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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 17h

There were many misconceptions that generated the Brexit vote. It is a misunderstanding to think they were were much to do with an Empire that ended 50+ years earlier with hardly a murmur.

SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 18h

I don;t remember any mention of Empire, or even really the Commonwealth, during the Brexit debate. The result was foolish, but not based upon any nostalgia for an imperialist long gone past.

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Reposted by SpinningHugo

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 18h

Excellent letter from the Bishop of Birmingham to Robert Jenrick.

At a time when so many other voices have been silent, the bishops have been admirably outspoken against attempts to stir up division.

The churches do a lot of community cohesion work & do not want to see this trashed for party gain.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 20h

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

I don;t think there is any real memory of Empire nor that it has any significance at all. The current price of an Indian takeaway is much, much more important.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

It is as dead as dead can be.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

The Big Country is on BBC iplayer.

A beautiful film, every shot is carefully composed.

A great movie on how to be a man (Gregory Peck) and how not to be.

Jean Simmons was one of the great actors of any era.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

Difficult to prove, but I think that very badly mistaken. Even very High Tories have no nostalgia for the days of Empire. 50 years ago, maybe. Not now.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

So yes, I am *very* aware that British policy in Ireland over centuries could not be characterised as liberal. But the idea that the British, today, are occupying part of Ireland out of imperialist ambition is, I think, a misunderstanding of the situation.

/ends

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

The Empire in any meaningful sense ended long before you and me were born. Even Farage doesn't try to tap into any imperial nostalgia: there is none.

/1

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

Well, in a sense, it was. It was a fight between states. Ideologies don't fight, people in organised units do.

But the Tory opposition to fascism has been strong and deep rooted. Jenrick represents something new, imo.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 19h

I'm afraid i think that quite a serious and uncharitable misreading of what most Tories think. It really never was about the Germans as a people (quite rightly).

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

The Tories are, imo, making a huge strategic mistake. They shoud be differentiating themselves from these people, not aligning with them. Not just because it makes electoral sense, but because it is right.

/ends

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

But.

I don't think anything like a majority of the UK share Farage's views. If he fell under a bus tomorrow, Tice and the rest would be left with ashes in their hands.

/5

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

Farage is on the bring of destroying the Conservative party. The most successful political party in western Europe of the last, what, 200 years.

Another amazing achievement.

/4

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

Farage is easily the most consequential politician never (yet) to have been Prime Minister. He has charm, wit and charisma (he just does, sorry). His initially crazy campaign to leave the EU succeeded. Adding credibility to his wider positions.

/3

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

In the UK, a country with a strong liberal tradition and which defines itself in terms of fighting and defeating fascists, you'd exepect the resistance to be stronger, but the reason why not is tied up with one, almost comic, figure.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

It is likely that as WW2 has faded into the distance, so have the constraints on what is an acceptable political position has also changed.

You'd expect this to happen in the US first, a country never occupied by or directly threatened by fascists.

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BBC Newsnight @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social · 22h

“You described Reform and other parties across Europe today as among the 'right wing equivalents of the fascists in the 1930s'. Why?”

“Because that’s what they are”

@vicderbyshire.bsky.social asks Lord Heseltine about remarks he made at Conservative Party Conference.

#Newsnight

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 20h

Here is the statue of Lenin that Hesltine has in his garden.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

This is my primarypolitical view

SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

The brilliance of Britain is that it is a concept. Its whole point is it is a *liberal* place.

We don't care what religion you are, what colour your skin is, what your backgorund is, what your beliefs are. We don't subject anyone to the choices of others.

We invented liberalism.

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

The Tory party needs to relearn this double quick. That is the path that enables them to defeat Reform, not this stupid imitation game.

/ends

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

These stupid people don't understand what makes us a success. What Britains superpower actually is.

Our strength comes from our collective horror at state officials wearing masks seizing people in the US.

/3

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

The brilliance of Britain is that it is a concept. Its whole point is it is a *liberal* place.

We don't care what religion you are, what colour your skin is, what your backgorund is, what your beliefs are. We don't subject anyone to the choices of others.

We invented liberalism.

/2

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

I hate to sound like some ancient old throwback, but I don't recognise the country I am living in.

When did racism become acceptable again?

Why do we have to rely on ageing retired Engand fullbacks for guidance on the misuse of flags?

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

What on earth has happened to the Tories? This wouldn't have been acceptable in 1965 let alone 2025.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in part of Birmingham

Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on short visit

www.theguardian.com

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

Plato's objections to democracy raise their ugly head again.

What we need is government by Philosopher Kings, people unafraid to make the Hard Choices that are needed.

eg me.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

I think a lot of this stuff is as simple as 1) the incentives to be interested in policy and to rise in a political party have broken very badly 2) and therefore the people who rise, who are primarily interested in elections, fantasise about getting an opportunity to do what they are 'best' at.

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 1d

Labour has a majority of about 150. What is the internal turmoil this person imagines that would lead to a Labour PM voluntarily calling an early election. Because that’s the only way one happens.

Or to put it another way: what are these people smoking?

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 1d

What on earth has happened to the Tories? This wouldn't have been acceptable in 1965 let alone 2025.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in part of Birmingham

Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on short visit

www.theguardian.com

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