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Losing by default

I don’t know what the viewing figures were, but I was one of those who tuned in to BBC2 at 7.00pm yesterday to the second of two ‘live’ television debates between Nick Clegg (the Lib-Dem leader) and Nigel Farage (his UKIP counterpart), this time chaired by the BBC’s venerable anchor David [...]

April 3, 2014 // 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again

As has been heavily trailed upon both radio and television, today is Budget Day. At some point in the last twenty years I cannot identify, after many years of stopping work – clearing my afternoon – and religiously watching or listening to ‘live’ coverage of this occasional parliamentary [...]

March 19, 2014 // 0 Comments

Fond memories revived

I was a huge fan of the satirical series Spitting Image, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary with the opening of an exhibition Spitting Image From Start To Finish at London’s Cartoon Museum that will run until 8th June and BBC Arena documentary scheduled to be broadcast on BBC4 on 20th [...]

March 5, 2014 // 0 Comments

In the absence of policy, try handwringing

Yesterday, as the Ukrainian crisis vied with the opening of the Oscar Pistorius trial in South Africa for the attention of the world’s media, the West’s confusion over how best to exert pressure upon – and ultimately restrain – Russia became more evident than ever. However, apart [...]

March 4, 2014 // 0 Comments

Rejoice! Our strategy is working …

Like all Englishmen good and true, I have 18th September circled in red on my Economist diary. This is the date upon which, hopefully, our friends north of the border will vote resoundingly for Scottish independence. The carefully-worked out strategy of those of us working behind the scenes, not [...]

February 17, 2014 // 0 Comments

No Picture

Maybe there’s no solution …

Through a combination of prolonged sessions on my computer, watching too much television and a touch of insomnia, in the last 24 hours I have been subject to a deluge of information and discussion about the heavy weather afflicting the UK and its ongoing effects. Most recently, by accident, having [...]

February 14, 2014 // 0 Comments

No Picture

“Events, dear boy, events …”

This might be deemed an unacceptable reaction in polite or rational circles, but I’m rather enjoying Britain’s flooding crisis as it unfolds day by day. On a friend’s recommendation, last night I watched a ‘catch-up TV’ version of the first episode of Channel Four’s new comedy-drama [...]

February 11, 2014 // 0 Comments

Go if you wish to – but don’t come back

Just seven months hence, on 18th September this year, the referendum on Scottish independence will take place. There are huge historical, political, economic and social aspects involved and none of them will feature in this short piece, despite the fact that – it seems to me – few people are [...]

February 8, 2014 // 0 Comments

Be careful what you wish for

I’m sure that in the right situation – perhaps a private dinner party with friends – Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman is a warm, funny, charismatic lady. However, in public, she increasingly comes across to this observer as an over-serious, prim, hectoring, one-track mind promoter of [...]

February 6, 2014 // 0 Comments

The EU dilemma

In terms of assessing the evidence and expert opinion, I am neither intelligent or nor perceptive enough to know whether – in practice – Britain would be better off in or out of the EU. They say that, as a rough guide, there as many different economic theories in the world as there are [...]

February 4, 2014 // 0 Comments

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