Kmflett's Blog

Badenoch’s Great Moving Right Show is not working

Stand Up To Racism analysis of the far right vote. No room for complacency

Reform UK loses in Manchester but result leaves no room to relax

This of course is not the real Allister Heath but a New World meme. Even so one aspect of climate change the Telegraph may not be able to avoid is its impact on Bordeaux wine production

A year after her latest suspension the Mother of the House of Commons (the longest serving female MP) Diane Abbott has regained the Labour Whip.

Andy Burnham seems to have said that he will downgrade the whipping system and allow criticism and debate. Good, if it happens.

Diane Abbott was suspended a year ago in July 2025. Whether the comments she made were entirely appropriate or not (a political discussion not a disciplinary matter) she fell victim to the hardline sectarian factionalism of the McSweeney Labour Party.

Its possible that regaining the Whip means that the door to Labour’s Broad Church (where as Ralph Miliband noted, the left were allowed to sit in the pews at the back provided they didn’t make too much noise) is slightly ajar. However the Labour bureaucracy, the officials who run things, will still have many Starmerites in place. Further Andy Burnham has recruited some Labour Together types for central roles.

How this plays out depends a lot more on what happens outside of Parliament than in it, pressure from without as the Victorians called it.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/30/diane-abbott-and-joani-reid-readmitted-as-labour-mps?CMP=share_btn_url

The picture above is from the Hundred game between Southern Brave and Birmingham Phoenix at the Utilita Bowl on Thursday evening.

Its from the final innings of the Men’s match at around 20.30hrs.

There is a decent crowd but it is far from a sell out.

The Hundred Mk2 is a franchised operation and the era of complimentary tickets and freebies that were allegedly part of the Hundred Mk1 has gone. Plus for most venues the prices have increased.

England player Ben Duckett has pondered why the games have empty seats. Michael Atherton writing in The Times (30th July) has noted that the Hundred teams mostly lack a local connection now. They are really exhibition games with some world class players. But does anyone really care that much who wins the games?

From the Five Ways Inn, Cannock, that sells draught Bass

A reminder of the imperial heritage of Bass from just before World War One

British imperial power is largely minus an Empire now (but not wars) in 2026. Fortunately Bass is still with us

Historically the price of beer (according to type and quality) was determined by an Assize of Ale a legal process whereby beer was tasted and an appropriate price determined allowing the brewer and the publican to make a fair or normal profit.

In the 2020s the market rules in terms of price unregulated (although VAT and duty are forms of regulation).

Carling (aka Molson Coors) have announced that the strength of its ordinary lager will be reduced from 4% to 3.4% from October. This appears to apply to supermarkets and off sales. Carling Black label which is perhaps more likely to be found in pubs remains at 4.7%. The move will save Molsons money as lower duty is paid at 3.4%. The price will of course not be cut.

Meanwhile Wetherspoons have hiked some beer prices. Spoons pricing policy is arguably a bit of a mystery (tho not one hopes to Spoons HQ) but of course related to overheads in particular pubs and the market in specific areas. Prices on real ales have increased by 10p-ish this week. In the Spoons I occasionally visit that means £2.40 a pint.

Of course this is low compared to other pubs but Spoons has 800 and when it comes to many of the cask beers the only significant outlet, thanks to Big Beer’s strangehold on bartops.

I’m taking a couple of days off so I was able to enjoy a well kept pint of Thornbridge Jaipur at lunchtime (one only btw) which was £2.69- the beer invariably selling at a slightly higher price but still far cheaper than will be found elsewhere.

Spoons has issued a number of profit warnings recently but it is not losing money. These are about trading come in a bit below analysts expectations. These are the people who determine market sentiment and hence the Spoons share price.

The Assize of Ale was more democratic.

The Met Police has decided to take no action over a picture which Green Party leader Zack Polanski inadvertently shared and almost immediately deleted. The matter was referred to Avon and Somerset police who found that the image of a T Shirt was ‘satirical’ and also determined to take no action

Farage and BSer in chief Yusuf have produced a lot of hot air on the matter in the last couple of days. However despite their claims to stand up for British traditions they have clearly never heard of Swift or Hogarth or in the modern era Private Eye.

Not all humour is funny haha but making a political point through satire is a well established feature of British political life.

While Nigel Farage no doubt finds Jim Davidson funny there are other forms of humour even if they are beyond his conception.

No further action against Zack Polanski over guillotine re-post, police say – BBC News

Bill Oddie who has died at 85 was well known as a comedian and a birder. He was also a man of political principle, a committed anti-fascist. Unfortunately his Obituaries have missed this aspect of his life.