"When Morgan McSweeney replaced Sue Gray as Starmer's Chief of Staff two months ago many expected the government’s communications would improve. They have not. For that to happen Starmer must abandon his vision of politics, at least for now. He needs to recognise that a government - especially today - will to be judged on its actions and its words." It's time for Keir Starmer to embrace populism, argues Steven Fielding.
Jonathan Foley says artificial carbon removal is largely a sideshow when it comes to climate change. At best, it may eventually grow into a minor solution. At worst, it's a distraction from reducing emissions - and plays right into the fossil fuel industry’s hands.
Jonathan Liew on the Global Super League Twenty20 in Guyana, where big oil, geopolitics and cricket collide.
"His book humanises the work’s exalted creators and demonstrates that the Messiah is not a pompous manifesto of faith but a troubled, often desperate quest for consolation. Despite those hectoring hallelujahs, what moves King is the oratorio’s prescription for overcoming personal misery." Peter Conrad reviews Charles King's Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah.
Welsh carols, Derbyshire ballads and Cajun drinking songs: Jude Rodgers selects the best folk music for Christmas and winter.
And, as it's getting near Christmas, here's a bonus...
1 comment:
It's a remarkable coincidence that there are proposals to abolish district councils following the steady rise of localists and independents in local government elections in recent years. If this includes a move to county council-style divisions, as opposed to wards this will be greatly to the detriment of the smallest parties and independents who won't have the campaigning resource to cover bigger areas. As someone that lives right on the edge of a rural district I feel an almost total sense of detachment from the main town, Sevenoaks which is nine miles away. I can only assume this would be greatly amplified in any restructuring move towards unitaries. Governance down to a district level really ought not to be seen as an unaffordable luxury.
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