Author Archives: bernardporter2013

Everyone knows, don’t they? that the ‘Great’ in ‘Great Britain’ refers historically to the fact that it comprises a union of four separate nations, rather than just ‘England’. It has nothing to do with ‘greatness’ in the boastful sense: ‘make … Continue reading →

Following on from yesterday’s post: there has of course been an outcry against Rees-Mogg’s accusations, albeit mainly from ex-civil servants; who, if R-M is right, won’t count. Several have likened  his ‘pre-empting’ the argument in this way – establishing an … Continue reading →

It has been interesting to see both Donald Trump and our very own Jacob Rees-Mogg peddling almost identical conspiracy theories over the last couple of days: identical, that is, in that they both target the bureaucracies of their respective countries. … Continue reading →

My Swedish citizenship should come through soon. In the meantime I’m wondering whether I should bother to hold on to my British nationality any longer. Of course I shall – there are practical reasons for me to keep a foothold … Continue reading →

Hutchinsons sent me a proof copy of Marc Mulholland’s The Murderer of Warren Street, coming out in May, for a ‘puff’ on the dust cover. It’s about the life and grisly death of one of the French proscrits, or exiles, … Continue reading →

Whatever the rights and wrongs of Brexit, it is clearly being pursued now with the utmost inefficiency. The government appears clueless and divided. Could this be deliberate? Many in the government, including Theresa May, didn’t want Brexit in the first … Continue reading →

‘Presidents Club’ goings-on – all over the newspapers today – are at least as much a sign of class and wealth inequality as of endemic sexism. I first observed these kinds of depravity when I was at Cambridge; a predominately … Continue reading →

When he first put it on the side of the Brexit bus, Boris Johnson’s claim that leaving the EU would save Britain £350 million a week that could be spent on the National Health Service was almost universally derided as … Continue reading →

Civilized debate stands no chance against the forces now arraigned against it, from the lowest depths of the ‘blogosphere’ to the highest reaches of the US government. ‘Fake news’ is the aspect being highlighted presently, turning President Trump’s neat phrase … Continue reading →

[NOTE: This was the outcome of my 3-day rush to complete the LRB’s latest commission. In the end they didn’t like it – ‘not what we wanted’; which was a mere description of the affair, plus some ‘what if’ speculations. … Continue reading →