Kmflett's Blog

Megan Davies 1958-2025. Celebration 18^th January 2026 at the Cock Tavern E8

Original drawing by Inga Bystram. Features Alex (High Cross, Tottenham) & myself

A London celebration of Megan’s life took place at the Cock Tavern, 315 Mare St, London E8 1EJ.

A substantial gathering of friends, family and Cock regulars to celebrate the life of Megan took place at the Cock Tavern on Sunday afternoon (and evening) 18^th January. Friends from her University days, political and union comrades, and a range of people from the world of beer were all present to raise a glass to Megan’s memory.

Her partner of 30 years Keith Flett spoke briefly noting that the late Vic Allen, the historian of the National Union of Mineworkers, had remarked that such occasions were of course social ones, but they are also used to build networks and struggles for the times ahead. In the words of Joe Hill, which Megan certainly supported, don’t mourn, organise. Hazel Potter read the words of Michael Rosen which had also been read at the conclusion of Megan’s funeral on December 5^th.

Thanks to Joel, manager at the Cock and friend of Megan and to Hazel and Ian for bringing the official Beard Liberation Front banner which was displayed in the bar. The banner had been unveiled at a Scotland v England cricket match in May 2014 when Megan, Hazel and Ian had also been present

Guardian Obituary 18^th December 2025

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/18/megan-davies-obituary?CMP=share_btn_url

Earlier Guardian letter

While I agree that there is much to be done to improve end-of-life care (Editorial, 29 October; Letters, 2 November), in Megan’s case, she was able to stay at home and enjoy many of the things she liked until a final two-day stay in hospital, where she also received good care.

This was achieved by a combination of support from family, friends and her local GP, together with targeted assistance from hospice-based palliative care nurses.

It was not, of course, perfect and sometimes required chasing up treatment and medication, but that web of care seems to me an important matter, if, of course, it can be achieved with a stretched NHS and still austere Britain.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London (letter in the Guardian)

Donations in Megan’s memory may be made to Medical Aid for Palestinians online. Thanks to those who have donated including from the Pop and Hops Pub Quiz on 18^th December https://www.map.org.uk/?form=FUNFXHDCJPK

Many thanks to Megan’s sister Bronwen Davies for invaluable assistance and help

Fascism: I sometimes fear…

I sometimes fear that

people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress

worn by grotesques and monsters

as played out in endless re-runs of the Nazis.

Fascism arrives as your friend.

It will restore your honour,

make you feel proud,

protect your house,

give you a job,

clean up the neighbourhood,

remind you of how great you once were,

clear out the venal and the corrupt,

remove anything you feel is unlike you…

It doesn’t walk in saying,

“Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution.”

Michael Rosen

Socialist History Seminar Monday 26^th January Vassilis Fouskas, How NATO powers divided Cyprus 1954-1974

Recording https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/fbQecafmJREa52wr_snehzj9_sg-CEFivm1NoNZvuW27cEMS8W92OgvK0tQwbl0L.V7FrCJdyzzxinKc9

Report

The seminar based on detailed archival research, looked at the strategic impact Cyprus’s location in the Middle East has had on NATO’s strategy after both Greece and Turkey (but not Cyprus) joined NATO) at the conclusion of the Korean War in 1952. The UK and US have a significant military presence in Cyprus to this day but the country remains divided following the conflict of 1974.

Conventional wisdom and ideologies hold that responsibility for the partition of the Republic of Cyprus in the wake of Turkey’s multiple advances on the island in summer 1974 rests on domestic ethnic and religious tensions between the Turks and the Greeks. This book, drawing on a wealth of archival material, shows that this is not the case at all. As the detailed report of the United Nations mediator, Galo Plaza, had shown in 1965, the Turks and the Greeks living on the island could easily have co-existed if left alone to determine their future. This did not happen. The partition of the island had been inscribed in NATO’s policy since the 1950s, rewarding the strongest component of NATO’s southern flank, Turkey, at the expense of Greece, the weaker component. The volume details the role of CIA agents in Greece and the machinations of the Greek junta of Dimitrios Ioannides to overthrow the charismatic leader of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios, who had been fighting for an independent and non-aligned Cyprus. It also explains how the partition of Cyprus in 1974 has opened up prospects for the partition of the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, with Greece’s eastern Aegean islands becoming ‘NATOlands’ in the service of the war against Russia.

Organised by the Socialist History Seminar at the Institute of Historical Research & the London Socialist Historians Group

Contact Dr Keith Flett keith1917@btinternet.com

Nigel Farage has been replaced by Dicky Tice on Laura Kuenssberg Sunday morning because he is ‘under the weather’

It may be because Zack Polanski was also on and Farage appears unwilling to debate him, or it might be because he is off to Davis an event he has previously denounced

As likely its his Dr Who moment. In a 2005 episode the Dr commented of Prime Minister Harriet Jones, don’t you think she looks tired? Her downfall followed..

Financial Times 17th January. Most football managers don’t hang around that long now. Arteta at Arsenal is an exception

Blair joins Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’. Never forget Iraq

The second Iraq War started on March 20^th 2003. A Guardian Fletter in 2022 made the point that when Blair was appointed to the Order of the Garter it was an attempt to erase from the official memory what happened.

Keir Starmer, while approving a knighthood for Tony Blair, notes that Iraq remains an issue for many (UK government urged to rescind Tony Blair’s knighthood, 4 January 2022). The problem is that elevating the former prime minister to the Order of the Garter is an official attempt to say that the Iraq war doesn’t matter any-more. The current Labour leader had it right when, as a QC and human rights lawyer, he wrote in the Guardian on 17 March 2003 that “flawed advice does not make the unlawful use of force lawful”. Many of us remember the point; it’s a pity Sir Keir seems to have forgotten it.

Keith Flett

Tottenham, London Guardian Fletter, January 2022

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory…

That at the very least you must have daily vigorous exercise in the fresh air, and regular
‘renunciation’ of night work (as soon as the first is possible), in order that you should become at all capable of work again.

Engels to Marx 23rd January 1868

The Ambridge Socialist.

18^th January

Clive still a flawed working-class hero

Clive Horrabin has returned to Ambridge for the first time since the autumn of 2024.He brings a much needed sense of class consciousness to the village. Telling George that many of the inhabitants of Ambridge are not nice people is spot on. Of course Clive remains a deeply flawed individual, both unpleasant in person and largely lacking in self-awareness. That does not however detract from his sharp analysis of Ambridge life

George: truth and reconciliation session

George has held a truth and reconciliation session with some of the Archers dynasty. Alice has bought into the process, Ruari has not, while Brian is sceptical. There is little chance of any reconciliation with Reform Mick who the Ambridge Socialist suspects was the source of the anonymous complaint to George’s probation officer about his ejection from the Bull on New Year’s Eve.

In Other News

Brian and Kate have got a lurgy

Clive has been fishing with George

Jolene and Kenton are going for a mini-break in the New Forest where they may well meet Chris Packham…

Morbid Symptoms is from Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks, things that appear in a capitalist crisis.

Late November 2025. Robert Jenrick has lunch with the Financial Times ‘I’m not interested in what metropolitan elites think about me’

Robert Jenrick the Tory MP who has defected to Reform is noted for his hard to far right views but also for his use of the weight loss drug Ozempic.

Farage noted that he had lunch with Jenrick before Christmas. Also before Christmas Jenrick had lunch with the Financial Times (their regular Saturday series).

As is frequently the case with figures who the FT regards as being slightly dubious the full broadsheet page account of the lunch is caveated with various qualifying remarks about Jenrick. It notes that ‘its typical given his barely concealed leadership ambitions that he is quite happy trampling over other colleagues patches’.

Jenrick declares himself ‘unashamedly provincial’ and argues that issues with Britain are a result of decisions made by ‘both political parties’. Jenrick argues that ‘Reform is a symptom not a cause. It exists because the Conservatives Party failed’. The FT notes ‘Jenrick denies that he has been speaking to Farage’. ‘I’m a Conservative’ declares Jenrick but goes on ‘the country needs a reforming Government…’

Jenrick goes on to say ‘that I’m not particularly interested in what metropolitan elites think about me’ which leaves the FT to ponder why in that case he accepted an invitation to have lunch.

Farage’s trademark is the Proper Fucking Lunch (PFL). This involves several pints of beer, a starter, a meat focused main course, at least one bottle of wine, and several glasses of port.

Jenrick at least at the end of November was not quite up to a PFL. There were several pints of beer, but no wine or port. Farage has been known to eat fish so the fish and chips are PFL Ok. The Sticky Toffee Pudding desert is arguably a balance to the lack of a starter.

Jenrick tells the FT that he likes eating pizza and Chinese take aways and keeps the weight down by running and boxing at an East London Club (Bethnal Green being likely)

Jenrick has work to do to reach PFL class but now he is a Reform MP he will presumably follow Farage’s example more closely