Category: Politics

That’s Life

The majestic machinery of democracy is in motion down my way. I know not why. The worthy incumbent has simply and inexplicably stopped incumbing. He or her sharp acuity will be sorely missed in the excitement of the cut and thrust of debate in my local chamber pot of democracy. Here are the runners.

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Clarissa

  Pamela (Samuel Richardson, 1740) was a best seller and an early English novel. I have not read it. Nor have I read Shamela, Henry Fielding’s satire on same; he rushed it out in 1741. Both authors have gone out of fashion, fortunately for Hugo Vickers, as a request for Clarissa today is more likely… Continue reading Clarissa

Farewell, Prime Minister

Foreign Office mandarins today must be highly pleased with events. Ambiguity is often their preferred avenue and this week the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been in China on a mission to encourage closer economic ties. Tomorrow Tom Tugendhat, no friend of China, arrives in Taiwan to demonstrate the UK’s commitment there.

The Past is a Foreign Country

Opinions will vary about the qualities and policies of “Make America Great Again”, president-elect, Trump. He puts me in mind of Palmerston.

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It Begins with C

I would only quite like to read Cherie Blair’s 2008 memoir but I haven’t. I wait for a biography of a Prime Minister’s wife (beginning with C) and then two come along.

Budget Blues

After the recent Budget farmers on tractors drove to Downing Street to protest. Where were pensioners on Zimmer frames?

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Roy and Winston

I must digress before I begin. You will be aware I use Wikipedia a lot. Not so much now. When I ask Google a question AI Overview comes up with the answer. I now realise AI already touches all our lives.

Tick the Box

This ballot box was used in a ministerial by-election in Pontefract in 1872.

Prenez Garde

Primo Levi’s account of the year (1944/45) he was at Auschwitz was published in Britain in 1947 as If This is a Man. I can say no more – I haven’t read it but it is on order.

I Did It Steinway

At the end of last month I missed one of the best proms this year: Yunchan Lim playing Beethoven, Bruckner and Tüür.