Blog 2023 Malcolm Blair-Robinson

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Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy and right hand man, flew to Scotland on a mysterious peace mission in 1941, which has never been convincingly explained, to meet unidentified politicians who wanted to end the war. The truth has been covered up for generations because to reveal it would somehow undermine the honour and constitutional fabric of the United Kingdom. Who was plotting against Churchill? What were the peace terms on offer? What happened to Hess? Was he killed in the War? Was the prisoner in Spandau a double?
There are many questions to which in the modern day one man, Saul Benedict has all the answers, because his parents were players in the drama involving Churchill, Hitler, leading politicians and an important Royal. Saul is an author and declares his intention to write a book to reveal all, but he is shot dead, apparently accidentally by a poacher. But was it an accident? Rick Coleman an investigative journalist determines to find out and in doing so to uncover the mystery.
Taking place in the modern day but with flashback chapters which gradually unfold the hidden secrets, the novel is a fast moving and compelling read based on the family knowledge of the author whose parents had connections to both Hess and Hitler and to British Intelligence.  

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Long ago this blog said there could be no peace in Syria without engaging Russia and Iran. At last this is now happening. Unfortunately there remains a gap between the two sides (who agree in principle on a good deal and enough to build a political settlement) over the future of Assad. The West supports the tribal view held by many Arab states that his departure is a condition of progress. Russia and Iran have a more pragmatic approach driven by the priority of not allowing the State of Syria to collapse. They see too many failed states in chaos for that to be allowed. Assad must therefore remain until political negotiation brings a settlement. Then he can go.

It should be possible to bridge this gap somehow. It is not a question of Assad staying on; rather for how long he remains the titular head of the country. In practical terms much of his authority is now with Russia and Iran.  The West and its Arab allies may choose to disagree with both, but Assad is in no position to disagree with either.

Set in the mid nineteen nineties, this fast moving thriller lifts the curtain on sex, sleaze and corruption in high places as the long reign of the government totters to an end, following the ousting of the iconic Margaret Thatcher. The novel catches the mood of those times with a host of fictional characters who engage in political intrigue, sex, money laundering and murder, pursued by an Irish investigative journalist and his girlfriend, the daughter of a cabinet minister found dead in a hotel room after bondage sex.

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Many feel the fact that you can amend and develop the UK constitution simply by precedence or whim is a plus. The fact that the constitution is the property of government and not of the people, who do not have to be consulted about changes, is far from democratic. In fact it is closer to dictatorship than democracy and is kept that way by a political class which is establishment based and keener on its own survival than the welfare of the people it purports to serve.

It is therefore only fitting that every now and again it backfires and scuppers a government’s intentions. This is what has just happened. The smarting Tories complain that it is because they have no majority in the Lords. By most modern standards of democracy they do not have one in the Commons either. They have a majority of twelve on 37% of the votes cast and 24% of the registered electorate. Nowhere else in Europe would this be tolerated. Maybe that is why a good number of them want to leave.

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So the Lords had their say and in spite of threats about constitutional crises inflicted not one, but two, defeats on the government. Politics is a curious occupation. Last week Osborne’s star was the brightest in the political firmament. Now it has all gone wrong. And it is entirely his fault for being too cocky. So are tax credits his poll tax? Probably not, but there is no doubting the colourful spin off. Boris looks a lot less like a busted flush today than he did at the same point last week.

At the time of writing this post the outcome of what is said to be a constitutional drama is uncertain. What is certain however is the nonsense being talked about the constitution itself. This is because although we do not have one, it is indeed the case that there is a convention, not a codified item in an approved democratic constitution, which says that Commons is in charge of the money and will not be challenged on financial legislation by the Lords. However the crafty little people in the Tory government’s legislative wing knew that this item about tax credits would be contentious when the figures became truly revealed, so they lifted it out of the finance bill and used some other form of statutory instrument that requires less discussion and debate. Thus it arrives in the Lords without its bullet proof vest. And many of their Lordships and especially their Ladyships, have decided to take pots shots at it.

Well we shall have to see what happens. It could be rather fun were it not for the anguish of those unfortunate people on lower incomes whose modest standards will be further reduced by what is a wise measure in principle, but administered with that mean streak in the nasty party which, though it has moved to the left, has not gone away; especially not now that it has Power. To be mean and nasty and everything.

Set in the mid nineteen nineties, this fast moving thriller lifts the curtain on sex, sleaze and corruption in high places as the long reign of the government totters to an end, following the ousting of the iconic Margaret Thatcher. The novel catches the mood of those times with a host of fictional characters who engage in political intrigue, sex, money laundering and murder, pursued by an Irish investigative journalist and his girlfriend, the daughter of a cabinet minister found dead in a hotel room after bondage sex.

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The heart of New Labour, now somewhat old hat, is gripped with fear, least Momentum demand a re-selection regime to be adopted by the party leading to many right wingers being kicked out of safe parliamentary seats. Momentum enthusiasts deny they are even contemplating such a divisive plan.

This blog thinks it should be mandatory under election law for all candidates of all parties to be competitively re-selected before being formally re-adopted as official party candidates before every general election. Times change, centres of gravity shift and opinions alter. Parliament should reflect the contemporary view of the people who are current members of the various parties. The problem for the Labour Party in parliament is that only a few MPs reflect the aspirations of current party members. New Labour loyalists, many of whom are now to the right of the left wing of the Tories, know that if they had to go through a re-selection process, few would be chosen. That is democracy.

This blog backs the UK’s new foreign policy 100%. Yes of course there are things about the way China is run which we do not like and no doubt the reverse is also true. But this brave foreign policy initiative, the first by the UK on an historic scale for fifty years or more, which is independent of the United States, is based upon a much older theme and one which drove the creation of the Empire. The theme is not ideological confrontation. It self interest founded on trade and economic development. It is a foreign policy driven by the treasury rather than the defence ministry. If Osborne, Cameron and Hammond can build a special relationship with China it will not only open up new economic prospects, but it will also redefine the nature of the UK as a world power.

America has always followed a policy of confrontation and challenge, even with the UK, from whom it bust apart by force of arms. Britain is a much smaller country and it had to carve its place in the world by making friends and influencing people through trade and mutual interest. This brought about a great empire. When that faded, we were too inclined to cling to America as our source of strength. Without deserting our American family, we can help ourselves a good deal by branching out. In the end we will be more use to America that way.