Section: UK

“How did we end up with these bandits in charge?” A response

Laurie Taylor

I’ve asked myself the same question endlessly; as we all no doubt do. Of course the voting system is a particular root cause. But, for me, the ultra-significant factor is the quality of political education and understanding of the electorate. This frustrates and depresses me in about equal measure. We disgorge our 17 and 18 […]

“The Party [BBC] told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” George Orwell

Anthea Simmons

The BBC opted to dial down the boos when they repeated footage of Johnson arriving at Friday’s service in a later part of the live broadcast. There are claims that this is all to do with video editing to prioritise the new commentary, but it does not get away fron the fact that the booing has been suppressed. Laura Kuenssberg’s replacement, Chris Mason went so far as to suggest the boos were orchestrated. This is, frankly, disturbing and feels like another step in our descent towards an authoritarian state more akin to Putin’s Russia or Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea than a modern European democracy.

From lockdown booze to jubilee boos – the game is up

Clare Knight

The wannabe world king must know by now that it’s game over for his plans to force the UK into a dictatorship, under his chaotic, narcisstic rule. As Sam Bright wrote: “Iconic political moment here. The moment Johnson and the Conservatives surely must realise they’ve lost the people.” “This is a crowd of royalists – […]

Who is it fine to torture and drown?

Daniel Sohege

Okay, let’s have the debate shall we? Let’s have the debate about who you would look in the eyes and say it is fine for them to be tortured or drown in the channel. Let’s have the debate about whose kids you think should be denied a parent. Let’s not pretend it is a “left/right” […]

The sick man of Europe – letter to the editor. UPDATED

Ian Jacques

The phrase ‘the sick man of Europe’ originally applied to the Ottoman Empire and has been used to describe various countries since, including the UK in the 1960s and 1970s as well as Italy, Greece and even Germany following unification. The UK lost the label after joining the EEC and concentrating on trade within Europe […]

Putting their foot in it…the great Tory tweets and retweets of Sunday 29 May

Emma Monk

Thought I’d take a look at what some of the esteemed minds that were elected to run this country were tweeting about this fine Sunday morning… First up, we have Andrew Rosindell retweeting about how it is “common sense” to regress over fifty years: Here we have Fabricant, Redwood, and Karl McCartney apparently completely unaware […]

How to facilitate an autocracy in six years – an MP’s tale

Richard Haviland

How it’s done, little by little… In accepting the vote, pretend you now think Brexit is a great idea even though you were a strong advocate for remain. Claim that any debate about the nature of Brexit is anti-democratic. Conflate opposition and scrutiny, on any issue, with attempting to thwart Brexit. Conclude that all opposition […]

The Liar-in-Chief’s power grab to ensure his self-preservation: our democracy is under grave threat

Editor-in-chief

What do despots do to hang on to power? Silence their enemies. Shut down critical media and fill the rest with propaganda. Surround themselves with cronies, sycophants and the enslaved compromised. Bung public funds to private donors. Normalise corruption. Suppress opposition votes. Shut down protest. Play the patriotism card. Blow the racist dog-whistle. Politicise the […]

To the hero of the hour…

Julian Haviland

We are delighted to publish this re-writing of Kipling’s If by formidable political journalist, Julian Haviland. Written in July 2019, it resonates even more strongly today – more’s the pity. If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you If you can take offence at all […]

Rishi Sunak delivers a package to set the world on fire

Tom Scott

Unfortunately, it will do this all too literally, by driving up new oil and gas extraction while doing far too little to address the acute poverty that now faces millions. Tom Scott lays bare the shocking truth. The U-turn in government policy that everyone was expecting finally arrived today, when Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a […]

Why #Partygate cannot be forgotten: letter to Sheryll Murray

Jane Stevenson

Dear Sheryll Murray I noted a tweet by Kwasi Kwarteng and other Conservative ministers today telling us, in effect, to move on from the series of events known as Partygate. He said that the government had important things to get on with.   Reflecting on a selection of current crises: the cost-of-living crisis was created […]

Politics needs to be purged of the Johnson poison

Editor-in-chief

Truth doesn’t matter? Integrity doesn’t matter? Honour doesn’t matter? Is all that matters remaining in power to prosecute an agenda of enrichment for cronies and supporters, a grave reduction in human rights and a whole slew of policies which will serve to widen the inequality gap and deepen poverty and deprivation? It would seem so […]

We need a democratic and constitutional revolution

Richard Murphy

There are any number of ways of seeing the photograph’s issued yesterday of the party Boris Johnson attended on 13 November 2020. Denis Swayne MP managed to call it a work event yesterday, which was no excuse. No doubt Grant Shapps will destroy any remaining credibility he has by telling the morning media round some […]

Traditional Conservatives should take a stand and not vote for Johnson’s party

Mark E Thomas

It is obvious why those who have never seen themselves as Conservative should not support this government. This article explains why those who do see themselves as traditional Conservatives should take a stand against this government: This government shares none of the values that traditional Conservatives hold dear; Traditional conservatives prize pragmatism and competence; this government is reckless […]

Are we managing Covid properly?

Dr Dan Goyal

It’s hard trying to raise awareness of governments’ failure to manage the pandemic properly. It shouldn't be, but it is. Why, and why keep going: 1. There is a small but powerful minority who want the public to forget about Covid, even if that means more death and disability. Consumer confidence is hit hard when […]

Northern Ireland Protocol: the whole thing stinks

Laurence Bristow-Smith

As a former diplomat and civil servant, I tend to distrust the media when complex things like the Northern Ireland protocol are concerned. So, since returning from France – where I heard a lot of views on Brexit and its consequences from people as diverse as market traders, hoteliers, long term British residents and random […]

Tory pride and prejudice against the EU – it’s not new

Jon Danzig

On 25 February 2014, the European Parliament voted on an EU fund to provide food aid to those suffering extreme poverty in the EU.  The EU offered up to £22 million to help subsidise Britain’s food banks, but the money was blocked by the UK government. Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK. […]

Battling against this government’s moves towards authoritarianism

Jenny Jones

This is the text of Jenny Jones’ speech in the House of Lords’ Queen’s Speech debate. You can read all the speeches on Hansard, including the powerful words of Lord Judge who asked: “…what is the point of us being here if, when we identify a serious constitutional problem, we never do anything about it […]

Oh good! A new bank! Letter to the editor

Editor-in-chief

Dear West Country Voices, I saw this chap on TV the other day. Odd cove, but apparently one of us, albeit with a strange haircut and not quite the right accent. Lee something or other. Anyway, he said that we can feed ourselves for 30 pence per meal, if we can be bothered to cook […]

How did we end up with these bandits in charge?

Richard Murphy

It seems almost certain that the government will announce legislation to abandon the Brexit Northern Ireland protocol in the next few days. No coherent lawyer I have yet noted has suggested that this is anything but a breach of international law. The Attorney General has suggested parliament is supreme in the UK and can as […]

Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are here. What do they mean for you?

WeOwnIt

The NHS is being reorganised again, and if you’re like most people you’ll have questions. So what’s happening? Campaign group We Own It have given us permission to reproduce their guide to Integrated Care Systems (ICS). In an upcoming article, we’ll talk about what’s going on in the south west, with information from Save Our Hospital […]

‘The People’s Priorities’

Clare Knight

People of Britain! Today the Queen’s Speech will remind you of your priorities! You want to see all protest against your glorious Conservative government stopped. We will make it so. You want to see the men and women who are desperately trying to save the planet for your children and your children’s children locked up. […]

Judging Johnson

Mark E Thomas

At some point, possibly this year, the Johnson premiership will be history. Johnson says that he would like to be judged on his record. How does that record look? Johnson’s record is extremely poor in terms of measurable things like wage growth, protecting the economy, keeping the citizens of the UK safe from COVID and […]

The real battle for control of the UK

Mark E Thomas

The battle in the UK is not the traditional competition between parties, but a much more dangerous struggle between a small number of billionaires and the bulk of the UK population. On 5 May, much of the country went to the polls: most for local and mayoral elections, and Northern Ireland for the Assembly. The results […]

Victory in Europe Day and the creation of the EU

Jon Danzig

Today is Victory in Europe Day to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe, 77 years ago, on 8 May 1945. What has VE Day to do with the European Union? Everything. The European Economic Community – later to be called the European Union – was started in the aftermath of the […]