Saturday 2 April

At the start of April, a quarter of the year having already gone, we find ourselves here in a wintry chill, the war still raging in Ukraine with not much sign of progress, the UK besmirched by further political scandals and a cost of living crisis unprecedented in recent years. Marvellous. T S Eliot, whoseContinue reading “Saturday 2 April”

Sunday 6 March

Since Russia invaded Ukraine over a week ago, a shocking but not surprising development, the news has been wall to wall Ukraine. Two million people have reportedly already been displaced by the invasion, an extremely worrying incursion being the capture of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russian military officials. Putin is gaslighting Ukraine andContinue reading “Sunday 6 March”

Sunday 23 January

The febrile political atmosphere has been intensifying over the last fortnight, catalyzed by ‘Partygate’, as allegations and revelations come thick and fast, the Prime Minister finally well and truly on the ropes. Although anger over Partygate has been building since before Christmas, three key events this last week have heightened tensions – the emergence ofContinue reading “Sunday 23 January”

Saturday 8 January 2022

Happy New Year to all readers, insofar as this is possible given the current worrying situation! The feeling in many quarters that things are out of control can rarely have been so pronounced. Since the last blog post in mid-December, the intertwined Covid and political situations have been a rollercoaster, and just when you thinkContinue reading “Saturday 8 January 2022”

Sunday 5 December

How things can change in a week – ten days ago despite rising Covid cases some commentators and politicians were blithely alluding to Covid as being in the past: on UnHerd Andrew Lilico had said ‘Britain is remarkably well-placed as it emerges from the pandemic. Public health officials will of course continue to be concernedContinue reading “Sunday 5 December”

Sunday 21 November

There are almost no words for the shameful spectacle which has engulfed British politics during the last few weeks but which has its roots in the privilege and sense of entitlement nurtured over many years, particularly within the Conservative Party. This will be adding to public anxiety, already long exacerbated by the effects of pandemicContinue reading “Sunday 21 November”

Sunday 8 August

Although we’ve now officially entered the ‘silly season’ regarding news, there’s plenty of it and, more insidiously, ‘living with Covid’ seems to have been conflated with normalising the damning statistics (92 Covid deaths on Friday and 31,808 new cases), not to mention the terrible health, financial and societal side-effects. Our Prime Minister continues to shameContinue reading “Sunday 8 August”

Saturday 3 July

As the shock waves of the Matt Hancock revelations and resignation continue to be felt across the political spectrum, there was derision at Boris Johnson’s later attempt to rewrite history by implying he had actually sacked Hancock, contrary to all evidence. In a car crash Today (Radio 4) interview with Justice Minister Robert Buckland onContinue reading “Saturday 3 July”

Sunday 9 May

News last week, including that a senior Tory, Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross, said Boris Johnson should resign if he breached the ministerial code, has been temporarily obscured from view by the striking results of local elections and the Hartlepool by-election. The ‘catastrophic’ losses suffered by Labour including losing control of 21 councils have alreadyContinue reading “Sunday 9 May”

Sunday 2 May

It already seems a long time since last weekend, when many were disturbed to see the thousands taking part in an anti-lockdown protest in London’s Hyde Park and Oxford Street, apparently allowed by the police to go ahead. Of course there was no distancing or mask wearing and a group of six women interviewed forContinue reading “Sunday 2 May”