Kmflett's Blog

The Guardian (November 1990)

I started reading what was still styled in London as the ‘Manchester Guardian’ at the behest of my late father towards the end of the 1960s. By the mid-1970s I was the sixth form student at my Muswell Hill comprehensive school responsible for making sure that the Guardian had arrived in the common room each day. It was read by a whole generation of people some of whom went on to become quite well known..

Anyway I remain a subscriber, and of course as ever the paper has its critics (some of which also as ever is justified).

Here however was an excellent reason to read the paper published on the letters page 30 years ago, on 18th January 1990:

‘The only reason I read the Guardian is because of Keith Flett’s letters’, James Barr, London E12

I had no idea by the way who James Barr was then and still dont. No doubt in the best traditions of the paper he was joking

Beard Liberation Front

21st January

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

The National

The Beard Liberation Front believes that with Burns Night on Saturday it is important to draw attention to the likelihood that the clean shaven image of Rabbie Burns is a construction over many years of pogonophobes,or beard haters. There is a strong possibility that the poet had facial hair for much of the time and this may have influenced his poetry. We believe that Burns Night should be celebrated not just with haggis, neeps and tatties and a dram, but with a beard as well.#

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, let’s face it the clean shaven English Tory culture that wont allow an IndyRef2 has a lot invested in Burns as a clean shaven Establishment man. We say he was a hirsute rebel.

Petition to Save The Bull. Campaign Update. Reject splitter Snell, Sign our petition

The Ambridge Socialist

20th January

Following the controversial decision to change the name of The Bull and potentially its entire character, on which no regular user was consulted, we have set up a petition to demand the name change be stopped and the community- people who actually drink in The Bull- are consulted fully about any future changes.

The petition has gained significant support but more is needed

Lynda Snell whose misguided petition on The Bull has gathered few signatures is now planning a Burns Night Boycott of the pub. The Bull may not notice as Ms Snell and her associates rarely go in but she is trying to lure Bull regulars away. She is a splitter! Keep up the pressure to save The Bull and stop the name change, Dont boycott The Bull, demand it listens to the community

You can sign the real petition here. Please encourage others to do so. The Bull is one of the most iconic and well known of British pubs and its future must be protected

https://www.change.org/p/residents-of-ambridge-and-listeners-to-the-archers-save-the-bull-ambridge?recruiter=45817997&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=c320f9e0-7d09-0130-ecdf-00221964dac8

Never mind the Lords, what about moving the leadership of the labour movement to the ‘provinces’?

While possible plans to move the House of Lords to York have appeared in the media, and there has been discussion on the other side of the class divide about whether the labour movement and in particular the Labour Party is too London focused little attention has been paid to the history.

The left, wondering when it might next be in Office in central London has taken, not for the first time in the last 125 years or so, to wondering whether regional power bases might be a better way forward. Andy Burnham is Mayor of Manchester. Sadiq Khan won a huge mandate as London Mayor and Marvin Rees did the same in Bristol. In Wales Labour continues to run the Welsh Government as a minority administration.

All these positions provide real power with the chance to do things that (one hopes) can make life a little bit better for ordinary people. Not, unfortunately, revolutionary stuff but important.

Scale that up to Westminster and it all gets a lot bigger and a lot harder. If you’ve never had any experience of how to change things even a little bit, how it is done, and what obstacles there are, it can be difficult.

The point about where power in the labour movement has been historically was made by EP Thompson in his 1960 essay Homage to Tom Maguire. Maguire was an ILP activist who died too young.

It appeared in Essays in Labour History, but is quite difficult to come by now (it was recently reprinted in the collection EP Thompson and the Making of the New Left edited by Cal Winslow).

Thompson makes the point that ‘provincial events are seen as shadowy incidents or unaccountable spontaneous upheavals on the periphery of the national scene’. But, Thompson counters ‘the ILP  grew from the bottom up, its origins were in the shadowy parts known as ‘the provinces’.

Thompson was no huge fan of London, but argued that from the 1950s it had irreversibly won out over the provinces in terms of political power. Recent events suugest that this was wrong, Thompson the political activist had fed back into Thompson the historian on the point.

Moreover since 1960 there is an argument that what is known as the ‘Westminster bubble’ means that parts of London itself are now seen as ‘provincial’. The quite regular pieces looking at what goes on in Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North or Tottenham where I’m writing this underline the point

The Royal Family: Last Orders

The decision of Meghan and Harry to step back from Royal duties in the Spring is of course big news in a Royals obsessed media.

There is evidence that racism and media intrusion played a role but these are very privileged and wealthy people.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/19/there-is-a-reason-why-royals-demonised-but-wont-read-all-about-it-prince-harry-meghan-markle?CMP=share_btn_tw

The left, being supporters of democracy and elections, have never been great enthusiasts for unelected rulers, particularly, as many have done historically, when they have claimed a ‘divine right’ to rule.

Yet in Britain republicanism, the idea that there should be an elected Head of State, has been a minority trend if one is to compare it for example to French Republicanism which had a revolution in 1789 to remove the King permanently.

It’s true of course that on 30th January 1649 King Charles 1st lost his head in Whitehall, and a Commonwealth was in place until 1660. At that date the monarchy was restored although the events of 1649 have a place in radical history and thought to this day.

Republicanism in Britain in addition has not always associated been with the left. One need only look at President Trump to understand why in the present moment this might be.

Rather the majority trend on the left has been to have a distaste for the patronage, privilege and forelock tugging that goes with Royalty, but to be clear that politically there are other priorities.

It is this anti-monarchism, identified by Antony Taylor, an academic who has provided perhaps the best modern template for the study of opposition to Royalty, that has been the dominant trend in British republicanism. The monarchy is not liked but it is specific instances of excess and extravagance that are the focus of protest.

It’s this general context that applies to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

There are complications. Harry is of course a child of the late Princess Diana whose life and particularly death, did much to highlight 20 years ago how out of touch with the modern world the Royal Family had become.

Blair tried to fashion Diana as the ‘People’s Princess’ though it is difficult to see any lasting impact of a campaign that made a considerable mark at the time.

Prince Harry noted that Donald Trump would not get an invite to their wedding as a he is a threat to human rights. So far so good but it left us with a wider issue and one that was central at nineteenth century protests at Royal occasions.

These protests centred on what William Cobbett had called ‘Old Corruption’. That is a political culture of deference, patronage and forelock tugging where those who held ultimate power in society- Britain remains a constitutional monarchy not a Parliamentary democracy-do so by virtue of an accident birth rather than on merit or electoral choice.

Royal occasions in the second half of the nineteenth century, when Queen Victoria was on the throne, such as weddings and Jubilees, provoked significant protest.

There were a number of underlying motivations for such protests- not all progressive, there was an element of anti-German xenophobia- but a key one was the cost.

Expenditure on Royal pomp and ceremony was contrasted with the large numbers in society who lived in absolute poverty. The radical Reynolds’s Newspaper became the biggest selling Sunday paper of the time centrally based on virulently attacking the Royal Family and its aristocratic hangers on.

Expenditure on things like the Royal Yacht and the Royal train were particular targets outside of specific ceremonial occasions even at that time.

The departure of Meghan and Harry should be an occasion for last orders on the Royals. They can become private citizens and the taxpayers money can be used for the NHS

The Ambridge Socialist

19th January

Following the controversial decision to change the name of The Bull and potentially its entire character, on which no regular user was consulted, we have set up a petition to demand the name change be stopped and the community- people who actually drink in The Bull- are consulted fully about any future changes.

You can sign the petition here. Please encourage others to do so. The Bull is one of the most iconic and well known of British pubs and its future must be protected

https://www.change.org/p/residents-of-ambridge-and-listeners-to-the-archers-save-the-bull-ambridge?recruiter=45817997&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=c320f9e0-7d09-0130-ecdf-00221964dac8

Port Elizabeth, 19^th January: Yet again on Five Day Test Matches

The Beard Liberation Front banner on display at the Port Elizabeth Test Match

picture: @tmsproducer via @hackneyhaz @marriotti67

The ‘debate’ about whether five day Test Matches are a sustainable format for the future started again at the end of 2019 promoted in part by the former England captain Michael Vaughan who had first raised the issue back in 2017.

The ECB and ICC who run world cricket are apparently due to take a decision in the next couple of years and opinion is divided.

According to the Daily Telegraph back in 2017, the ECB were keen to push for a change to 4 day Test Matches not least it would because the 5^th day of a match is rarely a money spinner. In 2019 Surrey who host sold out Tests at the Oval suggested otherwise:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2017/09/23/exclusive-test-matches-england-cut-five-four-days-ecb-plans/

While appreciating that in a market capitalist society nothing including sport happens without money, if cricket is only about money the best way to address this would be to sell off all First Class cricket grounds and build housing on them.

Perhaps it would be better to have a debate about how long Test Matches should sensibly be in the 2020s, taking into account, results, audiences, schedules and players views and then work it out from there.

You can find a debate on the original issues here:

http://www.thecricketer.com/the-debate-should-tests-be-played-over-four-days-not-five-.aspx

Suffice to say that when the 4^th day of the South Africa v England Test at Port Elizabeth ended with England needing 4 wickets for a potentially series clinching victory on 19^th January, there didn’t seem to be anyone suggesting that the Test should just end in 4 days and be called a draw…

The Ambridge Socialist

All the news of the class struggle in Borsetshire

Telegraph claims hipsters have taken over Ambridge, riots threatened

The Daily Telegraph’s radio correspondent Charlotte Runcie is not happy about events in Ambridge. Comments underneath her own most recent comment reveal that Telegraph readers are angry, about the Archers and everything else.

Runcie begins her most recent piece in the Telegraph thus:

What fresh hell is this? Hipsters have taken over Ambridge and  set their sights on The Bull. In The Archers (Radio 4, Sunday to Friday), Angus the hipster consultant has advised the keen-to-be-hip publican Lilian Bellamy (and slightly less enthusiastic co-owners Kenton and Jolene Archer) that a name change is the way to go to make The Bull appeal to a new demographic of trendy foodies and beer enthusiasts.

Runcie goes on to argue that the proposed change of name for the Bull will lead to rioting in the streets ‘not just of Ambridge, but Felpersham and Penny Hassett too’. We look forward to it although we’re not sure it will be led by Telegraph readers.

The Ambridge Socialist poll

Is there too much negativity in Ambridge?

The employees of Grey Gables have been on a team building day at Spiritual Home. Apparently the hot lentil bake for lunch not did go down well. Kate focused on driving out negativity, but if the negation is negated in Ambridge, what might the synthesis be?

Alistair discovered naked

Due to the never ending building work at the Professors, Alistair has been at Kirsty’s for a bath. Here he was discovered by the ever negative Gavin who for unknown reasons was also lurking in the house, wearing at best a towel. We want an Alistair and Gavin shower scene.

Sit in to Defend *The Bull*

In an unprecedented united initiative with the Archers Anarchists, the Ambridge Socialist is backing a sit-in at The Bull to defend both the pub and its traditional name. We think that the change to the B at Ambridge is just a temporary phase before it becomes Brewdog Ambridge.

We are regular users of The Bull. While we don’t think the beer is up to much and the landlord is useless it is still Ambridge’s local. We don’t support petty bourgeois campaigns such as Lynda Snell’s petition signed mainly by people who are too snooty to ever set foot in the pub.

Details of the sit in will be sent to supporters

Beard Liberation Front

19th January

contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Conor McGregor joins Beard of Winter 2020 vote

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that after his victory over Donald Cerrone in less than a minute in Las Vegas on Saturday night mixed martial arts performer Conor McGregor has joined the Beard of Winter shortlist.

The BLF Beard of Winter panel reviewed whether McGregor should join the poll after the matter was raised on social media by fellow beard wearer Michael Rosen.

The vote for Beard of Winter is now open and will close at midday on 27th January with the result announced on 28th January

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we’re not experts here but it looks like Conor McGregor’s beard had an important role in his Las Vegas victory

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/mixed-martial-arts/51165660

Beard of Winter shortlist

Dominic Sibley, England cricketer

Michael Rosen, author & broadcaster

Guz Khan, comedian & actor

Paul Chowdhry, comedian & actor

Carrick McClean, beard campaigner

Mikel Arteta, football manager

Daniel Vane, brewer

Wayne Rooney, footballer

Prince Harry, ex-Royal

Justin Trudeau, politician

Nuno, football manager

Ben Bellamy, Beard Bard

Mark Wood, England cricketer

Conor McGregor, Mixed Martial Arts performer

On Saturday 18^th January the London Mayor tweeted that as temperatures in the Capital were set to drop below freezing overnight night shelters for rough sleepers were being opened.

The Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted:

Temperatures are expected to drop to zero tonight so we’re opening emergency shelters across London for people sleeping rough. You can help us offer support to rough sleepers by alerting our outreach services through the

@Tell_StreetLink

website or app. #HelpLondonsHomeless

The Mayor’s move was both welcome and a commentary on London’s housing crisis.

In his essay Comers and Goers ( in Dyos, the Victorian City), the late historian Raph Samuel surveyed the seasonal migration of labour into and out of cities in the late Victorian period.

He noted that many came to winter in London, where, depending on the weather, night shelters, strawyards as they were called by those who used them, funded by private charity, opened up each November. The shelters were free and without obligation. People could stay for up to a month and they were heated both with a huge open fire and generally. The largest was at Playhouse Yard Cripplegate. The alternative was the Poor Law funded Casual Ward where a stay was limited to two nights and had to be paid for by a days forced labour.

Samuel lists many other places where people slept rough in London including railway arches and around the main hotels where heat was to be found, but the picture remains disturbingly similar 150 years on. Progress….