Kmflett's Blog

The Ambridge Socialist

30th April

Kenton Archer (grandson of Clem Attlee) takes appropriate tone on Coronation

Ambridge is gearing up for the Coronation and of course Eurovision. Justin who in an earlier plan was going to fund a Eurovision Big Screen tried to switch to a plan to light up an Ambridge landmark to mark Charlie’s Big Day. Lower Loxley, The Bull and St Stephens appear to be contenders, although the Ambridge Socialist would choose Grundy’s Cider Barn.

Kenton, appropriately given his alter ego’s family background has taken a rather irreverent attitude to the Coronation and Charles.

As previously flagged the Ambridge Socialist will be holding a Roll on the Red Republic event on the Village Green on May 6th

Victory on slavery painting

After Daveed spoke to Elizabeth and reminded her about modern slavery in Ambridge the Lower Loxley slavery painting has been taken down and put into store. A good step forward but reparations are still due.

Eurovision and cheese

The Ambridge Socialist was fully behind the plan to mark Eurovision with cheese from the competing countries. However the new dream team of Paul and Lynda persuaded Justin in a masterclass of negotiation that he should stick to his previous agreement to fund Eurovision at The Bull with a big screen, glitter ball etc

In Other News

Ambridge has gone Woke as Chelsea will be a gender neutral Bride Attendant at Tracey and Jazzer’s Wedding. The Ambridge Socialist applauds the move

30th April 1978: Rocking Against Racism in Victoria Park East London. Still relevant

45 years ago today a march made its (lengthy way) from Trafalgar Square via Bethnal Green Rd to Victoria Park in East London to protest against racism and fascism and in particular the National Front.

It probably wouldn’t be the route you’d take today designed as it was to confront the (considerable) support for the Front in Tower Hamlets and Hackney with a mass show of anti-racist strength. Of course there are still racists in East London but not so many currently.

In those days my preferred footwear were Doc Martens and leaving the house you’d always be on the look-out for a Fronter coming the other way. Eventually I moved to a (then) obscure part of Tottenham to feel safer but even now there is a bullet hole in the (fortunately double glazed) front window to mark where a passing fascist took a pot shot.

The Victoria Park Carnival marked what Victor Serge might have called the ‘birth of our power’. We didn’t expect 100,000 and while the Front had been physically confronted at Wood Green and Lewisham in 1978 mass mobilisation proved an effective way to marginalise them.

Building the Carnival required a lot of work on the ground. No social media or mobiles then. It required mass flyposting and leafleting often in areas where the Front had support.

The paper mache heads of fascist leaders Tyndall and Webster that accompanied the march were designed by Fluck and Law (of Spitting Image). The posters were by the late David King.

Thousands of people (myself included) marched six miles from Trafalgar Square to Victoria Park where yet more thousands had gathered to hear X Ray Spex, Steel Pulse, Tom Robinson and the Clash.

It’s part of history now, but also part of our present as the fight against racism and fascism continues, as does the celebration of our music and our culture-the kind the Tories & unfortunately many currently at the top of the Labour Party have never heard of.

 Marx & Engels & Hedgehogs

It is something that has been noted before but perhaps too little remarked upon in recent times. I refer of course to the relationship between Marx and Engels and hedgehogs.

It is not known if the Marx household had a hedgehog but Engels, living with Lizzie Burns in Manchester, certainly did. In Victorian times hedgehogs were associated with a clean house as they ate insects such as black beetles.

Volume 43 of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels (Letters 1868-1870) has an exchange between the two on hedgehogs

Writing to Marx 10^th April 1868 Engels noted that he had a death to announce,  ‘the poor hedgehog at a round hole in his blanket, put his head through it, and got so stuck in that he was found yesterday morning. Peace to his ashes and BETTER LUCK TO THE NEXT ONE

Engels reported below that he had been celebrating Paul and Laura Lafargue’s wedding with ‘the dogs’, a tea party for six children and a punch bowl for the adults. The  ‘poor hedgehog was made drunk for the last time’

Marx responded to Engels on 11^th April 1868 D’Abord, the general condolations, about the departed RIGHT HONOURABLE HEDGEHOG

This rather begs the question as to whether the hedgehogs Megan and myself see in the garden are Marxists. Since they are known to travel around up to two miles at night, one wonders what Suella Braverman is doing about it

These boots are made for walking. Braverman to ban ‘slow walking’ protests

Just Stop Oil protesters carried out slow walking protests in various parts of London over five days this week.

Suella Braverman, who is on a mission to ban any kind of protest that comes to her attention, has decided to ban slow walking by adding a clause on to the current Public Order Bill. There will of course, Braverman style, be no need for democratic scrutiny or debate.

Reality and Braverman belong in different solar systems but this is law as Culture War.

Firstly much of London already has, quite rightly, 20mph speed limit and getting anywhere that speed is imaginative on many roads. Its doubtful that slow walking protests in roads really makes that much difference.

If it does, and it still remains legitimate protest, there is already a law that can be applied. Indeed the Met Police used Section 12 of the existing Public Order Act to require protesters to move out of the road and on to the pavement this week. On every occasion they complied.

In the meantime while I don’t walk as quickly as I did I still get annoyed by people who meander on pavements, usually looking at their phone. Can’t Braverman pass a law to ban that?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/28/police-powers-ban-slow-walking-traffic-just-stop-oil-protests

The Coronation, the Divine Right of Kings, & the Royal Anointing Screen. Peak Mumbo Jumbo

There will be wall to wall media coverage of the Coronation except for one bit. The King and Queen will be anointed with a special chism and this will be done in private behind a special Anointing Screen.

It is claimed that at this point the King communes with God. King Charles is welcome to do this at any time but the Divine Right of Kings, where monarchs claimed divine guidance for their decisions was abolished on 30^th January 1649 when a period of Parliamentary rule started.

When the monarchy was restored in 1660 it was as a Constitutional Monarchy ruling through Parliament not God.

The Anointing Screen is peak Coronation mumbo jumbo.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/28/anointing-screen-to-be-used-in-king-charles-coronation-revealed

Keith Flett will be speaking on The Coronation, Inventing and Reinventing traditions in the socialist history seminar series at the Institute of Historical Research on Monday 15^th May at 5.30pm

It is free on Zoom but booking is essential at the link below

https://www.history.ac.uk/events/coronation-inventing-and-reinventing-royal-traditions

Richard Sharp, the Tories & the politics of Old Corruption

Richard Sharp, the Chair of the BBC, has, at length resigned. It comes after a report found that he had been less than entirely straightforward about his role in facilitating an £800K loan for Boris Johnson when he was PM.

Sharp was previously Sunak’s boss at Goldman Sachs and has donated £400,000 to the Tories.

One might think that the circumstances of his resignation would mean that he would not be looked at further for such roles. However in response to his resignation Tory Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has written a letter that concludes with precisely the opposite sentiment.

It is the politics of Old Corruption writ large. Before the 1832 Reform Act began the lengthy process of transforming Britain into something like a Parliamentary Democracy, Government positions and titles were handed out not on the basis of merit or ability to do the job but as patronage. Sinecures where friends of those in power were preferred and promoted while others did the actual work abounded.

Beard Liberation Front

28th April

Contact Keith Flett      07803 167266

HIRSUTE PREPARE FOR TRADITIONAL MAY DAY BEARD WAGGLE

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the ancient May Day tradition of Beard Waggling will be revived once again on Monday May 1st as, with the weather set reasonably fair in many areas, the hirsute will celebrate the coming of Spring by waggling their beards

The beard waggle, a traditional British May Day custom, involves shaking the beard vigorously from side to side and in doing so stimulating air currents that can cause objects to levitate slightly.

Waggling the beard when it has become damp due to rain however is problematic. The BLF says that those preparing for a beard waggle need to pay careful attention to the weather forecast over the weekend as some rain is possible.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett, the Beard Waggle is one of the great May Day traditions but it went into decline with the rise of the safety razor. Now with a new culture of beards, the waggle is firmly back and is gaining in popularity each year.

Beard Liberation Front guide on how to train for May Day beard waggling

1] Ensure the beard is supple. This may be done by moistening is slightly with water or, if preferred, craft beer.

2] Choose a suitable location to waggle, preferably in the sun rather than the shade

3] Move the beard vigorously from side to side and then up and down while otherwise standing still. Repeat several times

4] While waggling the traditional chant is, Hail the Beard, Hail Spring

5] Alternatively beard wagglers may simply intone Tories Out, Tories Out

King Charles Coronation stamps unveiled: Tony Benn on removing the Monarch’s head from stamps

The Royal Mail has previously released pictures of the first set of postage stamps to feature King Charles. They featured flowers reflecting his interests in the natural world and gardens. It has now also released a special set of four Coronation Stamps. Probably all concerned could have done without the commendation delivered by current Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson.

 There is however history to the monarch’s head appearing on stamps. When he was Postmaster General in the 1964 Labour Government Tony Benn tried to persuade Queen Elizabeth that not all stamp designs should have the monarch’s head on them. He had a 40 minute with the Queen at Buckingham Palace where he showed her designs. He noted in his Diary for March 1965 (25^th February)that she appeared non-committal but the monarch’s head remains in place!

On 15^th February Benn recorded that he had a breakfast meeting with designer David Gentleman  ‘one of the best stamp designers in the country’ who told Benn that it was impossible to get a ‘decent quality of stamps in this country until the Queen’s head was removed’

Workers Memorial Day: COVID, London bus drivers & Boris Johnson

A plaque was unveiled a few days ago at Braham St in East London to all the London Transport workers who died during the pandemic period.

There is unfinished business here on Workers Memorial Day

Whether or not Boris Johnson did say ‘let the bodies pile up’ before the third national lockdown, this was sadly and disgracefully exactly what happened.

One area was that of London bus drivers who helped keep essential matters running in the Capital during the pandemic.

It was established during the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring and early summer of 2020 that the disease had a differential impact depending on class and ethnicity.

There were more infections and sadly more deaths amongst ethnic minorities. This was briefly highlighted and was occasionally referenced by ONS studies but of course nothing was done by the Johnson Government.

It appears that some ethnic groups are more susceptible to COVID than others but there are many other factors in the mix including social class, occupation, geography and so on.

In 2021 the matter was highlighted again. Unite the Union which represents London bus drivers noted Transport for London figures that 54(October 2021) London bus drivers had died of COVID-19.

Bus driving in London where many key workers use the bus to get to work in London is an occupation where bus drivers in a cab for a lengthy period were more likely than many to be exposed to COVID-19.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56455845

It’s wort keeping in mind that the Government did nothing on raising sick pay to a level where lower paid workers could actually afford to self-isolate and eat. It then cut Universal Credit benefits.

The average salary for a London bus driver varies depending on hours worked but it is a bit above the average wage at around £30K, perhaps about or a little below the London average wage.

Many London workers from supermarket employees to cleaners and security guards earn less. They will often live in shared housing and need to earn a living come what may.

These are the people Boris Johnson didn’t know existed.

Not only they but that reality must be remembered on Workers Memorial Day 2023. And acted on.

On 26th April Home Secretary Suella Braverman appeared in the media talking about Government plans to increase levels of policing they have been cutting since 2010.

Braverman did not make it to the Commons to defend her points but left it to a Ministerial Colleague Chris Philp.Yvette Cooper responded for Labour.

While the continuing debacle of the Met Police suggests there is lot more to the policing crisis than numbers and while I also find Labour’s approach somewhat of the curate’s egg variety at best, Yvette Cooper calling out Braverman for talking waffle on woke was spot on

As for meeting records, well, yes, they are meeting some records: a record number of crimes not being solved; a record number of people saying they never see police on the street; record numbers of police officers leaving policing last year; record low charge rates last year for rape and sexual offences. And then we have got serious violence rising: knife crime up; gun crime up. And of course the fraud and online crime that they never want to talk about is also at a record high. What has the Home Secretary got to say about that this morning—just some more waffle about woke. She has got nothing new to say to tackle the problems.