“How many more children are going to die on our streets, Prime Minister?” This comment, shouted at Keir Starmer on Tuesday as he lay flowers for the three murdered girls in Southport, summed up the mood of a nation: both the visceral horror of the attack itself, and the public fear and alarm at the lawlessness that seems in recent weeks to have gripped the whole country. As the cameras flashed and the heckling grew, the man who wants to end politics, to insulate himself and his Government in quangos, committees and fiscal rules, found himself in a traditional political encounter. Something has gone horribly wrong. People are furious. And Starmer is the leader of the country: what is he going to do about it?
Their cries, predictably, fell on deaf ears. Right from the off, Labour’s response to public anger over the Southport tragedy has been tone-deaf and contemptuous. Consider the optics of that flower-laying itself. Starmer ended up with his back to the assembled locals. At no point did he deign to address them – indeed, he did not so much as look at them. He was flanked throughout by several security guards and the flowers had scarcely hit the ground before he was whisked away to his car, prompting shouts of “You’ve got your photo, off you go” and “Go away!” The visit, from the man who claimed on taking office he would end the “era of politics as performance”, lasted barely two minutes. Reading the room has of course never been Starmer’s strong suit – think of his brittle, tetchy response to a studio audience laughing at his thousandth repeat of the “son of a tool-maker” line. But the contrast with earlier PMs is stark. Tony Blair, David Cameron, Boris Johnson – all would surely have understood instinctively what was required of them and given a sombre, unifying speech.
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Avoiding the “C” word is definitely the right path for keeping the excellent London Calling podcast on the rails.
Agreed, and the use of “tin foil hat” is best avoided. We don’t want them to avoid controvery; just avoid making it personal.
The whole reason I listened to this podcast was to hear a debate. Now this tension and avoiding of topics is too much like my own family dynamics.
What a shame.
Yes, I want to hear them respectfully debate each other, not avoid topics.
Indifference to Davos hardly seems to be a sensible policy when that seems to be where much of the authoritarian lunacy originates or is advanced.
Does the ‘indifference to Davos’ imply a new and mysterious source of funding?
Tell me it’s not so!
That scenario that Toby put across during the London riots where middle class property owners are defending their homes, well, this would be a different kettle of fish because the underclass and middle class would be in the same boat regarding food shortages. Back then they had plenty of food and access to cash. There is a Gun shop in town, if there was unrest a group of us would ransack the place and tool ourself up. No offence to the owners.
Food riots in Britain with marauding gangs of murderers and rapists? I suppose it’s possible but looking at how the sheeple willingly gave themselves up to the slaughter from lockdowns and “vaccines” I think the real problem might be getting people on the streets at all.
P.s. James and Toby; be nice to each other or your mothers might bang your heads together to make you behave.
James was on particularly good form tonight in regard to the reality of civil unrest. Not just his comments but the understanding behind the comments. Young seems to be a very nice person. a cheeky cheery chappy who might be good company if you’re feeling a bit down or recovering from painful surgery. But the whole discussion is rather naive. Bear in mind that we have no conditioning at all for times where stoicism is required; we don’t even have the rudiments left of a shared creed, Don’t assume that in the terror times you will be getting eight hours of comfortable sleep a night. You will be lucky to get one or two and if you do hear a creak downstairs you will rise into an erect posture with shotgun or crossbow or whatever in hand. The reality that is coming will be a complete break with the reality of our lives so far.Given the schismatic nature of the horror to come you have to apply your nous and spirit to find a way out. We have been robbed of the deeper understanding of the faculties of imagination and will and how this intertwining disrupts reality.
Toby and James – I love listening to you guys every week. I am team James but I do wish James wouldn’t get angry and talk over Toby when he disagrees with him. Toby for the most part remains easy-going even when James insults him. I think it is so good to hear different points of view and I really want to hear how Toby counters James’ points, but we don’t get to because James gets mad or talks over him or doesn’t want to talk about it.
Come on now, where’s the spirit of James Frazer (Dad’s Army)?
I am much more on James Delingpole’s side of this argument than I am on Toby Young’s – I think Young’s either in a classic state of denial, in that he can’t face the fact of what is being and will be done to us, or he is more naive than I would’ve imagined him to be.
However, I find Delingpole’s performances on these podcasts often juvenile and at times cringeworthy.
His brittle arrogance, affectations of hauteur and froideur, and refusal even to consider the possibility that he (and those of us who suspect that he is correct) might be wrong is childish, banal, and irritating, and also counter-productive.
I suspect, having listened to the latest podcast, that Young has said that there can be no more of this if the podcast is to continue, and that the prospect of his final boat being burned is what turned Delingpole into a wheedling, simpering imitation of his normal persona.
Unfortunately, the resulting podcast was very dull.
It ought to be possible for the two of them to discuss Covid and its associated scandals in an adult fashion, with give-and-take, consideration for alternative viewpoints, and no sniping.
Certainly Young is capable of doing this (and clearly tries hard to do so); it remains to be seen whether Delingpole is.
While I’m on, it would be nice if he could stop all this silly “mummy and daddy arguing” rubbish. I would think the audience is mostly adult, and this is juvenile nonsense.