Author Archives: bernardporter2013

I can’t see this turning out well. Opinions are too inflamed. Not, I suspect, the opinions of the majority of people, who are left bewildered by the whole European debate, and seem not greatly concerned about how it will end. … Continue reading →

It should be generally accepted, and indeed self-evident, that opposition to the policies of the government of Israel is not necessarily the same as ‘anti-semitism’. Yet that conflation seems to form the basis of most of the criticism that is … Continue reading →

From last year: Jul

The House of Lords is a much maligned institution, and rightly so in most cases. Just occasionally, however, it fulfils an essential democratic function, by modifying legislation which has been too hastily drawn up in the Commons, or by directly … Continue reading →

After my last ‘Dickens’ post I was sent this. Thank you, Lucy Franco!

Just back from a superb staged version of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol at Folkoperan in Stockholm. It was in English, but that didn’t deter a packed house of Swedes. The story still resonates today – sadly so. The Victorian attitudes towards … Continue reading →

I’ve never been one of those pedagogues who bothered much about students’ spelling and grammar. Some people just can’t spell. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stupid. I always used to correct their spelling, but never deducted marks for it, and … Continue reading →

When I was at school and in my first year at university, almost the only British history we were taught was ‘Constitutional’. That was the sort with the broad liberal theme, about the growth of Parliament and its ascendency over … Continue reading →

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s suggestion of moving the Bank of England to Birmingham reminds me of an idea I had a while back: … to take advantage of the Palace of Westminster’s imminent overhaul to evacuate it and move Parliament … Continue reading →

This is not me, I wish it were. I found it hidden away as a comment on another blog post, and thought it deserved wider circulation. I particularly liked the comparison between Nigel Farage and Arthur Daley. (Remember Minder?) Mike … Continue reading →