Category: Politics
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Protesting Labour Party Conference protests
I found several newspaper articles and more blogs listing the protests planned for Labour conference, and looking through them ignited a cascade of startling thoughts. Most reporters, mainstream and indie alike, thought there were two important protests – the one about Labour Women’s Conference being only for women (a situation which the Trade Union leadership…
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Three happy discoveries
Spuggies, brickies and the vital spark I haven’t written a blog article for more than a fortnight! Sure, September is always full for me, and this September is more brimming with work than average but there were gaps when, normally, I would have gathered the thoughts, chosen a topic and got typing but this time,…
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Sylvia, not Emmeline
Some thoughts on that far-right bookshop article’s bumpy journey round the world It is certainly a stereotype to say that a meeting of women is an argument, a stereotype that has a lot of evidence to keep it going. To my mind, it’s not really a criticism – I think it’s because women’s gatherings tend…
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Find a loose thread, and pull!
Did you know that the average lifespan of a state is 326 years? What’s even more exciting is that mega-states – hierarchical organisations of control that cover more than one logical, geographic area – only last an average of 155 years. Did you know that the overarching reason for states’ extreme obsession with secrecy is…
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It’s hard work, being a law-abiding citizen
It’s also sometimes hard to believe that’s the best thing to do. From the Kinder Trespass to the anti-genocide ‘granarchists’, it’s hard to see what, if not organised rule-breaking, could win the case for humanity — but let’s give it a go. I certainly believe the thing to do is to apply your best brain…
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Laurence Fox thinks he’s dead
Bit of a laugh. People have been passing this around, as a lovely example of social media hyperbole. I wonder at what point in typing in that rant (we all love a rant, we all do it!) did Fox get lost in his attempted metaphor and forget that it wasn’t him that was dead. But…
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Clacton to Cambridge – Oscars all round
What a performance. Come on, get down off it — whichever of this week’s righteous-fury ‘news’ stories we’re on. Anyone who’s a professor or an MP or anything else that gets you money, prestige or a platform — they’re there because they agreed to play the system. And it’s hell for autistic people because, on…
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The alarming tale of the far right bookshop in rural Suffolk
Guest blogger Simon Edge was horrified to find a far-right bookshop on his doorstep. He was even more horrified to discover it was backed to the hilt by some prominent gender critical figures. The Suffolk village where I live is a well-known destination for day-trippers and prides itself on its quirky range of independent shops.…
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Public Emergency Number One
I have deleted my first few attempts to write about this opportunity to address the climate crisis. It’s so enormous, and comes after so many frustrations and failures. The faux left are still out there shouting “one struggle, one fight!” — meaning anyone who’s discontented enough to be out on the streets must agree with…
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What if your union fails to represent you?
I’m very fortunate I suppose, that I stayed with Unite despite its political failures in recent years — I had been wondering about switching to a union that’s kept faith with socialism but this week, I found myself very glad I’m in Unite. Four unions – ASLEF, the Musicians’ Union, USDAW and Unison have stated…
