Observations of an Expat: Visions of AmericaFor those who looked carefully, there were two contrasting visions of America at its 250th birthday. Each was presented by a prominent American and could not have been more different. The first Is Donald Trump's America First vision. This is an America where immigrants are not only refused entry but are rounded up by armed agents; sent to overcrowded detention camps and deported. It is vision which is viewed through the narrow lens of American nationalism. The second was rooted in the idea that America has a responsibility beyond its borders—a universal vision which is closely linked to immigration, human ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1546Toby Buckle argues that it's time for liberals to throw John Rawls under the bus. In his philosophy he guided the creed toward neutrality, but we can no longer afford that in the age of Trump . "After huge reductions in first-time entrants and custodial sentences in the youth justice system in recent years, a smaller, more complex cohort of children remains. Their offending behaviours mask deep vulnerabilities including earlier childhood abuse and trauma, poor mental health, school exclusion and poverty. This cohort need stability and care to rehabilitate and change. Yet the custodial estate has seen an alarming deterioration ... (more) |
Latest PollBase is out, with all the British voting intention polls since the 1930sWith the end of another, rather interesting, quarter, another update to PollBase, my database of British voting intention opinion polls since the 1930s is now up. It includes the first PM approval ratings from 1938 and first national voting intention scores from 1939. Download the new version here. As well as another three months of data, changes this time include: Backfilled Stonehaven MRP data for this Parliament, with thanks to Luke Betham for the missing data. Additional Gallup data from the 1951 Parliament from the Bodleian Library's set of Gallup/BIPO reports in the Conservative Central Office archives. Thank you to ... (more) |
Black market weight-loss jab factory found in stately homeOur Headline of the Day comes from BBC News. I noticed that Lord Bonkers was taking a keen interest in the finer details of the story. (more) |
Government talks tough but often moves slowly on foreign interference in politicsThe latest edition of my email newsletter about work in Parliament, A Lord's Eye View, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords, this time covering a statement in Parliament about the government's response to the Rycroft Review into foreign interference in our politics. The Rycroft Review – and the significance of the 1695 Parliamentary Elections Act We had a short discussion in the ... (more) |
The largest abbey in WalesAs Wikipedia records, Neath Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Neath. It was once the largest abbey in Wales. Substantial ruins can still be seen, and are in the care of Cadw. Tudor historian John Leland called Neath Abbey "the fairest abbey of all Wales." The Abbey was established in 1129 AD when Richard I de Grenville, one of the Twelve Knights of Glamorgan, gave 8,000 acres of his estate in Glamorgan to Savigniac monks from western Normandy: The first monks arrived in 1130. Following the merging of the Savigniac order into the Cistercian order ... (more) |
Peter Knight on making sense of conspiracy theoriesProfessor Peter Knight gave this lecture on Making Sense of Conspiracy Theories at Gresham College, London, on 14 November 2024. You can download the full text, including academic references, from the college website: A common misconception is that belief in conspiracy theories is the result of a lack of accurate information or the circulation of mistaken information, whether accidental or deliberate. The assumption is that no one in their right mind would believe in such bizarre claims, unless they were the victims of a concerted campaign of deception and manipulation The idea is that people are fundamentally rational, and that ... (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Find Out Now 20% (+1) 18% (-3) 13% (+3) 16% (nc) 23% (-2) -5% (3rd, vs Ref) 8-9/7 GB ... (more) |
The Draft Party Strategy is here!I've been so inspired. Up and down the country, members have been feeding into our "Summer of Strategy", the process I launched with the Federal Board to draft a new party strategy. We've had thousands of contributions so far - thank you! Where are we now? Taking your ideas, workshop discussions, and survey answers, the Federal Board has published the first draft of the party strategy. It's now ready for your feedback! A few themes stand out: sharpening our national story and message, turbocharging our social media game to complement our pavement-pounding prowess, and consolidating in our areas of strength ... (more) |
Jonathan Coe on Kenneth Williams, sex and the SixtiesThe novelist Jonathan Coe reviewed The Kenneth Williams Diaries for the London Review of Books when they were first published: Williams found the perfect expression for his personality in the Carry On films - despite their superficially heterosexual orientation - and became such a cherished emblem of sexual insecurity for gay and straight audiences alike. For above all this series represents (and celebrates) a peculiarly English sexuality, one in which an addictive, almost obsessional interest in sex is combined with horror and gaucherie at the prospect of actually performing it. In this respect they preserve a far more accurate record ... (more) |