For a leaver who took Tony Benn’s view that the EU was not democratic enough, the past few years have been dispiriting to witness.
Politicians’ gormless attempts to implement the result have been one part of this dreadful circus. But the less covered scandal has been the intellectual attacks on democracy, and on people’s rights to choose who and what governs them.
Continue reading →While the Conservative government’s Queen’s speech has fairly been derided as an election broadcast by other means, one policy has been taken seriously: a pledge to introduce an ID requirement for voting in elections.
The Tories’ plans would bring England, Scotland and Wales in line with Northern Ireland, which already requires voters to present ID before they are given a ballot paper. The government has also said it would provide free ID cards to those that lack things like a driving licence – which remains a common alternative in a country that lacks national ID cards.
Continue reading →Struggling for an explanation of who I was dragging my girlfriend to see at the Southbank Centre on Sunday, I alighted on the two words most descriptive of Matt Forde: Blairite comedian.
Forde has mostly made his political name as the host of the Political Party podcast, largely a live interview series for ‘big beast’ politicians introduced with his stand-up routine, and lately bolstered by one-on-one studio sessions with academics, journalists and other lesser monsters.
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This week we discuss the “tone” in the House of Commons after its return from the prorogation that did not happen; Boris Johnson’s latest Brexit wheeze; noted walker Rory Stewart’s decision to run as an independent London mayoral candidate; and US presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren’s spat with Facebook king Mark Zuckerberg over tech monopolies.
Joining us is Jazza’s lack of conflicting interests.
Image based on Rory Stewart at the London Illegal Wildlife Conference 2018 by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Following the rancour in our newly recalled Parliament (or our never prorogued Parliament, if you believe the Supreme Court), the call for “moderation” in political language has been revived, particularly among those who previously accused the prime minister of launching a “coup” against them.
That dig notwithstanding, it is generally worth being generous to your political opponents. This includes not impugning their motives without cause, assuming they want the best for the country (albeit a different best from yours), and trying to characterise their argument accurately.
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