looks at how far and how fast the Conservative Party has shifted to the extreme right, and what we can do about it: Leading Conservative Party members have been warning us for a long time about the extremist trends in their party; It is not just economic policies that have become extreme: they […]
‘Brexit has failed’, says Nigel Farage. Brexit is ‘unfinished business by a long way.’ The former UKIP leader and leading Brexit protagonist admits that businesses may now be more heavily regulated than when the UK was in the EU. Mr Farage told BBC Newsnight last night: ‘We have not actually benefited from Brexit economically, what […]
For a change, I’m going to begin the latest edition of The Week In Tory with some news about Labour. Don't think this makes things any better, because it doesn't. I implore you, by all you hold dear, not to read this. Under Labour, NHS wait averaged 9 weeks. After 13 years in power, the […]
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill received its third reading in the House of Lords on May 9 and is now in the final stages – consideration of amendments – before royal assent. The Trade Union Congress estimates about 5.5 million public sector workers will lose the right to strike as a result of this bill. They […]
‘It couldn’t happen here.’ ‘This is not Nazi Germany.’ ‘It’s completely over the top to use the ‘F’ word.’ ‘Fascism? Come on! That’s hyperbole!’ As regular readers will know, we’ve been strongly opposed to the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill and watched in horror as the Lords’ amendments were disregarded. Indeed, Braverman then proceeded […]
The results of the Council Elections are now in, and it is a good time to ask: what have we learned? Our take is that: The results were worrying for the Conservatives; but They were deeply worrying for democracy; so We can be confident about the next election but not complacent. The results were worrying for the Conservatives […]
‘Brexit’: a word which inspires irrational passion in some, and sadness and loathing in so many of others. “Brexit means Brexit” – really? What is its etymology, its origin? The very word ‘Brexit’ is nothing more than a corny ‘portmanteau’ word, a blend of words in which parts of multiple words are combined to make a new […]
‘‘I’m alright, Jack.’ : a remark indicating smug and complacent selfishness.’ Collins Dictionary Most people will associate this saying with the 1959 film by the Boulting brothers, which highlighted the enormous gap between management and workers, upper and lower class folk. It is a comedy with a very strong message and well worth a view to see how little has changed in […]
Tomorrow, lots of voters across England will be heading to the polls for their local elections. This year, many will be turned away for lacking approved forms of ID. Whether it is Frank*, 77 and retired, who explained to us that he has, “a freedom pass with a very poor photo which may not be acceptable, […]
Dear Keir Starmer I hear that you are now not going to support the introduction of real, meaningful electoral reform in the form of proportional representation. Have you forgotten 2019? The Tories completely played a broken, undemocratic and unrepresentative first past the post system and pretended it was a “second referendum” on Brexit. This has […]
Four years after its first election, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) faces another day of reckoning on May 4, 2023. Since the 2019 poll that formed this new, unitary authority, BCP has had two administrations, three leaders, three votes of no confidence, racked up record debts, achieved national infamy, flirted with insolvency, and even […]
The fifth Byline Festival comes to Devon! You’ve read their articles, seen them on TV, applauded their values and their bravery in speaking out, and now you can see and hear them in the flesh! Some of the biggest names in the progressive media feature in the Byline Festival line-up, including: Carole Cadwalladr; George Monbiot; […]