Last April, one of Eric Pickles’ Planning Inspectors opened a public inquiry in the Oxfordshire village of Bloxham. The Coalition promised localism – local decisions made by local folk, without interference from London – but – as we have mentioned many times – their localism is a lie. Under real localism, there would be noContinueContinue reading “The Plantation of Wessex”
Author Archives: WR_admin
Is Democracy Legal?
The European Free Alliance is well worth following onFacebook. Especially this month, with the EU’s José Manuel Barroso demonstrating exactly why it’s time he retired. Barroso’s attempt to put the entrenched interests of Member States above the will of their peoples attracted a withering response from John Palmer in the (London) Guardian, one that concluded:ContinueContinue reading “Is Democracy Legal?”
Bailing Out
‘A message from 10 Drowning St’. That was the headline in Metro on Wednesday. And the message is that it’s all under control, apparently. Though not before time. Metro also reported that residents in Somerset, who have faced the floods for weeks, said that recovery efforts only intensified after the crisis got closer to London. ContinueContinue reading “Bailing Out”
Looking Ahead
It’s happened. The seawall at Dawlish has been washed away, leaving the main line railway track suspended in mid-air. Fortunately, the London regime is known for looking ahead, anticipating such problems as arise from climate change and planning new infrastructure to cope with them. It could have wasted tens of billions building unnecessary new linesContinueContinue reading “Looking Ahead”
Wales: A Way And A Warning
In 2012 we noted the Welsh Government’s plans to create a powerful, integrated environmental body. Those plans took effect in April 2013 with the launch of Natural Resources Wales. NRW is the end result of a long process of bringing together powers that were once spread very thinly. Forty years ago, those powers belonged toContinueContinue reading “Wales: A Way And A Warning”
Our Silent, Supine Cities
It’s been a good week’s viewing for fans of Wessex history. On Monday the BBC ran a repeat of Michael Wood’s portrait of Alfred the Great, warming up for Neil Oliver on Tuesday, who wove a documentary about the king’s bones and their present whereabouts. If it was supposed to be an exclusive, it didn’tContinueContinue reading “Our Silent, Supine Cities”
The Tyranny of Growth
“The substance of the eminent Socialist gentleman’s speech is that making a profit is a sin, but it is my belief that the real sin is taking a loss.” Sir Winston ChurchillWhat if the ‘real sin’ is neither, but to engage in a particular economic activity in the first place? Is it a sin toContinueContinue reading “The Tyranny of Growth”
Wise Men (and Women) From The East?
January’s issue of BBC History Magazine includes an interview with Professor Linda Colley, described by Wikipedia as “a historian of Britain, empire and nationalism”. It’s a very revealing article, to the extent that Colley articulates what are the common, unconscious prejudices of the metropolitan chattering classes – the MCCs – towards the past, present andContinueContinue reading “Wise Men (and Women) From The East?”
Tarzan’s Monkey Cage
Localism. What does it mean? It seems to mean that local communities can decide whatever they like but if they ever make the wrong decision, as judged from London, they will be severely punished for doing so. And will know that they jolly well deserve it too. Who’s a naughty community then? George Osborne announcedContinueContinue reading “Tarzan’s Monkey Cage”
Distant Thunder
“We have just received a document which has been given to the world under the title of a ‘Statement of Certain Scottish Grievances’… The two most important heads of complaint are, that a revenue of £5,764,804, raised in Scotland, is transmitted to England and disbursed for Imperial purposes, and that the representation of Scotland isContinueContinue reading “Distant Thunder”
Wessex Regionalists 