A tinderbox in Northern Ireland.

 Following the serious stabbing of a man on the streets of Belfast on Monday, there was further unrest last night, with busses set ablaze and police officers attacked. The perpetrator of the knife attack - was a Sudanese man, who has been charged with attempted murder. It transpired that he had traveled from Paris to Dublin and then onto Belfast, where he sort asylum some time in 2023. Needless to say this case, following so quickly on the Harry Novak, one last week has only added fresh impetus to the crisis in the asylum system. Moreover the forthcoming by-election next week in Makerfield adds to the ongoing crisis of migration, whether legal or not The authorities in Northern Ireland and on the mainland are definitely on the back foot and leaving space for Nigel Farage and Reform to exploit the - tinderbox situation. 

A Very British Civil War.

 On BBC Two last night there was a brilliant two part documentary about the parliamentary - ding-dong regarding leaving the European Union in: A Very British Civil War. Needless to say there was much - blood on the parliamentary carpet. The Vote Leave campaign had the famous slogan on the side of the battle bus, claiming to save £350 million per week. This slogan had a profound influence on the campaign. During the heated debates about the pros and cons regarding leaving the EU - there was the tragic murder of the MP Jo Cox on 16 June only a week before the referendum on the 23 June. What impact, if any would this terrible event have on the vote the following week? Old friendships and alliances were broken, especially between David Cameron, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson. That rupture hasn’t been repaired. I remember seeing the one time prime minister David Cameron, sitting in a bar in Dukes Hotel, St James’s, nursing a pint of beer, looking forlorn and depressed - all alone, apart from a security guard a few feet away and me. Amazingly it will be 10 years on 23 June - we crossed the Rubicon and decided to leave the EU. The vote to Leave was 52% and Remain 48%. 

Following the referendum the country suffered a collective - nervous breakdown and PTSD. We are still living with the consequences of this historic fracture. We had a collection of prime ministers, starting with the immediate departure of David Cameron. In total one after another with: Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and finally Keir Starmer. It’s very likely that he will be defenestrated in the next few weeks. The country isn’t at ease with itself and there is constant iner-communal tensions between different sectors of society. Illegal migration is one of the top issues the public are concerned about, especially those  crossing the Channel on small boats. There is a general sense of malaise across the country, with a feeling of drift and lack of purpose. We are definitely in the political doldrums, especially with Keir Starmer, as prime minister. Can a new one create a sense of purpose and optimism? 

Wes Streeting.

 On the Newsagent podcast there is an excellent in depth interview with Wes Streeing by Lewis Goodall - that should be listed to. He plans to run for the leadership on the Labour Party in the next few weeks. He wants a proper discussion about the - ideas and values that underpin the party He claims that generally speaking ‘he says what he means and means what he says’. He would in my opinion be the right person to lead the government and do a better job than Andy Burnham, who has less gravitates and intellectual rigour. Unfortunately I think there is a bandwagon - to go for Burnham and that will be difficult to stop. Until only a few weeks ago Wes Streeting, was the health and social care secretary, but resigned as he had lost confidence in Keir Starmer. 

Makerfield.

 This small constituency on the outskirts of Manchester, is the epicentre of politics at the moment. The by-election is on Thursday 18 June and Andy Burnham, is hoping to win the seat and then start his campaign to become prime minister. The one unifying theme in the locality is - the cost of living and how difficult it is to make a reasonable living, according to many voters, Burnham’s main problem is his - ‘wish to be liked and be popular’. This was apparently a common complaint about him according to Ailbhe Rea, of The New Statesman magazine this week. Is there any prime minister who can make a fundamental difference to the quality of life for constituents across the country? This is the current touchstone and underlying political bete noire issue. Since the financial meltdown of 2008/9 living standards have basically collapsed and the Brexit referendum and Covid have - further undermined the economy. We are a much poorer nation as a consequence of these - three major shocks to the welfare of the nation. Makerfield will make its opinion known in a little over a week from now. 

Rafa Nadal.

 Of all the truly great tennis players of the last few years there are only a handful that stand out. In this small group, includes Rafa Nadal. Often referred to as the King of Clay, because of his dominance at Roland Garros. He won a staggering 14 times there. He won 22 titles during his career. However the Netflix documentary about his life is an examination in physical and psychological suffering. He says in the documentary ‘Ive been fighting against my body for many years with the highest demands and in time it will collapse’. His uncle Tony, was a constant presence in his training from a very early age. He pushed him harder and harder to improve his technique and stamina. Over time this becomes an increasing challenge and problem and the stress starts to show. There were many occasions when Rafa played in great physical pain, sustained by powerful pain killers and surgery. Along with Federer and Djokovic they were considered the ‘big three’ of world tennis for many years. The documentary is worth watching, just to see - how tough it is to be a top professional sports champion. He retired from professional tennis in November 2024 aged 38 after staring off back in 2003. He gave us so much joy and happiness during his long career. 

Another World Cup.

 England are in the L Group of nations in the forthcoming World Cup, that starts on 11 June until the 19 July. The L group comprise of: Croatia, Ghana and Panama. We are currently ranked at number 4th in the FIFA World Rankings after France, Argentina and Spain. It will held across three countries, the US, Canada and Mexico. There have been serious health concerns raised as some of the games will be held in searing heat in places like Miami - where temperatures can reach the mid 90 degrees in summer. I have little interest in the start of the games, until we see England play their first match on Wednesday 17 June against Croatia. It’s very unlikely we will eventually become the winners of the tournament, but we - live in hope. It will be either France or Spain who will hold the World Cup in July. 

Endometriosis.

 On Monday evening on BBC One the journalist Emma Barnett, explored the debilitating effects of endometriosis. According to the NHS website - ‘there is currently no effective treatment’. Apparently 10 per cent of women, can suffer from the physical disability. Emma Barnett, explained that since starting her periods, she has suffered excruciating pain outside her period cycle. How is it possible that such a universal condition, should have such little research money spent on it? Only in Edinburgh Universit combined with Birmingham University is research happening in this country. If this health condition applied to men, we would have a cure by now. It’s a mark of the rampant underlying misogyny and sexism in the male dominated medical profession. When Barnett interviewed the previous health secretary - Wes Streeting, he wasn’t exactly convincing - that more money would go into research and treatment. Disgraceful.