A plea to our new Prime Minister - abolish me!It has been a big week for me, personally. On Thursday 16 July, the government announced 26 new members of the House of Lords – and I am one of them: I am to be Lord Leunig. Since it is His Majesty's Government, the official announcement read "The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life upon the undermentioned:" Sixteen new peers will be Labour, five Liberal Democrat (including me), and three Conservative. These twenty four were nominated by their political parties. The remaining two will be "crossbenchers", that is, ... (more) |
Reform MP starts digging her own Standards holeThe Guardian reports that a Reform UK MP has complained that the standards system investigating Nigel Farage over undeclared gifts is a "kangaroo court". The paper says that Sarah Pochin, the Runcorn MP, said Farage had called a byelection in his Clacton seat so voters could decide whether they backed him or not, and argued that "the media, the British state and the old parties have mounted a vicious and desperate campaign to stop Reform UK": She posted on X: "We can't call a general election, so rather than submit to a kangaroo court in parliament, Nigel Farage has handed ... (more) |
Kevin Keegan: The humble superstar of the SeventiesEmbed from Getty ImagesKevin Keegan made his debut for Scunthorpe United at the age of 17 and played for them for three seasons in the old fourth division. Word soon got round that he was a talent, and managers and scouts from many big clubs came to watch him. Perhaps discouraged by his short stature, none of them took their interest further. But Bill Shankly did sign him for Liverpool before the start of the 1971/2 season. What made Keegan's name was that Shankly put him straight into the first team, playing just off the tall Welsh striker John Toshack ... (more) |
Mathew on Monday: Burnham has made a promising start. Now comes the hard partAndy Burnham's first speech as the new Prime Minister, outside No.10 Downing Street, earlier today, struck exactly the right tone. After years of political instability, he spoke of restoring trust, rebuilding Britain, devolving power and creating a new economic and political model. It was hopeful, ambitious and refreshingly optimistic. Britain has been crying out for a politics that inspires rather than merely manages. One pledge particularly struck me: his commitment to make ending rough sleeping his first instruction as Prime Minister. It speaks to values I share about dignity and compassion. Yet it also comes with a note of caution. ... (more) |
Labour councillor joins Lib Dems in Portsmouth[IMG: Raj Ghosh joins Lib Dems] Portsmouth News reports: Plans to merge Portsmouth with Fareham, Gosport and Havant councils have prompted a Labour councillor to defect to the Liberal Democrats ... Cllr Rajah Ghosh, who represents Charles Dickens ward on Portsmouth City Council, announced the move today, saying he could no longer remain in Labour due to LGR. Portsmouth Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Steve Pitt, said: I am delighted to welcome Cllr Raj Ghosh. Raj has been clear that he shares the Lib Dem team's passionate opposition to Local Government Reorganisation and feels aligned with our campaign which says 'Hands ... (more) |
Andy Burnham's Big Promises - Now Comes the Difficult PartAndy Burnham in 2012 (Photo: Andrew Page) Britain has a new Prime Minister. Andy Burnham becomes the seventh person to lead the country in little more than a decade, inheriting a nation that is weary not only of economic stagnation and overstretched public services but of politics itself. His first speech outside Number 10 recognised that reality with unusual honesty. "I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last 10 years to walk up this street... I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with ... (more) |
Péter Magyar will ask Judit Polgár to become president of HungaryJudit Polgár, widely regarded as the strongest ever woman chess player, is to to be offered the presidency of Hungary. The Guardian reports that the Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar will meet Polgar to discuss the matter on Monday: "Our country needs unity, peace and a president that all Hungarians can be proud of," he wrote on social media. "Judit Polgár's name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades." The announcement by Magyar follows a months-long standoff between the newly elected leader and Tamás Sulyok, the president appointed during former leader Viktor Orbán's time in power. Since his ... (more) |
Orange with BitsThe British political establishment will be pulling off another stunning magic trick. With Sir Keir Starmer's departure from Downing Street, the Labour Party has crowned its new leader, and Andy Burnham will be going through the black door of 10 Downing Street on a regular basis. The flags will be red, the rhetoric will be unashamedly Labour, and the history books will record it as a victory for the governing party's soft-left faction. But if you ignore the partisan badges and look closely at the actual structural blueprint Burnham is bringing from Manchester to Whitehall, a fascinating question emerges: Are ... (more) |
If Andy Burnham isn't the Messiah... Good"He's not the Messiah," a voice from the Conservative benches heckled during Andy Burnham's swearing-in. Quite right. Britain doesn't need another political saviour. We've spent far too long investing our hopes in the next charismatic leader, only to discover that no Prime Minister, however capable, can fix our beleaguered country with a laying on of hands. If I had 15 minutes with Andy Burnham as he crosses the threshold of Number Ten, I wouldn't expect him to work miracles to rescue Britain. Instead, I'd ask him to help build a Britain that no longer needs rescuing. 1. Redistribute power Power ... (more) |
After Dark podcast on the R101 airship disasterThe latest edition of the BBC's After Dark podcast deals with the R101 airship disaster of 1930: "It's like the Titanic, except you've never heard of it. And in a way, it's even weirder." So says today's guest, Cautionary Tales' host, Tim Harford, about the disastrous story he's taking Anthony and Maddy through. Airships were the ocean liners of the skies, and in the 1920s, Britain had ambitions to connect the Empire in this way. Until it all went tragically wrong. I blogged about this myself back in 2022. There I suggested that the way the victims of the disaster ... (more) |