It is hard not to admire Donald Tusk and to wish that our own politicians could be as succinct, understated – and right. https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1085260488903090176 Courage is certainly needed. Let us suppose for a moment that in 2016 'the British People' really had 'voted overwhelmingly' to leave the EU: would we have arrived at the place … Continue reading Misread from the start
Author: jfmward
Author, bicycle enthusiast
The curious monomania of Mrs May
It may be that Theresa May finds Tony Blair uniquely irritating – a position with which I can sympathise – but her condemnation of his call for a second referendum is uncharacteristically intemperate: "For Tony Blair to go to Brussels and seek to undermine our negotiations by advocating for a second referendum is an insult … Continue reading The curious monomania of Mrs May
Mogg Mendax
Jake Mogg is associated, in the popular mind at least, with Latin, so perhaps we can open with the Latin axioms suppressio veri and suggestio falsi : the one means to suppress the truth, the other to suggest a lie. They are often coupled, the action of suppressing some truth – e.g. omitting key facts … Continue reading Mogg Mendax
Where now?
Given her past form, it is reasonable to assume that Mrs May's assertion that she will fight the leadership contest with all she's got is a sure sign that she'll be resigning shortly; but however it plays out, it is difficult to see how the Tories will this time avoid the split they have postponed … Continue reading Where now?
When simple arithmetic is the elephant in the room: the collective failure of press and politicians in the Brexit debacle
It should be remembered that David Cameron became Conservative leader by being more interesting than David Davies in a couple of speeches. The bar was set low at the outset and his subsequent career was consonant with that. It is likely that he will be remembered as the worst British prime minister of modern times**: … Continue reading When simple arithmetic is the elephant in the room: the collective failure of press and politicians in the Brexit debacle
Mogg the Mendacious
We know Jacob Rees-Mogg to be a consummate liar – much like Mr Bernard Jenkin, dishonesty and false representation are his stock in trade -– but in this short interview he excels himself. In the course of a minute and a half, he makes the following six claims, all of which are demonstrably false or … Continue reading Mogg the Mendacious
‘All the world’s a stage –’
Say, rather, that it is a toy theatre, much like the one above. We should picture a child making it, putting the various players on stage (or in the wings, ready to make their entrances), preparing backdrops for the changes of scene, so that all seems ready to begin– but there is a problem. The … Continue reading ‘All the world’s a stage –’
A picture of past and present
A man stands at the head of a pass looking back over the way he has come. In the plain spread out below him, he sees in sunlight the farm where he spent his childhood. Later, he descends the other side and looking back sees the hills mounting one behind another and outlined against the … Continue reading A picture of past and present
A picture of the world
Let us suppose two people, poring over a map spread on a table; make it an Ordnance Survey two-and-half-inch to the mile one. They are planning a cycle journey together that will traverse the area shown on the map, by one of several routes. Both are skilled in reading maps, so that in tracing a … Continue reading A picture of the world
A dead-end design and a template for the future
In 2009 the British Steam Car Challenge vehicle Inspiration set a new World Land Speed Record for a steam-powered car. The team behind it were awarded the Simms Medal by the Royal Automobile Club, named for its founder Frederick Simms, intended to recognise 'a genuine contribution to motoring innovation by individuals or small companies that also exemplify … Continue reading A dead-end design and a template for the future
COMPLEAT TROWZER 