Tag Archives: Conservative Party

Winston Churchill’s Political Apprenticeship

Posted on March 25, 2021 by odeboyz

As a Cabinet Minister he had three outstanding qualities: he worked hard, he carried his proposals through Cabinet and Parliament, and he carried his department with him.1 Winston Churchill was Britain’s greatest prime minister. He was a mature politician when … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics, War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why the Conservative Party Treasurer reads obituary columns

Posted on October 15, 2018 by odeboyz

According to the Tory Party’s own accounts last year [2017] it received twice as much in donations from the dead, in the form of legacy payments, as from the living. It lost half of its membership between 2005 and 2013. … Continue reading →

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Toxic elitism in British grammar schools in the 1950s

Posted on August 15, 2017 by odeboyz

” In the sixth form we were divided into subject based groups on a very traditional basis. The academically brilliant were encouraged to enter Sixth Classics to study [ancient] Greek and Latin. The next most able were encouraged to go into Sixth … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiography, Politics, School | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

George Osborne, child benefit and the Conservative hard-right 2010-7

Posted on May 5, 2017 by odeboyz

Hard-right chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne (2010-6) used the 2008 financial crash to reduce some British welfare payments. His ideological austerity programme was combined with political pragmatism. Child Benefit, which is paid to mothers as a tax free sum, … Continue reading →

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Winston Churchill’s ‘Gestapo’ speech (4th June 1945)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by odeboyz

In June 1945, Britain resumed competitive politics for the first time since 1931. Churchill, who had spent five years surrounded by sycophants, reverted to toxic reactionary Victorian conservatism. His wartime rhetoric had been inspirational but his first peacetime broadcast demonstrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

Democracy: The London Borough of Havering (2)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by odeboyz

(Chris and Del)

Posted in local politics, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments