“The theory goes that, if there is trust in society, then its bureaucracies will be more straightforward and effective – the cost and time of transactions between companies will be reduced and less time will be spent paying lawyers to draw up costly contracts, and in litigation. A handshake is free. Anyone who has triedContinue reading "Burying the Past"
Jeux Sans Frontières
Events in Paris this week have exposed Europe’s anxieties to the full. Let’s consider some of the possible reactions. On the far Right, and among the not-for-prophet movement generally, this is I-told-you-so time. Even those who disagree with the politics must find recent analysis strikingly prescient. And at least it’s an opportunity to highlight someContinue reading "Jeux Sans Frontières"
The Spirit of ‘15
Last year’s commemorations of the First World War were a good excuse to re-open old wounds and close our eyes to modern Europe. Now consider that 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of Waterloo and the 600th anniversary of Agincourt. In 2014 the French were our glorious allies against the Hun. This year, it will beContinue reading "The Spirit of ‘15"
The War on Identity
“The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world around it will forget evenContinue reading "The War on Identity"
Christmas Crackers
In the run-up to the festive season, all three main London parties set out their stalls on English devolution. On the whole, they’re rather against it. Labour were first, with a promise to devolve power to ‘city regions’ and ‘county regions’. Anything but region regions. These areas appear to correspond to those of the LocalContinue reading "Christmas Crackers"
Losing Direction
Last week, plans were announced for a Bucks / Oxon / Northants combined authority, a move that raises important questions of local and regional identity. We’re assured that this is just a practical measure of co-operation that won’t affect day-to-day services but these things have a habit of acquiring their own momentum. The case forContinue reading "Losing Direction"
That Figures
The Campaign to Protect Rural England is good at collecting statistics. It may be no more than a gnat on the side of the development elephant but at least it knows how to document the scale of the deception being practised upon us by the London regime. However, there is rather more to the dataContinue reading "That Figures"
Choosing to be Beggars
Last week, an environmental coalition – Butterfly Conservation, the League Against Cruel Sports, the Mammal Society, the Ramblers, the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts – held a ‘Rally for Nature’ at the Palace of Westminster. Why? To lobby MPs ahead of the next election, reminding them of how important nature is. MPs need reminding. BecauseContinue reading "Choosing to be Beggars"
The Extravagance of Austerity
Good chancellor, bad chancellor. George Osborne played a little double act with himself this week. It started with lots of spending announcements. A whopping £15.1 billion on roads and £2.3 billion on flood defences. Oh, and Bicester is to be a new town.Then there was the Autumn Statement, seized on with the claim that publicContinue reading "The Extravagance of Austerity"
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 anyone concerned about the ecological crisis we face, she launched into an impassioned defence of massive urban development and a rejection of those measures thatContinue reading "Green as Gravel"
Wessex Regionalists 