There has been a series of articles on Channel Four News on the experiences of ‘The Secret Barrister’ – and of course there is a book of the same name. This illustrates the straight injustice for potentially any one of us when the state refuses to fund adequately our defence – not to mention the… Read more
Category:
Constitution
The UK’s useless ‘constitution’
This, I have shamelessly lifted from the twitter feed of Michael Dougan, Professor of European Law, University of Liverpool and Joint Editor of the Common Market Law Review, because I so agree with what he says – even if I have never been cautious about constitutional reform – Britain has been crying out for it… Read more
Russia report surely represents prima facie Johnson’s Misconduct in Public Office
Or how the Tories have completely broken the already shaky, British democratic system. I was aware some time ago that French television had filmed people in Aaron Banks ‘Go Skippy’ insurance (now prominent in offering European Health Insurance for next year’s holidays, as there’s no opportunity like one you’ve prepared for yourself) ringing people up… Read more
The seven Nolan principles of public life are no substitute for a decent constitution
When in 1994, John Major set up the ‘Committee on Standards in Public Life’, Lord Nolan, former appeal Justice, came up with these seven principles of public life: Selflessness Objectivity Integrity Honesty Accountability Openness Leadership Moreover, the committee is supposed to advise “the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in… Read more
Time to resurrect forgotten vocabulary
I think further explanation – particularly in view of the previous piece – superfluous…… Read more
Prepare for waves – of redundancies for sure and in all probability Covid-19
We seem to have voted in a government that thinks its duties include the right to pillage society and its people. The may not be quite as bad as King John but everyone is definitely supposed to be aware that human worth has its market price. The people are all supposed to be prepared to… Read more
PM Cummings in complete control
Michael Gove has told LBC he has ‘on occasion’ driven to check his eyesight, but the Minister said he was ‘not an authority on driving.’ But he doesn’t believe in experts so why on earth does that matter? Perhaps, driving whilst checking your eyesight – it is of course only a mere suggestion – is… Read more
Lost property: moral compass
I think it appropriate to add this screen shot of a civil service tweet – since. of course, deleted ( I’m told it lasted only ten minutes but got 33,000 retweets) – that went up very soon after Johnson’s lying press conference today, which showed contempt for the rule of law, never mind contempt for… Read more
What is democratic government for?
I thought that the Tax Research idea of a National Wealth Service was inspired. I commented and said exactly that. A ‘National Wealth Service’ sums up both how we pay for it and where it comes from. (I was inspired enough to suggest that the ‘National Wealth Service’ might even be the slogan for the… Read more
Constitutional defence
There is an interesting piece in the London Review of Books by Ferdinand Mount, Mrs Thatcher’s former policy advisor (and another Old Etonian), on Johnson’s government and, what has become a recurring theme on PP, his fascist tendencies. The article suggests: ‘Hobbes told us long ago, and everyone now understands, that there must be a… Read more