Anthony

Location, Location, Propaganda

Extraordinary segment on Location, Location, Location today, where Kirstie Allsopp launched a campaign to persuade the Government to scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers. This is the same Kirstie Allsopp who is a Conservative party advisor on housing policy, and who has been in the media backing the Conservative party campaign to … er … scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers.

Just in case viewers didn’t get the point that this was a Conservative party political broadcast, Ms Allsopp mentioned that she had been involved in the Conservative party’s work, but said that the issue was ‘beyond politics’. This must surely be the first time that an issue of current partisan controversy has been described as ‘beyond politics’.

Runciman on Europe as superstate

David Runciman’s article on the political philosophy of the European Union is fantastic (though a little whiskery – 2001). Link: LRB – David Runciman: Invented Communities.

Dunster

A good time had by all, despite the torrential rain, at Dunster Castle. Great lunch at the Stag's Head on West Street by the castle entrance. Farmhouse Pie particularly good.

Long live the dictatorship of the commentariat!

Thank GOD for the journalistic profession. I for one couldn’t have lived a moment longer without knowing that Tony Blair was once sent a reminder about an unpaid bill. And as for his purchase of a dishwasher – why in heaven’s name has it taken till now for us to know the brand? Now our war dead can rest in peace.

Step aside, founding fathers! No greater contribution to democracy and the rule of law has ever been made.

Worrying echoes of America

It feels disturbingly like the abortion debate is becoming party-politicised.

(link).

There was a free vote but Labour MPs mostly backed the status quo – leaving anti-abortion campaigners pinning their hopes on a change of government.

Everyone back to the 1870s!

Another day, another set of half-baked policy prescription from one of Gordon’s imports. This time it’s Quentin Davies, former Tory MP, who has produced an idea that will get the backing of peppery ex-colonels up and down the country: a bank holiday to celebrate the Armed Forces.

Personally, I’d quite like to honour the armed forces by having a sensible foreign policy that didn’t say ‘me too’ to every American-led adventure, but I am sure that’s a hopeless dream. Adding a new bank holiday to celebrate the forces seems like the sort of thing the Government would have done after the Indian Mutiny, not in the 21st century. It seems quite American too, as we might expect from this PM.

I don’t want people to hate the military, or to beat up soldiers for wearing their uniforms (something that has a strong whiff of urban legend, to my mind). But I also don’t want a contentious bank holiday full of tabloid masturbation about our grand imperial past and how we bashed the Hun back in the jolly old days. We get that every time we play Germany at football, anyway.

Oh those human rights!

People who believe that all those ‘human rights’ things come from the wicked European Union* could usefully pay attention to what the California Supreme Court have just done.

(* and yes, I know they come from the Council of Europe).

What would like to talk about in Brighton

The Democratic Society are going to be holding a discussion event in Brighton in the next couple of months, and they want YOU to say what issues would be interesting to talk/hear about.

Take the 20-second survey here.

On Beachy Head

Looking towards Eastbourne.

Fine Burger Co.

Grabbed dinner yesterday on the way back through St Pancras at the Fine Burger Co., which is an interesting concept. It’s half way between McDonalds and somewhere like Gourmet Burger Kitchen. They sold me a fantastic fresh burger with loads of veg, great chips and a coke, but (unlike GBK) delivered to fast food timescales and in a grab and go setting rather than sit-down. It’s very nicely done indeed and will make me very likely to head home via St Pancras on a future occasion when I need a quick bite to eat on the way back from London.