Shouldn’t the Starmer anger be something like ‘the UK needs an effective Labour Party and I wasn’t prepared to quit the party and hand it to Jeremy and his cranks, so I decided to stay and fight and that’s a fight we have won, the importance of which is proven by the fact that we are now ready to kick this terrible government out too’
That’s a great review of Hari’s utterly woeful relationship with the truth. When we overlapped at The Independent, I once wrote a blogpost on my very small, much unregarded personal blog about how his claim in an Indie column that remand amounted to unfair imprisonment was bunk. A person then came into the comments arguing that no no no I was wrong and Hari was totally right. I pushed back, still in the comments of this backwater blog, and he kept on. I’m now pretty sure it was Hari. His continued presence in publishing continues to mystify me.
Why does he keep getting second chances when so many wannabe writers can’t get work for love nor money? I don’t get it, I’d say most ppl who are only even vaguely aware he exists the one thing they know about him is that he’s a walking scandal and ethical issues machine
I don’t think saying that the Tories deserve to lose every seat is an excessive statement. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but perhaps they might reflect that their corrupt, lie-ridden brand of cynical populism isn’t the best way to go in the future.
I also think it would be beneficial for politics in this country if the Conservatives got a smaller proportion of seats than their share of votes, as they might suddenly become aware of the democratic deficit of first-past-the-post.
I’m about as tribal a Labor Party supporter as you’ll meet but when NSW Labor went into the 2011 State Election I knew they deserved to lose, after 3 leaders in 4 years and a lack of investment in infrastructure their failures (even including the corruption scandals around Eddie Obeid) didn’t come within a Bulls roar of the UK Tory failures but after 12 years the Govt was obviously tired and out of ideas and ready for opposition and despite my tribalism I could admit that to myself, it’s shameful how many UK right wing journalists refuse to admit this about a UK Tory Party that would literally have no idea what to do with power if they did have a miracle and pull off the win
I hope you enjoyed the concert. I enjoyed Red when my daughter was little but have never been a fan in my own right. We went to the park outside the Edinburgh concert on Night 3 and I get it now. The feeling of SO MANY women and girls, family groups of mothers and daughters, filling the streets and the arena was very powerful. The benign power of their shared love for her.
Mood only broken on our way home when a guy told us he would kick fuck out of our wee dog because we didn’t want to speak to him
Thanks for the link to the Matt Alt blogpost. Especially for its observation "Ageing populations aren’t bugs of advanced societies. They’re a feature. "
I went to Japan for the first time this spring and was struck by the large numbers of school children (in their incredibly neat uniforms) at many of the touristy places we visited. I guess that just shows that anecdote isn't the same as evidence.
What the tories “deserve” is a deep question. They laud a system in business where profit, success, meeting targets etc are all - on that basis a near 100% wipe out seems about right
Am reminded of the bit in the West Wing where Leo tells Bartlet that try as he might, the Republican party isn't going anywhere.
I think the Tories are going...somewhere, but perhaps I'm in the minority by thinking it's not a good thing for our politics if they disappear entirely. Because try as he might, not everyone in the country wants to vote for Starmer/Labour. I guess what I'm really saying, is my kingdom for a viable alternative. I know a lot of people who just aren't going to vote this time because the choices are so, well, shit.
Confess my first exposure to the Shardlake novels was seeing the trailer on telly. They sound great and may be this summer's holiday reading. Only disappointed to find my distant relation (very distant) Sir John Gostwick, Cromwell's treasurer, doesn't seem to feature.
Shouldn’t the Starmer anger be something like ‘the UK needs an effective Labour Party and I wasn’t prepared to quit the party and hand it to Jeremy and his cranks, so I decided to stay and fight and that’s a fight we have won, the importance of which is proven by the fact that we are now ready to kick this terrible government out too’
That’s a great review of Hari’s utterly woeful relationship with the truth. When we overlapped at The Independent, I once wrote a blogpost on my very small, much unregarded personal blog about how his claim in an Indie column that remand amounted to unfair imprisonment was bunk. A person then came into the comments arguing that no no no I was wrong and Hari was totally right. I pushed back, still in the comments of this backwater blog, and he kept on. I’m now pretty sure it was Hari. His continued presence in publishing continues to mystify me.
Jeremy Duns wrote an expose in 2014. Ten years on, Hari is still getting published. https://www.jeremy-duns.com/blog/2014/9/7/kdgwxcbsned1rknh0h3zdvqrebxa3x
Why does he keep getting second chances when so many wannabe writers can’t get work for love nor money? I don’t get it, I’d say most ppl who are only even vaguely aware he exists the one thing they know about him is that he’s a walking scandal and ethical issues machine
For the Edinburgh show my friend made a “buckfast problems” bracelet.
I don’t think saying that the Tories deserve to lose every seat is an excessive statement. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but perhaps they might reflect that their corrupt, lie-ridden brand of cynical populism isn’t the best way to go in the future.
I also think it would be beneficial for politics in this country if the Conservatives got a smaller proportion of seats than their share of votes, as they might suddenly become aware of the democratic deficit of first-past-the-post.
I’m about as tribal a Labor Party supporter as you’ll meet but when NSW Labor went into the 2011 State Election I knew they deserved to lose, after 3 leaders in 4 years and a lack of investment in infrastructure their failures (even including the corruption scandals around Eddie Obeid) didn’t come within a Bulls roar of the UK Tory failures but after 12 years the Govt was obviously tired and out of ideas and ready for opposition and despite my tribalism I could admit that to myself, it’s shameful how many UK right wing journalists refuse to admit this about a UK Tory Party that would literally have no idea what to do with power if they did have a miracle and pull off the win
I thought the bracelet said "Lasagne Problems".
For the rest of us, what does AGNE PRO mean?
I think it translates as 'O lamb! Forward!'. One of Taylor's more obscure b-sides, I reckon.
Thank you. I had forgotten the vocative. Mea culpa.
I hope you enjoyed the concert. I enjoyed Red when my daughter was little but have never been a fan in my own right. We went to the park outside the Edinburgh concert on Night 3 and I get it now. The feeling of SO MANY women and girls, family groups of mothers and daughters, filling the streets and the arena was very powerful. The benign power of their shared love for her.
Mood only broken on our way home when a guy told us he would kick fuck out of our wee dog because we didn’t want to speak to him
I see the right side of history crowd is once again proving just how tolerant and decent they are
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/16/labour-peer-says-sorry-for-calling-rosie-duffield-too-frit-or-lazy-to-go-to-hustings
Thanks for the link to the Matt Alt blogpost. Especially for its observation "Ageing populations aren’t bugs of advanced societies. They’re a feature. "
I went to Japan for the first time this spring and was struck by the large numbers of school children (in their incredibly neat uniforms) at many of the touristy places we visited. I guess that just shows that anecdote isn't the same as evidence.
What the tories “deserve” is a deep question. They laud a system in business where profit, success, meeting targets etc are all - on that basis a near 100% wipe out seems about right
Am reminded of the bit in the West Wing where Leo tells Bartlet that try as he might, the Republican party isn't going anywhere.
I think the Tories are going...somewhere, but perhaps I'm in the minority by thinking it's not a good thing for our politics if they disappear entirely. Because try as he might, not everyone in the country wants to vote for Starmer/Labour. I guess what I'm really saying, is my kingdom for a viable alternative. I know a lot of people who just aren't going to vote this time because the choices are so, well, shit.
Confess my first exposure to the Shardlake novels was seeing the trailer on telly. They sound great and may be this summer's holiday reading. Only disappointed to find my distant relation (very distant) Sir John Gostwick, Cromwell's treasurer, doesn't seem to feature.
They are brilliant, notwithstanding the absence of your relative, enjoy them all!