An interesting faux pas.

 An old friend from my time at the London School of Economics in the early 1970’s and I were planning to meet for lunch tomorrow in Mayfair. The restaurant has had very good reviews and is now a fashionable place to eat. I decided to reconnoiter the place as I was in town the other day. It’s certainly very à la mode with a large and spacious eating area. However, he booked for their sister restaurant in Manchester and not London. An innocent mistake. Thankfully he was able to rectify the faux pas and we eat in London not Manchester.

 

Roasting in the sunshine ☀️.

 It was back in the summer of 1976 - some 50 years ago - when we had the last major heatwave. I remember it well as at the time I was working at weekends in a rather chic restaurant in Holland Park to finance my psychoanalytic training and analysis. In addition I had a full time job as a - psychiatric social worker in adult psychiatry. Fortunately I was used to hot temperatures as I worked in Israel at Ein Gedi kibbutz by the Dead Sea. The kibbutz sits about 400 mitres below sea level, so the heat gets - trapped and it feels as if you are inside a cooker. So temperatures only 20 miles away could be less severe. I remember going to the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967 and staying in a monastery on the Via Dolorosa. I slept on the roof and was awoken to the Muslim call to prayer at sunrise. It was a magical experience. I have very good memories of my time in Israel working in the kibbutz and at a beach bar in Eilat for a couple of months. So long ago when I was only 24. 

PMQ’s.

 At PMQ’s today Kemi Badenoch, was robust in her attack on Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary about the rise of VAT on private schools fees. Was the attack inappropriate and too personal in the House of Commons? The House of Commons is something of a - bear pit and very forthright in its attacks. The influential politician Ian Macleod, said many years ago “the best time to kick a politician, is when they are down”. In America and the continent - would never have this degree of aggression. For my part I agree with this robust political debate. 

Who will gets the top jobs?

 Power has now deserted Keir Starmer as the - horse trading starts for cabinet positions. The key role is chancellor and my money is on Yvette Cooper, she has spent time there - when Gordon Brown was prime minister and has a good background in economics. She would be a safe pair of hands and moreover would be the second woman in that role after Rachel Reeves, who will be demoted. Other names mentioned are: Pat Macfadden, Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband. I see Wes Streeting, going to the Foreign Office, where his diplomatic skills will come to the fore. So the Snakes and Ladders of politics - has a lot more excitement to come. 

Brexit - 10 years on.

 Today is the sad and unnecessary anniversary of the Brexit referendum on 23 June 2016. The start of the political schism that has - poisoned the our government, democracy and sense of us as a nation. We have been living through this nightmare ever since and accounts for the collection of - mediocre prime ministers from that day to this. Can the forthcoming new one be any better than the last six? We shall soon find out whether it’s Andy Burnham, or someone else. 

A very British coup.

 In a noisy and sunny Downing Street, the prime minister Keir Starmer, resigned. Towards the end of a short statement his voice broke and he was visibly upset. So we now have the process of choosing the next occupant of this difficult job. It’s very likely to be Andy Burnham, unless there is someone else wanting the top job? Wes Streeting, has ruled himself out of the race and has backed Burnham. So probably by the summer recess in July Burnham, will have the key to the famous - black door. Good luck with that old chap. You could easily conclude we were a banana republic, with six prime ministers in ten years: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and now Keir Starmer. There weren’t any troops or tanks on the streets or police with riot shields and tear-gas - a very British coup. 

The most important thing in the to do list for Burnham - will be his choice of his cabinet colleagues and which departments they run. The key position is that of chancellor, it would send the wrong signal if Ed Miliband, was to be put in charge of the Tresuary. Many in business and the City of London - don’t think that would be a promising start. I would put Yvette Cooper, there as she has a good knowledge of economics and would be a safe pair of hands. I would put Wes Streeting, in the Foreign Office as he has good diplomatic skills. I would keep Shabana Mahmood in the Home Office. That would mean two top positions in government are held by women. Let’s hope this is the last change of prime minister for some years to come. We need stability and an end to this - merry go round. I think much of this instability goes back to 2016 and the Brexit referendum - that was our national breakdown - it will 10 years tomorrow that this cataclysmic decision was made. We have been suffering from PTSD ever since. 

A Long Walk to Freedom.

 On Channel 4 last night there was the first part in a three part series entitled: Free Nelson Mandela. It’s well worth watching, if you want to understand the history of South Africa and the - struggle for democracy and freedom. This was the name of the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, that was published in 1994 about the historic struggle of the antiapartheid movement in South Africa. Mandela was imprisoned for life on Robben Island in June 1964 and spent 27 years in various prisons. I remember reading his book about the time he was incarcerated and he said there was was one line in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare - where Caesar says ‘cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once’. These few words sustained Mandela - to survive the ordeal of suffering - for the cause of freedom. Of course the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa in March 1960 where 60 innocent demonstrators were killed and where many more were injured - caused international condemnation. Another well known activist was Peter Hain, now Lord Hain. He was from South Africa and his family played an important role in the freedom movement. They had to leave the country in March 1966 for London because of the regime there. Now 76 he is still active in politics as a member of the House of Lords,