This piece about Catalan #indyref crystallises everything I hate about what I call Euro-nationalism. It’s wonderful that they’re all so engaged: Kilted men wearing saltire capes and foam fingers on both hands danced in the aisles as “The Red Hot Chilli Pipers” played a bagpipe version of Don’t Stop Believing. Sorry. That was the other…
Read More Progressive as in “progressively reducing benefits for the poorest”Thort: I was quite sarcastic about lefties who were convinced a Yes would trigger all sorts of good stuff across the UK, but the No, or rather the preceding yes-scare, does seem to have shaken a few things loose. Another thort: West Lothian question, Matt Turner answer. England so big that I think a govt…
Read More thortsWhat’s the central fact of the debate about how to renegotiate the union after #indyref? Here it comes: there is a hard deadline in May 2015, when there must be a general election. This is important because it changes all the actors’ bargaining positions. The situation Usually, in British parliamentary politics, a majority can do…
Read More Gaming out devolutionSo I promised to check what bad news was getting buried over the indyref. Here are some stories. NHS foundations crash to first-ever monster deficit: official NHS foundation trusts are struggling, missing waiting list targets, spending a lot of money on agency staff, and have had a sector-wide deficit for the first time. 19% of…
Read More #burybadnews: the burying. here are some boring links about fishA quick thought. I have to say I was pretty conflicted reading this. I mean, there’s basically nothing I want more than David Cameron’s downfall, and I’d like to double my lifetime score of downed Tory prime ministers. But then, I’ve already stated my reasons. Here’s a relevant story. In one of those WW2 comic…
Read More Save it for NogoodnikIf you haven’t yet, read the Rodent who says some of the same things I’ve been saying but more fun, and shorter, and Scottish. Beyond that, I’d like to point out that tomorrow’s vote is a licence for two of the slimiest pols in the game to agree whatever they want and ram it to…
Read More Jerry’s Final Thought, and #burybadnewsI have recently been reading Nick Davies’ Hack Attack, and you bet there’s going to be a review. In the meantime, here’s Alex Salmond in October 2010. Rupert Murdoch wants to buy the rest of BSkyB, has already planted Andy Coulson in Downing Street, and his lawyers are fighting Justice Vos’s demand that they hand…
Read More Vote yes to get rid of Rupert MurdochFollowing up on the Euro-Nationalist Zombie post, here’s a thought. What if Peter Oborne had a point? Yeah, I know, but suspend the vomiting reflex for a moment. I’ve pointed out before that he is usually wrong, but often wrong in an interesting way. He’s long been convinced that the political elite is cool on…
Read More The UK and its enemiesThere are few things as powerful as an idea whose time has passed. So often, they finally get their chance after the historic moment has been and gone, when the circumstances have changed but the careers built on the idea no longer can. John Quiggin’s Zombie Economics applies this to macro-economic ideas. This is basically…
Read More Euro-nationalism, a zombie idea