Author Archives: bernardporter2013

A historian can find precedents galore, of course, for the current mini-wave of terrorist atrocities in the UK. Whether any of these precedents is of any practical use to us today is another matter. The ones I’m most familiar with … Continue reading →

…and all sewn up So I won’t end up like this. Bless the NHS. Lots to blog about, of course, when I feel up to it. Later.

Before I pass under the knife: there’s an excellent piece in today’s Guardian saying what I’ve been saying for years, but much better than I could have put it: (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/31/theresa-may-strong-leader-good-leader). I’m not sure when the ‘Führerprinzip’ – as we both … Continue reading →

Was I wrong? Being a congenital pessimist, I love being proved wrong. The Manchester atrocity seems not to be playing into the Conservatives’ hands as I – and many others – presumed it would (https://bernardjporter.com/2017/05/23/manchester-and-may/). Of course they’re still plugging … Continue reading →

We have ‘crises’ galore in Britain just now: not only terrorism, but also housing, social care, British Airways and the underfunded NHS. I’ve been a minor victim of the last of these, having had to wait 18 weeks for my surgery to … Continue reading →

One golden rule of opposition in a democratic society is: don’t criticise your own side when your country is at war. That’s not because your criticisms may be unjustified, but because, at a time of war-fever, they are liable to bring … Continue reading →

One positive aspect of the terrible carnage in Manchester on Monday is the sympathy it has brought Britain from (nearly) all corners of the earth, as do atrocities everywhere (how we loved America after 9/11!); and the admiration expressed in … Continue reading →

A hammer is strong and stable, but it can’t negotiate for toffee. I can’t understand why anyone should vote for Theresa May on the grounds that she would be good at negotiating our exit from the European Union. She clearly … Continue reading →

Here we go. Armed soldiers – not just police – in the streets. Entirely unprecedented, I think, in (mainland) British history. (But then, as we know, Theresa May doesn’t read history.) We’ve always resiled against being policed by the military. … Continue reading →

What a difference a couple of hours can make. I came home from the Corbyn rally in Hull yesterday evening quite pumped up, as one does from these warm shows of solidarity. Yes, I know it’s all false; but the … Continue reading →