The Joy of Six 1478"In a sense, Clegg is right: politicians are more focused on narratives than data. But it's data they use to justify their policies these days. Indeed, far from modern politics being a vibrant competition of ideas in the way Clegg suggests, modern anglophone politics has been dominated by just one since the 1980s: There Is No Alternative."James Graham takes apart Nick Clegg's book How to Save the Internet. Sam Bright is puzzled by the contradictions of right-wing journalists: "These journalists are neoliberals - they preach the free market gospel. You can't get them to shut up about the Industrial Revolution ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: Muddling ThroughBritain is caught betwixt and between emerging international power lines. It supports Ukraine against Russia and Denmark against America. Whitehall is all for a European defense build-up. It wants free trade and hates tariff. MAGA, the cult of Trump and the American swing to authoritarianism is extremely distasteful. Mark Carney's middle countries bloc appeals, and the UK is likely to sign up to a Carney-proposed trading bloc that includes Canada, the EU, Britain, and the Pacific Rim countries and excludes the US. But the British "Establishment" can't bring itself to break with the US. Britain and America's economies are too ... (more) |
Lion & Unicorn: Children, bombsites and Innocent Sinners (1958)Thanks to Lion and Unicorn for publishing a piece from me on British films about children and bombsites, and on the film Innocent Sinners (1958) in particular: So dangerous did bombsites become for boy actors that Jon Whiteley ventured on to them twice and got caught up with a murderer both times. In Hunted (1952) he comes across Dirk Bogarde dumping the body of his wife's lover, while in The Weapon (1956) he finds a gun, accidentally shoots a playmate and, thinking he has killed him, goes on the run. In reality, it's not the police Whiteley needs to worry ... (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 16% (-3) 16% (nc) 10% (-1) 18% (nc) 28% (-1) -12% (3rd, vs Ref) 18/2 GB ... (more) |
A history trail in MumblesFor those interested in the history of Mumbles, the Story of Mumbles website has a walking trail dating back to 2006 which is well worth following. The only caveat is that a lot has changed in twenty years, not least that a number of pub closures mean that the infamous 'Mumbles Mile' of my student days is a mere shadow of its former self. The walk has twenty points of interest, and stirred memories of a walking tour I helped write back in the 1980s. It starts with Clement's Quarry, one of a number of limestone quarries in Mumbles between ... (more) |
The radical instability of The Once and Future KingIn 1984, Anthony Burgess published Ninety-Nine Novels, a selection of his favourite novels in English since 1939. The list is typically idiosyncratic, and shows the breadth of Burgess's interest in fiction. This podcast, by the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, explores the novels on Burgess's list with the help of writers, critics and other special guests. This is the final episode of Series Two, and our guest Elizabeth Elliott is helping us explore Camelot in The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Published in 1958, The Once and Future King adapts the famous stories of King Arthur and his Round ... (more) |
Boudicca the three-legged beaver is rewilding Rushden LakesTalk about burying the lede. BBC News has a story about Alan and Boudicca, the beavers at Rushden Lakes - they've featured here before- and late on it drops this in: Alan was named after Alan Carr, who grew up in the county, and Boudica after the warrior, as it is believed she lost her leg in a fight. Boudicca has three legs? That makes these achievements even more remarkable: In February 2025, eight beavers were released into Delta Pit lake, part of Rushden Lakes, Northamptonshire - the first time the rodent had been reintroduced to the county in 400 ... (more) |
Mayor of Desborough called opponent a "prick" and a "sad wanker"It's all kicking off in Desborough. The excellent NN Journal reports a walk out at last night's meeting of the town council after the mayor refused to stand down: Last month Desborough Town councillor and North Northamptonshire councillor Bill McElhinney quit the Conservative Party after sending a message to a resident calling fellow town councillor Labour's Andy Coleman a "prick" and a "sad wanker". Cllr Coleman has put in a standards complaint about Cllr McElhinney, which is being looked at by NNC's legal officer, and last night he boycotted the town council meeting along with Liberal Democrat Alan Window. [Hello ... (more) |
Penny for your thoughts?: Why we should have a singular Pound SterlingOur esteemed Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper recently announced plans to replace the Treasury with a Department of Growth tasked with promoting economic growth and ending the cost-of-living crisis and a Department of Expenditure. The very first event of Spring 2026 Conference in York is the Consultative Session for the Thriving Economy Policy Working Group, doubtless where many members plan to contribute other inspired and radical proposals to boost our economy. I write to make one such proposal: the establishment of a Bank of the United Kingdom with a complete monopoly on banknote issuance, principally by rescinding the issuing power of ... (more) |
The arrest of a 'Prince' shows that UK democracy is stronger than that of the USAYesterday's arrest of the former second in line to the Throne of the UK and 14 other Countries in some ways came as a bit of a shocker. The UK has always had a soft spot for the monarchy since it was restored after Charles 1 got his head chopped off. There is an element of the population that does crawl to the concept and practice of royalty and there is another group of people equally clear that the monarchy should be abolished. For the record I am somewhat in between these two positions. Over 60 years of political and ... (more) |