So apparently this is a thing: Latest rumour is a May statement at 1.45pm. Full lectern job. Let's see. — Francis Elliott (@elliotttimes) September 21, 2018 There are prime ministerial statements, and then there are ones that get the official lectern. Those are special. And depressingly, it works, for a time at least: Totally normal,…
Read More Full Lectern JobSo there’s this: How to make the UK the laughing stock of the world. https://t.co/BKRzC7QZco — (((Frances Coppola))) (@Frances_Coppola) September 15, 2018 Specifically, Liam Fox’s ministry is sponsoring the restoration of a Spitfire as part of its export promotion campaign. FOXFIRE!!! This reminded me of something. If you’re pitching to the Big Lottery Fund or…
Read More FOXFIRE! and grant applications as a way of political lifeHere is the first ad in the government campaign for the deployment of so-called smart energy meters, a giant Internet of Things project that’s not going so well. So here we have the charming little tykes Gaz and Leccy, a pair of mischievous pseudo-adolescents bouncing around causing trouble for the tired-olds (check out that astonishingly…
Read More Taking back control: Gaz, Leccy, and Frank FieldThis War on the Rocks post is excellent, making the case that Hamas has succeeded in denying the Israelis escalation-dominance and this is why a cold peace is holding-ish. These TYR Flashbacks! refer (one, two, three, four.)
Read More SSPSo here’s the Parliamentary Select Committee on DCMS’s fake news report. Rather, its report on fake news. This bit has been doing the rounds: ‘Free Basics’ is a Facebook service that provides people in developing countries with mobile phone access to various services without data charges. This content includes news, employment, health, information and local…
Read More Now that’s what I call viralBoris Johnson’s private behaviour is public again this week, which is almost a pity, as some of the chickens stirred up by his public behaviour as Mayor of London are coming home to roost. For a start there is, or was, Wonga. Last weekend I was on the tube when I noticed something unusual –…
Read More Relics of the Johnson AdministrationReading this New Statesman piece about the deselection of MPs Graham Stringer, Frank Field, and Kate Hoey, it struck me that there is a much better way to understand most things about the Labour Party than you are usually offered. Here goes. The most important thing Labour people are disagreeing about is which of two…
Read More Why Field & Co. must be deselected.