Wessex political thinkers: William Barnes
We recently received an email criticising this blog for focusing too much on "an undifferentiated English radical tradition" and on influences from America and Eastern Europe at the expense of…
A Wealth of Possibilities
Last week, BBC1 aired a programme called Millionaire Basement Wars. It described how, over the past decade, some 2,000 new basements have been excavated beneath high-value properties in central London,…
Green as Gravel
Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party in England & Wales (& Cornwall) was one of the panel on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? this week. To the amazement of…
The People v. The Profit
In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell painted a picture of the future as a boot stamping on a human face, forever. The boot now has a name. TTIP. The Transatlantic Trade &…
Scared As A Bully
On 9th November 2014, Catalonia voted 4 to 1 for independence from Spain. Madrid isn’t ready to begin talks on separation. Instead, it’s determined to prosecuteCatalonia’s leading nationalists for organising…
Reasons to be Regional
Two common objections to regionalism are that another tier of government means more politicians and more cost. It needn’t in fact mean either. First though, let’s be a bit more…
Receiving The Water Bill
DEFRA – to some cynics the Department for Eliminating Farming and Rural Activity – is piloting a Bill through the Westminster Parliament to change how the water and sewerage industry…
Wallace versus Wonga?
The Anglican Bishop of Portsmouth, speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, warned of the social consequences of ending naval shipbuilding in the city, including that jobless families could turn…
Anchoring the Future
Popular history has it that the Royal Navy was founded by King Ælfred the Great. It’s not quite accurate – his father, King Æthelwulf also had a fleet of some…
Stampede at the Sales
MK Leader Dick Cole bloggedthis week about the sell-off of Royal Mail, which has now taken place despite the opposition of two-thirds of the public. (Unsurprisingly, the strongest support for…