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 […]
Dear Mr Stride, Ukraine takes much of our attention these days, but I am sure that you share my conviction – without being uncaring about Ukrainian suffering – that two other issues should concern us even more deeply. They are the coming starvation and institutional collapse that we will experience here, and the global climate […]
Politicians whose only response to desperate times is to resort to fantastical mythologising, scapegoating of imaginary enemies and suppression of protest should be seen as truly dangerous, argues Tom Scott. In June, the eminent historian of Nazism, Timothy Snyder, was interviewed by Ukraine’s Euromaidan Press. Professor Snyder, who has also written extensively about the threat […]
Truss has launched her so-called ‘plan for growth.’ This article shows that the likely impact of that plan is to redistribute wealth upwards at an increasing rate, impoverishing most of the UK population. The post-war period 1945-1980 was known as the Golden Age of Capitalism; the period from 1980-2015 was the age of Market Capitalism. […]
Now that the ‘fellow of infinite jest’ is heading for the Prime Ministers’ Graveyard and others of his kind are vying for the crown, Mr Rushforth considers it only proper to offer this timely reminder to all concerned. “So shall you hearOf carnal, bloody and unnatural acts,Of accidental judgements, casual slaughters,Of deaths put on by […]
Dear West Country Voices, Is it true that a lot of the 160,000 Tory Party members who are now choosing our next PM will ‘spoil’ their votes by putting Boris Johnson’s name on their voting papers? The British people will not find out until after September 5, the closing date for this ‘private’ election. Parliament returns […]
A lot has been said recently about the fairness (or otherwise) of an electoral system that permits our next prime minister to be elected by the tiny minority of voters who happen to be members of a particular political party. Some have claimed that it would be more democratic if the final choice were left […]
Sporty spice! Nadine Dorries has been temporarily removed from her very special own and very, very eager Truss-supporting (sozzers) campaignette. Nadine Dorries is in Birmingham. And it’s fantastic. A momentary diversion for this bizarre Secretary of State, now that the glitter and dust has settled on her UK-hosts-Eurovision triumph. ‘Fantastic’ she tweeted. Dorries pops the […]
From “Cameron Cutie” to “Johnson Jingle” – so-called because she is one of the last to sing the outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson’s praises, albeit out of tune with the public – Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Truss has had a meteoric rise over the past twelve years of Conservative government. It is all the more astonishing […]
Where do we go from here? The British electorate faces a challenge like never before, writes Jeremy Hall, from Devon: The nightmare of the Johnson era has gone forever (?), but a Johnson crony (Sunak or Truss) will be imposed on the rest of us by 160,000 Tory Party members who are richer than, whiter […]
Johnson’s ‘deep state’ conspiracy theory has, quite rightly, attracted a lot of negative comment. This article identifies some of the collisions his government has had with people and institutions who stand in its way. This government has consistently acted against people and institutions which seek to subject government action to scrutiny and accountability. Here are […]
Cornish residents have a right to expect its primary democratically-elected debating chamber to be relevant to the most pressing matters of the day, argues Councillor Andrew George. I cannot apologise for my protest at the most recent full council meeting last week*. The Conservatives appear to be managing the agenda to avoid inconvenient facts and […]
How we vote is mostly about our feelings, and then we hunt around for ways to rationalise those feelings. But look at the data, and if you voted Tory or Brexit… just think about this stuff. I’m not taking the p*ss. Just consider… If you voted Tory in 2010 to reduce debt, you made a […]
If you’ve watched either of the two ghastly Conservative leadership debates, you’ll know that this country is headed not for any change for the better (as if!), but for a slightly different flavour of awfulness, incompetence and ideology than that which was served up by the liar, Johnson. I cannot say I am surprised that […]
Dear West Country Voices, Like many others up and down the land, I was delighted by the news of Boris Johnson’s resignation. It has taken long enough. However, my euphoria has rapidly dissipated as I have forced myself to witness the pathetic farce of the leadership race. Even referring to it as a ‘race’ with […]
Mr Rushforth acknowledges that Brexit is not ‘done’ and had, in the great tradition of the adaptable Mr Johnson, two versions of his cartoon – one with Brexit crossed off and one with it not. Johnson certainly f**ked it up, along with everything else he touched. Will the new leader and PM consider it done […]
If the Conservative Party truly believed in the democratic robustness and fairness of the first past the post system, it would surely use it for its own leadership elections. Rishi Sunak would have won in the first round and it would all be done and dusted. We plebs must be happy with a system which […]
So, the Pincher lies were what did it. They were the final straw which made some MPs at long, long last say ‘enough is enough.’ Not the towering mountain of Brexit lies. The ‘Get Brexit Done’ lie. Not the threats to the Good Friday Agreement and the breaking of international law. Not the litany of […]
Here in South East Cornwall, we have a mirror behaviour of Johnson’s attitude and arrogance as our so-called MP Sheryll Murray goes about not doing her business. A combination of sycophantic adoration for Bozo and almost total neglect of her constituents has enraged local people of mixed political beliefs (including Tories) and prompted them to […]
“Let him get on with the job…he’s a breath of fresh air” The political sections of our national media (TV, radio, newspapers, social media) are now dominated by one topic: how much the PM knew about the behaviour of Chris Pincher MP when he, Johnson, appointed Pincher as Deputy Whip. If we the UK voters say it’s […]
‘Stop it now, get up from your desks, walk away, no more.” In an extraordinary call this serving civil servant urges his colleagues who are facilitating Boris Johnson’s ‘lies’ to quit [and tells us not to underestimate the danger posed by this prime minister and complicit government. We are on the way to becoming a […]