That Channel 4 News report on Reform UK and illicit funding in full

 From this evening's Channel 4 News...

Charles Masterman and Charles Dickens on 19th-century poverty

Here's a book review that features my favourite writers on Victorian poverty – the two Charlies. That's Charles Masterman and Charles Dickens.

The book reviewed is Dying for Victorian Medicine: English Anatomy and Its Trade in the Dead Poor, c.1834-1929 by Elizabeth Hurren, the reviewer is John Prebble, and it appears in the London Review of Books for 5 October 2012:

Like everyone who has written about Victorian poverty, she’s obstructed by the problem identified by the Liberal politician Charles Masterman in 1902. "We are very silent," the collective poor say in Masterman's From the Abyss; "so very silent that no one to this hour knows what we think ... or why we think it."

That remains true even now. From all the multitude of workhouse voices, not one has yet been recovered that says "this is how it was," "this is what we did," "this is how I felt." Victorian poverty is mute either because, in Masterman's words, it was "living for the most part with no articulate expression", or because it was too ashamed to speak. 

The Victorians who wrote about it were strangers in its midst: either middle-class missionaries, philanthropists and sociologists perceiving the London slums as "the undiscovered country of the poor" and "the dark continent ... within easy walking distance of the General Post Office", and casting themselves as intrepid explorers or scientific investigators; or slumming journalists (James Greenwood, Jack London, Robert Sherard and, later, Orwell) trying to share an experience that they could never penetrate because they knew they could always escape. 

And there was Dickens, who lived in denial about his childhood labour in a blacking factory and displaced his trauma onto martyred surrogates in other hells – the workhouse, Yorkshire schools, Lancashire mills, slums like Tom-all-Alone's. Dickens confronting his own past is Oliver Twist confronting his. Having escaped into bourgeois security, Oliver revisits the town of his childhood, but he sees the workhouse only from outside, and his old acquaintances only as faces at the windows.

Robert Sherard, as we saw a few months ago, was the grandson of the fearsome Lord Harborough and Oscar Wilde's first biographer. 

The Joy of Six 1571

"This is Britain at the end of the hottest summer on record. So, it beggars belief that the Conservatives have chosen this time – or would choose any – to try to scrap the world’s first legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions. Legislation born in Britain and adopted by over 60 countries around the world including Germany, France, Mexico and countless others." Pippa Heylings condemns the Tories' scorched earth policy.

Anna Merlan tells us what ICE's scrobbling of Milo Yiannopoulos tells us about America's far right: "But while Yiannopoulos’ deportation contains an extremely rich vein of schadenfreude – he previously called for deporting 'millions and millions of people' and joked about masturbating while witnessing ICE raids – it’s also indicative of how power, punishment, and influence currently work in the MAGA movement, and broader crackup within that feud-heavy world, where fragile alliances are constantly being made, broken and remade anew."

Simon Ophir on assisted dying, the House of Lords and democracy: "I have delivered palliative and end-of-life care to many patients, including this man. It cannot help everyone and I know that even with excellent palliative care many patients are terrified of death. It is this experience, more than anything else, that makes me so determined to see the assisted dying bill reach the statute book."

"Lloyd George was much driven by his experiences as a child and as a youth, growing up amongst the mostly poor, non-conformist natives of North Wales, groaning under a dominant, minority, privileged class of wealthy, mostly Anglican English landlords and churchmen. He witnessed and early on complained bitterly against unjust evictions of tenants who ‘voted the wrong way’, of tenants who had to pay tithes to a church they did not believe in. Even at school he protested at injustice." Paul Spackman, author of a forthcoming biography of David Lloyd George, is interviewed by Nicholas Alderton.

Ishaan Selby discusses T.H. White's The Goshawk: "While White is generally seen as a misanthropic figure, I read his difficult kinship with the goshawk as an example of a kin relationship that formed outside of hereditary bonds and through a queering of domesticity; one that shows a difficult love and connection outside the bounds of the human."

"What burns on that clifftop isn’t Christianity losing to paganism. It’s a re-enchantment scheme running out of road, with nothing left to offer but a fire. Choose your priests wisely." Moreau Vazh reconsiders The Wicker Man.

Restoration of Gone to Earth to be shown in London Film Festival

From the London Film Festival website:

Long overshadowed within Powell and Pressburger's canon, this major new restoration reveals the visual splendour and dramatic intensity of one of their most misunderstood films.

Powell and Pressburger’s passionate Technicolor melodrama stars Jennifer Jones as the free-spirited Hazel, who refuses to be bound either by her clergyman husband or the predatory squire who pursues her. 

The untamed Shropshire landscape is at one with Hazel’s primal spirit, making this one of the filmmakers' most rhapsodic odes to the English countryside and among their most intoxicatingly sensual achievements.

The showing of Gone to Earth is on Wednesday 7 October (6pm) at the National Film Theatre.

Lib Dem policy is light on politics not on outside expertise

The Liberal Democrats are getting a new think tank, reports Politico.

The Britain Project, though it will not be formally affiliated to the party, will be launched at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference later this month:

Tim Leunig, the group’s policy director, who recently became a Liberal Democrat peer in Britain’s unelected House of Lords, said: "We are here to help them."

"But we’re also here to ask them tough questions because: who knows? They might be a minister one day, and then the civil service will ask them tough questions."

And Lord Leunig does sound a little like a cross between a regimental sergeant major and a dyspeptic Oxbridge admissions tutor throughout the piece.

You are probably wondering who is funding The Britain Project. Politico says the names of the individual donors will not be revealed, but I wonder if that arrangement is wise or tenable.

My experience on the party's federal policy committee (FPC) led me to conclude that the Lib Dems were not short of expert input into their policy – or at least outside input, as much of it was from campaign groups – but short of political input.

What happened was that reports written by a working party and then brought to FPC. Much as happened at Conference, there would be a debate on one controversial idea, but the rest of it would be nodded through.

I remember questioning one recommendation and being told by the chair of the working party that the RSPCA would condemn us if we said anything different. It sometimes felt as though we did not so much make policy as buy it in.

There was sometimes talk of an alternative model, a select committee model, where a small group of FPC members would take evidence from outside bodies and then write the final policy themselves. #

This still seems to me a better model, because it offers the possibility of policy that is at once informed by outside expertise and Liberal in its effect.

Politico says many Lib Dem MPs are interested in being involved with the new think tank, which may be a reflection of the thinness of the party's policy offer in recent years, but it's still encouraging, given how little engagement they had with FPC when I was on it.

I hope, however, that The Britain Project will contribute to party policy and not write it.

Back to Sandy Campbell and Tsar Nicholas II

My great great grandmother's brother Sandy Campbell, as we have seen, was the subject of an article in The Sphere (13 October 1900). This photograph was one of those that accompanied it, and was captioned:

Sandy Campbell looking our for deer on Lochnagar 

These field-glasses were presented to Mr. Campbell by the Czar when his Imperial Majesty visited Glassalt Shiel

 According to A,N. Wilson's Victoria: A Life, the Nicholas II did not much enjoy his visit to Balmoral in 1896:

Nicholas hated Balmoral; he hated being surrounded by all his wife's extended German family; and he disliked being taken out for sport in the freezing wet weather. They had no luck in finding a stag and only managed to shoot a brace of grouse.

Perhaps the Tsar's gift to Sandy was a veiled criticism of his competence as a ghillie?

The Rolling Stones: Paint It Black

This topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and is one of those Sixties singles where the sitar, played here by Brian Jones, sounds at home.

Severn Valley Railway sees eight-week trial of commuter trains

From BBC News:

The Bewdley Express is an eight-week trial taking travellers from Bewdley to Kidderminster on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, where they can change to a Birmingham service.

The trial, run by the Severn Valley Railway and West Midlands Railway, is intended to test demand for a regular rail connection between Bewdley and the wider West Midlands network.

Former Reform UK councillor joins the Lib Dem group on West Northamptonshire

Jonathan Harris (left) and Kathryn Shaw. Photo: West Northants Lib Dems  

NN Journal reports some unexpected news from Northamptonshire:

A former Reform UK cabinet member on West Northamptonshire Council has now joined the Liberal Democrat group.

Cllr Kathryn Shaw previously stepped down from her role as portfolio holder for children, families and education at the start of 2026. In March, she later quit the Reform UK group completely, becoming an independent.

Cllr Shaw told NN Journal:

"Over the past eight months, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on what matters most to me, both as a councillor and as a person. For me, it has always been about people before politics, with children, families and our communities at the forefront of everything I do.

"Joining the Liberal Democrats feels like the right next step, alongside a group who share that strong community focus and who understand the importance of putting residents first.

"I have also been consistently impressed by the calibre of the Liberal Democrat group. There is a depth of knowledge, intellect, experience and thoughtful challenge within the team that I genuinely believe has a great deal to offer West Northamptonshire.

"I will continue to ask challenging questions, push boundaries and make a bit of noise when it’s needed but always with the same purpose: to make a genuine difference to the people I represent."

Back in March, she explained her resignation from Reform UK to BBC News:

"My decision is grounded in professional judgement and principle. I believe I can more effectively advocate for strong safeguarding systems, accountable governance and the removal of unnecessary bureaucracy affecting children and vulnerable people outside of a party structure.

"My commitment to protecting children, strengthening safeguarding culture and demanding accountability remains unwavering. The work continues, and it must continue with integrity, consciousness and courage."

Jonathan Harris, leader of the Lib Dem group on West Northamptonshire told NN Journal today:

"We are delighted that Kathryn has decided to join the Liberal Democrats. It is clear that Kathryn is passionate about making a difference to the people of West Northants.

"We welcome her energy, enthusiasm, commitment and experience to the team and we are looking forward to supporting her in her work.

"She joins our group as another community-focused councillor; Lib Dem Councillors work hard to support their communities and have a strong desire to make a difference to people’s lives."

God adds:

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

h/t Mark Pack.

An afternoon at Foxton locks (with added alpacas)

I went to Foxton Locks this afternoon. I met these charming alpacas, and there were boats, locks, the remains of an Edwardian inclined plane and stuff too.

The Joy of Six 1570

"This is a staggering death rate of 130 per 100,000 care leavers, a figure at least three times higher than the general population. It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the failure that has led to this point. There are a range of causes of death, but the single largest cause is suicide." Michael Sanders looks at a new government report that lays bare the tragedy of care-leaver deaths.

Keenan Malik says the Grenfell Tower fire has "exposed a social and legal landscape shaped by an exaggerated contempt for ordinary people. It is the story of a corporate world displaying, in the words of journalist Peter Apps, 'a callous indifference to anything – morality, honesty, life safety – that was not related to the bottom line."

Ed Conway explains why the cod on your plate has probably been round the world: "Follow this cod on its way and you begin to see why so many regions in Europe and America feel like they have been 'left behind'; you begin to see why it is so difficult to take on Vladimir Putin and the Russian economy... all from a simple pack of fish fingers."

"If you’ve had a sugary treat and you’re feeling good, you’re probably feeling good because you’re having fun with family and friends, rather than from the sugar." Talitha Best on the myth of the sugar rush.

"Suddenly, he was 43 years old with a solo career that plenty of pundits thought had reached the end of the road. According to his detractors, Simon’s signature sound had nowhere else to go and, based on where he went next, maybe they were right." Matt Fish considers Paul Simon and Graceland.

JacquiWine reads The Bell by Iris Murdoch, "a sophisticated, richly textured novel that explores complicated feelings between complex individuals, encompassing faith, guilt, resentment, anger, fear, and perhaps most importantly, love. Love can take many forms, from a pure, spiritual type of love to a platonic or romantic love to a more carnal, possessive love – and Murdoch touches on all of them here to a greater or lesser extent. It’s also a radical novel for its time, particularly as Murdoch centres her storyline on a provocative moral dilemma: what happens when a person’s sexual orientation (in this instance, their homosexuality) is at odds with their religious beliefs?"

Wells to Walsingham: The world's smallest public railway

I travelled on the Wells & Walsingham some 20 years ago and remember it as taking itself commendably seriously.

Walsingham had its heyday before the Reformation, which means that a great many ancient buildings are to be found there. Because it remains a place of pilgrimage for both Roman Catholics and Anglicans, there's also an awful lot of religious tat on sale in the village.

The original Walsingham station is now an Orthodox church.

Brexiters’ effort to resettle Chagos Islands hit by lack of proper boat

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The story may be languishing behind the Financial Times's paywall, but its headline has won the Pink 'Un our Headline of the Day Award.

Gareth Epps and the quiet lanes of Oxfordshire

Liberator's Gareth Epps has made the BBC News Oxfordshire pages because the Liberal Democrat run authority is about to approve its first 'quiet lane' at Stanton St John, a village to the north east of the city of Oxford.

Quiet lanes are closed to almost all through motor traffic, with exceptions made for residents and emergency services, to create safer and more pleasant routes for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. 

I was hoping to add a killer quote here from Gareth, the council's cabinet member for place, environment and climate action, but BBC News, true to form, is more interested in the scheme's critics than its advantages. It does at least call him the county's "transport boss" though.

So for an account of the many advantages of quiet lanes, download the guide produced by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

After Dark podcast: Dr Louise Brangan on the Magdalene laundries

 

This edition of the After Dark podcast impressed me because it showed that what we English think we know about Ireland's Magdalene laundries is wrong. The guest expert Dr Louise Brangan of the London School of Economics emphasises that their inmates were not generally young women who'd had a baby outside marriage. Many had been admitted at a younger age than that for trivial reasons.

It also bears out much of what James Hawes said in his The Shortest History of Ireland. As I wrote in my review of this book:

Hawes shows that the Catholic dominance of Irish society was a post-independence creation and did not fully establish itself until 1937. This dominance, with its satanic trio of institutions – industrial schools, mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries – was the work of Éamon de Valera, the politician who dominated the first 50 years of the independent Ireland, and Archbishop John McQuaid of Dublin.

Louise Brangan says that in the 1920s the newly independent Republic of Ireland had a young population and there was freedom in the air. It didn't stay there for long.

This is a painful subject but it's a good podcast and gives an important insight into Irish history. 

A final point... After Dark is one of the podcasts that appears on BBC Sounds. But if you look on its index page there, you will not find this edition. Under 27 August 2026, the day it was posted, you will find instead Danny Robbins on "History's greatest ghosts".

I wonder if that is political or religious censorship?

The Joy of Six 1569

Matt Gallagher reports that "the UK quietly sent one of its most senior security officials to a Trump administration summit which proposed to turn global counter-terrorism infrastructure against the political left."

"The values that translate to a modern Liberal success in terms of voting demographics are not simply responsible economics, but a commitment to individualism, social justice and equality; values that when communicated clearly can drive the support of those they affect most, alongside the conscientious urban populations, all of whom now flock to the Greens for these same reasons." Rose Runswick argues that the Liberal Democrats should stand for more than "business".

Josiah Mortimer on the problems with the government announcement that domestic plug-in solar panels are now allowed in the UK.

Samir Jeraj says cuts to council spending, including on adventure playgrounds, are jeopardising Leicester's recovery from the riots of 2022: "Staff, supporters and the local community are campaigning against the cuts and there are city-wide elections next year, which could reverse decades of Labour domination in the city. Opposition parties ranging from the Conservatives to the Greens are opposing the cuts to the adventure playgrounds and they could become a symbolic issue in the campaign."

"The digital sources barely scratch the surface of what exists in big archives, in tiny archives, in people’s attics. So save yourself the bother, save the planet, save the erosion of your cognitive faculties and learn to do it properly." Sophie Michell sees no role for AI in family history.

"There are six publicly known positive DNA results that match the leopard (Panthera pardus), two from recent years: from Gloucestershire in 2022, from a hair snagged on a barbed-wire fence in the vicinity of a sheep kill; and from Cumbria in 2023, when DNA was found on a carcass – again, of a sheep." Rick Minter makes the case that there are big cats living in the British countryside.

Marjory Allen encounters the ban on child actors in British films

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Returning to Marjory Allen's memoirs after my holiday, I've come across a passage that refers to it being illegal to employ actors aged under 13 in a British film until the early Sixties.

One of Lady Allen's many wartime good works was chairing the Advisory Council on Children's Entertainment Films between 1944 and 1950. She writes that J. Arthur Rank had launched Saturday morning film shows "to help relieve war stress amongst school-age children".

The problem was that no one was sure what sort of films children enjoyed, so Rank set up the advisory council that Lady Allen chaired to tell him. It found that what they most liked was films about other children.

Lady Allen continues:

We were in some difficulty over one of the complaints made by our alert and outspoken young critics. They insisted that all children's parts ought to be acted by children of the right age, but we were constrained by the government and local regulations which made it extremely hard to employ child actors at all. 

The rules were not so strict in other countries and the problem was partly solved, after the war, by making some of our films abroad.

And I do recall seeing an old adult film with a precocious girl as a character on Talking Pictures TV. Something seemed odd about the actress, and when I checked her credits on IMDb she turned out to be pushing 30.

As I showed in an earlier post, this law was blatantly ignored by some producers, to the extent that two films with a child in the title role – Oliver Twist and Sammy Going South – were chosen for the Royal Film Performance before it was relaxed.

Etran de L'Aïr: Imouha

Gershom Shahid once explained The Review:

Tishoumaren (known as Desert blues outside of Africa) is a genre that consists of traditional hymns from nomadic Berber tribes infused with Western blues and rock music. 

The genre’s roots are primarily found in the Maghreb (North Africa) and Sub-Saharan regions of Africa, mainly in the countries of Mali, Niger, Libya, Western Sahara, Algeria and Burkina Faso. Although this genre has been around since the mid-20th century, it has recently garnered some international attention.

The band Etran de L'Aïr ("stars of the Aïr") was formed in 1995 by brothers and cousins raised in Abalane in Agadez, Niger, and started off playing for local weddings. They have since found international success playing their brand of desert blues.

Sung in the Tamashek language, Imouha is a track from the band's third album 100% Sahara Guitar, which was released in 2024.

Cormorant released after being found wandering around Market Harborough

Imagine my pride when the judges decided to award Headline of the Day to the Harborough Mail.

I took this photo of a cormorant on the Nene in the centre of Northampton a few years ago.

The passenger ferry across the River Soar near Loughborough

Here's something I didn't know. There's a chain ferry that takes foot passengers across the River Soar at Normanton on Soar, where the river forms the boundary between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

The ferry operates on Saturdays and Sundays from the beginning of April until the end of September. A crossing costs £1 per person, with an additional charge of 50p for bicycles and dogs.

A report on West Bridgford Wire says:

The ferry, which is believed to be the last chain-operated passenger ferry of its kind in the UK, dates back to at least 1770. Estimates suggest a crossing may have operated at the site as early as the 13th century. ...

It was once used by fishermen and people travelling to markets in Loughborough. Newspaper reports from 1977 said the crossing was regularly used during the 1920s, when the fare was one penny.

Some 40 volunteers now operate the ferry during the season. It carries approximately 3,000 passengers each year, with a record of about 140 crossings in one day.