History in the party of Enoch Powell
• We're still the nasty party, says the Tory thinker Nick Boles. And yet interesting things are happening. Here's a turn-up. MEP Syed Kamall has been elected leader of the Tories in Europe. Thus the party of Enoch Powell and Margaret "swamped by aliens" Thatcher, has what is believed to be its first nationally significant elected leader of colour. Kamall is London born but of Guyanese descent, which again raises the issue of the stranglehold that small country seems to have on the social and political life of Britain as lived by visible minorities: David Lammy, Baroness Amos, Lord Waheed Alli, Trevor Phillips, Mike Phillips. Academics and other observers occasionally talk of a Guyanese mafia. In 2007, with other lesser lights, they got their own Who's Who. Will Kamall be allowed to join the grouping? Will he want to?
• Probably not. For being a certain sort of Tory, Kamal says nowt on his website about ethnicity or ancestral journey. This is par for the course in the party that looks askance at anything that might be described as identity politics. But he would also be an awkward fit because the Guyanese mafia's axis leans left, whereas Kamall is what Thatcherites would have described as dry as dust. Something for PM Dave to think about here. Not that Kamall is any threat to him domestically. But what appears to have propelled the new man to victory in Europe is his robust Euroscepticism. "Syed's victory is certainly a move to a more sceptical position," noted ConservativeHome yesterday. And the man himself said: "I am determined that people will hear loud and clear our message of reform in Europe, of a new relationship with the EU and of giving the British people the right to accept or reject it in a referendum." So he may be breaking new ground. But he may not embrace the mafiosi or please PM Dave.
• Still, quite a week for the Tories as Graham Stuart, honourable member for Beverley and Holderness, becomes the first backbencher to declare war. The enemy: Royal Mail. Stuart has produced stickers that constituents can use to send mail addressed to Humberside (instead of East Yorkshire) back from whence it came. "Residents, community leaders and MPs have repeatedly requested the removal of North Humberside from the Royal Mail databases but they have stubbornly and unreasonably refused," he told the Hull Daily Mail. His geographically correct sticker says: "I don't live in Humberside! It's East Yorkshire! Tell Royal Mail to stop using Humberside! Return to sender." Already Mail bosses seem to be suing for peace. But then the appetite for war isn't what it was.
• Even with best-laid plans, the timing can be wrong. And so, as the Rev Paul Flowers faced the spotlight and allegations in the Mail on Sunday that he used and purchased crystal meth, the Methodist Youth Assembly – the nascent flower of the movement – assembled in Shropshire to consider the movement's future. They elected Megan Thomas as youth president designate. "We can be an example," she says. Admirably stoic and quite the way forward. Keep calm and carry on.
• Finally, irksome to provide any support to Simon Cowell and his thesis that one can be useless at school and save the brilliance, or good fortune, for later. But the concept seems to find some echo in the life of Arthur Ransome. The acclaimed writer's time at Rugby was in no way distinguished. He won no prizes and didn't feature in any of the teams. "Hardly auspicious," says Julian Lovelock, pro vice-chancellor at the University of Buckingham, who is writing a book about him. "Entered for a scholarship by his demanding father, he failed miserably, not even ranking in the top 100 candidates." Perhaps this is why the battle to mark his time at Rugby with a plaque has dragged on for more than two years. Still, on Thursday, after much banner-waving by the Arthur Ransome Society, the plaque will finally appear in the main library at Rugby. The Swallows and Amazons series, a CBE, a society in his honour with members around the world – not to mention his career with the Guardian. That's a life. Let's just say he paced himself.
Twitter: @hugh_muir
Hugh Muirtheguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 3 days ago.
• We're still the nasty party, says the Tory thinker Nick Boles. And yet interesting things are happening. Here's a turn-up. MEP Syed Kamall has been elected leader of the Tories in Europe. Thus the party of Enoch Powell and Margaret "swamped by aliens" Thatcher, has what is believed to be its first nationally significant elected leader of colour. Kamall is London born but of Guyanese descent, which again raises the issue of the stranglehold that small country seems to have on the social and political life of Britain as lived by visible minorities: David Lammy, Baroness Amos, Lord Waheed Alli, Trevor Phillips, Mike Phillips. Academics and other observers occasionally talk of a Guyanese mafia. In 2007, with other lesser lights, they got their own Who's Who. Will Kamall be allowed to join the grouping? Will he want to?
• Probably not. For being a certain sort of Tory, Kamal says nowt on his website about ethnicity or ancestral journey. This is par for the course in the party that looks askance at anything that might be described as identity politics. But he would also be an awkward fit because the Guyanese mafia's axis leans left, whereas Kamall is what Thatcherites would have described as dry as dust. Something for PM Dave to think about here. Not that Kamall is any threat to him domestically. But what appears to have propelled the new man to victory in Europe is his robust Euroscepticism. "Syed's victory is certainly a move to a more sceptical position," noted ConservativeHome yesterday. And the man himself said: "I am determined that people will hear loud and clear our message of reform in Europe, of a new relationship with the EU and of giving the British people the right to accept or reject it in a referendum." So he may be breaking new ground. But he may not embrace the mafiosi or please PM Dave.
• Still, quite a week for the Tories as Graham Stuart, honourable member for Beverley and Holderness, becomes the first backbencher to declare war. The enemy: Royal Mail. Stuart has produced stickers that constituents can use to send mail addressed to Humberside (instead of East Yorkshire) back from whence it came. "Residents, community leaders and MPs have repeatedly requested the removal of North Humberside from the Royal Mail databases but they have stubbornly and unreasonably refused," he told the Hull Daily Mail. His geographically correct sticker says: "I don't live in Humberside! It's East Yorkshire! Tell Royal Mail to stop using Humberside! Return to sender." Already Mail bosses seem to be suing for peace. But then the appetite for war isn't what it was.
• Even with best-laid plans, the timing can be wrong. And so, as the Rev Paul Flowers faced the spotlight and allegations in the Mail on Sunday that he used and purchased crystal meth, the Methodist Youth Assembly – the nascent flower of the movement – assembled in Shropshire to consider the movement's future. They elected Megan Thomas as youth president designate. "We can be an example," she says. Admirably stoic and quite the way forward. Keep calm and carry on.
• Finally, irksome to provide any support to Simon Cowell and his thesis that one can be useless at school and save the brilliance, or good fortune, for later. But the concept seems to find some echo in the life of Arthur Ransome. The acclaimed writer's time at Rugby was in no way distinguished. He won no prizes and didn't feature in any of the teams. "Hardly auspicious," says Julian Lovelock, pro vice-chancellor at the University of Buckingham, who is writing a book about him. "Entered for a scholarship by his demanding father, he failed miserably, not even ranking in the top 100 candidates." Perhaps this is why the battle to mark his time at Rugby with a plaque has dragged on for more than two years. Still, on Thursday, after much banner-waving by the Arthur Ransome Society, the plaque will finally appear in the main library at Rugby. The Swallows and Amazons series, a CBE, a society in his honour with members around the world – not to mention his career with the Guardian. That's a life. Let's just say he paced himself.
Twitter: @hugh_muir
Hugh Muirtheguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Reported by guardian.co.uk 3 days ago.