Politics & campaigns.

This is not a party political site and not very partisan in any way. My emphasis has tended to be on the quality of debate and campaigning, and especially on the need to appreciate represtentative democracy (government through elected representatives whose own views matter), and to be sceptical of the claims of vox pop, "the people", social media, Crowd Wisdom, and "direct action".

Page 20

What’s bugging the police?

The Damien Green story is of course fascinating. But the Home Office leaks are not as extraordinary as the Sally Murrer story. And neither of those can match the bizarre twists of the Mark Kearney story. Read more...

Published

30 November 2008

Boris the modern Olympian

Right now the 2012 Olympics is employing people and cleaning up a dump. Soon it will refocus London eastwards. In 2012, it can be that contradiction of terms: a triumph of Britishness. The mayor is ideal as the frontman for all this. Read more...

Published

27 November 2008

Top movie: “Gomorrah” (It, 2008)

This is the best Mafia movie I have ever seen. City of God would run it close, as a gangster movie. But this is about a squarely European scene. This is set in our backyard. And it is about business as well as crime. Read more...

Published

27 November 2008

Hating Thatcher

Mrs Thatcher was divisive, illiberal, militaristic and thought there was "no such thing as society". Easy to hate the old bitch, then. And wrong. Read more...

Published

22 November 2008

What do conservatives conserve?

Conservatives believe that we ought to preserve many of the values of the past. So how come they like capitalism which keeps changing the world? Read more...

Published

22 November 2008

What’s wrong with liberals?

I don't like the soft-left, liberal, green agenda. Most of that's pretty easy to explain and justify. But the "liberal" thing is tricky. Read more...

Published

21 November 2008

Strictly Come elitism

John Sergeant has sparked the most interesting argument about democracy since - oh, I don't know, since George W Bush did or didn't win the popular vote and was rescued (or not) by the Electoral College in 2004. Read more...

Published

20 November 2008

Reasons to be Right

There are obvious reasons not to be on the right of the cultural and political debate. You won't be liked, for start, and people will think you are selfish or even fascist. Here are some reasons in favour. Read more...

Published

19 November 2008
More posts: