In all our sanctuaries we sit at risk

  • The Parrot Returns to Talk of False Gods

    When I wrote this, Boris Johnson was entertaining the nation with the question of when a certain photograph was taken. It claimed to show that the nation’s prospective Prime Minister had now made up with his girl-friend after their row. It was therefore safe to vote for him. He was accused of lying (again). The photograph had almost certainly been taken  before the row took place. And people were wondering when would he ever answer the questions interviewers put of him ? In other words, when would he ever tell the truth ? And still it looked as if he was certain to be the next Prime Minister of the UK. But would he be that much worse than either of the two alternatives, the one beside him to the right, or the one opposite to the left ?

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  • Jez in a Cage

    Jez remains the issue. We have just passed through the Summer Solstice and the Tories are still immersed in their leadership contest to decide the UK’s next disastrous Prime Minister. Last week was all about the Tories, fighting over their lies and fantasies and then that fight in a London flat, and so on.

    But the real question mark hangs over Jez. Largely inaudible. Largely invisible. Largely absent. But blocking out the glaring emptiness where present wholesome and honest leadership should be.

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  • Jez Holds the Bridge

    For days now, the Tories have been capturing the UK headlines with their exercise to find a new leader, who will also be the nation’s Prime Minister at this fraught and crucial time in our history. Today, mid-summer, with just Hunt and Johnson left in the competition, and with Johnson way ahead, we are moving towards some kind of exquisite denouement. The lie of Brexit is most likely to be resolved, at last, by the Tory most notorious for lying – twice sacked for it, surely unemployable now in any profession requiring trust and integrity. To be our Prime Minister. And what’s Labour been up to in the meantime ? Anything useful ? Anything that will help ? Anything that will cleanse the air or restore hope ? They’ve been having a chat with dear old Jez. And Jez is still saying no.

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  • Speaking of the Worst

    The stanza above makes extensive reference to that extraordinary and justifiably famous poem by W.B. Yeats called “The Second Coming”. Yeats’ poem applies so closely to our own present time, of course. But might that be true of every present time ? Shakespeare too was gripped by the fear of breakdown in the order of things, and wrote extraordinary descriptions of upset across the natural world. Does this mean that we should perhaps not worry so much about the breakdown we are facing now ? No, it does not. But maybe those other times have something to teach us.

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  • The Parrot Falls off his Perch



    This stanza refers to the Tory leadership contest following Theresa May’s resignation as UK Prime Minister. At present, Boris Johnson is far ahead of his rivals. The stanza’s warning, that in his career he has been sacked twice for lying, is a matter of public record. So is much else that is disreputable. In a world that made sense, such a record would make him unemployable at any level, for any job, ever. At present, he is clear favourite to become the UK Prime Minister.

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  • The Parrot Brings us Up to Date

    Key to references in case any are needed : 1/ The minotaur is Trump who has just paid a State Visit to the UK. 2/ The Maybot is Theresa May (I didn’t coin that one, of course) who seems to have resigned as UK Prime Minister recently, at the kind request of her Party, the Tories. 3/ Jez is Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, whose MP’s have recently been cross with him for reciting nursery rhymes instead of leading. 4/ “The gaggle” are the ten individual Tories now competing to become Tory Leader and unelected UK Prime Minister. 5/ A”black hole” is “a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.” (quote from the NASA Knows! (Grades K-4) series).

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  • The Old Boy Rattles On

    There was a demonstration in London on Tuesday. The baby Trump balloon was present, raging in its nappy, hanging overall. And the Boy Jez went along as well and made a rousing speech about how wrong everything was.

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  • The Parrot on Maybot and the Minotaur

    This stanza is obviously about Trump’s State Visit to the UK, already started. It is astonishing the space we in this country continue to give to blatant felony and the lie and to the creatures thereof. The more space we give them, of course, the more they grow, like Tiddalick the frog. Is this visit from America’s minotaur the Maybot’s parting gift to the UK ? Does she love us that much ?

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