One of my favourite plays (and films) is Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys”, possibly because I loathe one of the characters. He is a tutor brought in to coach the titular boys through their Oxbridge applications.His advice to them was to be contrarian – not necessarily because you believe it – but because it is interesting. You must find a ‘gobbet’ (a quote or phrase … Continue reading 2025.2 – “This is not a Day for Soundbites…”
Nicola Sturgeon resigning as First Minister was surprising for many; but also presents some real problems for the SNP going forward – but they have echos of what brought Sturgeon to power in the first place. Continue reading Who’s like her – damn few…
The last 2 weeks have seen a massive shift of opinion in Scotland and across the UK; but the 2 years before the next General Election are where Labour needs to put in the real work to make sure they win! Continue reading A Good 2 Weeks; A Long 2 Years
…or why Human Rights are always Human Rights. It is often said that it is in times of crisis that we show our true selves. The selfish care for themselves first, while the caring going about looking after the most vulnerable. During the lock-down period, we’ve seen that, both in our local communities and at the national scale. Take the Scottish and UK governments, for … Continue reading Of Landlords and lawLords
After the devastating 2019 General Election result both in Scotland and across the UK, what does this tell us about 2017 and 2019, what challenges must Labour face, and how should it approach them in the future? Continue reading Rebuilding Labour
…or why it’s still worth fighting for Labour
Now is not a great time to be a Labour Party member. Yes, we are ahead in the polls – though nowhere near as ahead as we should be given this shambolic government – but it is still a difficult time to be a Labour Member.
The Party now is markedly different from the party I joined almost 10 years ago (my 10th Anniversary is 8th September 2018). That Party was committed to fighting all forms of inequality and discrimination, of whatever kind, where it existed, as fully and as forcefully as it could. Recently that difference has shown itself clearly in the Anti-Semitism row, and the NEC’s decision not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA’s) Working Definition and Examples of Anti-Semitism in full.
…a summary exhortation on the Summer elections.
I’ve been off the blog for a while for two very different, but equally important reasons:
…or Heart on the sleeve. “Tony Blair (and Gordon Brown) were the most important left-wing politicians in the UK since the 70’s. Discuss”. Over my lifetime, I have experienced, in a very real sense two different kinds of UK government. Both have affected real social change across the country, but only one has done it in a way I like. But for some, this wasn’t enough. This … Continue reading Head in the Game…
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am voting Labour in this General Election. But I want to talk about why. I’m voting Labour because I believe, fundamentally, that the Labour Party is a force for good. Every government of change in this country has been a Labour government; and every Labour government has fundamentally changed this country for the better. In the … Continue reading Why I’m Labour
The 2015 General Election is one of uncertainties. Who will be the largest Party? Who will work with whom? Who will be Prime Minister? Will anyone be able to get enough support to pass that magic number of 326 (half the seat in the House of Commons +1) and form a Government? What does it mean if they can’t? With all this uncertainty, the possibility … Continue reading Elections, Prime Ministers and their Causes – Part 3
Paul Cruikshank 