Here is another of those Rhyme Royal stanzas. Mr Toad of Toad Hall is, of course, a character in Wind in the Willows, that famous Edwardian children’s story by Kenneth Grahame. Any suggestion that Alex Johnson, our disgraced and disgraceful recent Prime Minister, might remind me of Mr Toad, or that this Rhyme Royal recurrence might be the result… continue reading
Category Sovereignty of parliament
Ethics in UK Politics
Here below is the copy of a letter I’ve sent this week to Lord Evans of Weardale, Chair of the UK’s independent committee on standards in public life. By coincidence, just before Mr Johnson’s extraordinary contortions in the House of Commons two days ago, Lord Evans’ committee produced a report recommending certain improvements in the way ethical standards are maintained… continue reading
Let’s Hear it from Janus on the Union
The Roman god Janus had two heads, two faces. They are usually depicted as looking in opposite directions.
And the UK has a Gaffe man and a lying Toad for Prime Minister. He says, “Call me Boris” but perhaps “Call me Janus” would ring a little truer. And those two heads are not only turned in opposite directions – all… continue reading
Words for an Earthquake
The United Kingdom has left the EU. We have vacated our seat at the high table and it is laid now for just 27 places. We’ve “got it done.”
Or “gone and done it.”
In recognition of the significance of this momentous step we’ve taken, whatever it may mean, I am uploading here a selection of 53 stand-alone short rhyming… continue reading
What does Great Britain Stand for, these Days ?
What do we Brits stand for, these days, now that we have “taken back control” ?
Judging by our government’s grossly inadequate management of Corvid-19 – we stand for incompetence, incoherence and dishonesty.
Judging by Mr Johnson’s recent conduct over the Brexit negotiations – we are represented by the fatuous and delusional bravado of a juvenile hoodlum ; and again… continue reading
Might Labour be the Force to Renew UK Politics ?
Our democratic politics isn’t working and, in my view, its dysfunction is one of the major causes of our present national crisis. In so many ways, our political structures and democratic processes – not just here in the UK, but manifestly in other countries too – are under attack and also in question. We have to renew them, not just… continue reading
The Lying Toad Our Leader
As the election continues, and Mr Toad hops around this broken country, lying to people for his personal advantage, here’s further word on democracy and the use of language.… continue reading
The Parrot Mourns the Loss of Home
The Parrot is awash in a flood of untruth and unrule, as the UK’s general election gets under way. The result when it comes would appear to be a matter of pure random chance, or skill, or criminality, in the underhand use of social media to manipulate people, no more truthworthy than a drawing of lots.… continue reading
The Parrot Reports on the Launch of a Toad
What’s that I see up there in the sky ? Is it a bird ? Is it a plane ? oh no ! It’s a high-flying, high-lying Hoodlum Toad !
Just as I was uploading this, it was being reported that the Toad was going to press for a December General Election. … continue reading
The Parrot Considers the Right Wing Press
The right wing press were chorusing their criticism of Parliament for doing its duty in examining the work of our dodgy Executive and holding it to account. According to the press, MP’s were betraying “the will of the People” by not rubber-stamping what Mr Toad has come up with – however misinformed that same People had been in the first,… continue reading