Category: Politics

A Special Relationship

I once played Piquet, an elegant card game with a scoring system as readily learnt as Real Tennis. Churchill in later life played a lot of Bezique especially when he was Prime Minister in his last term, 1951 – 1955. Franklin Roosevelt favoured Poker during his second and third terms in office.

Democracy Matters

As you probably know, there will be a presidential election in the United States on the first Tuesday after 1st November. Four years ago my friend Ned misread the runes. He’s more than welcome to have another go this year. 

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Passport to Hammersmith

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham will shortly be enforcing restrictions on non-EU citizens entering the borough. The borough does not accept the UK’s secedance from the EU. It’s not clear if they respect the right of UK citizens to live in the borough but as the holder of an Irish passport I should… Continue reading Passport to Hammersmith

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It does not come as a complete surprise that the FCO is ‘re-evaluating our elections monitoring strategy to see how we can maximise our impact’. That reads to me like saving money by not sending me on anymore Election Observation Missions – rats and double-rats.

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Coronavirus Chronicle IX

It’s a strange world in the UK. Covid restrictions, although only guidance, are repressive – with any luck of the virus.

Més que un chess club

If you know a finer clubhouse for chess aficionados, tell me. This is the Nuovo Circolo Degli Scacchi in Rome. It’s almost worth playing chess to belong but I can pop in as a reciprocal member and have done so.

The Coincidence of Novembers

As it’s Sunday let’s start with an extract from a Sermon given by Patrick Nairne at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, on 30th October 1983.

Woolton Pie

When Margaret Thatcher, as she then was, made Irwin Bellow a Life Peer in 1979 he wanted, unsurprisingly, to be known as Lord Bellow. This was not allowed by the College of Arms which, I suppose, means Garter as he might be mistaken for Lord Bellew.