We liked Marcus’s Twitter compilation of crimes and misdemeanours and thought you would, too. A useful aide-memoire… Will the Conservatives REALLY choose this self-obsessed serial liar and incompetent? Please note that there are a few typos which could not be corrected by us. Please excuse these! and let’s not forget the Russia connections! even the […]
My blood is boiling. What is there to say about a political party which has absolutely trashed this country’s reputation, cratered the economy, run-down the NHS, increased poverty, increased social inequality, broken the law, taken Russian money, implemented corrupt practices to favour their cronies and donors, presided over the avoidable deaths of tens of thousands, […]
Cometh the hour, cometh the man (or woman)? If only. The Tory leadership contest threatens another selection of lightweight, venal, self-interested candidates wholly unsuitable to lead our country through its current crisis. Liz Truss’s public appearances to promote her campaign over the summer or to defend her suitability since taking office were puddle-deep in content […]
Dear Mrs Murray, On Monday, the following petition was debated in Westminster Hall: Call an immediate general election to end the chaos of the current government Call an immediate general election so that the people can decide who should lead us through the unprecedented crises threatening the UK. More details: Sign this petition 645,670 signatures Unsurprisingly, […]
The first is a timely reminder of the role played by the Brexit-supporting, Conservative-backing right wing media: The second is very possibly Led by Donkeys’ most important work to date: And the third, highlighting the dreadful legacy of Brexit and emphasising the ideology behind Truss et al: Finally, here’s an extract from a video of […]
I have been thinking. Maybe the collapse of Truss’s voodoo budget is even more important than people realise? “But it is huge!”, you cry, “biggest story since the fall of Boris!” Yup – I think it may be bigger than that. Way bigger. Here is what I am thinking… The Brexit train had many passengers; […]
If I was asked to sketch a typical Tory minister, they would probably look a lot like Jeremy Hunt. That probably means there’s something reassuringly establishment about JH which is doubtless settling a lot of the country right now after the financial shocks of the last few weeks. But who is the new chancellor? Look […]
Ominously omnishambolic, the government’s budget has brought the country to the brink of financial implosion. The markets were horrified by a lack of clarity and credibility. An important feature has been the impression that the prime minister and the (now former) chancellor can’t add up and have been talking … blather. Andrew Levi explains. Nightmare […]
Dear West Country Voices, Recent events in politics have brought several things to the forefront of my mind. I wrote previously about the need for electoral reform, but now another revelation has become crystal clear to me. What I have seen in the previous few weeks has led me to believe that, as well as […]
As it appears that the mainstream media are finally beginning to take an interest in the insidious power of opaquely-funded think tanks, Ian Shaw expresses, in his inimitable, quirky style, his contempt for the current government and his concern for the influence these shadowy backers wield – hitherto largely ignored or. worse still, showcased and […]
The rumour mill is going nuts, with MPs increasingly alarmed by Lettuce Liz and Kamikwasi Kwarteng and the destruction and havoc being meted out on the country by their crazy far-right ideology and batsh*t policies. It’s taken the party long enough to catch up with the public, who have been screaming their disapproval via the […]
Naples. Day Three. Gets me every time. A whole week this time to gulp the fumes, walk the gorgeous bashed-up steep streets all day, drink meloncello and queue up at Michele’s L’Antica Pizzeria. The churches, the paintings, statues, the Capella Sansevero. The gorgeous smell of laundry in the San Giuseppe neighbourhood. The sudden wealthy Chiaia […]
On a recent episode of the unmissable podcast The Rest is Politics, hosts Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell discussed the Truss cabal’s extreme ideology and their obsession with Singapore – the ultimate libertarian ‘paradise’ – as a model to follow. At one point, Stewart asserted that the idea of Singapore-on-Thames becoming a reality was pure […]
Drink heavily, buckle up, and let's get started with a visit to the Tory Party Conference, where the most dense things in the known universe are packed into one room, and we all pray it reaches critical mass and explodes. Yet another #TheWeekInTory: 1. Liz Truss – ITV4 made flesh – got dressed up as […]
The terrifying, chaotic incompetence of the last ten days in the UK is characteristic of a failing state, says Andrew Levi – a veteran of numerous hair-raising disintegrations of order around the world – in a long read. Feeling able to pretend we’re immune from such disaster is a luxury only available because, imperfect though […]
Russ Jones has done it again. Expect updates! 1. Our new PM, Margarine Thatcher, said she was “absolutely committed” to cutting tax for the rich 2. Then she cancelled tax cuts the rich 3. Truss boasted she was prepared to make unpopular decisions 4. But her decisions were unpopular, so she cancelled them 5. Truss […]
I am a retiree in my sixties, having spent most of my career as a senior NHS manager and CEO. Politically, I am in the centre ground and have never been a member of a political party. I was a committed European and, as such, the 2016 Referendum result, and the way the vote was […]
Second #TheWeekInTory in 4 days cos … oh god, you know why! 1. KamiKwarzi Kwarteng supports crypto so much, he’s turned Sterling into a new one called Shitcoin. 2. He fulfilled his promise to wipe out Stamp Duty by making it impossible for anyone to get a mortgage anyway. 3. These exuberantly stupid inanities had […]
The turn in the polls has been sudden – but Phil Syrpis does not think it is a surprise to see Tory fortunes plunge under new PM Truss. I’ll offer four reasons why they are on the slide; each alone would have an impact, together they are devastating. The only place to start is with […]
You can expect to see a fair few articles from us on the latest incarnation of the Blukip/ERG Conservative government, each one seemingly more crazy and disastrous than the last. Currency traders are referring to Truss as “Daggers” : as in Dagenham, two stops past Barking… Funny, but not funny. Not funny at all. We […]
The Conservative Party have now been in power in the UK for 12 years. Over that time huge economic and social problems have emerged. It is clear that the UK needs a change in direction. And this is what Truss and Kwarteng promised. They have now shown very clearly how they intend to tackle these […]
Johnson has a strong claim to be the worst UK PM so far in terms of “… wages, economy, COVID, poverty, … preserving democracy, etc, …” But before the history books are written, he will be eclipsed by Truss, argues Mark E Thomas. It is true that Truss has inherited (and played an active part […]
Our thanks to Alexandra Hall Hall, former diplomat and ambassador, for her kind permission to reproduce this thought-provoking piece. Ed Many will know I’ve been going through a slowly unrolling identity crisis, as I try to grapple with the UK I thought I knew, and the UK I’m beginning to see with fresh eyes. The […]
As Mikhail Gorbachev’s funeral took place on 3 September, commentators on his legacy praised his bravery in taking bold decisions that were right for a country in decline, albeit at the expense of political doctrine. As we get our new prime minister, we can only dream of a UK government that might take a lesson […]
Yesterday [6 September 2022] was bad. It was, in fact, very, very bad. If Johnson was a disaster, Truss has set out to be worse. Richard Murphy very much doubts that any prime minister has set out to create so many conflicts from the outset of their premiership in the way that Truss has. The […]
Here’s a tribute with a difference to our outgoing prime minister, Boris Johnson. Well, I say tribute… a review, at least. Hum the tune of “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” as you read. The lyrics have been modified to reflect Boris Johnson’s “achievements” as Britain’s worst prime minister since World War II (according to a […]
We rarely publish unsolicited press releases but this is an important insight into the challenges farmers face. Truss or Sunak? When it comes to food, farming and the environment –what should be the top policy priority for the next PM? The race to become the UK’s next Prime Minister is almost over. As the two […]
What Emily Maitlis seemed to me to be saying in her Edinburgh lecture was that there are truths that need to be told that can be stated as facts without requiring rebuttal. A short thread to discuss this….. There is, for example, a phenomenon called climate change. No broadcaster need balance that opinion with the […]
A group committed to a crude, self-serving, brutal worldview, derived from the writings of 20th-century neoliberals, controls the cabinet and will likely continue to, says Andrew Levi. Its members are determined to transform Britain radically. They want a Hayek Brexit: a constitutional hijack. A road paved with bad intentions What are Charter Cities? And are […]
For many years now, I have had the habit of recalling Hiroshima on 6 August. Ironically, for people of faith this is the day when we recall the feast of Transfiguration, the occasion when Jesus on the mountain was revealed as divine in the presence of a couple of his friends. Over time this event […]