Charles Dickens' early career as a parliamentary reporter

I found this video, Dickens in Parliament, via an article about the reporters’ gallery in the 19th-century House of Commons by Kathryn Rix.

It reminds us that the Palace of Westminster the young Dickens knew was largely destroyed by fire in 1834, and that he was reporting the proceedings of the Commons in the days of the Reform Act.

And I like the picture of Dan Jarvis reading Dickens while on active service in Afghanistan.

I was right about David Davis and Kieron Dyer Syndrome

I have never seen a politician so diminished by office as David Davis.

— Nick Cohen (@NickCohen4) June 1, 2018

I explained Kieron Dyer Syndrome when discussing the appeal of Dan Jarvis:

In the day when we all believed that England's 'golden generation' (Ferdinand, Campbell, Beckham, Owen, Scholes Butt) was going to win us the 2002 World Cup, there was just one problem. We  had no one to play in an attacking role on the left. 

But there was an answer. Kieron Dyer had broken into the Ipswich side as a teenager and then signed for Newcastle. He looked a great prospect. 

He was injured in the run up to the tournament and could not play in any of the warm up games. But the odd thing was that the less he played, the more certain the pundits became that he was the answer to England's problems. His stock could hardly have stood higher. 

At last Dyer was fit to play for England. And everyone saw that he wasn't very good. 

So maybe Dan Jarvis's growing reputation is a an example of Kieron Dyer Syndrome. Labour must hope this is not the case.

As it turned out Jarvis never did stand as Labour leader and, while still an MP, he is now the elected mayor of the Sheffield City Region.

But this was not the first time I had introduced the concept.

In a Liberal Democrat News column from September 2004 I wrote:

While he was on the back benches, David Davis was the Conservatives' great hope. As shadow home secretary, he is less impressive. 

It reminds you of the way Kieron Dyer became an indispensable part of England's last World Cup team by not being fit for any of the warm up games. 

So when I saw Nick Cohen's tweet above I felt vindicated.

The kind of biscuit you choose says a lot about the kind of politician you are

Every politician who been interviewed by Mumsnet since 2009 has been asked what their favourite biscuit is, reports the Daily Telegraph:

Tim Farron, whose constituency is in Cumbria, opts for a local treat, the Kendal mint cake. It should at least help him keep his energy up in his endless, lonely journey through the political wilderness which the Lib Dems must now inhabit. 

Zac Goldsmith's answer (chocolate digestive) was as boring as his campaign, while former soldier Dan Jarvis' love for army-issue garibaldis seems deep and genuine. 

Nicola Sturgeon's penchant for Tunnock's Caramel Wafers (shared by her young MP Mhari Black) could be cringeworthy nationalism or could plausibly be simply because they are quite genuinely delicious. 

And say what you like about Ed Miliband, he was remarkably consistent here. December 2009: Jaffa Cake. December 2011: Jaffa Cake. 

Some answers are just a bit odd. Ed Davey likes fig rolls. David Cameron likes oatcakes (with, he specifies, butter and cheese). Natalie Bennett of the Green Party likes macaroons because she can't eat gluten (fair enough).

The Telegraph report lists the choices of all the interviewees.

To the guillotine, citizens! Corbyn's revolution is following the logic of all revolutions

Embed from Getty Images

The Labour Party has experienced a revolution - and we all know what happens after revolutions.

The philosopher and former Labour and SDP MP Bryan Magee spelt it out in his Confessions of a Philosopher:

There is a situational logic to revolutions. Disparate groups unite to overthrow an existing regime, but once they have succeeded in doing so the cause that brought them together has gone, and they then fight one another to fill the power vacuum that they themselves have created. These internecine struggles, usually savage, among erstwhile allies perpetuate the revolutionary breakdown of society far beyond the overthrow of the old regime, and delay the establishment of a new order. 

The population at large begins to feel threatened by unending social chaos, and in these circumstances a strong man who can bring the warring factions to heel and impose order comes forward and meets with widespread support, or at least acquiescence. Thus a revolution carried out in the name of civil liberties, or equality, or to bring a tyranny to and end, will itself end by putting into power a Cromwell, a Napoleon or a Stalin. 

All revolutions are uncontrollable, and all revolutions are betrayed. It is in their nature that these things should be so.

I suspect that this will be true of Labour's revolution too.

The population at large is already turning to the Theresa May as their strong woman. Maybe the Labour membership will eventually so the same. Step forward Dan Jarvis?

I would add that the failure of the revolution is always blamed on sabotage and the new regime takes brutal action against the supposed culprits. Once they have been eliminated, the people are told, all the promises of a better world that accompanied the revolution will be fulfilled.

This evening a Corbyn rally booed the name of Sadiq Khan, whose victory in London was Labour's greatest triumph in more than a decade.

I suppose the idea is that once saboteurs like him and Owen Smith and the Blairites have been liquidated, the Labour Party will be free to turn its fire on the Tories and win an election. Then we shall we publicly owned railways, a free national education service and world peace by negotiation.

But for the time being, comrades, boo the traitor Khan.

Lord Bonkers' Diary: What the Liberal Democrats should do is...

Lord Bonkers concludes his visit to the United States.

As for we Liberal Democrats...

Then there is the Labour Party, as the New Party is calling itself these days. They need to dump Jeremy Corbyn, Christopher Robin Milne, Chairman Mao and all that crew and find themselves someone who can connect with the workers, as they flatter themselves they used to do. Frank Byers’ granddaughter is Terribly Keen, some military fellow called Jarvis has the skills you need in a closely fought by-election, but I am not holding my breath.

As for we Liberal Democrats, we need an ingenious new plan that will see us returned to the front rank of politics. What we should do is… Dash it all! My flight has just been called.

Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South West, 1906-10

Earlier this week in Lord Bonkers' Diary...

Do you know New Rutland?

My old Friend Rising Star

The New Rutland Primaries

Liam Fox? My dear, I screamed!

Jeremy Corbyn forms his first Shadow Cabinet

"What is the correct Liberal Democrat reaction to Jeremy Corbyn?" I asked Lord Bonkers.

He thought for a moment. "I think we should point at him and roar with laughter."

Of course, things aren't so funny if you are someone being hit by Conservative policies and hoping for change at the next election.

But in the mean time, watch this...

Dan Jarvis is benefiting from Kieron Dyer Syndrome

View image | gettyimages.com

Labour's leadership election was depressing for the party even before the dawn of Corbynmania.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago:

The problem for Labour is that the candidates who have something to say - Liz Kendall and Jeremy Corbyn - do not expect to win. That is why they can say what they really think. 

The two front-runners, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper, are so anxious about alienating different constituencies (the press, party members, the wider public) that they find it hard to say anything at all.

It was partly for that reason that I concluded that the next Labour prime minister is not in this leadership election.

I also suggested that the next Labour prime minister would be Dan Jarvis.

That is where I would put my money, and there can be no doubt that staying out of this election will only help Jarvis's reputation.

But maybe he is benefiting from Kieron Dyer Syndrome.

Let me explain.

In the day when we all believed that England's 'golden generation' (Ferdinand, Campbell, Beckham, Owen, Scholes Butt) was going to win us the 2002 World Cup, there was just one problem. We  had no one to play in an attacking role on the left.

But there was an answer. Kieron Dyer had broken into the Ipswich side as a teenager and then signed for Newcastle. He looked a great prospect.

He was injured in the run up to the tournament and could not play in any of the warm up games. But the odd thing was that the less he played, the more certain the pundits became that he was the answer to England's problems. His stock could hardly have stood higher.

At last Dyer was fit to play for England. And everyone saw that he wasn't very good.

So maybe Dan Jarvis's growing reputation is a an example of Kieron Dyer Syndrome. Labour must hope this is not the case.

The next Labour prime minister is not in this leadership election

View image | gettyimages.com

Ed Miliband's approach to the last five years reminded me of Neil Kinnock's failure in the 1980s. Both thought that constantly reminding the voters how selfish Conservatives would be enough for Labour to win.

Yes, the Tories are extraordinarily selfish. The problem that Labour faces is that many voters agree with this analysis but still vote Conservative anyway.

In part this is because we are all selfish to some degree, but it also has a lot to do with Labour's inability to convince voters that they are competent to run the country.

It follows that in order to win Labour need to do something more than attack the Tories: they need to sound like a government in waiting.

Note that this does not necessarily mean sounding more right wing: it just means sounding different and more competent than they do at the moment.

The problem for Labour is that the candidates who have something to say - Liz Kendall and Jeremy Corbyn - do not expect to win. That is why they can say what they really think.

The two front-runners, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper, are so anxious about alienating different constituencies (the press, party members, the wider public) that they find it hard to say anything at all.

Mary Creagh and her short-lived candidacy gave the clearest example of this. Her replies to Justin Webb's questions were so convoluted that he had to summarise them for her.

For this reason I suspect that the next Labour prime minister is not taking part in this election. I also suspect that his name is Dan Jarvis.