Serious times call for serious measures. This is, as Gordon said, no time for a novice. While the Tories whinge from the sidelines (and what IS your plan, George Osbourne?), Alastair Darling unveiled the Pre-budget Report. A full Budget in all but name, and frankly more significant than any of those in the past decade, […]
Thanks Darling: Good news for SMEs. Read More »
Today saw another hoo-hah 2.0 in the blogotwittergeekerativersesphere. Presented with the membership data of the British National Party, as is completely normal, the mash-ups started popping up. And then disappearing. And sometimes reappearing, with caveats, when the blogger had sobered up. Arguments raged about accuracy vs. inaccuracy and the minutiae of Google maps. Should it
What has the BNP ever done for us? Read More »
Happy day. Happy happy day. But to quote Tony Blair in 1997: “The time for talking is over. It is now time to do.” Photo credit.
Good Morning, Mr President-Elect Read More »
I’m totally on edge. I can’t concentrate on anything. I’ve been pacing the floor. I can’t eat. I’m going to be up all night watching results from the presidential election in the US. Does this make me weird? Probably. But as some people love football or F1, I love elections. And this is the best
It’s the damn waiting… Read More »
Until now, the nearest we’ve come to a British West Wing style political drama is probably the ‘House of Cards‘ featuring the unspeakable Francis Urquart. And that was never that close. Superb as it was, it wasn’t hopeful as The West Wing was and neither did it extol the potential nobility of the business of
Number 10: The West Wing UK Style? Read More »
Satire lives. I thought that everyone had been enjoying Tina Fey’s totally brilliant impersonation of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live for the past few weeks. But several people I know haven’t seen it and more than that, the Governor of Alaska’s genuine appearance on SNL last night has just been reported on Radio 4
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live Read More »
The Eccles Institute for American Studies hosted a fascinating talk at the British Library on Monday evening. Entitled ‘Alistair Cooke: Reporting America, Reporting Britain’ and commemorating the centenary of the great journalist and broadcaster’s birth, the panel reflected on the differences and similarities in journalistic culture both sides of the Atlantic. (Really a terrible pic,
Reporting America, Reporting Britain Read More »
Using Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food as a hook, the Guardian published an interesting piece about how class is a key determinant of diet and always has been. There’s much lefty hand-wringing about working folk munching on takeaways and high-calorie, high-fat food with little nutritional value. Not so much angst though that they wouldn’t take
The Guardian on Class and Diet. Would you like Fries with that? Read More »
I spent two hours phoning voters on Saturday afternoon, on behalf of the Labour party. From a personal perspective, it’s an activity I loathe. After all, who wants to be disturbed by an activist (of any persuasion) on a glorious sunny Saturday afternoon? I’d rather give them my mobile number so they can phone me
Lots of Love. Labour’s not lost. Read More »
In the hope of saving a bit of time the next time Boris Johnson, the new Mayor of London, opens his mouth to change feet, I have taken the liberty of preparing him a ready-made apology sheet. ‘Comments I made on my recent visit to a mosque/temple/old peoples’ home/school for the blind/gay community group* have
Pro-forma Apology Sheet for Boris Johnson Read More »
It often seems to me that us Brits look abroad for our radical politics: often to Marx, Rousseau or a dozen others. But we have such an amazing radical heritage in Britain to which we give too little love. This is why I’m thrilled that the Putney Debates are getting so much attention lately. In
In Praise of… the Putney Debates Read More »
It’s not big or clever but for a giggle and a few fun filled moments, Hate My Tory is a lovely diversion.
Good Clean Fun: Hate My Tory Read More »
The net lets you peer into previously hidden and private spaces. But having a look at the myspace profile of the man at the centre of current suspicion for the multiple murders of women in Ipswich, is a stark example of how the net can change the contact and view we have of people. Certainly,
The ‘Suffolk Strangler’ Suspect’s Profile on MySpace Read More »