Election dissatisfaction

June 29, 2024 by Leave a comment

As readers may have surmised from the paucity of posts on the topic, I have not been wildly enthused by the ongoing UK election, as the Tories shambolic campaign has underperformed already rock-bottom expectations, and Labour have remained laser-focused on one simple but uninspiring pledge; that they will be exactly like the Conservatives, but competent.

Actually, that’s probably unfair on Labour; they do have some vaguely progressive policies, and while the opinion polls suggest that Keir Starmer could propose the establishment of a workers’ republic and still win handily, such is the country’s desire for change, it’s understandable that party strategists might be fretting that wavering Tory voters may rediscover their loyalty in the privacy of the voting booth.

All that said, I had been looking forward to casting a vote, probably for the Greens, since I actually know their local candidate personally, and I’m not inclined to break the habit of a lifetime by supporting anyone who has a chance of winning, but I’m not going to have that opportunity alas, since I’m out of the country for the next 10 days. I did apply for a postal vote as soon as the election date was announced, but, with the inefficiency that seems to characterise every part of the state these days, our local election board didn’t get around to issuing the papers until after my departure.

Looking abroad doesn’t engender much more optimism in the future of democracy. France goes to the polls tomorrow with the far right tipped to do well, and Democrats in US are experiencing a collective panic attack following Joe Biden’s less-than-stellar performance in the first Presidential debate.

I guess it’s always possible that these setbacks will galvanise the left, but that’s what we’ve been telling ourselves for the best part of two decades now, so I’m finding it hard to keep the hope alive…

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Euro 2024 prediction

June 13, 2024 by Leave a comment

The tournament kicks off tomorrow, so, buoyed by my near-success with the Superbowl, I’m going to stick my neck out and back Germany to win Euro 2024.

It’s true that the last time I staked my reputation as a sports guru on Teutonic triumph they let me down badly, but this year they seem to be hitting good form at just the right moment, and when you add in home advantage they look to be unstoppable. France, Portugal, and perhaps even England, might give them some problems, but all things considered I’m confident that it will be Ilkay Gundogan who’ll be lifting the cup on the 14th of July.

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Echoes of war

June 6, 2024 by Leave a comment

We’ve written about Operation Overlord twice before; once on the 70th anniversary, and again five years later. In both of those pieces we noted that the events of D-Day were moving from lived history into half-remembered mythology, but now we’ve reached the 80-year mark it’s all looking frighteningly contemporary.

The immediate reason for this is of course the fact that there is an active war grumbling on in the heart of Europe, not to mention the genocide unfolding in Palestine, and bloody conflicts in Sudan and Myanmar, all adding up to a scale of worldwide violence not seen since the 1940s. Even without the fighting, there would still be the unsettling feeling that civilisation is unravelling, with living standards declining, infrastructure crumbling, and fascism on the rise, much like the years leading up to WW2.

I’m comforting myself with the possibly delusional hope that the forthcoming election will also be a throwback to the middle of the twentieth century, and usher in a reforming government that will nationalise everything and rebuild the welfare state. I guess that in the darkest hours we have to stay focused on the promise of a new dawn.

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