“Governments with money centralise and claim the credit. Governments without cash decentralise and spread the blame. Those are not the views of a hardened media cynic. They are what I was told by one of the Tories’ top policy wonks before the election.”Nick Robinson, BBC Political Editor, December 2010Surprised? Why? The masters of the universeContinue reading "Pop Goes the Weasel"
Homes Ancient & Modern
Nearly a millennium ago today, regional England was trampled beneath Norman hooves and, as Chesterton’s poem puts it, “gored on the Norman gonfalon, the Golden Dragon died”. Yet history has a habit of undoing itself. Dismembered Poland was put back together. Twice. The Albanians, Belarusians, Bosnians, Croats, Cypriots, Czechs, Estonians, Finns, Hungarians, Icelanders, Irish, Latvians,Continue reading "Homes Ancient & Modern"
Now It’s Our Turn
“The media may have succeeded in creating Essex Man, but they would be hard pressed to resuscitate Wessex Woman.” John Redwood MP, July 1992If that is still the view of the Right Honourable Member for Wokingham, then Wessex Woman may wish to have a word with him. (Just visualising the power bracelets and maybe aContinue reading "Now It’s Our Turn"
Nudge Nudge, Wonk Wonk
The Conservative regime that came to power in 1979 – continuing without interruption through 13 years of ‘Labour’ rule – draws its political philosophy from economic theory. A theory as deeply flawed as anything emanating from Marxist sources but far more of a challenge to anyone seeking to confront it. In this theory, all individualsContinue reading "Nudge Nudge, Wonk Wonk"
A Taste of Wessex
Political fiction has a long and influential pedigree, from More’s Utopia to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. One of our aims is fun: to make politics relevant and enjoyable. So here’s a brief glimpse into one possible Wessex of the future. A very Happy Scottish Referendum Day tomorrow to all our readers: may all be inspired byContinue reading "A Taste of Wessex"
The Final Countdown
What a week ahead! Panic guys. Family ties. Major lies. Scots rise. Get wise. Vote ayes. Union dies?If Scotland votes ‘No’ to independence, ‘devo-maybe’ will most likely vanish into mist. We’ll give you more power – if you vote for less power. Will we, really? Not a chance. You’ve had your little bit of fun,Continue reading "The Final Countdown"
Vote No Evil
Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, explains whythe London regime has to go.<!--[if !mso]><![endif]-->
Whose Hospitals?
“I don’t know how much any of you realise that with the Lansley act we pretty much gave away control of the NHS… we don’t really have day-to-day control.” Jane Ellison, Public Health Minister (June 2014)In Scotland and Wales, car parking charges at hospitals have been largely abolished. That’s one of the consequences of devolution.InContinue reading "Whose Hospitals?"
The Eastern Question
“‘Fighting’ was one of the most honourable words in the vocabulary, ‘the real, highest, honestest business of every son of man’, as Thomas Hughes put it… Of course, the fight had to be for a good cause. But one of the effects of imperialism had been to imbue very large numbers of people with aContinue reading "The Eastern Question"
False Flags & The Fallen
It takes a lot of planning to fit the First World War in between Sunday’s closing ceremony for the Stolenwealth Games and tonight’s televised independence debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling. The juxtaposition may give cause for thought. Scotland’s choice seems to lie between two visions of Europe. On the one hand, it canContinue reading "False Flags & The Fallen"
Wessex Regionalists 