This could have been Led By Donkeys but in fact its an effective piece of agitprop from the LibDems who arent particularly associated with such methods. Still kudos to them for an effective intervention. And yes I voted Remain 10 years ago, and, no, I am not a fan of the EU but even less of a fan of Farage which is where that vote led (tho it could have led in different directions, that’s the 2026 reality)
With Andy Burnham being swore in as an MP on 22nd June 2026 with the distinct possibility of becoming PM in a few weeks, first impressions and image and impact are key. One of Keir Starmer’s issue was that the image was often not of a political leader but a provincial bank manager.
Andy Burnham’s trade mark image is a well tailored jacket and T-shirt. It’s a sort of man of the people image, a concept that goes back at least to the Chartists in the 1840s.
However this afternoon in the Commons, Burnham was wearing a tie and not even a red one. That said the Commons Speaker who is notoriously obsessed about dress codes would probably have rebuked Burnham if he appeared tieless. The Speaker’s dress code remit does not however rule outside the House
Its too early to say but the man of the people image might work better than the suit and tie in 2026
Beard Liberation Front
22nd June
Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266
Heatwave: Beard Liberation Front permits shaving based on Marx’s example from April 1882
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that for the second time in a month it is permitting supporters to temporarily shave their beards due to hot weather in parts of the UK which is forecast to continue for at least the next week.
The campaigners say that there is a precedent in beard history for the move. When Marx travelled to Algeria in 1882 just before the end of his life he found conditions so hot that he shaved his iconic beard.
However the advice is a guideline only and the BLF says that some may simply wish to trim their beards a little as this can protect against the sun and have a general cooling influence
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, the problem is that in the kind of hot weather that is forecast the strength of the sun can damage the follicles and cause serious harm to the beard. By trimming the area of follicles exposed to the sun this can be reduced.
He continued, alternatively as an exceptional measure we are permitting shaving of the beard this week. It is really up to individuals whether they follow the example of Karl Marx
There are specifics on why Keir Starmer is departing as Prime Minister, but as the chart from the Financial Times shows (its a few weeks old so the 2020s figure will have changed slightly) there is also a significantly faster turnover of occupants at 10 Downing St in this decade.
Again if one thinks of Boris Johnson or Liz Truss there are specific reasons for their departure. It is not proof of the hard to far right mantra that Britain is ungovernable either.
Rather the impact of the 2008 financial crash, the austerity years from 2010, Brexit in 2016 and the pandemic in 2020 have meant that discontents with the way things amongst the many have risen. Those discontents can be addressed but not by policies which allow business as usual for the few.
National Beard Week, Zohran Mamdani named Hirsute Personality 2026
Beard Liberation Front
June 22nd
Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that National Beard Week is bristling off to a start on 22nd June with the news that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been named Hirsute Personality of the Year
The campaigners say that Zohran Mamdani has presented a hugely positive image of the hirsute as New York Mayor.
The Hirsute Personality of the Year is announced at the beginning of Beard Week 2026. Other Awards that feature during the week, designed to promote a positive image of beards, are the Beard Friendly Sandwich of the Year, Hirsute Broadcaster of the Year and the most Beard Friendly Employer of the Year.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett, we congratulate Zohran Mamdani on being named Hirsute Personality of the Year. He sends a clear message. A beard wearer in elected office stands for hope and Zohran Mamdani has underlined that important message.
Lachlan Murdoch held his annual summer party at Spencer House in central London on June 18th. Murdoch is the owner of The Times, The S*n, Times Radio and the Talk Radio stations. Spencer House opposite Green Park, is an eighteenth century mansion that can be hired for such events.
Normally the party attracts considerable publicity, but it may be that Murdoch has concluded that no publicity is good publicity.
It took some digging to find a fairly reliable note of some of those who attended. This can be found on the Politco site.
Those attending included Keir and Victoria Starmer, Kemi and Hamish Badenock, Honest Bob Jenrick, Jacob Rees Mogg, Morgan McSweeney, Piers Morgan, & former intelligence boss Richard Moore.
No news at the moment of what canapes and drinks were served…
Attention at the moment in UK politics is focused on what is happening at the top of the Labour Party and the Great Moving Right Show represented by Reform and Restore. The Green Party is also making an impact as a left of centre challenger to Labour and the LibDems in some areas.
The Makerfield By-Election on Thursday saw a reminder that in north-west England the Tories remain nearly defunct. The Tory candidate got just over 2% (5% is needed to retain the election deposit) which was only the slightest improvement on the 1.9% the Tories got in Gorton and Denton. The point being that the Tories are the Parliamentary Opposition to the Government and in two By-Elections in Labour held seats would be expected to do a lot better than 2%.
Also on Thursday however the Tories won the Aberdeen South By-Election on a significant swing against the SNP and Labour. It was the first Scots By-Election victory for the Tories since 1967. The Tories campaigned on jobs in oil and gas which have been declining as climate responsibility policies have meant that new development is not taking place. The Tories campaigned against Net Zero and for jobs. Ideally these two policies should not be able to co-exist. A Green New Deal should be replacing jobs and retaining skills. Even so the Tories successfully campaigned on this, even if its unclear whether it is actually Tory policy rather than just what Kemi Badenoch has decided.
It would be interesting, not least for students of the late Tom Nairn’s Break Up of Britain, if a Tory revival started in Scotland.
It is not btw happening in Wales where the recent Senedd elections underlined that Reform or Restore (not sure if the difference is that clear in the Valleys) hoovered up all but the hardest core of Tory support.
Interesting times, although the work of socialists aside from opposing the Tories, Reform and Restore in communities and workplaces, lies elsewhere.
The Ambridge Socialist
21st June
Brian does a Farage: he’s fallen out with everyone
Nigel Farage is known for falling out with everyone in the end, his most recent being Rupert Lowe, whose fascist party is taking support from Reform.
Brian meanwhile has fallen out with Adam, Debbie, Alice, Miranda, Oliver, Martyn Gibson (not so difficult) and almost with Kate. Theirs is no happy ending here even for supporters of the Brian Aldridge Fan Club
Sheep
The Archers remains steadfastly audio only, and given the sheep carnage during the week, that is just as well. Whether Borsetshire Police will find the owner of the dog responsible we shall see. Their crime solving record is not the best
Kate comes out as human
Kate has a long history of being self-obsessed and annoying. However this week she has come out as a human. Taking a job at Grey Gables she takes guidance from Brad on how to do a number of essential hotel jobs and she also found time to lend a mildly sympathetic ear to Brian
The Borsetshire Show
Thanks to Amber and Brad publicity for the show has gone viral. The Ambridge Sociallst may have a presence…
Amber
More stuck up than a glue sandwich was the verdict on Anne-Marie Gordon and Bill Gordon as they visited Will Grundy’s rustic cottage to see if it was a suitable location for Amber’s baby. Anne-Marie has the most RP voice heard in Ambridge for some decades.
Fletch
Fletch, the budgerigar has reappeared, in a wardrobe at Grey Gables……
Beard Liberation Front
21st June
Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social
Beard Liberation Front renews call on Brendan McCullum to shave his beard off
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has renewed its call for England Men’s cricket supremo Brendan McCullum to shave his beard off as the second men’s Test Match summer at the Oval concluded with a heavy defeat for England.
The campaigners say that while McCullum’s beard was a distinctive part of Bazball, in more recent times it has become associated with poor performances by the England side and post the Lords Test a concerning issue around the culture of the team.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, as things currently stand Brendan McCullum’s beard is bringing English and Welsh Men’s Cricket into disrepute. A clean shave might help England towards a razor sharp performance.
The Times, long before Rupert Murdoch took control, has a long history of printing stories attacking the left, often not entirely truthful. Marx and Engels Collected Works contain several examples of Marx writing to the paper correcting ‘errors’ they had made in reporting his activities.
In 2026 the Green Party is firmly in The Times sights, the Editorial on 20th June 2026 being a case in point.
The bottom line is that Bristol CAMRA are not holding a real ale and cider festival at Bristol Council House for cost reasons.
Despite what the Editorial says this is nothing to do with the Green Party’s policy on currently illegal drugs. The policy which would liberalise drug use in an effort to control it, is not in the power of the Council.
The paper does report a speech (accurately or not) by Council Deputy Leader the Green’s Heather Mack suggesting that offering a reduced cost to CAMRA would break Council policy on promoting alcohol. It has passed The Times by, but the Greens clearly have some supporters who are temperance campaigners. This is a perfectly respectable viewpoint, even if the Greens don’t usually mention it. It is not really however appropriate to a local CAMRA Beer Festival which focuses on sampling local beers and ciders and in doing so promoting hospitality and jobs.
Digging down the actual story seems to be that the Council outsourced catering etc at the Council House and the privateering providers then hiked prices for use. It seems that the Council has intervened to sort this out and CAMRA which had with other users been priced out was offered a revised lower price for the beer festival.
CAMRA don’t appear to have been contacted by The Times but planning festivals takes a lot of work and time (all voluntary) and its likely the new price came too late.
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