Powerful stuff here again from Ian.The battle for the soul of Britain is often overlooked by the media which focuses purely on the battle of ideas but this is akin to delivery of a play script without the passion of a great performance. Spirit is as important as technical knowledge as it enthused voters to go to the polls yesterday.Burnham may have to battle with his order of priorities very soon, but we should congratulate him on his victory won with humility and force of personality.
I'd challenge the idea that the media focuses only on the battle of ideas. Rather, they seem to me to be obsessed by the "office politics" end of politics - endlessly speculating over the meaning of who's in & who's out of favour at any given moment; utterly obsessed with personality and not remotely interested in ideas, much less the battle for the soul of Britain that you (rightly) say they should be covering.
I think this is what happens when you keep promoting lobby correspondents (whose job rests on Westminster gossip) into wider political roles (the last 3 BBC Political Editors were all chief lobby correspondents first; as were most Fleet Street political columnists & editors (the ones that weren't themselves politicians, eg Gove & Johnson).
They have proposed closing tertiary education institutions as a start towards moving Britain back to a golden feudal age of deference and ignorance. Given that Farage left school with the bare minimum of qualifications to take up a City job treated up from family connections it would not be stretching a point to suggest that Reform places little value on education for the bulk of UK society: thinking independently is detrimental to its future after all.
Is there a change in momentum? Farage overreaching to dispicably use the murder of a young man against his parents wishes. Significant anti-fascist marches in Belfast, Brighton and Glasgow. Burnham in Makerfield, Reform losing a councillor in Essex. Looking out wider, Ukraine holding the line and bringing the war to Moscow. Orban gone and with him a chunk of money to the Euro far right. Trump humiliated, diminished beaten by Iran and algae.
Finally some glimmers of hope & we start to see common sense prevail in the way folk chose to vote
Sound analysis as ever, Ian. And you're right, I'm out - at age 71 - every other weekend on some antifa type demo of one kind of another here in Scotland. It is so cheering to join in with like minded others, to shout, to swear & push back big time.
And in Scotland generally, the police are much more supportive of us than the other lot, which is always great to feel & see in action. None of that Met malarkey.
Go Andy - there's a lot to play for.
And thanks Ian, for keeping the faith - unlike so many of your colleagues, it seems, who just buy into the flood of social media hate speak & amplify it. I despair of the BBC
Thank you Ian, hope will be in bloom when I go to the pub for fizzy Friday 🍾 today. I particularly enjoyed the last section, perhaps the penny is finally dropping with some of our celebrated columnists that we don't actually like facists. Dad's Army has been on the telly for 50 years, because even though they were slightly idiotic, they knew a fascist when they saw one and didn't like it. Farage and his mates don't like it up 'em, they're basically grifting cowards and we (the nice lot) know it
It is incredible that Labour could win. The British media adores Reform, and plumps it's entire weight behind them. I always hope something will shatter that story and maybe this is the start of it.
Interesting that is only one mention of the Conservatives (unless I missed one or two – that's happened before). Have they really sunk so low that they're not worth mentioning? If so... good.
Yet her comment today in the shadow of the Makerfield result was utterly tin-eared. Apparently it shows Labour are only focused on internal politics rather than the national interest. This might be an insightful analysis, if it didn't come from the leader of a party that spent almost their entire time in government doing damage to the country in an attempt to settle internal party scores. Brexit, the handling of COVID19, all were visited upon the UK as exercises in fictional infighting among different groups of Tory MPs, latterly including Badenoch herself.
It's as if she thinks the publicised minds were wiped on 4th July 2024 and we forgot why we gave them their lowest ever election vote.
Indeed Ben, the Tories have won their first Scottish by-election sine the 1960's, Woohoo!, and in a proper traditional Tory seat. Stephen Flynn held that seat partly through personality, partly because Scotland in general doesn't vote Tory anymore, I doubt they'll hold it for long. In both Scottish by-elections the SNP vote was massively down, a sign of things to come I believe, but that's another story, Labour , Lib Dems and Greens all annihilated, Kemi thinks she's on a roll, her delusion is off the scale. Interesting times have returned, I feel a bit more positive today. Thanks Ian, as ever.
I hope you are right about Burnham, Ian. He seemed to row back from many of his previously stated positions, which worried me. But yes, the anti Reform and the tactical voting by the majority is hopeful.
Again, thank you for engendering some hope. I have just voted in the local bielection and the turnout was abysmal but no wonder. I voted for the Labour lass because I know her and like her but am very glad Reform and rent a loony received very little support. I can live with SNP, just.
I will get a vote in a leadership contest but would rather have a fairly dignified exit and if I have to I would toe for Burnham as the best anti reform chance.
I so agree about the peoples reaction to rent a thugs taking to the streets. Very heartening. Keep up the commentary if only to keep me cheerful.
It's good that this means the end of Starmer, but if Burnham has the same attachment to Israel as Starmer has and if he continues the policy of labelling protest as terrorism, he won't get my vote in the next election.
Thanks, Ian. Good stuff as always. Two comments though - part of the reason Burnham did so well might be because people saw this as a vote to get rid of Starmer because he is so unpopular.
Second, if Burnham does become prime minister he’s got to be tough in driving through changes that need to be made. I don’t think we can afford everything. If he has to raise income tax, for example, he has to have the grit and determination and persuasive powers to get that through his party and the electorate. Is he tough enough?
Powerful stuff here again from Ian.The battle for the soul of Britain is often overlooked by the media which focuses purely on the battle of ideas but this is akin to delivery of a play script without the passion of a great performance. Spirit is as important as technical knowledge as it enthused voters to go to the polls yesterday.Burnham may have to battle with his order of priorities very soon, but we should congratulate him on his victory won with humility and force of personality.
I'd challenge the idea that the media focuses only on the battle of ideas. Rather, they seem to me to be obsessed by the "office politics" end of politics - endlessly speculating over the meaning of who's in & who's out of favour at any given moment; utterly obsessed with personality and not remotely interested in ideas, much less the battle for the soul of Britain that you (rightly) say they should be covering.
I think this is what happens when you keep promoting lobby correspondents (whose job rests on Westminster gossip) into wider political roles (the last 3 BBC Political Editors were all chief lobby correspondents first; as were most Fleet Street political columnists & editors (the ones that weren't themselves politicians, eg Gove & Johnson).
They have proposed closing tertiary education institutions as a start towards moving Britain back to a golden feudal age of deference and ignorance. Given that Farage left school with the bare minimum of qualifications to take up a City job treated up from family connections it would not be stretching a point to suggest that Reform places little value on education for the bulk of UK society: thinking independently is detrimental to its future after all.
Is there a change in momentum? Farage overreaching to dispicably use the murder of a young man against his parents wishes. Significant anti-fascist marches in Belfast, Brighton and Glasgow. Burnham in Makerfield, Reform losing a councillor in Essex. Looking out wider, Ukraine holding the line and bringing the war to Moscow. Orban gone and with him a chunk of money to the Euro far right. Trump humiliated, diminished beaten by Iran and algae.
It seems to me that the tide is turning.
Ordinary people in the UK look at Trump with bewildered horror.
They see the risks of climate change, too, and quietly mock the deniers.
And then there's AI.
Seeing all that justified concern is reassuring, but we do need to keep pushing.
All that is happening is destabilization: the signal-to-noise ratio is getting worse. (As with climate versus weather.)
Finally some glimmers of hope & we start to see common sense prevail in the way folk chose to vote
Sound analysis as ever, Ian. And you're right, I'm out - at age 71 - every other weekend on some antifa type demo of one kind of another here in Scotland. It is so cheering to join in with like minded others, to shout, to swear & push back big time.
And in Scotland generally, the police are much more supportive of us than the other lot, which is always great to feel & see in action. None of that Met malarkey.
Go Andy - there's a lot to play for.
And thanks Ian, for keeping the faith - unlike so many of your colleagues, it seems, who just buy into the flood of social media hate speak & amplify it. I despair of the BBC
The BBC seems to have an agenda. And it's not to help us.
Thank you Ian, hope will be in bloom when I go to the pub for fizzy Friday 🍾 today. I particularly enjoyed the last section, perhaps the penny is finally dropping with some of our celebrated columnists that we don't actually like facists. Dad's Army has been on the telly for 50 years, because even though they were slightly idiotic, they knew a fascist when they saw one and didn't like it. Farage and his mates don't like it up 'em, they're basically grifting cowards and we (the nice lot) know it
I LOLed at ‘…would make most women instantly infertile’
Me too!
Got to love a neanderthal telling a woman how to behave.
It is incredible that Labour could win. The British media adores Reform, and plumps it's entire weight behind them. I always hope something will shatter that story and maybe this is the start of it.
Starmer shall never vanquished be unless Burnham would to Westminster come against him.
Interesting that is only one mention of the Conservatives (unless I missed one or two – that's happened before). Have they really sunk so low that they're not worth mentioning? If so... good.
Apparently Kemi's position is even more secure after they won one random seat in Scotland...
Yet her comment today in the shadow of the Makerfield result was utterly tin-eared. Apparently it shows Labour are only focused on internal politics rather than the national interest. This might be an insightful analysis, if it didn't come from the leader of a party that spent almost their entire time in government doing damage to the country in an attempt to settle internal party scores. Brexit, the handling of COVID19, all were visited upon the UK as exercises in fictional infighting among different groups of Tory MPs, latterly including Badenoch herself.
It's as if she thinks the publicised minds were wiped on 4th July 2024 and we forgot why we gave them their lowest ever election vote.
Indeed Ben, the Tories have won their first Scottish by-election sine the 1960's, Woohoo!, and in a proper traditional Tory seat. Stephen Flynn held that seat partly through personality, partly because Scotland in general doesn't vote Tory anymore, I doubt they'll hold it for long. In both Scottish by-elections the SNP vote was massively down, a sign of things to come I believe, but that's another story, Labour , Lib Dems and Greens all annihilated, Kemi thinks she's on a roll, her delusion is off the scale. Interesting times have returned, I feel a bit more positive today. Thanks Ian, as ever.
There you go Ian….making me hope again. 😉
Driver Andy
I love the optimism! This article has made me feel happy and hopeful today 👏❤️
This is brilliant and hopeful 👌🏽
Loved that piece
I hope you are right about Burnham, Ian. He seemed to row back from many of his previously stated positions, which worried me. But yes, the anti Reform and the tactical voting by the majority is hopeful.
Again, thank you for engendering some hope. I have just voted in the local bielection and the turnout was abysmal but no wonder. I voted for the Labour lass because I know her and like her but am very glad Reform and rent a loony received very little support. I can live with SNP, just.
I will get a vote in a leadership contest but would rather have a fairly dignified exit and if I have to I would toe for Burnham as the best anti reform chance.
I so agree about the peoples reaction to rent a thugs taking to the streets. Very heartening. Keep up the commentary if only to keep me cheerful.
It's good that this means the end of Starmer, but if Burnham has the same attachment to Israel as Starmer has and if he continues the policy of labelling protest as terrorism, he won't get my vote in the next election.
Thanks, Ian. Good stuff as always. Two comments though - part of the reason Burnham did so well might be because people saw this as a vote to get rid of Starmer because he is so unpopular.
Second, if Burnham does become prime minister he’s got to be tough in driving through changes that need to be made. I don’t think we can afford everything. If he has to raise income tax, for example, he has to have the grit and determination and persuasive powers to get that through his party and the electorate. Is he tough enough?