Kmflett's Blog

Origins of the Present Crisis? Perry Anderson on David Edgerton’s analysis of the modern British State

Perry Anderson, veteran New Left Reviewer, has written an important assessment of David Edgerton’s recent The Rise and the Fall of the British Nation (New Left Review Nov/Dec 2021).

The piece is paywalled but I’ve extracted the penultimate paragraph below which gives a flavour of the differences between Andersons and Edgerton’s view of the British State in 2021. Anderson whatever his previous views is no fan of the neo-liberal EU these days. Edgerton is no fan of Brexit, which is not to say he is fan of the current British State either. Anderson’s underlying point is that while he and the NLR have had a clear analysis of the British State, as an historian Edgerton doesn’t seem to have an overarching perspective, a benchmark against which to judge developments and changes.

Edgerton’s view is that the British economy declined up to 1945 to be revitalised by the national project of Labour after that date into the 1970s at which point a Thatcherite emphasis on financial services over industry may have led to prosperity (for some) but wrecked the UK industrial base.

Anderson by contrast returns to his analysis (with Tom Nairn) first developed in argument with E P Thompson in the 1960s in New Left Review, that the British imperial State and its priorities, Ukania as he calls it, remains much as it has been. It’s the only European power not to be invaded by another country and retains a perspective on Nation and State that requires things like (unusable independently) nuclear weapons and imperial military adventures.

Commenting briefly on twitter Alex Callinicos has noted that the move towards the finance State and the City of London, not central to Anderson’s historical analysis, relates to much wider forces of capitalist development than an EU/Brexit discussion or to the policies of Mrs Thatcher.

Historically it may be too early to say whose analysis is really the most helpful in the key task- getting rid of UK capitalism altogether. Suffice to say Anderson is right that Edgerton offers many very sharp insights into modern British history and Anderson’s critique makes effective points as well.

What Anderson may not know but I certainly took from discussions with Edgerton is that he is sympathetic to many of the points E P Thompson made, perhaps for example in his Peculiarities of the English…

In 2019 the Conservative sweep across working-class districts of the North and Midlands under the slogan of Get Brexit Done also made it clear that powerful other discontents were at work in rejection of the eu at the polls, of which neither Rise and Fall nor Edgerton’s subsequent writing take account, since these pay no heed to the eu and its bearing on the uk itself. Obvious here, and articulated from the very outset of British candidacy to the Common Market, are the facts that unlike any other major state in Europe, Britain was never defeated or occupied by a foreign power in the twentieth century, so possessed of a much stronger sense of inviolate external sovereignty; that its legislature claims an age-long degree of internal sovereignty, limited by no other authority than its own, unknown anywhere else in the world; and that the European Union had by the twenty-first century become, in the operation of its Commission and the confabulations of its Council, a force openly over-riding the will of any democratic legislature within the zone of the single currency, should it breach budgetary or other diktats of Brussels, and regularly forcing the reversal of any popular consultation whose outcome was to its displeasure. That the tension between these two utterly contrasted systems of political decision-making was combustible was not a sudden revelation of 2016. It was long apparent, and the evolution of the eu post-Maastricht made it steadily more so. Brexit was many things. But one of them, and not the least salient, was a demonstration that, wretched though Ukanian democracy with its first-past-the-post and other fetters may be, it is less oligarchic in its structure than the European Union, and when push came to shove, was capable of resisting pressures, invincible everywhere else in Europe, to reverse the popular will as elite opinion—national and continental—demanded.

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release 23^rd December

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

Beard Liberation Front sends Xmas message to the hirsute: get vaccinated & wear a mask

The Beard Liberation Front has sent a Christmas message to the hirsute. It has underlined earlier calls for people to get vaccinated and to wear a mask. Unless in a medical setting there is no need to trim or shave the beard.

Pre-Christmas calls, at the moment in America, have once again been made by pogonophobes demanding that beard wearers must shave to wear a mask. This is simply prejudice and can be safely ignored

At the start of the first UK lockdown in March 2020 the Beard Liberation Front made it clear that if medical quality masks needed to be worn in a medical setting and the beard was getting in the way, then the beard ,temporarily, needed to go.

There are clear exceptions for those who wear a beard for religious and health reasons where compromises may well be possible.

In general however the requirement is to wear a mask over the beard in enclosed spaces such as shops and transport.

The key points are firstly that the mask is worn (unless there is an exception as noted above)and that this covers both the mouth and the nose.

Various theorists have suggested that medical masks should be worn by all or that people should wear more than one mask. The BLF focus has remained on encouraging the hirsute to wear a mask and to do so properly.

How much this reduces the possibility of infection is debated but there are a few who doubt that it does.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we hope all beard wearers will have a happy festive season. We continue to underline the importance of getting vaccinated and wearing a mask while also combatting regular waves of anti-beard prejudice.

Some myths debunked

1] Beards do not harbour bacteria or disease, any more than any other part of the body

2) Beards do not protect against COVID-19. Wear a mask (and get vaccinated when it’s your turn)

3] The US CDC chart circulated in March 2020 does not relate to COVID-19.

Joe Strummer 21.8.52- 22.12-02: London Calling

Joe Strummer died 19 years ago this week

Two years ago there was a free, exhibition at the Museum of London (at the Barbican) which marked the 20th anniversary of the release of the Clash’s double album London Calling.

In May 1979 Thatcher had been elected for the first time (majority 40) and the year ended with what was the Clash’s riposte. Anti-racist, anti-authoritarian, pro-rebel. The music and the words went together as did the cover art for the LP.

One thing that struck me visiting the exhibition two years ago this week was that London Calling is one of the ultimate London records. Of course the Clash, Westway to the World, were West Londoners. London Calling though was recorded at studios in Pimlico (off the Vauxhall Bridge Rd) and Highbury New Park in Islington.

The culture of those areas then as now was anti-Tory anti-racist and up for a fightback. The Clash got all that in a record and listening to songs like London Calling or Clampdown again now the relevance sings out. London 1979 but perhaps even more London 2021.

A pity Joe Strummer is no longer around to write a response to Boris Johnson’s 2021 but we do have London Calling.

Dickens, Pecksniff, Karl Marx and Boris Johnson

I was reminded about the links between Charles Dickens and Marx by an interesting piece in the Morning Star

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/christmas-carol-and-communist-manifesto

In particular the character of Pecksniff from Martin Chuzzlewit interests. Dickens novel was being serialised at exactly the same time as a Christmas Carol was published in 1843. Scrooge like Pecksniff is one of the great Dickensian figures. Scrooge is a neo-liberal miser who acts the part. Pecksniff is actually that different except that he acts, very differently, as a well-meaning person of benevolence.

Scrooge is a hypocrite because there is real reason for his miserly attitude but it is at least upfront.

The term Pecksniffian is apparently regarded as an insult in the House of Commons and one can understand why.

Marx was aware of the character and had probably read Dickens. In an article (April 30^th 1853) on Gladstone’s Budget he referred to how the then Chancellor had played to the Pecksniffian character of MPs by claiming that his decision to increase taxes was a ‘just’ one designed to achieve equality. Marx went on to demonstrate that this was of course very far from the truth and in fact an exercise in hypocrisy.

Competition amongst current members of the House of Commons for the label of Pecksniffian is surely intense but Boris Johnson must lead the pack, claiming that he is acting for the best while doing deliberately precisely the opposite.

Jenny Marx’s Christmas Pudding recipe, December 1867

Yesterday evening we were all at home together sitting downstairs, which in English houses is the kitchen area from which all ‘CREATURE COMFORTS’ make their way up to the higher regions, and were busy preparing the CHRISTMAS PUDDING with all due thoroughness. We were seeding raisins (a most disagreeable and sticky task), chopping up almonds and orange and lemon peel, minutely shredding suet, and with eggs and flour kneading together the oddest potpourri from the whole mishmash;

Jenny Marx to Kugelmann 24th Dec 1867

Its not recorded what Karl Marx thought of it, or if he preferred stollen…

Brewdog draws a line under ‘culture’ issues; still doesn’t recognise a union

BrewDog has admitted ‘mistakes’ after a review by Chairman Alan Leighton and deputy Blythe Jack. It will, it says, learn from them. The review did not support points made earlier by ex-Brewdog workers about the culture of the Scottish brewer

1400 staff and ex-staff were interviewed on line or in person Brewdog says.

Its not clear what mistakes the company thinks it made or what specifically it plans to do about them but it has announced a pay rise for workers, employed more of them and set up an ethics hotline

 Whether any of this amounts to any more than window dressing is not clear because there is no independent scrutiny of what questions were asked in interviews or what the responses were. Obviously this would be in summary only, individual responses are rightly protected.

There is still no mention of recognising a trade union which would be the one thing that could provide some confidence that Brewdog genuinely does want to change rather than just keep on saying it does. The ‘Employee Representative Group’ Brewdog talk of is a familiar but usually ineffective anti-union device. It is not a way for worker concerns to be raised and dealt with at the top. It is away for the top of the company to transmit its views to workers in a way that apparently includes them but actually gives them no genuine voice at all

Brewdog statement:

Beard Liberation Front

Media release 21^st December

Contact  BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

Four in Final Follicle Fight for Beard of the Year 2021

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the Final Follicle Fight poll for the coveted Beard of the Year award is now closed.

The Electoral College meets on 26th December to review the results and the winner will be announced on 28th December

Two Beard Off rounds saw current joint holder Michael Rosen, Moeen Ali, Richard Osman and Benjamin Zephaniah through to the final

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Beard of the Year is the hairiest and most hotly anticipated event of the beard wearers year. Ultimately it’s all down to hirsute democracy and the voters. When it came to the Final Follicle Fight hairs were bound to be split. The result will be revealed on Tuesday

Beard of Year 2021 short list

Michael Rosen Beard of Spring/Autumn 2021

Jimmy Wales Beard of Winter2021

Richard Osman Beard of Summer 2021

Gareth Southgate Hirsute Personality 2021

Moeen Ali, England cricketer

Benjamin Zephaniah, poet.

Billy Bragg, musician

Daniel Norcross, Test Match Special broadcaster

Final Beard Off rounds from Dec 15

Beard Off Round One Dec 15-Dec 17

Beard Off Round Two Dec 18-Dec 20

Follicle Fight Final Dec 21-Dec 24

The winner is announced on December 28th

Winter Solstice heralds start of seasonal beard growth

Beard Liberation Front

21st December

Winter Solstice heralds start of seasonal beard growth

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that the Winter Solstice on 21st December, the shortest day, is also the start of the traditional winter beard growing season.

A beard started on the Winter Solstice is traditionally left untrimmed until Twelfth Night.

The Solstice is traditionally marked by Druids at Stonehenge, often with significant facial hair on display, at the first sunrise of the Solstice, which is on 22^nd December

The day is traditionally one of celebration for beard wearers who take the chance to toast their hirsuteness with an appropriate beverage.

BLF organiser Keith Flett said, December 21st marks the start of the beard growing season. The reality is that at this time of year it is simply too dark in the morning to shave

On drinking at work(London Office culture 1970s-2020s)

Much has been made of the photo of Johnson and others drinking wine in a Downing St garden on 15^th May 2020 and now of the BYOB party on 20th May. If it was socialising it was breaking the then lockdown law. If as the Tories claim they were work meetings perhaps it wasn’t. Sue Grey, a civil servant, is investigating.

There are also reports of parties at Downing St in April 2021 days before the funeral of Prince Philip. I doubt the two were related and those of us who are not fans of the monarchy were,it may be recalled, keen to keep mourning within reasonable limits. In addition it may also be recalled that necessary as the early 2021 lockdown was until vaccines could be rolled out it probably went on too long and too restrictively with tiered restrictions and lengthy periods between changes.

That brings us back to two key points. Firstly whatever was thought about the early 2021 lockdown it was the law and you wouldnt expect it to be broken (and the police to ignore it) at Downing St. Secondly the idea of a party at the workplace itself is out of time as I explain below.

As a management veteran of central London office culture I’d say that in 2020 it seems unlikely that alcohol was consumed at a work meeting. That practice for a variety of reasons has long gone. Firstly because its not inclusive. Lots of people don’t drink and don’t want to be in a drinking environment. Offices are no longer the preserve of clean shaven white men in suits (alright I was never clean shaven and never wore a suit myself..) Secondly if you are actually doing serious work drinking does not help.

In short things have changed. I started office work in 1979 (for the same employer I’m still working for). My early managerial years were spent at the old HQ of the (then) London telephone region, 87 Albert Embankment SE1. There was a bar on the 11^th floor that opened between 12-2 should one feel like a lunchtime pint or two. In the days before the interwebs and mobiles while you definitely had to attend the office to prove you were working you didn’t have to stay there. Placing the jacket on the back of the chair and leaving some papers on the desk was sufficient. Hence many afternoons were spent in the pub. If anything that serious came up a clerical messenger was despatched from the office to find you.

The senior manager I worked to in those days was a friend of John Young owner of Youngs Brewery and from time to time a cask of Youngs would be tapped in the office to mark some occasion or other.

I cant place exactly when the tradition of office drinking stopped (for the reasons mentioned above) in London (it was certainly later elsewhere) but I think as the older wartime generation who were the mainstays of it retired. By the later 1990s it had gone.

That doesn’t mean to say that workplace drinking in the environs of the office not in it doesn’t still go on, but its definitively after work and given working hours in central London offices(when people are there) that might mean 6pm or after. Drinking in the office, at least outside of some official function (and even then increasingly rare) might be a disciplinary offence in many large offices.

Of course it might be argued that the Tories and Tory culture is stuck in the 1950s and so work drinking may still survive. If so they are even worse than I thought….

‘Tougher’ COVID measures? Yes: starting with furlough, income protection & living wage sick pay

The media and social media are full of people demanding ‘tougher’ action on COVID. Broadly I agree although very careful thought needs to be given on the impact on the vaccination programme (such people rarely mention the need to get vaccinated)and an eye kept on figures on those in hospital and deaths- with a keen sense this is not just statistics but people with loved ones and friends.

Yet almost never in the calls for tougher action on COVID are demands for furlough and income protection and decent sick pay heard. The current situation is already leading to people often in casual or zero hours work finding themselves with significant income loss. Equally if they do get sick and have work they may just carry on because sick pay is £96 a week.

One reason one suspects why more COVID measures have not appeared is because the Government wont pay the cost to protect workers from near winter destitution in many cases. Being realistic one suspects that many of the calls for toughness come not just from those who will for various reasons suffer little or no impact but also because this is a world of which they have no conception.

Understanding that restrictions, income protection and good sick pay go together is what radicals in the 1830s called really useful knowledge. It’s something trade unions and the Labour Party need to press much harder on in the days and weeks to come.